THE BIRDS or AUSTRALIA. 
Distribution. Seas of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand (Atlantic and Indian Oceans). 
Adult male. General colour above dark lead-grey, chequered with white on the back, 
wings, and tail ; lesser wing-coverts dark lead-grey with white bases ; median coverts 
grey with white on the inner webs like the outer greater coverts ; inner greater 
coverts white with a wedge-shaped spot of grey at the tips ; marginal coverts and 
bastard- wing dark hoary -grey with pale bases ; primary-coverts dark grey, white 
at the base of the inner webs ; primary r quills blackish along the outer webs and at the 
tips, inner webs white, which colour extends on to both webs at the basal portion of 
the inner primaries ; secondaries white, tipped with slate-grey ; feathers of the 
back and scapulars, as well as those of the upper tail-coverts, white tipped with 
grey ; tail white with the apical portion blackish ; head and neck all round dark 
plumbeous-grey inclining to blackish on the occiput and becoming white on the lower- 
throat ; a short white line immediately under the lower eyehd ; under surface of 
body white with a few scattered spots of grey, particularly on the under tail-coverts 
and sides of body ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, the marginal coverts 
plumbeous-grey ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown, eyelids black ; “ The bare 
skin beneath the mandible, dusky red ” (E. A. Wilson). Total length 375 mm. ; 
culmen 41, wing 277, tail 118, tarsus 44. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Of three birds obtained at the same time the one described has the throat the 
same colour as the head, while the other two have the white of the under surface 
encroaching up to the chin. Another adult example in my collection has the 
terminal band on the tail-feathers, and many of the feathers of the wing brown 
instead of slate-black, due to wearing. 
Young in down. Generally greyish above, greyish white below (Hall). 
Nestling. Slate-grey above, and paler and sooty on the under surface (Eagle Clarke). 
Nest. Composed of a few small angular fragments of rock and a Httle earth, placed on open 
exposed ledges of cliffs (Eagle Clarke, Laurie Island). 
Egg. Clutch one ; pure white ; axis 63 mm., diameter 42. 
Breeding -season. December and January (Eagle Clarke, South Orkneys). 
Incubation period. About forty -two days (Eagle Clarke). 
From the authors quoted above I gather that this bird can eject an evil- 
smelling reddish fluid from six to eight feet. Their cry is like the sound 
made by drawing a piece of iron across a large-toothed comb — “ cac, 
cac, cac-cac, cac.” the third being pronounced the quickest. They sometimes 
fly at night, as one fell on hoard ship about mid-night on one occasion. Hutton 
considers that they do not follow a ship all night, but sleep on the water and 
overtake a ship next morning. 
“ With half open wings they easily dive down three feet or so, and fish up 
any refuse, but they come to the surface again before eating it ” (Lonnberg). 
Mr. Eagle Clarke,* writing on the birds of South Orkney Islands, says that : 
“ To avoid the evil-smelling fluid getting on the clothes, the egg collectors 
had to use long poles to push the birds off the nest, before the egg could be 
taken. Both birds were found sitting side by side, one on the nest, the mate 
* Ibis 1906, p. 175. 
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