VoK XI X.J Macgillivkav, Noles on Seu-DinU. 1 63 



Cape Colony and Mell)ournc', our course following as nearly as 

 possible the 4otli parallel of south latitude. Any descriptions given 

 were taken down on the spot from actual observation, and, as 

 many of the birds were seen daily, close to the stern of the vessel, 

 almost every detail was observable with the naked eye or with 

 binoculars. 



The Prions I have not attempted to differentiate, as, though 

 they were constantly with us and in great numbers, but rarely 

 did they come very near, and the rapidity of their flight was such 

 that it was a matter of impossibility to make out details of 

 plumage or structure. I was never able to distinguish the Blue 

 Prion {Halobcena ccerulea) from the others. The Black Petrels 

 also could only be guessed at, as they rarely came near enough 

 to make out more than their sizes by comparison with known 

 species in the air at the same time, such as the Brown Petrel 

 {Priofinus cinereus) or the Cape Petrel {Petrella capensis). 



Very different, however, is the case with regard to the Flat- 

 billed Albatross {Thalassogeron chrysostoma culminata). It seems 

 to me that the Australian specimens of this bird have their 

 breeding-place somewhere in the vicinity of St. Paul's or Amster- 

 dam Islands. 



Again, with respect to the Sooty Albatrosses, I think that my 

 observations tend to show that the light-mantled birds {Pha'betria 

 palpebrata) found near the Western Australian coast and in the 

 Great Australian Bight are ranging from a breeding-place on 

 Kerguelen, St. Paul's, or Amsterdam Islands. Phccbetria fuscci 

 (the dark bird), it will be seen, was equally common on the way 

 across, but more so still in the Bight, and may have a more 

 southern breeding-place. 



The Shy Albatross {Diomcdeu caiita) is included with tlie 

 MoUymawks on account of the structural characters of the bill. 

 I would like to point out that its under wing colour pattern is 

 that of the Wandering Albatross {D. exidans), and is quite unlike 

 that of the three MoUymawks. It has also a self-coloured I)ill ; 

 in this, however, it resembles the Black-browed Albatross 

 {Thalassarche melanophrys). 



I would also like to indicate a source of confusion in vernacular 

 naming. The only really yellow-billed bird of the MoUymawks 

 is the Black-browed Mollymawk [T. melanophrys), the pre- 

 dominant colour of the bill in the Yellow-nosed Albatross 

 [Nealbatriis chlororhynchus) being black or dark brow^n. 



It has been asserted that Albatrosses range only to a certain 

 distance from their breeding-grounds. This, possibly, is so, but 

 their range of flight is very great, and their only and sufficient 

 resting-place the surface of the sea. These birds I also think have 

 come to frequent steamship routes, experience having taught them 

 that food is more easily procurable along the ocean pathways 

 (especially where these converge to a port) than over the wide 

 expanse of the ocean. 



It will be seen from these notes that the Black-browed Molly- 

 mawk {Thalassarche melanoplirys), so common round the coast 



