10 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXIV. 



Saturday, 23rd February, I proceeded to the island again, accom- 

 panied by a party of bird-lovers, so that I could confirm my 

 previous observations, and also make further notes where possible. 

 The weather was hot and the sea calm, and we had a delightful 

 passage down the bay in the steamer, being followed by several 

 Richardson's Skuas, that hovered over the wake of the ship in the 

 hopes of getting any of the garbage thrown overboard. Dis- 

 embarking at Queensclift" we took a large fishing boat, and had to 

 pull all the way to the island, there being a dead calm. We 

 passed en route the Pope's Eye Fort, a solitary speck of rock 

 commanding the South and West Channels, and useful now only 

 as a refuge and roosting place for numbers of sea-birds. 



Arriving at the island as the day was waning, after a hasty 

 snack we set out for the rookery. But what a change there was ! 

 The lagoon between the islands was now almost dry, and many of 

 the wading birds had departed on their great northern flight to 

 Siberia and the East to breed, whilst the balance was scattered 

 over the vast areas of mud flats, now uncovered. Proceeding to 

 the rookeries, we took up our quarters in different places, intent 

 on observing the home-coming of the White-faced Storm-Fetrels. 

 Previous to reaching the rookery instructions were given against 

 the treading on any of the burrows, since they readily cave in 

 when trodden upon, and the unfortunate nestling is either crushed 

 to death or suffocated. Owing to there being very little air 

 movement on this trip a distinct musky odour was noticeable at 

 the petrelry. Several hours' observation confirmed my previous 

 conclusions, and we retired to rest well satisfied with our 

 enhanced knowledge. As the night was calm and moonlight we 

 slept out in the open. Some of the party elected to camp under 

 bushes so that the moonlight vvould not shine in their eyes, but 

 they had cause to be sorry for this, because during the night a 

 heavy dew was deposited on the leaves, and this continually 

 dripped on to the faces of the slumberers below, much to their 

 annoyance. Those who had faced the moonlight were quite un- 

 affected, although the drops of dew covering iheir rugs looked 

 like white hoar-frost when daylight appeared and caused it to 

 glisten. During the night the harsh cry of the Spur-wing Plover 

 grated on our ears, whilst the quacking of some Black Ducks close 

 by told us that they were about to settle down for a rest on the 

 quiet wateis of the lagoon. 



Next day a visit was again paid to the rookery and further 

 notes taken and several photos, snapped. It was noticed that, 

 like the Mutton-bird, the Storra-Petrel lays only one egg in a 

 burrow, with no pretence whatever of a nest at the end. Many 

 of the White-faced Storm-Petrels' eggs are slightly spotted at the 

 larger end, these reddish-brown markings being found only in 

 the incubated eggs. What lesson does this teach us ? Of what 



