Vol. XV. 

 1Q15 



1 ':^\v\w>\:\.\.s, Roolici'ie.'i of the Whitc-hreasted Cormorayit 29 



rock, but it was evident that the spot had long since lieen deserted. 

 From inquiries made it was ascertained that the birds had forsaken 

 the locaHty because of frequent raids having been made upon 

 them and extreme acts of barbarism perpetrated. Besides the 

 rookeries mentioned, there are, no doubt, many others in exist- 

 ence of which little is known. 



In November, i()07. in company with some members of 

 the Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club. 1 obtained my first intro- 

 duction to the famous nesting haunt of the Cormorants on 

 Cape Frederick Henry. With the aid of a rope down the cliffs 

 a venturesome climber obtained a few specimens of eggs and 

 young, but pressure of time and various reasons limited explora- 

 tion to a very small area. It was, therefore, deemed advisable 

 that a more complete investigation should be made ^t the earliest 

 opportunity. Circumstances, however, did not permit of this 

 being done until late in the following month, (ireat difficulty was 

 experienced in getting a boat to run to the Cape, and the trip 

 was nearly abandoned when I heard that the s.s. Louie, a fishing 

 boat, was about to make a cruise for barracouta to Variety Bay, 

 distant four miles from Frederick Henry. Arrangements were 

 soon made, the captain agreeing to put us ashore as near to the 

 Cape as the state of the sea rendered possible. Accordingly, on 

 the morning of 22nd December my friend and I boarded the 

 vessel, and after a comparatively smooth run of three hours we 

 came in sight of the long, irregular line of cliffs. As the steamer 

 drew near to the rookeries, which were rendered conspicuous by 

 the well " whitewashed " walls of rock, our excitement became 

 intense. Through, field-glasses we could distinguish hundreds of 

 Cormorants perched on the crags, while, in close proximity, 

 hovered scores of Silver Gulls {Larus novce-hollandice). The cliffs 

 for some considerable distance presented such a scene of animation 

 that it thrilled us w'ith delight. Every shelf and ledge was alive 

 with birds, while to and fro flew a continual stream busily engaged 

 in attending to the needs of their young or brooding mates. Over- 

 head the Gulls clamoured and wrangled as they greedily fought 

 for the dainty morsels plundered from the Cormorants, or chased 

 intending robbers. 



The chffs are indented with deep gulches, up which the waters 

 swirl and dash with tremendous force. From either side of these 

 inlets the rocks rise, rugged and perpendicular, to a height of from 

 150 to 200 feet. On the bold headlands flanking the gulches, and 

 in the more sheltered situations, the Cormorants build their nests. 

 Our skipper was hopeful of landing us direct on one of the 

 rookeries. A promising spot being selected, the dinghy was 

 lowered, and we were rowed across ; but, owing to the precipitous 

 nature of the rocks, and the heavy ocean swell rolling in at their 

 base, and also taking into consideration the leaky concUtion of 

 the dinghy, w^e were reluctantly compelled to abandon the attempt. 

 Returning to the vessel, we steamed round the Cape to the head 

 of a small bay, where, at noon, we were, to our intense relief, put 

 ashore, the skipper aranging to call for us in the evening. 



