104: 
Thus we saw this beautiful Petrel for ail extent of more than 19° 
on the limits of the southern equinoctial regions.” 
“The 7th of January we were in Lat. 39° and E. Long. 120°. 
We had the first sight of the species of Albatross described by Fors- 
ter under the name of Chocolate-coloured Albatross ( Diomedea 
spadicea). We had, on the 4th, in 35°, met with the Co.mmon Alba- 
tross ( Diomedea exulans, Lin.), the largest of the Antarctic oceanic 
birds; and we had observed the two varieties of it white and brown, 
which it would be better to consider as two distinct species, as I 
shall endeavour to prove elsewhere. Some individuals had a spread 
of 32dms. (10ft.) or even more. The Chocolate-coloured Albatross 
appeared to me, as to Forster, smaller than exulans. 
“During the 9th, several interesting animals appeared. The 
first were the great Brown Gulls ( Larus cataractes, Lin.). These 
Gulls are, next to the Albatrosses, the most powerful oceanic birds 
of the Antarctic extremity of the world. Other flocks of birds, which 
appeared during the 9th, all belong to the genus of Sea-swallows 
(Sterna). I distinguished three species of them: the first appeared 
to me to be Sterna obscura, Lin.; the second was new: I described 
it under the name of Sterna melanosoma, on account of the black 
colour of its body; the third was equally unknown to naturalists, 
and owing to its affinity with Sterna caspia , Lin., it received the 
name of Sterna caspioides. This same day we perceived in the 
waves a short distance from the ship, an enormous species of Sepia, 
resembling the genus Calmar (Loligo, Lamarck) of the size of a 
cask; it rolled noisily in the midst of the waves, and its long arms 
extended on their surface, writhed like so many enormous reptiles. 
Each of its arms was not less than 19 to 22dms. long (6 or 7ft.) 
with a diameter of 18 to 21cms. (7 or Sins.).” 
Whilst the French ships were passing down the coast the cele- 
brated explorer, Mathew Flinders, was devoting his attention to the 
southern coast of the State, which he explored from King George’s 
Sound to the head of the Bight. 
As regards the fauna, however, he added little to w T hat had al- 
ready been recorded by Vancouver and Labillardiere. 
At King George’s Sound he observed seals, oysters, parroquets, 
and black swans. On January 3, 1802, he “took the opportunity of 
standing backward and forward in the Sound with the dredge and 
trawl overboard ; and a variety of small fish were brought up. These 
were oi little use as food, but with the shells, sea weeds, and corals 
they furnished amusement and occupation to the naturalist and 
draughtsman, and a pretty kind of hippocampus, which was not 
scarce, was generally admired.” 
He states that “amongst the animal productions of the district, 
the kangaroo and cassowary hold the first ranks. The kangaroo 
appeared to be numerous and of .more than one species, but none 
