THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 167 



white, with a ring of seemingly fine spattered burnt sienna 

 specks or spots, like those made by drawing a brush of colour 

 across a stick, as a painter does to get the effect of granite. 

 They form a ring around the larger end, being about 2 inches 

 broad. The centre of the ring runs together in the fine mark- 

 ings, making the colour almost solid, and fades away from the 

 outer edge of the egg almost to needles' points. 



"This egg was collected on 12th January, 1880, by Captain 

 Thomas Lynch, at Diegos, Kavnen's Rocks, S. by E., 52 miles 

 from Cape Horn. The nest was composed on the outside 

 of tussocks of grass and mud ; inside of fine grass and feathers. 

 The diameter outside at the top was 1 2 inches, and at the base 1 8. 

 Inside it was 10 inches, and the depth inside 5 inches. It was 

 situated on the top of the rocks, on a loamy plain. The incubation 

 was fresh. The following notes by J. W. Detmiller, M.D., accom- 

 panied the egg: — 'The nests are very nicely and solidly built, 

 lasting two or three seasons, even in that fearful climate. They 

 are built very closely together, and are probably often mistaken 

 by one and another of the birds, after the fashion of many sea 

 birds. The nests are high, to enable the long-winged creatures 

 to rise easily to wing, which they cannot do on a level. The 

 birds are very tame, allowing themselves to be handled while 

 sitting.'" — Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. ii.. No. 2, p. 21. 



641. Prion turtur — (Dove-like Blue Petrel). Locality — 

 Off Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South and West 

 Australia, and Tasmania. Egg — White, stout oval in shape, 

 somewhat compressed at smaller end. Surface slightly pitted, 

 and, in common with all Petrels' eggs, possesses a strong 

 musty odour. Length, i inch 8| to 10 lines; breadth, i inch 

 3|- lines. 



Specimens here described were taken from an island in Cook 

 Straits, New Zealand, and were from the collection of Mr. T. 

 H. Potts, F.L.S. He previously described examples in 1884 

 in t' e Mittheilungen des Ornithologischen Vereine.s in Wien. 



It may be casually noticed that Australian oology is receiving 

 an impetus at the hands of the F.L.S. 's. Mr. Potts being the 

 third Fellow I had, in honour, to acknowledge in this small 

 paper. 



650. Pelecanoides urinatrix — (Diving Petrel). Locality 

 — Off Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, 

 and Tasmania. Egg — Generally roundish in form, colour- 

 white originally, but always more or less (sometimes entirely) 

 stained with dirty brown from guano. Surface of shell very 

 minutely pitted. Average dimensions of six examples — length, 

 I inch 61" lines ; breadth, i inch 2 lines. 



On some isolated islets in Bass's Straits, Diving Petrels are 



