BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 183 



Breeding Season. — End of November and December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, New 

 Zealand, Southern Ocean to 74 deg. S. lat. ; also South Indian 

 Ocean. 



Observations. — Very little is known concerning the habits of 

 this Prion, but they are doubtless very similar to those of the 

 other species of the genus. 



Maequarie and Auckland Islands at present appear to be the 

 only localities where it has been found breeding. 



*DOVE-LIKB PEION 

 [Prion desolatus, Gmelin). 



Male. — Similar to previous species except that the blue-grey is 

 slightly paler; the head is also the same colour as the back; 

 " bill bluish-grey, darker on the sides, and inchned to black at 

 the base; legs and feet light blue, tinged with green in front, 

 the webs whitish-grey; iris brownish-black" (Buller). Dimen- 

 sions in mm. — ^Length, about 265; bill, 26; wing, 185; tail, 88; 

 tarsus, 27. 



Female. — Similar to male, but slightly smaller. 



Nest. — A rat-like burrow underground or in a crevice of a 

 rock; the floor of the egg-chamber is lined with a little herbage 

 or seaweed. 



Eggs. — Clutch one; inclined to oval in shape; texture fairly 

 fine; surface slightly glossy; colour pure white. Dimensions in 

 mm. : — 46 x 36. 



Breeding Season.- — -November and December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, New 

 Zealand, Southern Ocean down to the Ice Barrier, and as far 

 north as 30 deg. S. lat. 



Observations. — The Dove-Petrel is occasionally washed upon 

 the north-western and southern coasts of Tasmania after a sever^ 

 storm. 



"In boisterous weather it appears to sufier more than any 

 other oceanic species from the fury of the tempest, and the sea- 

 beach is sometimes found literally strewn with the bodies of the 

 dead and dying. I have frequently watched them battling, as 

 it were, with the storm, till at length, unable longer to keep to 

 windward, they have been mercilessly borne down upon the sands, 

 and, being unable from sheer exhaustion ■ to rise on the wing 

 again, have been beaten to death by the rolling surf, or pounced 

 upon and devoured by a hovering Seagull " (W. Buller). 



On Kerguelen Island, according to the Rev. A. E. Eaton, it 

 is extremely plentiful, and on calm nights the rustling of a multi- 

 tude of wings as the flocks flew produced a continuous murmur 

 like the sound of distant traffic in a large town. 



