30 Excursion to Phillip Island. [y\ 



ict. Nat. 

 XXX. 



of about 40 square miles, was thoughtfully chosen by the 

 excursion committee of the Club as the locality for the Easter 

 excursion of 191 3 ; and in response to the call twenty- three 

 members, including several members of the Bird Observers' 

 Club, gave in their names. Twelve of these left Melbourne by 

 the afternoon train on Thursday, 20th March, and duly arrived 

 at Cowes early enough to have tea and make arrangements for 

 the morrow and following days. 



Good Friday morning found us profitably working the beach 

 between Cowes and M'Haffie's Rocks, where we found some 

 interesting specimens of Polyzoa, and were fortunate in finding 

 the beautiful Lichenopora wilsoni — a specimen of which, with 

 others, may be seen here to-night. It was a revelation to 

 several that such lovely specimens of natural history were to 

 be found so easily. Time passed quickly, and we had to 

 hurriedly leave, as the steamer Genista was in sight, and we 

 were anxious to meet the second contingent of field naturalists, 

 who, we found, were true to their colours, as eleven more 

 answered their names, making in all a party of twenty-three, 

 of whom eight were ladies. After a hurried meal, and the 

 weather being eminently suitable, we boarded a motor launch 

 which we had engaged, and, making towards Rhyll, spent 

 the afternoon in dredging in about ten fathoms of water, 

 obtaining a very fair number of Polyzoa and other interesting 

 forms of marine life, and finishing off with about fifty or sixty 

 Trigonias, which, after being carefully cleaned, were distributed 

 among the ladies and others of the party. A demonstration 

 on the mounting of seaweeds was given in the evening, and 

 terminated a well-spent day. 



Saturday was set aside for a trip to Cape Woolamai, a four- 

 horse drag carrying the party of twenty-three nicely. The 

 drive was very enjoyable, and we were interested in noticing 

 the numerous birds to be seen on the way. Murray's Mutton- 

 bird rookery was first passed, and then Forrest's and others 

 in rapid succession all the way to the Cape, which was reached 

 about 11.30 a.m. We hastened over lunch, and walked along 

 the beach so as to ascend the Cape from the granite quarry at 

 Red Point. It was from this quarry that the stone was 

 obtained for the Equitable Building in Collins-street. As it 

 now came on to rain, some of the party sheltered, while others 

 elected to push on, so followed a track which skirts the top 

 of the chffs, and, facing the showers and dodging the numerous 

 Mutton-bird burrows, were not long in arriving at the highest 

 point of the Cape, 322 feet above sea-level. On the way a 

 rock below was pointed out, on which at one time some Silver 

 Gulls, Lams novcB-hollandicB, Steph., had their rookery. A }:>air 

 of White-bellied Sea-Eagles, Haliceetus leucogaster, GmcWu, at 



