°903 J -^''^^ South Australian Ornithological Association. f83 



taken by the Conservator of Forests (Mr. W. Gill) in the forest reserve near 

 to Millicent. Mr. M. Symonds Clark tabled the first volume of The Emu, 

 the organ of the Australasian Ornithologists' Union. The rest of the 

 evening was spent in discussing the habits and breeding of various birds in 

 and around Adelaide. Messrs. A. H. and R. Zeitz reported that a number 

 of native birds were now to be seen on the Torrens Lake accompanied by 

 their young, thus showing that when protection was afforded they would 

 breed within city bounds. 



About Mutton-Birds. — This season seems to be specially 

 favourable for Mutton-Birds, as I never remember seeing 

 them in such vast numbers, and in so many different places 

 before. On Sunday, 28th September, on the passage from 

 Hobart to Melbourne, I observed in the vicinity of Eddystone 

 Point myriads of the birds about 3 or 4 miles off the land. 

 There was a heavy N.E. swell, and large quantities of kelp on 

 the surface of the water, which had probably been uprooted 

 during the previous heavy gales. The birds appeared to be 

 intently searching for food, and it is quite possible they may 

 have found some small crustaceans, &c., among the kelp. But 

 it was on our return trip from Melbourne, on the 2nd October, 

 that by far the greatest numbers I have ever seen were observed. 

 So great were the numbers that they -attracted the attention of 

 many members of the crew. For two hours, from 5.30 a.m. to 

 7.30 a.m., we were passing through them. The vessel at the 

 time was steaming about 13 knots an hour, which is equal 

 to about 15 statute miles, so that we passed through a 

 continuous mass of them for 30 miles. Their general motion 

 was flying round in a circular manner, but proceeding at 

 the same time to the N.W. At times numbers of them 

 would settle on the water so thickly as to completely blacken it, 

 giving it the appearance of a reef of black rocks. After 8 a.m. 

 there were none to be seen, but about 3.15 p.m., after passing 

 through Banks Strait, we began to observe stragglers, and they 

 gradually increased in numbers as we approached Eddystone 

 Point. They were close above the water, appeared to be search- 

 ing for food, and making their way, at the same time, towards 

 the islands of the Furneaux Group. They were probably the 

 returning numbers of those who had gone to the southward 

 searching for food, while those we met in the morning had 

 taken an almost contrary direction to their feeding grounds. 

 The Mutton-Birds have a peculiar motion in their flight ; they 

 never appear very high above the water, and flap their wings 

 rapidly half a dozen times or so, and then stop and balance 

 themselves with the momentum they have acquired, again 

 repeating the flapping movement. — (Capt.) William Waller, 

 s.s. Westralia, ist November, 1902. 



