180 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



Nestling. — According to Mr. W. Eagle Clarke "it is slate- 

 grey above, paler and more sooty on the under side." 



Young. — " Covered with grej'ish down above and greyish-white 

 below; bill black " (II. Hall). 



Nest. — On Kerguelen Island, according to Mr. E. Hall, the 

 nests are placed in holes in stony parts of the cliffs about 50 feet 

 above sea level, no lining of grass or weeds being used. On Laurie 

 Island nests were found composed of stones and earth, and placed 

 on exposed ledges of cliffs, frequently in colonies, but sometimes 

 isolated. 



Egg's. — Clutch one; oval in shape; large for the size of the 

 bird. Dr. Godman states that the eggs obtained on South 

 Orkney Islands averaged 62.35 x 43.11 mm. Average dimensions 

 in mm. of three examples presented to the British Museum by Dr. 

 W. S. Bruce:— 61 x 41. 



Breeding Season. — December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, New 

 Zealand, Southern Ocean in general, to lat. 65 deg. south, ranging 

 north to European waters. 



Observations. — Round the southern coast of Tasmania this 

 species is more or less plentiful during the greater part of the year, 

 but is not at all plentiful at any time in northern waters. To all 

 those who have voyaged from Australia to the Cape it is a very 

 familiar object skimming over the waters in the wake of the 

 steamer in company with Albatrosses and other ocean wanderers, 

 or else moving in great flocks over the face of the waters. 



" It feeds upon minute crustaceans, most of which appear to be 

 coloured with bright orange pigment, that is so marked a feature in 

 those animals. They are freely ejected in a mucoid orange- 

 coloured mess when the bird is caught and handled, and the same 

 objectionable habit is said to be indulged in when the birds are dis- 

 turbed upon their nests " (E. A. Wilson). 



Mr. W. Eagle Clarke gives the distance of ejection as "6 or 

 even 8 feet." 



This Martin among the Petrels is extremely tame, passing 

 immediately under the stem and settling close down to the sides of 

 the ship if fat of any kind or other oily substance be thrown over- 

 board. Swims lightly, but rarely exercises its natatorial powers 

 except to procure food, in pursuit of which it occasionally dives for 

 a moment or two. Nothing can be more graceful than its motions 

 while on the wing, with the neck shortened, and the legs entirely 

 hidden among the feathers of the under tail coverts " (Gould). 



*BLUE PETEEL 



{HalobcBna ccerulea, Gmelin). 



Male. — Forehead, sides of face, and ear coverts white; feathers 



on the forehead mottled with black; crown of the head 



and neck slaty-black; back, rump, upper tail coverts, tail. 



