THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 167 



Hawk. The sparrows were building large nests, composed 

 principally of sea- weed lined with sea-birds' feathers, in the Light- 

 wood scrub, and what attracted my attention to them was the 

 tremendous noise they were making ; on looking into the scrub 

 I saw some dark object moving backwards and forwards, which I 

 ascertained to be a hawk of some kind. I fired a shot and 

 scrambled in and discovered a fine Gould's Harrier, which had 

 evidently been looking out for young sparrows. I was interested 

 in watching through the glass a little Red-capped Dotrel feeding. 

 It would run a few steps, then scratch with one foot in the sand. 

 The scratching was done so quickly that the leg looked as 

 if it were quivering. The Storm Petrel " rookeries " were 

 evidently very extensive at one period, but the digging up of 

 the surface for guano has destroyed a large portion of them, and 

 will in time destroy the whole if the taking away of the surface 

 is not prohibited. Though there was, I believe, some true guano 

 on the island years ago, what the boats now take is only a 

 mixture of sand and shell, and in my opinion should be stopped 

 if the rookeries are to be preserved. One large rookery is in 

 process of demolition at the present time. The principal 

 rookeries are situated on the east and south sides ; some are 

 amongst Blue-bush scrub, and others amongst Ice-plant and 

 Native Spinach, Telragona exparisa. There was a species of land 

 crab which had holes like Petrel burrows amongst the stunted 

 bushes, but on a lower level to the rookeries. Some of the petrel 

 burrows, however, contained crabs, which may go into the holes 

 and eat the young birds ; anyhow they seem quite large enough 

 to do so. The White-faced Storm Petrel, as may be seen from 

 specimens on the table to-night, is a very small bird to withstand 

 the buffeting of fierce gales. It is only 8 inches in total length, 

 and weighs but one ounce and three-quarters, but the wing 

 expanse stretches to 17 inches. I have myself seen the bird 

 following a ship whilst running the easting down between the 

 Cape of Good Hope and Australia, and they have a habit of 

 flying with their legs dangling down, seeming to literally walk on 

 the waves, and I take it that they got the name petrel in reference 

 to St. Peter's walking on the water. Pe'trel in French is the 

 diminutive of the name Peter. 



The nesting burrows are from one to two feet deep, but some 

 I could not bottom with my whole arm thrust in up to the 

 shoulder. The holes contained young at the time of my visit, 

 one in each hole ; but in one hole I found two. The second bird 

 probably strayed in, as some of the holes run into one another, 

 they are so close together, the ground being fairly riddled. 

 Unlike the Mutton-bird, no attempt at a nest is made. The 

 young birds, like all petrels, are very oily ; one I obtained for a 

 specimen (see exhibit) had half an egg-cupful of oil in its 



