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The next point touched at was Rottnest Island, on which they 
landed on Jan. 14. King gives the following account of the animals 
met with:— “We disturbed a great many seals, but only killed three, 
and were much disappointed in finding that these animals were not 
of the fur species, as in M. de Freycinet’s account of the island they 
are said to be; they were evidently the same description as those 
noticed at King George’s Sound. The traces of a small kangaroo 
were everywhere abundant, but the animals were not seen. We 
walked to the easternmost of the lakes which M. de Freycinet re- 
marks as being surrounded by an extensive beach, composed entirely 
of bivalve shells, a species of cardium; the quantity was indeed 
extraordinary. The banks were frequented by gulls and sandpipers, 
of which many were shot. The beaches were covered with dead 
shells of the genera buccinum, bulla, murex, trochus, and haliotis; 
but we found none with the living animal in them. Of the feathered 
tribe, a hawk and a pigeon were the only land birds seen; but 
boobies, terns, and sandpipers were very numerous about the 
shores.” 
From Rottnest the “Bathurst” proceeded to Sharks Bay and 
remained anchored inside Dirk Hartog Island from Jan. 20 to Jan. 
26, whilst some minor repairs were effected. The following observa- 
tions were made on the fauna of the island. A small black kangaroo 
was seen by Mr. Cunningham. He states that “it was feeding upon 
the seeds of a small acacia, and, upon perceiving my approach, fled 
across the down without reaching a single bush or rock large enough 
to conceal itself as far as the eye could discern it, so bare and des- 
titute of vegetation are these arid, sandy plains.” A small opossum 1 
was also seen. “A seal of the hair species, like those of Rott- 
nest Island, was seen on the rocks.” “The remains of two or three 
whales that had been lately wrecked” were found on the coast. 
“We saw two snakes of very distinct kinds, each exceeding five 
feet in length; the one black with a yellow belly, the other green 
and black, but they quickly escaped into holes, leaving a serpentine 
impression of their bodies upon the sand. These marks were seen 
and remarked near the edge of all the holes, which were very num- 
erous upon the surface of the island, before I discovered that they 
were the tracks of reptiles; from which it may be inferred that 
these animals are very abundant.” 
Turtles were very numerous, fifty being turned in one night; 
a large quantity of their eggs were also obtained. 
“The only bird seen was a solitary species of loxia, but upon a 
steep ledge of rocks,” says Cunningham, “I observed one of those 
nests of which frequent mention has been already made. I examined 
and found it built upon the pinnacle of some large rocks, very 
strongly constructed of long sticks; it was about five feet high, and 
exceeded four feet in diameter, with a very slight cavity above, and 
seemed to have been very recently inhabited.” 
1 Perameles bougainvillei, Quoy and Gaim. 
