THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 177 



be witnessed, and even then we can grasp but an indefinite idea 

 of the number of birds which visit this island. The large number 

 ■of 200,000 are annually ta"ken for food, not to mention the 

 number of eggs. Yet, in spite of this enormous drain, still the 

 birds come as thickly as ever. God's provision for man, indeed, 

 for what these islanders would do without these so-called Mutton 

 Birds for food would be a difficult question to answer. During 

 our stay we were enabled to unravel the vexed question when 

 the birds first start to lay, with the following result : — The birds 

 first appear on the islands about the end of September to clean 

 out the holes, after which they leave until i8th November, the 

 earliest date, to the 28th, the latest date, when the cock bird 

 appears. A day or two after this the hen bird calls and deposits 

 her egg, going off to sea again to recruit. In about a week's 

 time she returns to reheve her mate, who by this time is pretty 

 well starved or thinned down. She then takes a turn, to be 

 relieved in the same way, and so on, turn in turn, until the chick 

 is hatched. In April the young is deserted, and has to be thinned 

 down for seven to ten days before being able to fly. And then 

 we hear no more of Mutton Birds for five months. Where they 

 go to during these months is a question to be decided. Some 

 suggest warm localities, but this would have been recorded ere 

 this. I myself think they go to cool regions. The birds are 

 very oily and fat, and this, I think, would go to support such a 

 theory. However, it is a very interesting point to settle. Snakes 

 are numerous in this island, being frequently taken out, of the 

 Mutton Birds' burrows by the islanders. We killed three, aver- 

 aging 5 feet long, during a walk one morning. They are the 

 brown variety, and appear very sluggish in their habits. 



27TH November. — We turned out at a glorious sunrise, 

 and at 7.45 a.m. started for Chalky Island, on the west of 

 Flinders Island, arriving there about 10 a.m. We found one 

 clutch of Caspian Tern's eggs only. Touching at Mile Island on 

 our way, we steered for Pat's River, on Flinders Island, intending 

 to take Mr. Gundersen on board, but found he had already 

 departed towards our camp. After begging a loaf of bread from 

 Mrs. Verreux we enjoyed tea on the beach, and then turned in 

 on board the cutter for the night. Two of the party, however, 

 elected to walk round to camp, a distance of about 12 miles. 



28TH November. — We left anchorage with the first streaks of 

 day, about 3.30 a.m., and after dredging on the way, with poor 

 results, arrived at the camp about 6 a.m. After breakfast two 

 members sailed in a boat for Woody Island, but did not reach it, 

 the wind being contrary. They landed at Isabella Rock to take 

 a few more Stormy Petrels, and returned to camp late in the after- 

 noon. Two of us had another trial through the scrub, but the rain 

 came down so freely that it necessitated a speedy return to camp, so 

 we spent the remainder of the day in blowing eggs and packing up. 



