130 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



through the ground into the Mutton Bird holes, often to the dis- 

 comfiture of the inmates. Although we were there the day 

 before the arrival of the main flock of birds, there were already a 

 fair number on the island, and we soon had the baskets we had 

 brought with us filled with their eggs ; they only lay one large 

 white one. A few of the male birds were also taken for the light- 

 house-keeper's larder. What the island is like when the rest of 

 the birds come in would be hard to describe, as there is scarcely 

 a square foot on the top of the island without a burrow. They 

 are not deep, but are principally under the matted grass and 

 herbage. We found a good many penguins breeding in the same 

 rookery. Small lizards were numerous, and a few White-lipped 

 Snakes were seen, but none obtained. On another rocky 

 eminence of the island the nest of the Black-cheeked Falcon was 

 found. There were a pair of downy young ones in it about six 

 weeks old. The parent birds were very brave in defending them, 

 and struck the intruder to drive him off, but their little ones 

 were not taken away from them. The remains of the Dove-like 

 Blue Petrel and the Diving Petrel were plentiful about the nest. 

 Not far from the same place, but much closer to the water's edge, 

 the nest of the Sooty Oyster-catcher was found with two fresh 

 eggs in, and from a small burrow hard by the egg, apparently, of 

 the Stormy, Petrel was taken, but the bird itself was absent. Mr. 

 A. J. Campbell took two photographs on the island — one of the 

 members getting Mutton Birds' eggs out of the burrows with their 

 crooks (which saved their hands from the attack of the birds) and 

 the other of our landing place with the boat waiting for us. At 2 

 o'clock, as the weather was looking threatening, we left, regretting 

 that we were not able to stay longer on this interesting island. 



On our return journey the dredge was let down, and some 

 specimens of Polyzoa obtained. On arriving at East Cove, 

 we hauled the boat in its shed and started with our spoils for the 

 camp. Shortly after reaching there, the rain commenced to fall, 

 and continued more or less all night. Next morning (Tuesday) 

 the sky looked very overcast, but we were up early and had our 

 breakfast without any rain. We had hardly finished when it com- 

 menced again in earnest, and continued throughout the greater 

 part of the day, but cleared up towards the evening. Being kept 

 indoors, we were enabled to blow and pack the eggs obtained the 

 previous day, and were glad of the opportunity of doing so. 



At 7.30 p.m., Mr. Brown and his son Frank, with Mr. Gabriel, 

 arrived at our cove, having rowed round with the small boat, and 

 brought the seine net to fish. The first haul only brought in a 

 few salmon and mullet ; but we were more successful the second 

 time, landing a few mullet and thirteen trevalla, the latter weigh- 

 ing about three pounds each. We tried again three times, but 

 did not succeed in catching a solitary fish, and as it was late, and 



