^°™] ALEXANDER, .luslralian Sea ir,rds. 261 



These are bvit glimpses of the bird hfe around Tuggranong, 

 gleanings of brief rambles. With more time for observing, one 

 might have named, perhaps, a hundred birds for the district. 



In the books of early travellers, there are records of bird life 

 in the vicinity of Canberra. Dr. George Bennett, in the "thirties" 

 of last century did some observing in the Yass district. He 

 states that Black Cockatoos {Calyptorhynchiis fimereus) and 

 White Cockatoos had become very numerous, the former appar- 

 ently attracted by trees settlers had felled to make a clearing for 

 cultivation. He saw small trees whose downfall was due to the 

 attacks of Black Cockatoos, which sought for insect larv?e in 

 the trunks. "Should the object of their search be situated (as 

 often occurs) far in, before they reach it, the trunk is so much 

 cut through that the slightest puff of wind lays it prostrate." 



Canberra's future bird lovers will have a fair choice of places 

 for their field days. Bird life should remain plentiful on the 

 plains and among the hills, long after the city has been built and 

 peopled. 



Observations and Records of Australian 

 Sea-birds, 1 920-1. 



By W. B. ALEXANDER, M.A., R.A.O.U., C.F.A.O.U., 

 Prickly Pear Laboratory, Sherwood, Brisbane. 



On March 6th, 1920, the writer left Fremantle for Durban. On 

 the following day a single W^andering Albatross {Diomedea 

 exulans) was astern of the ship for a few hours, but this was 

 the only bird seen until Cape Hens (Procellaria aequinoctialis) 

 appeared on March 11th. At that date, however, we were in 31 

 deg. S. lat., 87 deg. E. long., a position considerably nearer to 

 Amsterdam Island than to Australia. Wandering Albatrosses 

 reappeared on March 12th. 



On July 2nd, 1921, on a voyage back from Capetown to Fre- 

 mantle, our noon position was 32 deg. S. lat., 96 deg. E. long., 

 and I was once more in Australian seas. Owing to the season 

 being mid-winter, and perhaps partly also owing to the rather 

 more southerly course, birds w-ere seen in numbers throughout 

 this voyage. The species met with in Australian waters will be 

 referred to below. 



During a brief stay in Perth, Mr. L. Glauert, F.G.S , of the 

 W.A. Museum, showed me a number of specimens of Tubinares 

 obtained since my departure, and kindly gave me full particulars 

 about them. 



Subsequently, by permission of Mr. H. A. Longman, F.L.S., 

 the director, and with the assistance of Mr. M. J. Coiclough, 

 the ornithologist, I was permitted to examine and m?ke notes 

 upon the seabirds in the collection of the Queensland Museum, 

 Brisbane. 



