J"'J^'] Excursion to Phillip Island. 33 



visiting the penguin rookery we noticed a considerable number 

 of these birds dead at the mouths of the holes, and wondered 

 at the cause. A few members climbed the large Nobby, and 

 found the top covered with guano. There must be a large 

 quantity of this material — probably a depth of ten feet or 

 more. I often wonder why it is not utilized ; perhaps it is not 

 rich enough to pay for removal. After a hurried gathering of 

 Polyzoa off the rocky beach, we journeyed back, and, taking 

 another route, passed Swan Lake. Countless rabbits were seen 

 on the way. These rodents, in spite of trapping, poisoning, 

 hawks, and other means of destruction, are fast getting the 

 upper hand, and are becoming a menace to the residents. 



On Tuesday morning some of the party left for Melbourne 

 by the Genista, while others decided to stay another day, so as 

 to visit Kitty Miller's Bay and examine the blackfellows' 

 midden there. As I had planned to stay a few weeks longer 

 I 'bade fareweU to the party and went off to Rhyll. 



It was regrettable that we had no geologist in our party. 

 Cape Woolamai itself possesses several points of interest, not 

 to mention Sunderland Bight and other well-known places 

 which would have amply repaid a visit. 



I am indebted to my co-leader, Dr. Brooke Xicholls, for the 

 following notes on the bird-life of the outing. He says : — 

 " As the result of several trips to Phillip Island just sixty species 

 of birds have been recorded, but of these sixteen are sea or shore 

 birds, leaving forty-four as residents of the island. These 

 correspond very closely with the total of thirty-six species 

 recorded in the Naturalist of December, 1911 (xxviii., p. 149), 

 for the Bass Valley by Mr. A. W. ]\Iilligan and myself at Easter, 

 1 91 1. The Bass Valley, it may be mentioned, is situated on 

 ix^he eastern side of Western Port, and at no great distance from 

 Phillip Island. However, as each of our visits to the island 

 and to the Bass Valley was made during the Easter holdiays, 

 observations at other periods of the year would doubtless add 

 to the lists. The absence of the Spotted Ground-bird, Cinclo- 

 soma pimctatiim. Lath., from the Phillip Island list, and its 

 inclusion in that of the Bass Valley, is perhaps the most inter- 

 esting result of the comparison, and, while this bird has not 

 yet been recorded for the islands of Bass Strait, it occurs in 

 Tasmania. The presence of the Emu-Wren, Stipiturus mala- 

 chiirus, Shaw, the Orange-tipped Pardalote. Pardalotiis assimilts, 

 Ramsay, and the Mistletoe-bird, DiccBum hirundijiaceitiii, Shaw, 

 upon the island is also of interest. Of the sea-birds found upon 

 the island, the Short-tailed Petrel, or "Mutton-bird," Piiffinus 

 hrevicaiidus, Gld., and the Little Penguin, Eiidyptula niinor, Forst., 

 bulk largest in importance. Both these birds are diminishing in 

 numbers every year, and their rookeries are being gradually 



