208 Carter, Birds Occurring in the Region of N.W. Cape, [ 211 d™ u r ;i 



(142.) Sterna MEDIA (Lesser Crested Tern). — Fairly numerous in 

 summer. 



(143.) STERNA BERGII (Crested Tern). — This handsome species was not 

 rare, but only once found breeding — viz., 26th April, 1902, when fourteen 

 eggs were noted on Frazer Island. Each egg was laid singly in a slight 

 depression in the sand, on one of the highest hummocks, without any 

 nesting material, and they were all laid within a radius of 3 feet. 



(144.) Sterna frontalis (White-fronted Tern). — Seen in the summer 

 months about sandy points. 



(145.) STERNA NEREIS (White-faced Ternlet). — This elegant little bird 

 was only very occasionally observed. 



(146.) ANOUS STOLIDUS (Noddy). — Sometimes seen in immense nocks 

 on low sand-banks adjoining Frazer Island, about the middle of May. 

 On one occasion such numbers of these birds circled in columnar formation 

 above the sand-bar (which is about four miles from the house) as to look 

 exactly like dense clouds of smoke, and my natives were so positive that 

 another shipwrecked crew had landed there, and were making signals, 

 that they persuaded me to go out in the boat to their relief, only to find 

 that birds were the cause of the illusion. 



(147.) LARUS NOV.E-HOLLANDLE. (Silver Gull). — A very common species 

 throughout the year, excepting from about the middle of January until 

 April, when they disappear, probably going further south to breed, as 

 their eggs were never found in the district under consideration. They 

 became very tame about the house and native camps after orders were 

 given they were not to be molested, as they are useful scavengers. After 

 a while the natives used to feed them on scraps of meat or turtle and take 

 an interest in their movements, calling them " fowl-brothers." During 

 a spell of very heavy southerly gales in December, 1 899, they temporarily 

 forsook the beach and fed largely on beetles captured on inland spinifex 

 hills. 



(148.) PELAGODROMA MARINA (White-faced Storm-Petrel). — A dead 

 specimen of what seemed to be this bird was picked up on the beach, 31st 

 July, 1894. Several other Petrels were found at various dates, but too 

 much decomposed for identification. 



(149.) Puffinus tenuirostris* (Short-tailed Petrel). — Great nurn" 

 bers of " Mutton-Birds " were to be seen on the open sea and inside the 

 reefs at deep water channels, in November and December. As they were 

 difficult to shoot, this was the only species identified. When outside the 

 reefs in my cutter on various occasions, numbers of birds were seen all 

 through the night flitting about quite silently, like dark shadows. The 

 natives informed me they used to breed on islands in the northern part 

 of the Exmouth Gulf, especially on Long Island, or, as they call it, " Tarra," 

 from the nesting burrows on it, " tarra " in this locality signifying " hole." 



(150.) OSSIFRAGA GIGANTEA (Giant Petrel). — A specimen of this bird 

 was found dead on the beach after heavy southerly gales in December , 

 1899. 



(151.) Thalassogeron carteri (Carter Albatross). — On nth May, 1900, 

 one of the native boys went to the boat to wash her decks down, as usual, 

 and returned with a beautiful live Albatross which he had caught from 



*? P. chlororhynchm (Wedge-tailed Petrel), which is the usual species of " Mutton- 

 Bird " found breeding on the western coast. — Eds. 



