110 FERGUSON, Xotes on Australia)! Tiibinares. Ti^f^cT" 



Cape lien [P. ^cquinuciialis). While Mathews contends that 

 Goukrs type of conspicillata probably did not come from Aus- 

 tralia. Alexander admits Gould's species to the Australian list, 

 but discards P. ccquinoctialis. Other authors have regarded 

 both as one species. I must confess that my slight experience 

 is rather in support of Mathews' contention. The only specimen 

 of the S];eckled Petrel (P. conshicillata) that 1 have seen was off 

 the South African coast, but I daily watched the Cape liens (P. 

 (rquinoctialis) on the run across from Durban along the 4ideg. 

 S. parallel, and never saw one with any white, apart from the 

 chin spot. These birds accompanied us until well to the south 

 of Australia, when we lost them on retracing our track to Fre- 

 mantle. The Black Petrel {P. parkinsoni) I have seen only in 

 New Zealand waters. 



Members of the genus Pterodroma {^Ustrelaia, of the older 

 nomenclature) are generally a puzzle at sea. Though most of 

 the soecies have distinctive coloration about some part of the 

 body, it is not always easy to pick these up. I have found, how- 

 ever, that, where Petrels are numerous, most of the birds seen 

 will prove to belong to one species, and with close and patient 

 observation one can obtain the clue to the bird's identity. Where 

 single specimens are seen, the observer has generally to content 

 himself with the record of a Petrel of anknown species. 



In company with most observers, I have recorded having seen 

 the Great-winged Petrel (/'. macroptcra), both oft' South- West 

 Australia and between Australia and New Zealand. It is a soli- 

 tary bird, and fairly readily recognised. The White-headed 

 Petrel ( P. Icssoni) is perhaps, from its colour, the most easily 

 recognised of the genus, and I have seen it on many occasions ; 

 in thf. South Indian Ocean (January, 1916), farther north on 

 the Frcmantle-Colombo route (May. 1919) ; in the Right (May, 

 1019, and March, 1916) ; and between Hobart and New Zealand 

 (December, 191 1). The Soft-plumaged Petrel {P. mollis) has 

 been finally admitted to the Australian list on the strength of a 

 specimen picked up on the beach at Cottesloe, but I believe that 

 it will be found to be not uncommon in Australian seas ; at any 

 rate, at some season of the year. I met with what I took to be 

 this bird in the South Indian Ocean some davs' steam from the 

 Australian coast, and later, in T91Q. birds agreeing fairly well 

 with tliis species were seen on the Colombo-F^remantle route. I 

 have also seen similar birds in the western part of the Bight 

 (May. 1919), this observation agreeing with Alexander's record 

 of 24th March. 1919. The Giant Petrel, or Nelly [Macroncctcs 

 (/igantcus), has been seen on several ocasions on the New South 

 Wales coast, both north and south of Sydney, but I have not 

 found it universally present, and am inclined to agree with 

 Alexander that it is a winter visitor. I have also seen it in 

 summer between Hobart and the Bluft" (December. 191 1). 



The Cape Pigeon (Daptioii capcnsis) cannot well he mistaken 

 at sea if seen at all closelv. (^n one occasion, in the western 



