TfiE VlCTOfclAN NATURALIST. 



raids. Several which we found swimming about afterwards were 

 so gorged that they allowed us to almost cut them down with the 

 boat before they would rise and then only to alight a little 

 distance away. We anchored about midday in a snug little 

 creek on Robbins Island, and went over in the ''flatty" to two 

 small islets near, expecting to find Oyster-Catchers and Gulls 

 breeding, but found we were too early. We had some difficulty 

 in getting back, as the tide was running out like a sluice, and 

 several times the " flatty " was aground, necessitating our dragging 

 her over the stones, which, in our bare feet, was rather a treat. 



We were not long in making for the Reids' homestead. The 

 good folks were glad to see us, and soon made us welcome, and 

 during our stay supplied us with some valuable notes. After 

 refreshing ourselves, we took a scamper along the beach for a few 

 miles. The large number of whale bones attracted our attention, 

 and we were shown an old " trying-out " station, the cleared sand 

 track on the beach showing where the whales had been drawn up 

 at high tide. This must, in bygone days, have been a busy spot, 

 from the number of bones which were lying around. Further 

 along we were shown what they called a " sea-devil," which had 

 been washed up. This we found to be a female Australian Fur 

 Seal (Euotaria cinerea). Captain Mullins informed us that he 

 passed through a shoal of some hundreds of large seals while 

 coming across from King Island. A correspondent has since 

 informed me that he has had a very successful sealing season, 

 which confirms what the captain told us. 



Returning from the beach to the homestead we noticed the 

 pretty little Emu Wren (Stipitiims malachurus) in considerable 

 numbers. Robbins Island seems to be a perfect aviary for both 

 land and sea birds, but as we were too early for eggs we con- 

 tented ourselves with collecting notes for future reference. We 

 gather that the island is a place of call for many birds during 

 their migratory flight between Australia and Tasmania. Observa- 

 tions on this subject would be of much interest. Just before our 

 arrival the Martins were seen at dusk clinging on to the trees in 

 bunches like a swarm of bees. Along the flats we were con- 

 tinually flushing Quail, and on the beach the Dotterels, both 

 Hooded and Red-capped, were seen in numerous flocks, the 

 latter just beginning to lay in little ledges under the sandy bank. 

 It is a curious fact that the birds on the larger islands lay some 

 weeks earlier than those on the outlying islands. 



The tide serving, about noon the next day we left our kind 

 hosts, and sailing past the east side, were soon abreast of Walker's 

 Island. On a headland is the Sea Eagle's eyrie which Mr. 

 Atkinson found some years back, but it is now tenantless. Our 

 Captain Mullins was there last season with a companion, who 

 shot one of the birds, which fell badly wounded at his feet. The 



