Vol. IX. 

 I9I0 



Dove, The Blue Wren of Tasmaia. j^^ 



height at back, 4 inches across front over all, 2^ inches 

 diameter of entrance, 3 inches depth of egg cavity. Nest No. 2 

 (ordinary type), in Xerotes. — 633 inches length over all upper 

 side, 5 inches length over all lower side, 4 inches height in 

 front, 3 inches height at back, 4 inches across front over all, 2^ 

 inches diameter of entrance, 3 inches depth of &^^ cavity. Nest 

 No. 3 (short type), in Xerotes. — 5 inches length on upper side, 4 

 inches length on lower side, 4 inches height at front, 3 inches 

 at back, 4 inches across front over all, 2^ x 2 inches dimensions 

 of entrance, 3 inches depth of ^^^ cavity. 



On Albatross Island. 



By W. J. T. Armstrong, Hexham. 



I RECENTLY spent a week cruising among the islands of the 

 western archipelago of Bass Strait ; my companion was Mr. E. 

 D. Atkinson, and our itinerary included a call at Albatross 

 Island, where we were successful in effecting a landing. After 

 lying up for a couple of days, owing to adverse weather condi- 

 tions, in Shepherd's Bay and Hunter Island, an opportunity 

 came with the morning of Saturday, 6th November. Leaving 

 our anchorage at 5 o'clock we drifted 10 miles with the outgoing 

 tide, covered the last mile with the sweeps, and reached the rock 

 at 10 o'clock. There was a considerable swell chafing round 

 the base of the cliff, but by exercising a little judgment our 

 skipper made it possible for us to land from the dinghy dryshod. 

 A quick passage was made to the rookery. 



Albatross Island is an isolated rock of conglomerate formation, 

 about three-quarters of a mile long and averaging 150 feet in 

 height. Situated in the Southern Ocean, it receives the long 

 roll that comes across a thousand miles of sea without a check. 

 The colony of White-capped Albatrosses ( TJialassogeron cautus) 

 is planted on either side of a cleft saddle about the middle of the 

 island. The situation seems to have been admirably chosen, as 

 the higher ground behind the " villages " affords good shelter 

 from the frequent south-west gales, and there is a gentle 

 inclination to the abrupt "take-off" on the cliff side. I 

 estimated roughly that about 200 birds were nesting in the main 

 rookery, and there were many nests on the cliff-sides on projec- 

 tions, singly and in clusters. On approaching the nests we were 

 greeted by a loud cackle from many of the bird — a noise 

 closely resembling the neighing of a foal. The Albatross is a 

 tight sitter, and, when you come near, glowers, and clashes its 

 powerful bill. When robbing a nest I used a forked tea-tree 

 stick ; putting the prong into the nest, I held the head away 

 while I slipped my disengaged hand under the bird. In no 

 case did an Albatross fly from its nest while we were in the 



