Vol. XXIV. 
1925 
Stray Feathers. 
305 
all out of proportion, the long legs trailing out behind, giving one 
the impression of a very long tail. I walked about the edges 
of the water for about an hour. At a moderate estimate, 1 
should say there were at least fifty or sixty of these dainty, red- 
legged visitors, scattered about on my side of the road. 1 here 
must have been an abundance of food to keep them located here, 
for another week found them still lingering. Some sportsman (r) 
had, in the meantime, shot one of the poor creatures into a mass 
of blood-stained feathers, and left it, wings outstretched, hanging 
on a nearby fence, a tribute to his wonderful marksmanship! I 
don’t think they were nesting anywhere round, as they would 
keep flying to a different area if I approached near them. Prob¬ 
ably a few more weeks would find them moving to more suitable 
nesting areas, but it was pleasant to find them so near the city. 
Another bird in evidence on the swamp, was a small white Iern 
in small parties, diving, or rather, falling, as it was too shallow 
to dive, into the water, after dinner no doubt. It was either the 
Fairy Ternlet or the Whiskered Tern, I think. Passing along, 
1 flushed six Australian Snipe, also several Black-fronted Dot¬ 
terels, feeding round the edges. On the farther end were a 
number of White-fronted Herons, also some Cormorants.—C. H. 
Borcii, R.A.O.U., Newport, Victoria.. 
* * * 
The Arrival of the Mutton-Birds—A Remarkable Sight. 
•—The return of the Mutton-Birds to Phillip Island, in W estern- 
port Bay, Victoria, an event that happens just about the same * ime 
every November, is described in an interesting report in the Mel¬ 
bourne Argus. 
“Mutton-Bird” is the popular name for the Short-tailed Petrel 
or Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris ), which nests on the islands 
of Bass Strait and on the Victorian coast. The birds come in 
myriads each year, remain through the summer, and then mysten- 
ously disappear. Describing the latest arrival of these migiants 
the Argus says: “Far on the eastern horizon a black patch could 
be discerned. It grew in size, until finally it could be distin¬ 
guished as a flight of fast-moving birds. Outdistancing the jest, 
a dozen reached the cliff at exactly 8 o clock. Iheie wheeling, 
swooping, circling, and diving—they utered strange unmusical 
cries, as though rejoicing to be home again. 1 he return of the 
Mutton-Birds had begun. For some time they came in singly.— 
here a bird and there a bird. Gradually their numbers increased 
until the sky was covered with them. Swiftly they luutled in 
from the sea, by tens, by twenties, by hundreds, by thousands; 
but not to land at once. There seemed a spirit of unrest about 
the birds, as if, having reached their objective after long wan¬ 
dering, they were too overjoyed to be still, but must be darting 
and poising, rushing and gliding, wheeling and circling, all the 
time screaming discordantly till the semi-darkness was filled with 
