on his Visit to Australia.



135



return journey three months later; magnificent birds they look

as they sweep round the ship or follow in its wake in constant

expectation of a good feed from the refuse thrown overboard. It

is a fine sight to watch these mighty birds majestically sailing on

motionless wings in the brilliant sunlight just above the ship's

deck, their bright eyes apparently taking in every detail of the

ship. The common species here is the Black-browed Albatross

or “ Molly Hawk” of sailors, the Diomedea melanophrys of the

ornithologist. The White-capped Albatross ( Thalassogeron Cantus')

also frequents these seas, and Mr. Dudley Le Souef has given us

a most graphic account of one of their nesting colonies on

Albatross Island, Bass Strait, in his Wild Life in Australia and

in the Ibis ( 1895). The Flat-billed Albatross ( T. culminatus) and

the Yellow-nosed Albatross ( T. chloroi'liynchus) also have their

home in these regions, and the Sooty Albatross ( Phcebetria

fuliginosa ) is frequently seen. The great Wandering Albatross

(.Diomedea exulans) frequents these waters in limited numbers,

but I cannot say for certain that I actually saw it here myself.


# * ir


THE ADELAIDE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.


On the morning of February 3rd we docked at Port Ade¬

laide, where I left the ship, deciding to proceed to Melbourne by

train, as I was anxious to spend some time in the Adelaide

Zoological Gardens. The city of Adelaide is some distance from

the Port, the train journey occupying something like half-an-

hour.


The Adelaide Zoo, belonging to the Zoological and Accli¬

matization Society of South Australia, was opened as a Zoo about

twenty-five years ago; it is prettily situated to the north of the

town, close to the Botanical Gardens. It is small, about seven¬

teen acres in extent, but perhaps the prettiest Zoo in Australia.

The entrance fee is the same as that of the other Australian Zoos,

namely sixpence, and Saturday is a free day. In consequence of

this last arrangement very little money is taken at the gate, as

nearly everybody waits until a Saturday before paying their visit.

About ^800 is taken annually at the gates, and the Gardens are

subsidised by the Government to an extent of ^2000 per annum,

with occasional extras for special work.



