204 Mr. R. Hall on Birds 
Eggs were found on South Island, Pelsart Group, 20.10.99, 
fresh and much incubated. The male was observed to be 
sitting in the daytime. In the course of an hour I was able 
to roughly examine from six to nine nests, and accomplished 
the excavation in the loose sand, bound with fibroi'.s vegeta- 
tion, by hand alone. Many birds were in the hollows, 
apparently not specially engaged, but keeping apart from 
their mates while sitting upon the eggs. This is not usual. 
69. PuFFiNus cHLORORHYNCHus. Wcdgc-tailed Petrel. 
(Hairs Key, p. 92) 
From the West Wallabi Island of the Houtman's I pro- 
cured, in a burrow, a male specimen, in order to ascertain 
the author of the moaning calls that canae from the holes in 
the daylight. These were quite new to my ears, and did not 
resemble those of any Petrel in the other large " rookeries '' 
which I have been fortunate enough to visit. During the 
night these calls would prove quite distressing to a person 
not knowing the source. My first acquaintance v/ith them 
was in the daylight^ and I felt impelled to make a kind 
of response, because I thought that some creature was in 
distress. At first I could only refer the noise to the cats 
which are wild in the adjacent group. Lying at anchor that 
calm night I was considerably impressed by w^hat a super- 
stitious person would certainly have called the feeling that 
an 'Msland^^ was in distress and moaning in its troubles: 
circum-^tances altogf^ther too dismal for an optiiuist to be 
within hearing of. My mind was, however, bent upon hard 
facts, and for the moment was unemotiona". 
Although my specimen agrees with the measuremeuts noted 
by Salvin, the colour of the bill does not correspond with 
the specific nomenclature, because it is slate-coloured with the 
tip (nail) black; the feet are fleshy white. 
Young ^'Mutton-birds''^ are very pugnacious, fur if two 
are placed in the same box overnight, one will be found 
dead in the morning. This surely comes of being '^ brought 
up '' alone in a burrow. The statement applies also to other 
spec'.es of Petrels. 
