Vol. VIII 



1909 



J White, IL\[yedition to Islands of Bass Strait. ■ 2O3 



thousands of these graceful birds of striking plumage many were 

 keeping up a harsh screaming cry, while others were coming 

 from and going to sea. A male bird would come in to relieve 

 his mate in the task of incubation. A strange manoeuvring it 

 was to see the bird alight a yard or so from his mate. Then the 

 relieved bird had to run the gauntlet of the other birds' bills 

 before she could reach the outside ranks (for, like other sea- 

 birds, they cannot rise on the wing straight off the ground). 

 When the relieving bird reaches his mate a pleasing performance 

 takes place : the pair crane their long necks and rub bills 

 together many times, then cross and recross necks, uttering a 

 low murmuring love-song the while, in striking constrast to their 

 ordinary cry. 



A little colony of Silver Gulls was in close attendance on the 

 Gannets. Not only were they watching closely for the fish that 

 the larger birds might disgorge, but also for any young birds 

 or eggs that might be left momentarily unprotected. There were 

 many young Gannets of all ages, from those newly hatched, 

 which are ugly, black, naked little creatures, up to older young — 

 big balls of white down, with black bills and feet protruding, 

 which gave the birds a quaint appearance. The cinematograph 

 operators and the photographers were busy for an hour, and the 

 results have been satisfactory. The remainder of Cat Island 

 was explored. Pacific Gulls {^Gabiaims pacifiais) were seen 

 nesting in numbers on clutches of three large spotted eggs laid 

 on rudely made nests amidst the pig-face weed or short grass on 

 ledges of rock overlooking the sea. The birds wheeled over our 

 heads, giving forth loud, harsh cries of alarm. The nest of a 

 Black Oyster-catcher was also discovered, and the young were 

 photographed. It was with difficulty that the party got about 

 on this island. Most of the island is covered with high, coarse 

 tussock-grass, and this, combined with the underground bird- 

 burrows, made walking anything but pleasant. Birds were not 

 always the sole tenants of these burrows, for snakes were about. 

 Occasionally a tiger snake or copperhead was seen neatly coiled 

 on a patch of decomposed granite warmed by the sun's rays. 

 Little Grass-Birds were flushed now and again from the long 

 grass, rising with a twittering call, to disappear as quickly as 

 they rose. 



Having all got on board again in due course, we pulled to 

 Storehouse Island. Some difficulty was experienced in landing 

 here, but we succeeded, and members spread over the island 

 to explore. Large rookeries of White-breasted Cormorants 

 {Phalacrocorax gouldi) were found, and, although these birds are 

 generally timid and wary, while protecting their young they 

 allowed the cameras to be placed very near them. Here, as at 

 the Gannet rookery, a colony of the Silver Gulls was on watch, 

 and the Cormorants knew only too well that if they left their 



