Vol. X. 

 1910 



] Campbell and White, Birds on Capricorn Group. 201 



North-West Island. — On our arrival at North-West Island im- 

 mense numbers of Noddies had congregated on the island, and 

 were to be found at any time during the day perched on the limbs 

 of the PisoHta and fig trees. Many had little collections of dead 

 Pisonia leaves in the forks, or anywhere they could get a hold. 

 On these clumps of leaves or close by the birds sat in pairs, billing 

 and cooing to each other, and at other times giving forth deep 

 croaking calls, or, when alarmed, rushing off with great flapping 

 of wings and deep screechings. Orders were given not to dis- 

 turb them, in hopes they would lay before we returned. How- 

 ever, up to the time we left the birds still moped in pairs on the 

 limbs, went and came from the sea beyond, and were joined by 

 ever-increasing numbers each day, and still they showed no signs 

 of laying. On our departure (17th October) two females, on 

 dissection, proved the ovaries were not at all advanced. Probably 

 these birds would not have laid for the next two or three weeks 

 at least. This was remarkable when one knows that at this date 

 birds of the same species were laying in hundreds on Mast-Head 

 Island, only 15 miles away. The cats introduced on to North- 

 West Island are responsible for great havoc amongst these birds 

 of peaceful disposition. 



Silver Gull [Larus nova-holla ndice). 



These beautiful although marauding Gulls were breeding at 

 intervals round Mast-Head Island, where their nests were pic- 

 turesquely constructed amongst the herbage or sheltered beneath 

 a sheoak (Casuarina) sapling. No doubt the Gulls are very de- 

 structive to the eggs of the other kinds of birds frequenting the 

 island. Judging by the manner they hawked over the Pisonia 

 and other trees, the harmless little Noddies were probably special 

 victims of the Gulls. Young in down, as well as eggs, of the Gulls 

 were noted. 



Several small communities of these Gulls frequented the sandy 

 beaches of North-West and Tryon Islands, but no sign of nesting 

 was observed there. 



Wedge-tailed Petrel {Puffinns sphenurus). 



Before we reached the Capricorns we were informed that the 

 common Mutton-Bird {Puffinns tenuirostris) bred there. Not 

 so ; we found the species to be the Wedge- tailed Petrel [P. 

 sphennrus), a more slender bird, with light-coloured feet. The first 

 birds were discovered in the burrows on the 14th October. After 

 that date the incoming of birds at night made observations in- 

 teresting, especially if flapping forms entered our tents, while 

 out of the darkness round about came rude and weird music — 

 squealing cries and other uncanny noises — from the dusky- 

 coloured Petrels. These Mutton-Birds came in to renovate their 

 old burrow-nests of last season, which honeycombed the sandy 

 earth everywhere throughout the island (Mast-Head), particularly 

 under the Pisonia forest, where at almost every step the observer 

 plunged his leg knee-deep in sand through the subsidence, under 



