46 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
include the species here. It has an immense range, 
occurring (probably with slight geographical varia- 
tions) in all the southern waters of the globe, from 
Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope, Kerguelen 
to New Zealand. 
Little is known of its breeding-habits, but from its 
frequency in the Bay of Valparaiso, where in the 
month of November I saw great numbers feeding 
on harbour refuse, tame as Seagulls, I should judge 
that there must be some thickly populated homes of 
this species on islands along the Chilian coast or 
perhaps even south of Tierra del Fuego. At sea, 
where I first noted it in lat. 48° 22' S., long. 142° 
14' W., it was shyer than other Petrels following the 
ship, and had a curious habit of turning a sort of 
half-somersault as it went to pick up food thrown 
overboard. 
GIANT PETREL 
Macronectes giganteus alhus 
This immense dark-brown bird, the largest by far 
of the Petrels, is to be recorded as an occasional 
visitor, the Melbourne Museum possessing a fine 
male obtained at Portarlington in July, 1896. The 
only bird it looks anything like in flight is the Sooty 
Albatross, but the long stout nasal tubes on the bill 
are sufficient to distinguish it, apart from its heavy, 
lumbering flight and general ugliness. A few of 
these birds kept company with a steamer in which 
