iiay, i»0/.] THfi Victorian naturalist. 5 



was, a stranger in a sUange land — a Robinson Crusoe, as it were, 

 alone on a desert island. But I had not ventured so far afield to 

 idly dream, so, " swagging " my luggage, I proceeded to a hut at 

 the south-west corner of the island, and, having placed my 

 impedimenta inside, started off to explore. 



My investigation showed the island's formation to be in the 

 shape of a horse-shoe, with the two points to the south, whilst 

 running across between these points was another island, separated 

 from the main island by a shallow lagoon, which, owing to the 

 gale, was now knee-deep in water, whilst the large areas of mud- 

 banks which abut the island were invisible. As I walked about 

 the edge of the lagoon thousands upon thousands of birds were 

 seen. These birds, driven from other localities by the gale, 

 had taken refuge in the sheltered waters of the lagoon, which had 

 risen above its normal level about eighteen inches, owing to 

 the high tide and the damming back of the waters of Port 

 Phillip by the southerly gale concentrating and impeding the 

 exit of the ebb tide through the narrow entrance at the Heads. 

 Black Swans, Chenopis atrata, in hundreds were disturbed, and 

 swam majestically away, uttering their plaintive clanging note, 

 as ever and anon they stretched down their long, graceful necks 

 into the water below to feed upon the Sea Grass, Halophila ovata, 

 growing on the mud-bank beneath. There were no evidences, 

 however, of these birds having nested on the island. The 

 wading birds were clustered together in hundreds and in 

 thousands, and lined the sheltered shore of the lagoon. The 

 water on their feeding grounds on the mut'-flats being now too 

 deep for them to stand and search for food, being storm-swept, 

 they had, perforce, to seek the edges of the lagoon instead, and 

 it was indeed a beautiful sight to watch them either probing the 

 mud or wading in the shallows in search of their prey. How 

 tame, too, they appeared to be, and one could approach much 

 nearer than usual, owing to having the advantage of the cover of 

 bushes growing close to the water's edge, and so observations of 

 their habits was rendered much easier. Had there been sufficient 

 light several nice photos, of them could have been secured. 

 Little Stints, Shar]j-tailed Stints, Curlews, Barred-rumped God- 

 wits, and Lesser Golden Plover were seen probing the mud 

 for crustacean and other minute life. When disturbed tlie 

 combined flocks of these last-named birds simply blackened the 

 sky in one direction. This is not a figure of speech, but a 

 fact. 



Owing to the storm land birds were not in evidence, since 

 they were sheltering in the clusters of thick bushes on the sand 

 dunes. As the day was now waning, I waded across to the islet 

 lying between the ends of the main island to inspect the homes 

 of the White-faced Storm-Petrels. When wading I was bare- 



