Surface Breeding Petrels of the Kermadec Group. 4.23 



XXV. The Surface Breeding Petrels of the Kermadec Group. 

 By Tom Iredale, M.B.O.U. 



(Plate XV.) 



Systematic workers have long cousidered these birds a fair 

 theme for discussion, and the present paper was prepared 

 some time ago as an attempt to dispose of theoretical 

 propositions by means of practical experience. 



I have summarised my conclusions in two Antipodean 

 journals, but these do not commonly fall under the eye 

 of British ornithologists, who in many cases have not only 

 diflSculty of access to such, but have not the inclination to 

 study the work of Antipodean strugglers. For, deprived of 

 much literature and served with scant material, Antipodean 

 students make a brilliant show when their work comes to 

 be compared with that of their more favoured and better 

 situated brother scientific workers on this side of the globe. 



So many of my friends are still ignorant of the position of 

 the Kermadecs, that I Consider it necessary to once more 

 outline the position and extent of these Islands. 



The main and only habitable island, known as Sunday 

 Island (or Raoul Island), is situated on the 180th meridian 

 of longitude and about 28° South latitude. That is, it is 

 the furthest point east or west of Greenwich it is possible to 

 get. Tiie reason for this statement will be shown later on. 



The island is simply the rim of a volcanic crater, which 

 varies in height from 200 feet to 1700 feet, averaging over 

 1000 feet. Its area is upwards of 7000 acres, and it is 

 densely bush-clad and a mass of gullies and ravines. Three 

 quarters of a mile distant from the north-east corner lies 

 a group of islets of which the chief is Meyer Island. This 

 is a double-hutnped rocky isle, only about forty acres in 

 extent and rising about 400 feet. It is quite necessary to 

 detail the location of Mej-er Island, as this islet enters 

 largely into the history of these petrels, and inaccurate 

 statements have been circulated concerning it by authors 

 devoid of local knowledge. 



