Page:The Emu volume 20.djvu/222

 the verge of flying. Down on the rocks at the water's edge were large parties of young and birds of the previous year. A rocky islet near the homestead was much frequented by non-breeding birds. At the colony old birds sat on their nests quite undisturbed by my presence, and right in the midst a pair of Sea-Eagles (Haliaëtus leucogaster) had hatched two young ones. The rock on which the Eagles had built was thickly surrounded by Cormorants' nests. I found one small group of nests, all of which contained eggs. Three was the maximum number.

The breeding season must commence early in June. I was informed when I landed that the birds on Shag Mia were already hatching their eggs.

Mons. Arago has the following note, which undoubtedly refers to Cormorants. He and a companion were searching for Mons. Gaimard and another of the party, who were missing. He writes:—"We proceeded toward the lake (i.e., the Big Lagoon, along which we marched for two hours … During the search guns were fired off, the report of which disturbed … prodigious numbers of birds, in plumage resembling our Ducks and in voice our Ravens." The search proved fruitless, the only result being the discovery of a "half-buried pair of trousers that we knew belonged to Mons. Gaimard."

Some controversy has recently taken place in The Emu with regard to the food of Cormorants. As far as Shark Bay is concerned, when the breeding season is on the staple diet is fish. No doubt species of indifferent quality, as far as human food goes, are eaten with other valuable kinds. Twice, on sailing across the sound from Denham, a Cormorant was observed at close quarters struggling to get down a large flounder.

At the Quoin Bluff is a good schnapper ground, and I found it took up far less time to walk from camp to the headland and catch a few schnapper than to go right in to the homestead for meat. A convenient method of getting a fish bait was to fire off a gun near a group of well-grown young Cormorants, which, in their fright, promptly disgorged, in a very sound condition, their morning's meal. Once, when I adopted this stratagem, a fine young bird rolled over and over down about ten feet of the cliff face; before he pulled up he disgorged four parrot-fish, each about five inches in length. These Parrot-fish all came up abreast. Amongst other species of fish I obtained in like manner I identified a garfish 10 inches in length, young schnapper and mullet up to six inches. I estimated the number of nests at over 2,500. The majority contained three young birds. I was informed the colony at Shag Mia had an equally abundant population. The consumption of fish must be enormous. I do not know what enemies the Shags have to keep down their numbers, but I saw evidence that the Sea-Eagles occasionally preyed on the young birds. The Silver Gulls, too, were not above devouring their eggs when they got the chance. Despite the vast numbers of Shags in Shark Bay, the fishing grounds there are considered amongst the most prolific in Western Australia.

Pelecanus conspicillatus. Pelican.—I occasionally saw small parties of Pelicans on the shores of Dirk Hartog, and also on Peron. Mr. T. Carter writes that an island near the eastern coast of Shark Bay had, in bygone times, a large breeding colony established there, and he thinks the species may nest there at the present day. Mons.