Sept., 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 51 



A NATURALIST IN BASS STRAIT. 



By Charles L. Barrett. 



(Read he/ore the Field Naturalists' Cluh of Victoria, I2lh Julj/, 1909.) 



To a Victorian naturalist, whatever his " specialty" may be, the 

 islands of Bass Strait offer much of interest. But the ornithol- 

 ogist should be happier among the islands than all other lovers 

 of nature, for the sea-birds nest on these lonely specks of land. 

 Thousands of gannets and black cormorants may be seen on 

 their nests, while in burrows beneath the tussocky grass are the 

 homes of countless petrels and penguins. Along the desolate 

 shores, rock-strewn and patterned with dead sea tresses, sharp 

 eyes may find the primitive nests of terns and dottrels and oyster- 

 catchers, and tlie scanty vegetation of some of the isles yields 

 many interesting " finds" to the diligent oologist. 



I have made two brief voyages in Bass Strait within the past 

 twelve months, and of these I propose to give some account. 

 My first trip was made as a member of the expedition arranged 

 by the Australasian Ornithologists' Union, under the leadership 

 ofMr. A. H. E. Mattingley, CM.Z.S. The s.s. Ifauawaiu was 

 chartered for a moderate sum, and for fifteen days she was the 

 ark of refuge for a large party (26) of naturalists. 



We left Melbourne at midnight on 24th November, 1908, and 

 ran to Western Port Bay before a favouring wind. A brief stay 

 was made at Flinders, and then the steamer headed for Seal 

 Rocks. As we approached this haunt of the seals, hundreds of 

 the animals could be seen in the water, and from the rocks came, 

 borne on the wind, the sound of their voices. The rookery 

 presented a " moving spectacle," as we surveyed it through 

 binoculars from the steamer's deck. Huge brown' forms were 

 clambering among the pools and darting in and out of the surf, 

 while sleek cubs lay basking in the sunlight beside their 

 anxious mothers. Mr. Mattingley, accompanied by Dr. Lempriere 

 and the cinematograph operator, landed from a motor launch, after 

 great difficulty, and stayed on the rocks for several hours. They 

 succeeded in obtaining some tine snapshots and one or two 

 " moving pictures." 



From Seal Rocks our little steamer made heavy weather to 

 Currie Harbour, on the west coast of King Island, where she had 

 to shelter for a day. The members of the expedition split up 

 into small parties for rambles ashore. Accompanied by Mr. E. 

 B. Nicholls and three King Islanders, I rode across to the east 

 coast, and visited Sea Elephant River and the site of the proposed 

 new harbour. We had a glorious gallop over the heathy downs 

 and along the firm white beach, which was strewn with large 

 bivalve shells, strange fishes, and sea-weed, for it was the morning 

 after a great storm. The ride "home" to Currie in the twilight 



