THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 183 



These birds hunt over the islands, and any egg they find on the 

 surface or in a shallow hole is soon disposed of, and any Mutton- 

 bird or smaller Petrel they find near the surface and within view 

 as it sits in its burrow they at once pounce upon, and, after a 

 hard tussle, generally end in dragging the unfortunate Petrel out 

 and eating it, consequently those birds that nest in deep holes fare 

 best, and the tendency naturally is that those that make deep 

 burrows survive, and those that make shallow ones run a great 

 risk of not surviving, as flocks of Ravens, Corooie australis, are to 

 be found in all these islands. The young birds are taken in 

 March and April, either out of their burrows, or caught when they 

 are on their way to the sea. They are then plucked, cleaned, and 

 salted down in casks, and every islander, and others also, have a 

 busy time of it while the " birding," as they call it, lasts. It is 

 estimated that about 600,000 young birds are yearly taken for 

 food, yet, although such an enormous number are captured, they 

 do not seem to diminish to any appreciable extent, which shows 

 that a great number of young birds escape every year. Some 

 rookeries are diminishing, but I think that is more due to cattle 

 being allowed to wander over them and break in the holes, even 

 when the birds are nesting, as it is apt to drive the birds to other 

 places where they are less disturbed. 



On some of the islands Tiger Snakes, Hoplocephalus curtus, 

 are very plentiful, living in the burrows, but they do not seem to 

 go into the same hole as a sitting bird, as I have noticed them 

 cautiously going down a burrow, and when they found there was 

 a bird at home, quickly withdrew ; perhaps it was just as well, as 

 the beak and claws of a Mutton-bird are sharp, and they know 

 how to use them, and the eggs are too large for the snakes to 

 swallow. The islanders also say they never find the birds and 

 snakes in the same burrow, and it is easy to tell by the appearance 

 of the hole whether a bird is using it or not. In walking among 

 the long thick tussocky grass, where snakes are plentiful, one does 

 not as a rule go fast, as the snakes frequently coil, round the 

 tussocks and lie on some small bare spot, and as one does not 

 wish to come in contact with a snake if it can be helped, one is 

 apt to proceed rather cautiously and nervously, even though 

 wearing gaiters. Babel Island has a great number on. Those we 

 saw on the various islands belonged to the Tiger species' only. 

 They are probably the most vicious and deadly snake we have. 

 We were told various stories about them — how, for instance, one 

 new-comer was sent to collect Mutton-birds' eggs, and he came 

 back shortly after, saying he had got 9 eggs and 17 snakes, and 

 that he had had enough of it ; again, a lady assured us that 

 when they first came to live on this island they started killing the 

 snakes, and accounted for 900 the first year. 



Penguins, EudyjJtula minor, are very plentiful in places, and 



