MORGAN — Ornithological Trip, St. Vincent and Spencer Gulfs, 143 



102.6° F. All temperatures were taken in the cloaca, with a 

 Hicks 30-second clinical thermometer — the instrument bein^ 

 left in until the mercury ceased to rise. 



3. Coturnix pectoralis — Stubble Quail. — A single bird 

 seen at Wedge Island. The Messrs. Golley informed us that 

 in some summers they are very plentiful. 



4. Cosmopelia elegans neglecta — Brush Bronzewing, — Fairly 

 common at Pondalowie Bay. 



5. Hypotaenidia philippensis australis — Landrail. — A bird 

 was seen amongst the granite boulders on the beach of a small 

 island at Pondalowie Bay. The Messrs. Golley say that they 

 live amongst the rocks on the beach at Wedge Island, and 

 that they eat their hen and turkey eggs. 



6. Pelagodroma marina howei — White-fronted Petrel. — A 

 few birds seen skimming the water between Wedge Island 

 and Pondalowie Bay. 



7. Noenectris tenuirostris brevicaudus — Mutton Bird. — 

 There is a great rookery of these birds on top of the big 

 Althorpe. Every available piece of ground is burrowed right 

 up to the lighthouse and the keepers' cottages, and many of 

 the birds are compelled, for want of room, to lay under the 

 bushes. The acting keeper (Mr. McLean) told us that his 

 wife and children easily collected 16 dozen eggs from under 

 bushes in the neighbourhood of their cottage. We noticed 

 that some of the birds had burrowed beneath the sleepers of 

 the tramline, used to bring stores from the cliff top to the 

 light-house and we were told that last year a bird laid an egg 



' on the top of the big pulley wheel of the "flying fox." The 

 birds of this "rookery" are scarcely disturbed at all, as the 

 light keepers do not use either the eggs or the young for food, 

 so this island should be a haven for them for many years to 

 come. All the birds at the time of our visit were sitting on 

 heavily incubated eggs. 



Soft parts. — Iris, dark brown; legs and feet, black. The 

 nails are very sharp, as we found by experience when getting 

 them out of their burrows. Temperatures (all sitting birds) 

 —No. 1, 103.2°; No. 2, 101.2°; No. 3, 100°; No. 4, 101°. 



8. Petrel (sp.). — The white-breasted petrel of which we 

 were in search was seen only once between Backstairs 

 Passage and the Spit, where a small flock rose from the water 

 well out of range. No specimen was procured. I believe 



