Vol. XXVIII. 



1012 



J Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. 187 



2. By Mr. Joseph Gabriel, entitled " Further Notes on the 

 Mutton-Birds of Bass Strait." 



The author discussed the question of whether the depredations 

 of eggers, and the slaughter of young birds, had had any effect 

 in diminishing the numbers of Short-tailed Petrels, Pufflnus 

 brevicaudus, popularly known as " Mutton-birds," frequenting 

 the " rookeries " of -Phillip Island and the islands in Bass 

 Strait. He gave the results of his experience of the rookeries 

 for nearly thirt}^ years, and considered that the birds are as 

 numerous as ever, but thought that, in view of the future, 

 no eggs should be allowed to be taken after 30th November 

 in each year ; that all eggers and bird-gatherers should be 

 registered ; that no nets should be allowed for taking young 

 birds ; and that no dogs should be allowed near the rookeries. 

 With regard to reported cruelties on the part of eggers and 

 others, he was of opinion that most of the birds picked up torn 

 and dead had met their death by collision with the barbed- 

 wire fences which of late years have been erected in the 

 vicinity of the breeding-grounds. 



The paper gave rise to some discussion, during which Mr. 

 G. A. Keartland said that it was not generally known that if 

 birds are robbed of their eggs or young ones they usually have a 

 fresh nest built and a clutch of eggs laid within fourteen 

 days. He instanced a case in which a pair of Grallinas were 

 robbed three times, and then built a fourth nest, laid the full 

 complement of eggs, and reared their brood A pair of Black 

 Fantails did the same, owing to their nests being destroyed. 

 Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., said that there was a Mutton-bird 

 rookery on Doughboy Island, in Corner Basin, w^ithin the 

 boundary of the National Park, but during a recent visit to the 

 island he had seen several dead birds, which had evidently been 

 shot. Mr. J. A. Leach, M.Sc, said that the take of young 

 Mutton-birds on Cape Barren Island had been greatly re- 

 duced, owing to the Tasmanian Government having leased the 

 island for grazing purposes ; the cattle trampled down the 

 rookeries, and prevented the birds from nesting. With regard 

 to the birds striking the wire fences, he knew of a case in the 

 mallee where a barbed wire, stretched about ten feet above 

 the surface of a dam. was the means of stopping and wounding 

 numbers of wild ducks. 



3. By Messrs. Gregory M. Mathews, F.R.S.E., and Tom 

 Iredale, entitled " ' Perry's Arcana ' — an Overlooked Work " 

 (communicated by Mr. F. G. A. Barnard) 



The authors said that recently they had occasion to go 

 through " Perry's Arcana," a natural history serial, published 

 in 1810-11, and, as it has been almost entirely overlooked by 

 systematists, is very little known ; but, from the fact that h 



