Vol. XV. 1 Ferguson, Observations on Albatrosses at Sea. 249 



outward voyage, in August, numerous specimens were noted, in 

 the Great Australian Bight, of a uniformly sooty Albatross with 

 a white ring round the eye, interrupted in front ; none was seen 

 near enough to distinguish the yellow mark on the mandible. 

 On the return voyage the first specimens were seen on loth 

 January (41"' S., 51° E.) The white post-orl)ital annulus was 

 clearly visible, as also the yellow mark along the mandible. After 

 this date this species was seen daily, with one exception, up till 

 22nd January. On that date the Western Australian coast was 

 in sight, in the neighbourhood of Cape d'Entrecasteaux. 

 Returning towards Melbourne, this species was again seen in the 

 Great Australian Bight on three consecutive days after passing 

 the south-west corner of Australia. No differences could be 

 detected between the birds seen in the Indian Ocean and those 

 in Australian seas. Mathews gives the difference as the larger 

 size in all its dimensions of the western form. Such differences 

 are not appreciable at sea, but it would be of interest to know 

 the limits of the ranges of the sub-species. 



PhCEbetria palpebrata, Forster. 

 Sub-species : — 



P. palpebrata palpebrata, Forster : South Indian Ocean. 

 P. palpebrata huttoni, Mathews : East Australia and New 



Zealand. 

 P. palpebrata antarctua, Mathews : South Atlantic. 



I refer to this species a sooty Albatross which was seen on 

 several occasions. My first record is on 13th January (41° S. 

 yTf° E.), when one was seen ; thereafter specimens were seen on 

 i6th January (41° S. 93° E.), 26th January (37° S. 126° E.), and 

 28th January (38° S. 139° E.) The first two specimens seen 

 probably belong to the sub-species breeding on Kerguelen Island, 

 and those on the latter two dates to the bird breeding to the south 

 of New Zealand, but the coloration appeared to be the same in 

 all. The Australian birds, however, were seen at a much closer 

 range. I noted the following coloration in the two specimens 

 seen on the 26th January : — Face black ; neck and back of head 

 white, extending on to crown ; body below light brown ; legs 

 light-coloured ; bill black, no yellow mark discernible on the 

 mandible ; no white annulus behind the eye. These birds were 

 a good deal whiter on the neck than shown in Mathews's plate, 

 and, moreover, had no white ring behind the eye, and the feet 

 appeared whitish instead of pink. The white annulus could hardly 

 have been missed, as the birds were seen at close range, and in 

 P. fusca the white ring is visible at a good distance. Possibly the 

 specimens seen were not fully mature. 



_ It might be mentioned that as Albatrosses were seen at varying 

 times during the day, the positions given are the noon readings 

 to the nearest degree. 



