108 



were apparently not in full adult plumage; the head was dusky, 

 and the bill discoloured and darker at the tip. It may be that 

 Mathews would refer these birds to ivallaca, but I see no justifi- 

 cation for forming a separate sub-species for New South Wales 

 birds, which, as the evidence available goes to show, only come 

 north from Victoria in the winter. 



The Yellow-nosed Albatross (D. chlororhxnchus) is the com- 

 monest sjjecies on the east, as on the west coasts. I have fre- 

 quently seen this species in Sydney Harbour, once opposite the 

 entrance to the Quay. The Wanderer {D. e.vulans) also occurs 

 in the harbour, but more rarely. I recently ( 2i)th November, 

 1920) saw a pair near Fort Denison. On my return trip from 

 Port Macquarie. in September, several specimens of the Yellow- 

 nosed (/>. chlororJixnchiis) were noted, and amongst them birds 

 with ap])arf'ntly all black bills. I could not be absolutely posi- 

 tive on this point, though we passed one bird fairly closely. If 

 my observations were correct, the distinction between D.c. bassi 

 and D.c. carteri fails. The breeding grounds of the Australian 

 and Xew Zealand birds are unknown, and if the western coast 

 form is distinct from the eastern it is necessary to premise two 

 unknown breeding areas. 



The claim of the Grey-headed or Flat-billed Albatross ( P 

 chrysostoma) to a place on our Australian list is acknowledged 

 by all. But much difference of opinion exists as to whether the 

 sub-species cidiiiinafa Gould is Australian. Mathews thinks 

 that Gould's type of Dionicdca culminaia was not procured in 

 Australian seas. Alexander, on the other hand, accepts Gould's 

 record as authentic. Macgillivray records having seen this 

 species on many occasions on his voyage, but Mathews has pointed 

 out that there are discrepancies in his notes, and after carefully 

 readin^r his paper it seems to 2ne that Dr. Macgillivray may have 

 been mistaken in his identifications on some of the occasion^^. 

 The species, however, undoubtedly does occur on the eastern 

 coast, as I saw a specimen recently oft' the Camden Haven Heads. 

 The bird was unmistakable, and I was able to get a goo«l view of 

 the grey head and black bill, with upper and lower yellow mar- 

 gins. We were about 8 miles off the land at the time. The 

 two Sooty -Albatrosses are generally readily distinguished, the 

 Sooty (Plucbctria fitsca) being much commoner than the Light- 

 mantled Sooty (P. palpehrata). I should like, however, to have 

 more knowledge of the plumage changes in these two species, and 

 in this connection would like to quote two ob.servations made in 

 tlio Australian IHght on June ist and 2nd, 19K1. 



\\\nQ 1st. — Sooty Albatross ( Plurbctria fitsca) — Numerous, 

 at least 15-20 about dusk. .Among them was one with whitisii 

 nape, as in the Light-mantled Sooty (P. half^chiiita), but it had 

 the yellow streak on bill, and white round the eve. The latter 

 character also occurs in palpehrata. though in the specimens I 

 have seen of this species I have been unable t(^ distinguish it. 

 Another showed traces of grey on nape and crown. 



