Voi.^ XVI. j White, An Ornithological Cruise. c^ 



Pacific Gulls were also flying round. On the rocky, wind-swept 

 part of the islands great quantities of broken shells of the large 

 periwinkle or warrener (Turbo staminetts) were found, all in a broken 

 condition. These are supposed to be carried up in the air by 

 Pacific Gulls and dropped on the rocks to break the shells, so that 

 the birds may extract the animals. I have never seen the Pacific 

 Gulls or any other bird do this. It is the opinion of Dr. Morgan 

 that the Osprey does so (I shall allude to this later). Several 

 Grass-Birds (Megaliiriis graminens, sub-sp. ?) were flushed from 

 the dwarf vegetation. 



Our friends having called for us with the boat, in which a 

 motor engine was fixed, we were soon conveyed to the other 

 island, and found it high and difficult to climb. After some little 

 trouble Dr. Morgan and I gained the top. We found that it was 

 one large Mutton-Bird rookery. Penguins were also seen. A 

 nest of the White-bellied Sea-Eagle was discovered on a ledge 

 of rock near the beetling cliff, on top ; a young bird, fully fledged 

 in the brown feathers of the first year's plumage, sat on the side 

 of the nest. The top of this island, called " Goat Island," was 

 covered in a stunted bush {xicacia anceps), not more than 2 to 3 

 feet high, a eucalyptus of a very dwarf nature, not growing any 

 larger than the acacia, which Mr. Black has identified as E. 

 diersofolia, and another conspicuous plant was Lasiopetalmn 

 discolor. Leaving Goat Island, we cruised right round its ocean 

 side ; and, the wind having risen, we were spectators of the great 

 seas dashing in on the rocks with relentless fury, and were fairly 

 wet by the spray by the time we reached the yacht. At 7.30 

 next morning our little ship was ducking her bows into a big head 

 sea and north-westerly wind as we made over to Wedge Island. 

 A few White-fronted Petrels and a Mutton-Bird or two were seen 

 skimming over the water. The further we got out the stronger the 

 wind blew and the bigger became the seas. We were glad tonin under 

 the lee of Gambler Island, which is situated off the end of Wedge 

 Island ; the anchor was let go in very deep water over rocks, with 

 a big swell running in. Great numbers of swallow-tail (a scarlet 

 fish shaped like a schnapper) were caught here. The wind shifting 

 suddenly, we had to get away without delay, and made for the 

 south side of Wedge Island in an open bay, where we anchored 

 in four fathoms over sand. A big swell setting in made the yacht 

 roll very much. Wedge Island is about 3^ miles long and a mile 

 wide ; it was sighted by Flinders on the 24th February, 1802, 

 who, in his journal, says : — " I obtained bearings of Cape Wiles, 

 of the furthest extremity of Thistle's Island, and of a group of four 

 islands and two rocks five leagues beyond it to the east-south-east. 

 The largest of these was named Wedge Island, from its shape, 

 and the group Gambler's Isles, in honour of the worthy admiral." 



The south side of Wedge Island is very bold and grand, for the 

 cliffs rise perpendicularly from the ocean to 700 feet. Two 

 strange sugarloaf rocks are situated at the south-east end, and are 

 about a quarter of a mile from the island ; they are called the 



