40 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



seen in Port Phillip Bay. Of the nine known species patrolling 

 the colder waters of the globe, six are peculiar to the southern 

 hemisphere. An advantage to all the members of this genus is 

 that of being nocturnal as well as diurnal. This Diomedea is 

 known to breed southward of Tasmania, and memoranda taken 

 on other islands show the young birds to occupy the breeding 

 ground throughout the whole of the first year. During February 

 to June the old birds forsake them, when the babies have to 

 subsist on the absorption of their own enormous fat. The parent 

 birds return during October, when the juveniles are ousted out, a 

 transaction they do not take very kindly to. Possibly the body 

 outgrowing the wings causes the detention. 



The first of true Petrels, Procellaria gigantea, Gmel. (Giant 

 Petrel), and a type of the most extensive family of night-fliers 

 among our Australian aves. This genus is handsomely represented 

 by fifteen species, and this bird is the giant of the family ; also 

 recognized in Cook's "Voyages" as "Mother Carey's Goose." Of 

 the " Chickens" we will hear when we meet our minor friends in 

 the Thalassidroma. The range of flight is a wide one, as in the 

 case of P. hasitata (Great Grey Petrel), which is found diffused 

 far south in Atlantic and Pacific. The flight and actions differ 

 slightly from the majority, if not all other Petrels. The 

 apparent colour difference is not decided, but the female is the 

 smaller. 



Allowing our thoughts to fall to zero, we meet with P. 

 glacialoides, Smith, and find that this beautiful glacial species 

 occasionally visits our straits, and is not a rarity between Hobart 

 and Dunedin, as you may notice from the decks of any of our 

 red-funnel boats. In Dr. Smith's " Birds of South Africa" a full 

 description is given ; but we cannot just now note the great 

 breadth of the wing primaries, which is greater than in most 

 other members, though buoyancy in flight is lost thereby. 



Taking your attention to the familiar and interesting Mutton 

 Bird, Puffinus brevicaudus, Brandt, is the same as recalling 

 the strange ways of this bird, so well known to you either from 

 direct visits or Club's reports on excursions to the nurseries, as 

 you may notice in our journals. However, I cannot refrain from 

 quoting from Flinders' "Voyages," vol. i., p. 170, as follows: — 

 " In Bass Strait a flock was seen to be from 50 to 80 yards in 

 depth, 300 yards in breadth, and continuing to follow as a stream 

 for one and ahalf hours." The estimated quantity was 150,000,000 

 birds, which would — according to further figures given — require 

 18^; geographical miles for a compact rookery, allowing one 

 square yard to each family. We often see large flocks, but must 

 surely consider this a jubilee-year one. During October last 

 the birds visited the land to clear hollows ; the- following 

 month they came to lay. 



