White, An Ornithological Cruise. [, 



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round the lighthouse. When the light was first built there was 

 only a small sand-bank ; now the island is half a mile long, and 

 covered in Myoporiim bushes, spinifex, and other coastal flora. 

 Cormorants of both species were seen here, the Yellow-faced bird 

 {H. variiis) being the more plentiful. Rock-Parrots were seen, 

 as well as Grass-Birds, Pipits, and many species of Terns and 

 Dottrels and other sea birds. We pulled off to the yacht at dark, 

 and we were very busy with our work all the evening. Some 

 rain squalls broke over us during the early part of the night. 

 Next morning we left the anchorage at lo a.m. and stood across 

 the Gulf to Port Adelaide. We had a strong wind and sea right 

 aft. There was little to interest us. though a few Mutton-Birds 

 and Gannets were seen. The Avocet reached her moorings in the 

 Port River at 5 p.m., and so ended a most interesting and profit- 

 able cruise. 



Following is a list of birds observed during the trip, with 

 observations upon them. The nomenclature is after G. M. 

 Mathews's, F.R.S., "A List of the Birds of Austraha." 1913, with 

 Check-list names in parentheses : — 



Dromiceius n. novsehollandiae (Dromaiits novcs-hollandice). Emu. — 

 The country worked for some considerable distance round a water- 

 hole at Pondalowie Bay (foot of Yorke Peninsula) revealed many 

 tracks and fresh droppings of these birds. 



Eudyptula minor undina {Eudyptula minor). Little Penguin. — 

 These birds were met with in a moulting condition on all the islands 

 called at and at Pondalowie Bay, on the mainland. I feel sure there 

 is some work to be done amongst these Penguins, for the difference 

 in size between the birds inhabiting the islands in Spencer and 

 St. Vincent Gulfs and those found further along the coast to the 

 east is very marked. One of the most remarkable traits in this bird's 

 character is the way in which it climbs up practically perpendicular cliffs 

 to the summit of islands to nest. At Big Althorpe Island we found 

 them 250 feet up the cliff, which, until lately, had to be ascended by 

 a ladder, but now has a very steep winding track cut in the face of 

 the rock. Dr. Morgan took the temperatures of two birds, which 

 registered 108.8° F. and 1026° F. respectively. The iris of these 

 birds when alive is grey, with a lighter ring round the pupil. Their 

 wailing at night is mournful, and while anchored off Wedge Island 

 at night their cries came off to us in a rise and fall in the volume of 

 sound like hundreds of young children in great pain. 



Coturnix p. pectoralis (Coturnix pectoralis). Eastern Stubble-Quail. 

 — Great numbers of these birds visit Wedge Island in December and 

 January some seasons, but only one was flushed by the writer, from 

 dry grass in the scrub; 



Cosmopella elegans negleeta (Pliaps elegans). Brush Bronze-winged 

 Pigeon. — These Pigeons were rather plentiful round the water-hole 

 already mentioned at Pondalowie Bay. They seem to be well dis- 

 tributed along the coast-line of South Australia, and have a great 

 liking for the sand-dune country. They lie low in the low bush till 

 almost trodden on, when they get up quickly, but only go a short 

 distance with a zigzagging flight, to drop into the bush again. 



