266 ALEXANDER, Australian Sea Birds. [Til'^ApTii 



remarks (Emu, xxi., p. 110), in which he records having seen 

 this species on several occasions in the South Indian Ocean, and 

 also in the western part of the Bight. He says: "I believe that 

 it v^ill be found to be not uncommon in Australian seas, at any 

 rate at some seasons of the year." How dangerous it is to as- 

 sume that absence of specimens in museums is proof of the 

 absence of the species ! Mathews and Iredale in their Manual 

 say: "Atlantic C)cean only— the s])ecinien recorded from Aus- 

 tralia shows no ai)preciable difference from typical birds." 



Macronectes giganteus. Giant Petrel. — This large, dusky bird, 

 with its i)ale bill, was seen at intervals during the voyage across 

 the Indian Ocean in June and July, 1921, a solitary specimen 

 generally appearing and flying about the boat for a few hours. 

 The last was seen in 110 deg. E. two days before reaching Fre- 

 mantle. Mr. Glauert tells me that it was not at all rare at Cottes- 

 loe during the winter of 1920, but only one was preserved as the 

 Museum had jilenty of specimens. Mathews and Iredale state 

 in their Manual, "Occurrence in West Australian seas recorded, 

 but no specimens seen," after giving its range as "East Aus- 

 tralian Seas." Mr. Mathews could have seen the specimens if 

 he had asked to do so when he was in Perth some years ago. I 

 saw a few individuals when travelling from Brisbane to Sydney 

 in October, 1921, ofl:' the northern coast of New South Wales, 

 and Ferguson also records seeing it north of Sydney. A pair 

 in the "Queensland Museum obtained by Mr. Colclough on Mud 

 Island, Moreton Bay, show that its range extends to the coasts of 

 South Queensland. 



Daption capense. Cape Pigeon. — This well-known species 

 was obserxed by me every day on my journey across the Indian 

 Ocean in June and July, 1921, the last being seen on the morning 

 of July 6th just before Rottnest Island was sighted. In The 

 Ibis, 1920, ]). 693, Mr. T. Carter records the occurrence of this 

 species on the coast of Western Australia almost as far north 

 as Geraldton, in October, 1916, after a heavy gale. No definite 

 record of the actual cajjture of a specimen of this bird in Aus- 

 tralia seems to have been i)ublished hitherto, but I can now re- 

 cord no less than four. The Queensland Museum contains a 

 mounted specimen, which ]\lr. Colclough tells me was obtained 

 many years ago in Moreton Bay by Mr. A. Alder, and the W.A. 

 Museum now contains three specimens from Cottesloe, obtained 

 respectively on lune 23rd and October 26th, 1920, and Tulv 14th. 

 1921. 



Prion vittatus. P) road-billed Prion. -Two more specimens of 

 the Western Australian form of this species reached the W.A. 

 Museum in July, 1921. One was captured alive at Yarloop. in 

 the Darling Ranges, 30 miles inland, on the 5th. and the other 

 picked uj) on the beach at Cottesloe on the 14th. Du'lng the 

 I)ast two years I have had the opportunity of inspecting the 



