THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



45 



so deprived of its egg produces a se- 

 cond, and the fact that some birds are 

 much hiter than others in rearing their 

 young, is thus accounted for. 



Conspicuous among tlie numerous 

 birds are tlie Gannets (Sula), whose 

 large white forms are to l)e descried 



A Gannet and its young. 



Photo — B. R. Waite. 



everywliere. They exhibited but little 

 eo2]cern at our presence, tliough if dis- 

 turbed they readily showed fight with 

 their powerful Iteak^. At such times 

 they tvud ciuelly u]ion their poor lialf- 

 fledged young, which also i)roved well 

 capalile of defending themselves. Some- 

 times the i^arent birds would surprise 

 us ))y disgorging one or even tvvo half- 

 digested ilying-fish or mackerel, winch, 

 as they were about a foot long, made 

 us wonder where they had been stowed. 

 Graceful little P>lue-billies nested on 

 the cliffs, while such low shrubs and 

 sticks as existed were seized iipon by 

 the Noddies for the support of their 

 grassy nests. To seaward we observe<l 

 a long black ribbon of Mutton Birds, 

 spending the daylight hours collecting 

 food for themselves and tlieir hungry 

 young — which set us wondering how 

 many tons of fish and drift-life must be 

 consumed daily to support the myriad 

 inhabitants of the Admiralties and the 

 main island. 



ilUTTON BIRDS. 



In the seclusion of the dense palm 

 forest on the eastern side of the main 

 island are the ''Mutton-bird Grounds," 

 where the burrows of these Inrds are so 

 numerous that one cannot walk among 

 them without constantly siidving knee- 



deep through the loose sand into tlieir 

 excavations. 



Year- after year these strange birds 

 return to these particular portions of 

 the island, and dig out afresh the deep 

 burrows in which to lay their eggs. We 

 were assured by some residents of the 

 island that the same burrows are ex- 

 cavated annually, even thougli all 

 traces of them be renio\-ed between the 

 l)reeding seasons. Should one be ex- 

 cavated in a i^osition where it is not 

 wanted, as for example, in the centre of 

 a vegetable garden, it is said to be 

 necessary to destroy the jiarent birds 

 which excavate it to ensure its final 

 elimination. Strange as this suggestiori 

 may seem, there is nmch evidence to 

 support it. For example, the grounds 

 are sharply defined, whether they be 

 in the ]")alm forest, in open grass, in 

 the undergrowth of vines, or among 

 sword-grass. There is no uniformity of 

 conditions, yet the same sites are regu- 

 larly inhabited jjy the jjirds as each 

 breeding season approaches. They evi- 

 dently return to nest in the localities 

 with Avhich they are familiar, and per- 

 haps tlie young birds follow the older 



Boatswain Birds and Blue-billies nest in 

 thousands on the high cliffs of the North Ridge. 

 Photo — A. R. McCulloch. 



ones when their l)reeding time ap- 

 proaches; and they are doubtless not 

 averse to utilising an old burrow if they 

 find it vacant, in preference to the 

 labour of excavating new ones for them- 

 selves. 



