212 Dr. E. Wilson on the 



The Tern-like bird, black all over (No. 4), was seen once 

 or twice on shore, but could not be procured, nor was it 

 found to be nesting. 



The white-breasted Petrel, the commonest bird on the 

 shore itself (No. 5), was procured in some numbers. Skins 

 have been prepared shewing many stages of white, white 

 and grey, and wholly grey breast and under parts ; but in 

 every case, no matter how dark the breast may be, the feet 

 and legs are pink and black, parti-coloured, and not wholly 

 jet-black as in the species next mentioned. This white- 

 breasted Petrel was breeding freely about the cliffs at the 

 west end of the bay in which we landed. There was no 

 nest-material, but the large white egg was laid in a saucer- 

 like depression on a ledge of the rock — which was quite 

 friable and soft, so that a depression' could be easily made 

 in it by the sitting bird shuffling about. The birds were 

 easily caught by the hand, and three were so taken with their 

 single eggs. Unfortunately, only one egg reached the ship 

 unbroken, as the whole of Mr. Skelton's take of eggs was 

 crushed in the difficulties of embarking in the evening. 

 These white-breasted Petrels flew close over our heads 

 and were quite unsuspicious. We could often see them 

 chasing one another with a continuous twittering cry, and 

 often too they would chase the black-breasted Petrels if they 

 invaded their part of the shore, but I imagine that this was 

 only from jealousy. There was another note, which I heard 

 only once or twice, which reminded me of the hen Cuckoo's 

 " bubbling " note ; this came from the white-breasted Petrel. 

 Mr. Ferrar brought in a young specimen of the white- 

 breasted Petrel in down, which was afterwards made into a 

 skin. It had at least half an inch of semi-fluid blubber 

 between the skin and the flesh, almost over the whole body. 

 All the Petrels were very fat, but none so fat as this young 

 bird. The one egg which was brought on board was quite 

 fresh-laid, as also were those that were accidentally broken. 

 In skinning these Petrels one of the most noticeable things 

 was the capacious hollow in the bird where one would expect 

 its abdomen to be — a hollow big enough to hold its egg, 



