Birdlife observations
Home Whose diary?! What diary?! Voyage to NSW Birdlife observations Journal Shipwrecks Stray Leaves...

 

Notes

Felton Mathew's original text follows——

The diffrent species of birds seen between the British Channel and the Coasts of New Holland are as follows

– Giant Petrel, as large as a Goose, black above & white beneath —

– The Pintadu or Cape Petrel – size of a small duck, spotted black & white above and white below —

– The grey white or Snow Petrel – white with ash coloured mantle, size of a large duck.

– Storm petrel – size of a lark, white on the crupper – has much the appearance of a swallow —

– Ash-coloured Puffin – size of a pigeon – ash coloured above – light coloured beneath – wings & tail blackish –

Albatros – They have no thumb nor even nail like the Petrel plumage white with black wings There are some, more or less brown or blackish, whether varieties or distinct species, is not known.

Froddy – blackish brown, top of the head whitish

– Tropic Bird, with two long feathers at its tail —

In addition to the above I have observed a very large bird somewhat larger than a goose, the whole plumage of a dark grey or greyish brown

A bird of the size of a crow, the whole plumage – and a head rather smaller than the last, the head pure white & the wings quite black.

Description of a young bird, caught on Manmrea Plains, Tuggerah Beach Lake, N.S.W. 4th Nov. 1831 –
– Head large and rather flat – beak about 2 inches long, sharp & pointed – not curved – eye very large & brilliant – dark blue with pale gold rim – feathers of the head and back, light grey or slate colour speckled & shaded with dark brown – breast white striped with brown and slightly tinged with yellow (like the young emu) upper part of the wing shaded like the back – the pinion feathers black – no tail feathers, or only two or three very short ones – belly & thighs white – thigh bones very slender – legs eight inches long – smooth – colour a pale greyish green – three long toes – no toe behind. The bird was not full fledged & could not have been hatched a fortnight –

Original manuscript held by National Library of Australia
Microfilm copy of original donated to Gosford City Library Local Studies Collection, June 1998
Transcription by Bruce Jones; published to the internet June 1998

Up ] Whose diary?! ] What diary?! ] Voyage to NSW ] [ Birdlife observations ] Journal ] Shipwrecks ] Stray Leaves... ]