Vol. IX. 1 Cornwall, Notes on the Great-billed Heron. I4I 



1910 J ' I 



There are certainly no Pigeons on it, with the exception of a 

 very few Barred-shouldered Doves. White Nutmeg-Pigeons 

 {Myristicivora spilorrhoa) do not fly so far south, their southern 

 limit being Ridge Island, some 20 miles south-east of Cape 

 Palmerston. To return to Ardea suinatrana. About 3 miles 

 up Clairview Creek, where the mangroves are very thick, a 

 Heron was flushed, but no nest was found. Half a mile further 

 on a pair of these birds were noted ; and, leaving his man in 

 charge of the dingy, Mr. Nielson broke his way into the 

 mangrove swamp, and, after some little searching, discovered 

 the nest. Instead of a pair of rare eggs, it held a young bird. 

 It being too late for photographic work he returned to 

 the yacht, but visited the spot again next morning to obtain 

 photographs of the interesting subject (see Plate XIV.) The 

 nest, like the one at O'Connell River, was very roughly 

 built, being composed of dead mangrove sticks, with no lining. 

 It appeared to be a very old nest, which had been roughly 

 repaired year after year. Dimensions of nest — diameter, 

 44 inches ; egg cavity, 5 inches ; very flat ; depth of whole, 

 1 5 inches. Placed in red mangrove tree, 6 feet from the mud, 

 and not more than 4 feet from high water mark. 



The pair of eggs of Ardea sumatrana collected by Mr. Henry 

 Nielson at O'Connell River are now in the collection of Mr. 

 H. L. White, of Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W., to whom they were 

 presented by the finder. 



A Trip to Ninth Island, Bass Strait. 



By Frank M. Littler, F.E.S., Launceston. 



Through the courtesy of the owners of this island, which lies 

 off the north-eastern coast of Tasmania and in sight of land, I 

 recently spent, in company with my cousin, Mr. J. G. Littler, a 

 short holiday investigating the bird-life there. 



Ninth or Twenty-day Island is about 300 acres in extent, not 

 counting the rocky foreshore, and is principally rocks and 

 tussock-grass, with patches of good grass sown during the past 

 few years. Its total length approximates half a mile ; its width 

 is only about a couple of hundred yards at its widest place. 

 It is practically flat on top, with its sides abrupt in places and 

 broken by gulches. In two places on the southern side there 

 are gentle slopes leading to the top. The island is bleak and 

 desolate-looking in the extreme, especially when first seen in the 

 grey dawn under a leaden sky in conjunction with a choppy sea. 

 The formation is distinctly volcanic ; in several curious gullies 

 between the rocks below high water mark are evidences of molten 

 rock having been forced up in great agitation and then suddenly 



