Vol. xvi.-j White, North A tislniltaii Birds. IIQ 



1917 J ' -^ 



regia, Plottis novce-hollandice, Numeniits cyanopus, N . variegatus, 

 Herodias timoriensis, Garzetta nigripes, Sterna melanauchen, 

 Piezorhynchus wardelli, and Pcecilodryas pulveridentus. 



From Karumba the course was a little north of west to the 

 passage between Sweers and Bentinck Islands. Here very bad 

 weather was encountered, and the dmghy got adrift. In swimming 

 from the anchored cutter to the shore with a mate, M'Lennan was 

 nearly drowned ; the revolver which he had strapped to his head 

 slipped round and interfered with his movements. However, 

 a landing was effected, a fire hghted, and after a warming no bad 

 result followed. The dinghy was recovered in a clump of man- 

 groves about two miles from the boat. A few natives were seen, 

 but they could not speak or understand English. The country 

 on the islands was poor, covered with stunted timber, and bird- 

 life scarce. 



On the 24th the shallow passage between Mornington anei 

 Forsyth Islands was reached. Here some natives who had come 

 from the Mission Station were interviewed, and inquiries made 

 about fresh water, none being in the locality except at the station, 

 which was unknowingly passed. A nest of a Pandion was 

 examined in a tree on shore ; the nest contained three extremely 

 handsome eggs. Ellis Island, north of Mornington, was next 

 visited (on the 26th), where thousands of Gannets {Sula leuco- 

 gaster) were seen circling round. The southern end of the island 

 is bare guano rock rising about 30 feet above the water, the 

 northern end being a few feet only above water ; surface com- 

 posed of sand and pieces of coral, covered with coarse grass and 

 low herbage. The Gannets were nesting in hundreds, the 

 majority just beginning to lay. A large number of nests con- 

 tained one egg, a few two eggs, and an odd one a half-grown 

 young. Six old Pelican rookeries were noted, one covering about 

 three-quarters of an acre. Hundreds of addled eggs (in a highly 

 explosive condition) and dozens of skeletons of young birds were 

 scattered about. A few of the old birds were seen out on the 

 edge of the reef. The island was searched for Petrel burrows, 

 but none was observed. A few nests containing broken egg- 

 shells of the Reef -Heron {Demiegretta sacra) were found in caves 

 and holes at the southern end of the island. The island swarmed 

 with rats, probably introduced when it was worked for guano 

 some years ago. Large numbers of Fregata ariel were noted 

 flying round Rocky Island, a few miles distant. It was visited 

 next day. Some difiiculty was experienced in landing, as there 

 was no beach, the island being a bare mass of ironstone rising 

 sheer 50 feet on the north side and sloping to the water on the 

 south. Three colonies, containing approximately 800, 120, and 

 100 nests of the Frigate-Bird, were examined. Eggs and young 

 were in all stages — the latter from newly-hatched to those just 

 able to fly. About 100 nests contained one eg^ each. Several 

 sets were collected. Both male and female birds were sitting, 

 and had to be lifted off their nest to take the egg. They resented 



