^"'■,.^o^■] Macgillivray, Notes on Sea-Dinls. ly^ 



Storm-Pctrt'l, followed for a time, but could not be identified ; 

 several more were seen over the sea. A few Sooty-black Petrels, 

 and two White-headed Petrels {(E. lessoni) — pale grey head, white 

 face, and dark eye streak, mottled grey back, white tail, and 

 light grey rump, dark wings above and below, and pure white 

 under body. One or two Black-l)rowed Albatrosses {T. melanophrys) 

 had blackish bills tinged with yellow ; they were either females or 

 immature birds. If females they should be more common. 

 Sooty Albatrosses (P. fusca) could not compete with any of the 

 other species when it came to a scramble for food in the water. 

 Lat., 37° 20' S., long. 130° 43' E. Just past the centre of the Bight. 



23rd June. — Dull day, weather mild. Kangaroo Island in sight 

 about 10 a.m. Sea very calm. A few Albatrosses following 

 early. At one time five Black-browed Mollymawks and five 

 Wandering Albatrosses, two of the latter being dark brown birds, 

 one much darker than the other on the upper surface. One Grey- 

 headed or Flat-billed Albatross {T. chrysostoma), and, for the 

 first time, one Yellow-billed (T. chlororhynchus). This latter bird 

 is about the size of T. melanophrys, both being smaller birds than 

 T. chrysostoma. T. chlororhynchus has a pure white head and 

 neck and rump, upper surface of wings and back dark brown ; 

 bill black, with bright yellow culmen, no yellow on mandible. It 

 also has much more white on under surface of wings than either 

 of the other Mollymawks ; the posterior black border is very 

 narrow. Another bird of the same size — possibly the same in 

 immature plumage — had an all-black bill, grey across the shoulders 

 and down each side of the neck, head, face, and the greater part 

 of the neck white, and under wing darker than usual in the Molly- 

 mawks. Three Sooties (P. fusca) were noted early in the 

 morning. Black Petrels (sp. ?) — two noted. Several Prions 

 (sp. ?) seen over the sea. Several Gannets {Sula aitstralis) were 

 seen plunging for fish amongst a shoal of porpoises. A Flat- 

 billed Albatross {T. chrysostoma) was seen to settle amidst a shoal 

 of large fish, many of which were jumping out of the water. The 

 bird was making ineffectual efforts to catch the fish. It made 

 short rushes with half-outspread wings hither and thither amongst 

 the shoal. 



Cape Borda came into view at 12 noon. When opposite the 

 Althorpes several small White-faced Storm-Petrels {Pelagodroma 

 marina) were noted swimming on the water ; these birds nest on 

 this group. Two Yellow-billed Albatrosses {T. chlororhynchus) 

 were behind the boat at dark, and many Silver Gulls {Larus novce- 

 hollandice). We reached the outer harbour at 11 at night and 

 anchored. Next morning there were a great number of Silver 

 Gulls about the boat feeding on the refuse meat thrown overboard. 

 Like the Albatrosses and Petrels, they do not seem to care much 

 for l)rea(l. 



2()th June. — ^Resumed our voyage to Melbourne early in the 

 morning. As we went out past Kangaroo Island a few White- 

 faced Storm-Petrels (P. marina) were disturbed from the sea, 

 the first Albatross to pick us up being the Flat-billed {T. chrysos- 



