s (_Gould_).
SMALL PENGUIN, Spheniscus minor (_Temminck_).

The Mutton Bird we observed streaming from island to island; and I
learnt from Mr. Benvenuto Smith the following particulars of its habits
from his own observations.

The male birds come in from sea in the month of September, and prepare
the burrows for the reception of the hens. The hen bird does not make
her appearance till about the 25th November, when she lays and sits at
once.

The Mutton Bird lays but one egg; they are employed rearing the young
bird until the month of May, at which time the old birds leave the young
ones to shift for themselves; the young birds remain in the burrows till
they are starved down, and then set off to sea, and are not seen again
amongst the islands till September. The cock and hen sit alternately
night and day; and all the labour of providing for the young is equally
shared.

There are at this date about ninety people living on the small islands
in "Franklin Inlet" who make a livelihood by gathering the oil,
feathers, and eggs of the Mutton Bird.

Upwards of 2000 gallons of the oil are extracted from the birds
annually; and although 300,000 birds are known to be destroyed each
year, they appear undiminished in numbers. The oil burns well, and is of
a bright-red colour.

I was presented by Mr. Smith with two Paper Nautilus shells (_Argonauta
tuberculosa_) found on the shore of Flinders Island this season, a
circumstance which he has remarked occurs but every seventh year, when
many hundreds are thrown up: the shells are rarely obtained perfect, as
they are extremely fragile, and the sea fowl pick the fish out of them.

Our Botanic Collector, Mr. Milne, ascertained, from what he obtained
himself and from what we could contribute from our individual visits to
the islets, the existence of plants, which he believes to be indigenous,
belonging to the following families and genera, viz.

Amentaceae. Umbelliferae.
Asteraceae. Graminaceae.
Rosaceae. Junceae.
Geraniaceae. Solanum.
Euphorbiaceae. Geranium.
Myrtaceae.

Testing the chances of fish refreshment at this anchorage, we found
little encouragement for hook and line; but the two favouring
opportunities which the weather allowed for hawling the seine produced
as tabulated on opposite page.

We found the Reef Islands in this sound so abundant in rabbits since
Captain Stokes's forethought had set some loose