THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
From Flinders (p. clxxi., 1814), I gather that Albatross Island was discovered 
by Flinders and Bass on December 9th, 1798, just after they had proved that 
Tasmania was not joined to the mainland of Australia. Talking about the 
island Flinders writes : “ This island appeared to be almost white with birds ; and 
so much excited our curiosity and hope of procuring a supply of food, that 
Mr. Bass went on shore in the boat whilst I stood off and on, waiting his return. 
. . . Mr. Bass returned at half past two, with a boat load of seals and albatrosses. 
He had been obliged to fight his way up the cliffs of the island with the seals, 
and when arrived at the top, to make a road with his clubs amongst the 
albatrosses. These birds were sitting upon their nests, and almost covered the 
surface of the ground, nor did they any otherwise derange themselves for the 
new visitors, than to peck at their legs as they passed by. This species of 
albatross is white on the neck and breast, partly brown on the back and wings, 
and its size is less than many others met with at sea, particularly in the high 
southern latitudes.” 
This fine Albatros was first described by Gould in Proc. Zool. 8oc. (Bond.) 
1840, p. 177 (1841), thus 
Diom. vertice albo ; faciei colore e margarita cinereo ; dorso, alis caudaque cinereo* 
fuscis ; rostro pallide vinaceo -cinereo ; culmine, ad basin praesertim, flavo. 
Crown of the head, back of the neck, throat, all the under surface, rump and upper 
tail-coverts pure white ; lores and line over the eye grayish-black, gradually passing 
into the delicate pearl-gray which extends over the face; back, wings and tail grayish- 
brown, irides dark vinous orange ; bill light vinous-gray or blueish hom-colour, except 
on the culmen, where it is more yellow, particularly at the base ; the upper mandible 
surrounded at the base by a narrow belt of black, which also extends on each side of the 
culmen to the nostrils ; base of the lower mandible surrounded by a belt of rich orange, 
which extends to the corners of the mouth ; feet blueish- white. Total length, 31 inches ; 
bill 4J ; wing 21^ ; tail 9 ; tarsi 3. Hab. Bass’s Straits. 
The above are the dimensions of a female ; the male is considerably larger. 
Nearly allied to, but larger than D. melanophrys. 
In the Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. I., p. lviii., 1893, Rothschild described 
the New Zealand breeding form thus : — 
Thalassogeron salvini. Similis T. cauto, sed rostro multo minore, ad basin minus 
elevato, plumbescente nec albido, tarsis et digitis brevioribus quoque diagnoscendus. 
$ mari simihs. 
Hab. New Zealand. 
A third form from the Cape seas was added by Salvin {Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 450, 1896) 
Thalassogeron layardi. Allied to T. cautus and T. salvini. From the former it differs 
in its more slender bill, shorter tarsus, and smaller feet ; from the latter in its slightly smaller 
and narrower bill, shorter tarsus and toes, and also its much whiter head and neck. Total 
length about 39 inches, wing 22, tail 8.5, bill from gape 6, from base of culmen 5.4, tarsus 
3.5, middle toe 5.04, outer toe a trifle shorter, inner toe 4.4. Hab. Cape seas. 
292 
