line. Calling at Melbourne, we attended a special meeting of the R.A.O.U., and had the pleasure of seeing many of the Victorian members. On arrival at Adelaide I received a telegram from Esperance, W.A., informing me that the sailing of the s.s. Eucla from Albany to Esperance had been postponed for a week. This meant a serious delay in commencing operations at the islands, and a curtailment of the time available for my investigations. The thirty-six hours at Adelaide were pleasantly spent in the company of Captain S. A. White, who showed us a portion of his collection, and the birds inhabiting the grounds of his historic homestead.
Albany was reached at noon on November 15th, and there we were met by Messrs. Troughton and Wright, who had completed their work on the Plain, and were collecting marsupials in the vicinity of Albany. Calls were made on several persons who were reputed to have knowledge of the Recherche Archipelago, and a quantity of information was gathered. Much of the information related to the experience of long-gone-by days, and convincing details were lacking. Captain Douglas of the Eucla, however, was able to give us the most reliable and recent information, he having been engaged for many years navigating the Archipelago. From him I ascertained that the "Molly Hawk" was the Pacific Gull; that Mutton Birds and Penguins were found on most of the islands, and that he was unaware of any Albatrosses or other Petrels breeding in the group.
Rabbit Island, near Albany, being the recorded locality for the Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera), I engaged a motor launch, and, accompanied by Messrs. Troughton, Grant, and Falkiner (an Albany resident who formerly resided at Esperance and visited some of the Recherche Islands), I devoted Sunday, 20th November, to an investigation of Michaelmas and Rabbit (or Mistaken) Islands, in King George Sound.
Michaelmas Island lies just inside of Breaksea Island at the entrance of the Sound. Leaving Albany at daylight, we reached the island at 7.30 a.m., and effected a landing without much difficulty, there being very little sea. The shore is steep granite, with rugged boulders projecting through dense scrub, which grows nearly down to the water line. Grant went along the shore to the eastward, while we climbed up to the top and descended to the other or seaward side. Grant rejoined us after having traversed the coast to the eastern extremity and returned along the ridge. We saw no trace of occupation by any sea birds, and the only land birds seen were the Green-backed White-eye, Yellow-breasted Whistler, Grey Bell-Magpie or Squeaker (Strepera versicolor), and an Acanthiza not identified. I was surprised to find no evidence of occupation by Mutton Birds or Penguins, as both are found on the adjacent Breaksea Island, and Michaelmas is entirely uninhabited, while Breaksea is occupied by the lighthouse keeper and his staff. Leaving Michaelmas Island about 11 o'clock, we proceeded to Rabbit Island, which lies close to
