Cornell Aniversity Library FROM THE INCOME OF THE FISKE ENDOWMENT FUND THE BEQUEST OF Willard Fiske Librarian of the University 1868-1883 1905 3184 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www. archive.org/details/cu31924024736112 THREE VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST. (‘woyueqaq hq paydnsbojoygZ) ‘SAU SWIIVHIVA ,, THREE VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST BEING AN ACCOUNT OF MANY LITTLE-KNOWN ISLANDS IN THREE OCEANS VISITED BY THE “VALHALLA” R.Y.S. BY M. J. NICOLL MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY Tut Rr. Hon. THE EARL OF CRAWFORD K.T. F.R.S. WITH FIFTY-SIX PLATES FOUR SKETCH-MAPS AND TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS WITHERBY & CO. 326 HIGH HOLBORN LONDON 1908 CONTENTS. Introductory Note = Preface - - - - - A VOYAGE ROUND AFRICA. CHAP 1.—St. Paul’s Rocks - - IJ.—Fernando de Noronha - - - III.—Itaparica, Bahia - IV.—South Trinidad - - V.—Martin Vas - - Vi.—Tristan da Cunha VIT.—Dassen Island VITI.—Mozambique Channel and Comoro Islands - - - [X.—La Forét d’Ambre, Madagascar X.—Glorioso Island XJI.—Assumption Island XII.—Aldabra Island - XII.—Seychelle Islands - A VoyaGE TO THE WesT INDIES. XIV.—Martinique - XV.—Grand Cayman Island - - XVI.—Little Cayman Island - - . PAGE. 100 107 114 125 139 144 152 va VV Psan Vv 42 AVAL ER UV avians A VoyaGE ROUND THE WORLD. CHAP, XVII.—Monte Video and the Straits of Magellan XVIUI.—Punta Arenas, Straits of Magellan XIX.—Smythe’s Channel—Gulf of Pefias— Valparaiso XX.—Easter Island XXI.—Pitcairn Island XXIT.—Tahiti, Society Islands XXIII.—Tutuila Island, Samoa - XXIV.—Upolu Island, Samoa PAGE. 157 165 175 192 207 215 226 231 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Facine Pace Frontispiece—‘ Valhalla,” R.Y.S. The Earl of Crawford and the live Birds and Animals collected in 1906 = bes s RVI Sacred Ibises (about two months old) from Dassen Island... ae = . XXUil. Sacred Ibises (about four sticuitis old) from Diseck Island... ee bh va XKXVI. St. Paul’s Rocks, sie Aaiintic ba - 5 Some of the Sharks caught off St. Paul’s Rooks a 9 Frigate birds on Glorioso Island) .. wa we 216 Camp on Itaparica Island .. : 21 Sketch of a Marine Animal, seen iy Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo and the Author off the Coast of Brazil... : es a oe <22 The Lake, Itaparica 1slsel ot . 29 South Trinidad Island, near the landing nilnes .. 36 Tree-ferns on South Trinidad Island si . 39 Noddy Tern at the nest, South Trinidad elspa 41 Petrels on South Trinidad Island. Downy young of Cstrelata trinitatis, and adults of @. arminjoniana ve 43 Crawford’s White Tern at its restlee place on South Trinidad Island . = 46 Adult and young of Sula piscator on South Trinidad Island . we -. 48 The ‘‘ Crown ”’ rock, South Trinidad mien #3 50 VII VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST Facine Pace South Trinidad Island, from the highest peak .. 52 The tree-fern forest, South Trinidad Island fy Bi The Islets of Martin Vas... 3 a .. 60 Tristan da Cunha... a ac Ss .. 64 Jackass Penguin on the nest i i . = 73 Jackass Penguins, Dassen Island .. a . 75 Jackass Penguins, Dassen Island .. a 77 Cape Cormorants, with sacred Ibises in the ee: ground, Dassen Island .. “6 a .. 78 Jackass Penguins, Dassen Island .. a .. 80 Virgin forest, Mayotte Island ag se .. 85 Forét d’Ambre, Madagascar. . : .. 89 The edge of the Forét d’Ambre, Asaaakonn .. 90 Forét d’Ambre, Madagascar. . vie bs L295 Forét d’Ambre, Madagascar. . ae bse .. 96 Landing at Glorioso Island .. = a sag. 100 Glorioso Island - ste 3 : .. 103 Glorioso Island a ty - ae .. 105 Assumption Island .. as .. 108 Nest of Pink-footed Gannet (Sula pica on Assumption Island as es fs .. 112 Abbott’s Ibises on Aldabra Island .. ae .. 114 Abbott’s [bises on Aldabra Island .. i eevee 887) Abbott’s Ibises on Aldabra Island .. = ze JMS River near Port Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles oe “LZ Mahé Island, Seychelles - - = a: Wi3 Cascade, Mahé, Seychelles. Home of the Alec- troenas pulcherrima a Me bs wa 24 Water-worn granite rocks, summit of Mahé, Seychelles i : .. 126 Landing place, Felicité iaiend, Seecielie.. oe 228 ILLUSTRATIONS Valley of the ‘‘Coco-de-Mer,” Praslin Island, Seychelles ‘* Coco-de-Mer,” Praslin idler Savaislie: ‘* Coco-de-Mer,” Praslin Island, Seychelles St. Pierre, Martinique, one year after the eruptions Leaf Insects from the Seychelles : Female Leaf Insect from the Seychelles .. wa Tierra-del-Fuegians alongside the ‘“ Valhalla ” in Smythe’s Channel Gray’s Harbour, Straits of ‘iceilars Gray’s Harbour, Straits of Magellan Human Skulls from Easter Island .. Pitcairn Island Wooden house built by the INiwbiissaee ‘of the “ Bounty,” Pitcairn Island Tautira, Tahiti SKETCH-MAPS OF THE VOYAGES. Sketch-map of Voyage round Africa Sketch-map of Voyage to the West Indies Sketch-map of the first part of the Voyage round the World Sketch-map of the songne oat of aia. Novas round the World IX Facine Pace 130 132 135 139 142 146 165 185 188 192 208 212 220 INTRODUCTORY NOTE. By THE Ricut Hon. THE EARL oF CRAWFORD, KT, EBS. It is usually supposed that when a man takes upon himself to write a Preface or an Introduction to the work of another, he should have some qualification—some knowledge of the subject to be dealt with. It is best, therefore, that I do at once disavow any qualification, and confess to a lamentable ignorance on the subject of Natural History. My only desire is to relate in a few words how it came to pass that the possibility of the writing of the book arose. For many years it has been my lot to live in close communion with two inseparable hangers-on —the one rheumatism, the other asthma. I found relief by going to sea, provided it was towards the Sunny South. The cold and damp of a home winter I have not faced for fifteen years. In 1902 I was preparing to go round the world when one of my brother trustees of the British Museum suggested that I ought to bring back x1 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST something for the Natural History Department. The result was that I was strongly recommended to obtain the assistance of Mr. Michael Nicoll. Such was the beginning of a friendship which has endured the severest known test—that of living together at peace on a ship through long calms. We have had three voyages, in the course of which we have passed many southern seas, calling at various islands, and always adding to the store for the Museum—thus sailing down the east coast of South America through the Straits of Magellan up to Valparaiso in Chili, we struck out west for an eight thousand mile run across the Southern Pacific Ocean, visiting islands new to us all, each more charming than the other, and so home after going round the world. Again, we fitted out for a less ambitious cruise in the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico. How we again set forth for the wilder and less known Southern Indian Ocean, taking on the way the islands of the South Atlantic—running through the seas of Vanderdecken, though we did not see the Phantom Ship; how we encountered two nice little cyclones on the Madagascar coast, and got into the group of practically unknown islands to the North, where man is so seldom seen that the birds take no heed of the visitor; how we got ashore, and got off again without hurt— all these things are told in the pages that follow. INTRODUCTION XII But what those pages do not tell falls to my lot. It is to say how much I and my fellow trustees of the British Museum have appreciated the work done by Mr. Nicoll, his skill in the preparation of the many hundreds of specimens now in the National collections, and his whole-hearted zeal for his favourite science. Time severs many links and brings to some promotion. Thus, on his return from our last voyage, Mr. Nicoll was appointed by the Egyptian Government to the post of second in charge of the Zoological Gardens at Giza, near Cairo, and thus our rambles together are as of the past; but I trust that the pleasant hours in many and various scenes of the world may be brought to life again in this book, which I hope will run to many editions. My “rolling stone” has started. ‘“‘ Valhalla”? is now taking in her stores, and ere these words of mine see the ink of the press, I shall be well on my way to the far East—alas, without my companion. CRAWFORD. PREFACE. Lorp CRAWFORD has explained in his most kind Introduction to this little book how it came to pass that I accompanied him on three delightful cruises in his yacht “ Valhalla.” To visit so many out-of-the-way spots, and to see so much of the world under these charming circumstances, was an ideal experience and a generous education. Seldom does it fall to the lot of a naturalist to be given the opportunity of examining the fauna of so many rarely-visited places, nor can such experiences fail.to produce matter for life-long reflection. No words of mine can express adequately the gratitude I feel to my ever-kind and generous host for having provided the means to enjoy these rare and never-to-be- forgotten experiences ; I can but say that whatever success may have been achieved in making collections during these voyages is due to Lord Crawford’s ever-ready help and encouragement. I should like also to offer my very best thanks to Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., to whom I am in- debted for my introduction to Lord Crawford. xvi VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST T am but one of many young ornithologists who have been started and encouraged in their career by Dr. Sclater. In the following pages I have devoted a chapter to each of the most interesting and the least-known islands or regions explored. Some places were visited more than once, and in such cases all my observations have been brought together, so that the course of each voyage has not been always strictly adhered to. It will, therefore, be well to give a brief itinerary of each voyage, and to set down the chief results obtained. First, however, I must tell of the good ship that carried us safely through calms and storms by sail and steam for over 72,000 miles. “Valhalla,” R.Y.S., is, I believe, the only ship- rigged yacht in the world. She is of 1700 tons displacement, and is fitted with auxiliary screw, which, under favourable conditions, will drive her through the water at a speed of about 104 to 11 knots an hour. It is under sail, however, that “ Valhalla’ is at her best, and on many occasions we logged 16 knots per hour. A better “sea” ship has probably never been built, and under the worst conditions it was rarely that she took any water aboard. The way in which she rode out a cyclone off the Mozambique coast was wonderful ; the waves towered to a height beyond belief, yet not a drop of water came aboard, nor was any damage sustained. In fact, the only serious ‘9061 NI GHLOGTION STVWINV ANV SCUId WATT GHL GNV CHOdMVHO JO THVA FHL PREFACE XVII mishap experienced during my voyages occurred off Cape Guardafui, in 1903, when a sudden whirl- wind snapped the jibboom, hurling it into the air like a straw. “Valhalla ”’ was the first ship to be fitted with the “Brougham patent electrical steering-gear,” an invention which makes steering possible from any part of the ship. In 1905 she took part in the famous yacht race for the German Emperor’s Cup, from Sandy Hook to the Lizard, and, although by far the largest yacht, she came in an easy third. The accommodation on board is _palatial— most ample “headroom,” large cabins, and electric light throughout. The freezing room is capable of carrying many tons of meat, sufficient for a very long cruise. The total number of crew carried, including officers, engineers, and stewards, was about sixty-five. Indeed, under any consideration, a better or more beautiful yacht could not be imagined. First VoyaGe. DurinG the first voyage our party consisted of Lord Crawford, Major L. B. Wilbraham, Dr. W. B. Macdonald, and myself. We left Cowes on 19th November, 1902, on a voyage which lasted rather more than eight months, and during this time 38,000 miles were covered. After calling for coal at Lisbon, Madeira, the B xvit VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST Canaries, and Cape Verde Islands, we ran down the Atlantic coast of South America, calling at some of the islands, and visiting Bahia and Monte- video for coal, thence through the Straits of Magellan and Smythe’s Channel into the South Pacific. From Valparaiso we sailed westwards amongst the South Sea Islands; thence through Torres Straits into the Indian Ocean. After leaving Ceylon we steamed south-westwards until the African coast was sighted, hoping—and in this we were partly successful—to escape the fury of the monsoon. The remainder of the voyage home was performed by way of the Red Sea and Mediterranean, and, after a pleasant passage through these waters, Cowes was reached on Ist August, 1903. Below is given a detailed itinerary of this voyage :— Lisbon, 24th to 26th November, 1902 ; Madeira, 29th to 30th November ; Las Palmas, Ist to 3rd December ; St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands, 10th to 12th December ; St. Paul’s Rocks, Mid-Atlantic, 17th to 18th December ; Fernando de Noronha, 20th to 22nd December; Bahia, Brazil, 26th December to 5th J. anuary, 1908 ; Montevideo, 14th January to 20th January ; Straits of Magellan, 28th January to 5th February ; Smythe’s Channel, 5th to 10th February ; PREFACE XIX Valparaiso, 14th to 24th February ; Easter Island, 10th to 13th March ; Pitcairn Island, 22nd to 23rd March ; Tahiti, Society Islands, 3lst March to 17th April ; Tutuila Island, Samoan Group, 22nd to 24th April ; Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa, 25th to 29th April ; Suva, Fiji Islands, 3rd to 6th May ; Thursday Island, Torres Straits, 18th to 23rd May ; Singapore, 3rd to 9th June ; Colombo, 17th to 20th June; Aden, 2nd to 3rd July ; Suez, 10th July ; Port Said, 11th to 13th July ; Gibraltar, 22nd to 26th July ; Cowes, Ist August. The collections made during this voyage com- prised some two hundred and twenty bird-skins, thirty mammals, a few hundred fishes and reptiles, and several hundred butterflies, moths, and other insects. No new species of bird or mammal was obtained, but a series of skins of the Pitcairn warbler (Tatare vaughani) was of considerable interest. The types of this species are spirit specimens in the British Museum: no skins of the bird had ever been collected before ; moreover, the fact that the first plumage of the young differs very considerably from that of the adult of this warbler was unknown until we obtained specimens. B2 xX VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST Another interesting discovery we made was that Richardson’s skua (Stercorarius crepidatus) winters in great numbers in the Bay of Valparaiso—many hundred miles further south on the west coast of America than it has previously been found. The two peculiar species of land-birds which inhabit Fernando de Noronha, the Brazilian convict island, are also perhaps worthy of notice, on account of their rarity in collections. These are a flycatcher (Hlainea ridleyana), and a warbler (Vireo gracilirostris), which were pre- viously represented in the British Museum by the type-specimens only. Amongst the fishes obtained during this voyage one—Corvina crawfordi—from the harbour of Montevideo, proved to be new to science. A species of microlepidoptera—Pyroderces crawfordi Walsingham—from Tahiti, was also previously unknown, and another specimen of this group of little moths—Heliostobes mathewi— from Valparaiso, forms the only other known specimen in addition to the type. SECOND VOYAGE. THE second voyage upon which we started from Cowes on 18th December, 1903, was to the West Indies. Our party for this cruise consisted of Lord Crawford, Mr. C. R. Pawson, Dr. R. C. MacWalters, and myself, though at Barbadoes PREFACE XXI we were joined by Colonel C. E. Swaine, who visited all the West Indian Islands with us, but left us at Florida for a trip through the United States. The voyage occupied about five months, and after calling at the Canaries for coal we steamed across to Barbadoes, thence to St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada, afterwards running up the entire chain of islands to Jamaica, the Caymans, and then on to Cuba. Thence we proceeded to Florida, where some excellent tarpon fishing was enjoyed, and after a flying visit to Key West, for the purpose of coaling, we returned home via Bermuda and the Azores, reaching Cowes on 8th May, 1904. An itinerary of this voyage is appended :— Madeira, 24th to 27th December, 1903 ; Teneriffe, Canary Islands, 28th December to Ist January, 1904 ; Barbadoes, West Indies, 15th to 2l1st January ; St. Lucia, 22nd to 25th January ; St. Vincent, 25th to 27th January ; Cariacou, 27th to 28th January ; Grenada, 28th January to Ist February ; St. Lucia (second visit), 2nd to 5th February ; Martinique, 5th to 7th February ; Dominica, 7th to 10th February ; Montserrat, 10th to 12th February ; St. Kitts, 12th to 15th February ; Antigua, 15th to 17th February ; St. Kitts (second visit), 17th to 18th February; St. Croix, 19th to 21st February ; xxm1 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST St. Thomas, 2lst to 24th February ; Porto Rico, 24th to 26th February ; Jamaica, 29th February to 8th March ; Grand Cayman, 9th to 13th March ; Little Cayman, 13th to 14th March ; Havana, Cuba, 17th to 21st March ; Punta Gorda, Florida,22nd March to 4th April ; Key West, Florida, 5th to 8th April ; Bermuda, 13th to 20th April ; St. Michael’s, Azores, 29th April to 2nd May ; Cowes, 8th May. The number of birds obtained during this trip to the West Indies somewhat exceeded four hundred, of which the following three proved to be new to science :— Dendreca crawford, from Little Cayman ; Vireo laurae, from Grenada ; Pitangus caymanensis, from Grand Cayman. The birds found in all the West Indian Islands are of great interest, as no two islands have an avifauna exactly similar, so that all our collections were of value. The Cayman Islands specimens are worthy of particular notice, as nearly all the resident birds are peculiar to the islands, and there were previously very few specimens from this locality in the British Museum. About one hundred fishes and reptiles were also obtained, but not one was new, nor were there any of great rarity. The most interesting, perhaps, were the five fine specimens of tarpon, which we caught off the Florida coast. These ranged in size from 40 to 95 pounds in weight, ({‘mrxx] (ILA 403deyQ 00g) ‘ANVISI NUSSVG WOUd (GATIO SHLNOW ¢ LOOAV) SASTHL GaudVS PREFACE XXIII and I preserved the skins of four of them on our homeward voyage. About two hundred butterflies, moths, and other insects were also obtained. The most interesting islands visited during our sojourn in the West Indies were Martinique, famous for its volcanic eruptions in 1902, and the Cayman Islands, which have been but seldom visited by a naturalist. Turrp VOYAGE. It was not until the autumn of 1905 that I again set out in the “Valhalla” on my last and, perhaps, most interesting voyage. On this cruise we had a somewhat larger party, for besides Lord Crawford, the Hon. Walter Lindsay, Dr. A. Dean, and myself, Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo was invited to accompany us for the purpose of collecting insects, and thus I was able to devote my whole time to birds, mammals, fishes, and reptiles, with the consequence that examples of several new species were obtained. We sailed from Cowes on 8th November, 1905, and, after calling at Las Palmas, ran down amongst the South Atlantic Islands to the Cape of Good Hope; thence northwards through the _in- hospitable waters of the Mozambique Channel to Madagascar and the little-known islands which lie to the north-west. After visiting the Seychelles we returned home via the Suez Canal, xxiv VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST completing a voyage of seven months, during which time we had covered about 19,000 miles. The following is the detailed itinerary :— Las Palmas, 13th to 16th November, 1905 ; Put back to Las Palmas owing to illness of one of the crew—17th November ; St. Paul’s Rocks, 2nd December ; Bahia, 10th to 30th December ; South Trinidad, 3rd to 5th January, 1906 ; Martin Vas, 5th January ; Tristan da Cunha, 17th to 20th January ; Cape Town, 28th January to 8th February ; Durban, 14th to 15th February ; Mayotte, Comoro Islands, 23rd February to 3rd March ; Diego Suarez, Madagascar, 4th to 9th March ; Glorioso island, 10th to 11th March ; Assumption Island, 12th to 13th March ; Aldabra, 13th to 16th March ; Aground on Assumption, 16th to 17th March ; Mahé, Seychelles Islands, 22nd March to 2nd April ; Praslin and Felicité Islands, Seychelles, 2nd to 5th April ; Mahé (second visit), 5th to 8th April ; Aden, 14th to 17th April ; Suez, 23rd April ; Port Said, 24th to 27th April ; Gibraltar, 5th to 8th May ; Cowes, 13th May, 1906. The results obtained during this voyage were more important than those of the two preceding ones. The collection of bird-skins, numbering five PREFACE XXKV hundred, contained specimens of eight species new to science. Besides these there were many rarities, few of the birds of the small coral islands to the north-west of Madagascar having been previously represented in the National collection. The new species discovered were as follows :— A white tern (Gygis crawfordi) from South Trinidad ; A diving petrel (Pelecanoides dacunhae) from Tristan da Cunha ; A paradise-flycatcher (Terpstphone lindsay?) from Mayotte, Comoro Islands ; A swift (Cypselus mayottensis) from Mayotte, Comoro Islands ; A ground-cuckoo (Centropus assumptions) from Assumption Island ; A turtle-dove (Zurtur assumptionis) from Assumption Island ; A heron (Butorides crawford) from Assump- tion Island ; A sunbird (Cinnyris mahét) from Seychelle Islands. Many fishes and reptiles were collected, but none of these proved to be new or of great interest, except a large specimen of the ribbon-fish (Regalecus), which was obtained at Cape Town. This fish is rare in collections, its pelagic habits making its capture difficult. Of the insects obtained I learn that several belong to new species, or are otherwise rare or xxvi VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST important, but at present I believe nothing has been published concerning them. The most interesting islands visited were un- doubtedly South Trinidad, Dassen Island, Glorioso, Assumption, Aldabra, the Comoros, and Seychelles, all of which have been fully dealt with in their proper place in the following pages. This, then, is a brief outline of my three voyages on the ‘ Valhalla,” and if some of the notes in the following chapters are not as full as is desirable I must remind my readers that our stay in many of the “ ports of call” was of very short duration— a difficulty only to be expected on a long voyage, when coaling or other necessary though wearisome proceedings effect frequent delays in the larger ports. If, however, my account of our experiences should at some future time prove of use to any of my readers who themselves set off for these distant parts of the world in search of natural history treasures, or if the following pages give to the reader even a fraction of the pleasure which I myself experienced in visiting the islands therein portrayed, I shall feel that the book has not been written wholly in vain. M. da NN. Giza, E@yrt. January, 1908. (ILA teydeyp 999) “ANVISI NUSSVd WOUd (CIO SHINOW F LAO) SUSIAI ATAOVS A VOYAGE ROUND AFRICA, lg Is 40 " 0 4 40 a — s o eo 2 70) eg . es é 604 . a é NORTH g 5 oP E /s .* / ATLANTIC ql A Lesbon s 0 i a / U Groraiphe MEER EN D> fd 4 eS AN eg? OCEAN ! SAN 5 68 Port Said ps almas Ue / a é ° verde } 4 / Div tinais 4 {Fernando de Noronha ahia SOUTH Steinidad South \Martia Vas oN ATLA Oe Cc OCEAN \ 4 ‘ aus JD Node Banna | so 6a 4p dp ¢ ie 2p a. | SKETOH-MAP TO SHOW THE COURSE OF THE VOYAGE ROUND AFRICA. CHAPTER I. SAINT PAUL’S ROCKS. ‘Saint Pavut’s Rocks, situated in mid-Atlantic, about 540 miles from the nearest point of the coast of South America, and 15 miles north of the equator, are probably the most interesting rock-islets in the world. Roughly about half a mile in circumference, this group is composed of five peaks of rock, the highest of which is only 64 ft. above the level of the sea. Darwin has stated* that Saint Paul’s group is not volcanic, and thus forms the only island in the world, with the exception of the Seychelles, that is of neither volcanic nor coral formation. These rocks are surrounded by deep sea, and the Challenger Expedition could discover no ridge under the sea to connect them either with the mainland or with the islands of Fernando de Noronha, about 200 miles to the south. - Owing to their small size, Saint Paul’s Rocks cannot be seen, even in clear weather, from a 209 * «Voyage of the ‘Beagle. 2 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST greater distance than eight miles. Their appear- ance from a short distance is most peculiar, the two highest peaks being white with the droppings of the numerous sea-birds which nest on them, while the remainder are of a deep greenish-black, very dark in contrast to the white peaks. The outlying rocks, as can be seen during the fall of the swell, are much worn below the water-line. My first visit to these interesting rocks was made in 1902, during my first voyage with Lord Crawford in the “ Valhalla.” They were sighted from aloft at 1.30 p.m. on the 17th December, and shortly afterwards became visible from the deck. Numbers of gannets appeared and circled round the yacht, while, as we gradually drew near, great numbers of birds were to be seen flying in all directions round the highest peaks. At 3.30 we were close in, and shortly afterwards a boat was lowered and we set out for the shore. The weather was perfectly fine, but, owing to a slight swell, the surf was breaking on the rocks in a most forbidding manner. As we rowed closer, however, we found that, by waiting and choosing the right moment, the boat could be backed in to a projecting portion of the rock, and then, as we rose on the swell, it was not difficult to jump ashore. Accordingly we backed in carefully, and took our turn to wait for the lift of the swell and then BOOBIES 3 jump. At one moment the rock towered above us, at the next the boat flew upwards until it was level with the landing place—then was the time to jump, and as one jumped the boat was pulled out clear of the surf. Thus one by one we landed safely. As soon as we were ashore we noticed a vast number of crabs* crawling about in all directions. Some of these crabs were of a green colour; these were the smaller and more numerous, perhaps the younger ones, while others, which were larger, were of a bright vermilion. The landing place we had chosen was at the foot of the highest peak, which Moseley calls Booby Hill,t and certainly this name is well chosen, for the peak was covered with boobies, a species of gannet—Sula leucogaster—and. their nests were so close together that it was almost impossible to walk without stepping on either eggs or young. The young boobies, sometimes two in a nest, were of all ages, from bare, newly-hatched chicks to fully-fledged young. The nest of this gannet is merely a collection of old and dirty feathers and loose stones. Round about each nest were quantities of flying fishes in all stages of decay, brought there and disgorged by the parent birds as food for the young. The freshest part of this food supply, we soon discovered, * Grapsus strigosus. + “Notes of a Naturalist on H.M.S. ‘Challenger.’ ” 4 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST made excellent bait for the innumerable fishes which swarmed round the rocks; but as we found later, by accident, the best and freshest bait was to be procured by gently prodding an old gannet while it was sitting on its nest, when it would at once disgorge a fish. It was by no means pleasant to walk about amongst these nesting birds, and, indeed, we found it to be a most painful proceeding, as both old and young pecked viciously at our legs. The young birds were especially annoying, and would get out of their nests and follow us, snapping savagely at our legs with their long sharp bills. At the base of Booby Hill I came on a colony of noddy terns.* This bird lays its single egg on the bare rock. Most of the eggs were hard set, and there were many young ones of various ages. Although very tame, the noddies were not so bold as the boobies, and we did not succeed in catching more than one adult bird of this species with our hands. Running about among the noddies we saw a turnstone,t a well-known visitor in the spring and autumn to the shores of the British Isles, In the winter it is distributed practically over the whole world. This bird has not hitherto been recorded from Saint Paul’s Rocks, however, and it was probably resting there while on migration. Besides the birds already mentioned, a second * Anous stolidus. t Strepsilas interpres. Cs] ‘OLLNVILV-GIM “SHOOU S,TNVd “LS SS SS NESTING AT ALL SEASONS 5 species of noddy tern—Micranous leucocapillus— a smaller and darker bird than the common noddy, was seen and obtained. This small tern was not nearly so abundant as the larger species, and it was not found nesting on Booby Hill. It was also far more shy, and specimens were only obtained with difficulty. Thus there are only three species of birds which nest on Saint Paul’s Rocks, and they appear to breed all the year round. The naturalists of the ‘“‘ Beagle” landed there in February, those of the “Challenger”? in August, while we were there in December, and on all of these occasions both eggs and young were found. One of the sailors landed with us in the boat to collect eggs for eating purposes. Whether any of the crew ate any I never heard, but as nearly all those we obtained were hard set, I should imagine they did not. I have a vivid recollection, too, of being called up in the small hours of the following morning, with the news that several of the eggs had hatched during the night. From the top of the highest peak one could get a good view of the rocks. They are divided up into groups of jagged peaks, each group being separated from its neighbour by a channel through which the sea rushes with great violence. The rock on which we landed appeared to be the largest, both in height and circumference. At the foot of Booby Hill were several tidal Cc 6 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST pools in which many species of small fishes were seen, but all attempts to catch them with a net proved futile. A great many fish were, however, caught in the sea by fishing from the rocks. Of these a species of “‘cavalli” weighed in some cases as many as twelve pounds. Fishing here pre- sented a somewhat unusual difficulty, for sharks swarmed in incredible numbers, and it was a difficult task to avoid hooking them instead of more serviceable game; indeed, so numerous were the sharks that, on our return to the ship, we found that during our absence no less than twenty had been caught, all of them at no greater distance than two hundred yards from the shore. As to the other inhabitants of the rocks, Darwin mentions the following: A pupiparous fly (living as a parasite on the booby), a beetle (Quedius), a tick, a small brown moth belonging to a genus which feeds on feathers, and a _ woodlouse. Moseley says: ‘‘ We found two species of spiders . and, in addition to the insects noted by Darwin, the larva of a moth, apparently a Tortrix, and a small dipter . . . . but could not find either the beetle or woodlouse.”’ We searched carefully and obtained specimens of the feather-feeding moth, a tiny beetle, and a small cricket, but failed to find either the wood- louse or the spider. The pupiparous fly was, however, noticed on the booby. The heat on Saint Paul’s Rocks was intense, SHARKS 7 the sun, beating down on the bare rock, made the place like an oven, and the only shade was that thrown from Booby Hill towards evening. Shortly before sunset we went on board, fully determined to land the next morning on another part of the rocks. Getting off was, we found, a much more difficult business than landing, but at last it was safely accomplished. Several fishes and one bird were dropped into the water during the process of embarkation, and they were im- mediately taken by sharks, so it was just as well that none of our party slipped into the water. Perhaps a shark is not so dangerous to human beings as it is usually supposed to be. That there are some sharks which will attack a man in the water is, of course, certain, but I think that there are not very many that will do so. During two visits made to Saint Paul’s Rocks we tried to ascertain the nature of the food of these sharks. We cut open and examined at least thirty of them, but in only one did we find the remains of food—a half-digested fish. Of what, then, does their food consist? It seems incredible that they can feed entirely on fishes, as anyone will realise who has seen the slow, almost lazy, way in which they take their prey. Judging from the enormous number of sharks round Saint Paul’s Rocks, there should be a great supply of food. Of course it is possible that they can exist for a length of time without food. That c2 8 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST they go elsewhere for their food is not likely, as these rocks are far away from any other land. During our second visit a shark, which had been shot with a rifle, sank, and as all its companions, of which there were a great number round the ship at the time, followed it down, and on reappearing refused to look at our baits, I imagine that they devoured it. During the night of 17th December we steamed slowly away from the rocks, but at daylight we returned, and, lowering a boat, again landed. This time we went ashore on one of the rocks at the further end of the bay, which is formed by the semi-circular nature of the group. The weather being even finer and the sea smoother than on the previous day, we landed without difficulty, and at once climbed to the highest peak of this rock, which is 60 feet in altitude, and the second highest of the group. Here I was delighted to find the nests of the smaller noddy tern, which I have mentioned as having been seen on the previous day. This bird lays its egg in a most curiously constructed nest. A mass of fine seaweed is cemented to a small jutting ledge of rock, the cement being formed of the droppings of the birds. We found altogether four of these nests, each of which con- tained a single egg. A few of the larger noddies were also breeding here, but these, as on Booby Hill, had laid their eggs on the bare rock, without [6] ‘SMOOU S,TOVd “LS THO LHYNAVO SHUVHS FHL 40 GMOS A SECOND VISIT 9 making any attempt at anest. Moseley, in describ- ing these bracket-like nests, suggests that it is only the strongest birds that take possession of the favourable points of the rock on which they are placed, although he adds a footnote to the effect that at the time of his visit he did not realize that two species of noddies inhabit Saint Paul’s Rocks. It is, however, quite obvious that it is not the strongest birds, but only the smaller noddies, which occupy these ledges, since the larger noddy was in no instance found nesting upon them. This day, while we were on the rocks, a ship passed by, close in. It is only occasionally that ships sight these rocks, and then only to determine their exact position. No one, it is almost certain, had landed on Saint Paul’s Rocks since the visit of the “Challenger” until we were there just twenty-nine years later. At 4.30 p.m. on the 18th December we sailed away, bound for Fernando de Noronha, and as I stood on deck and watched these interesting little islands fading away in the distance, I little thought that in three years’ time it would be my fortune to see them again. It was on my third voyage in 1905, while on the way to Brazil, that Lord Crawford suggested that we should renew our acquaintance with these little-known islands. Shaping our course ac- cordingly, we sighted the rocks on 2nd December, 10 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST and, after a few minutes’ steaming, drew up close to our former landing place. The weather was, unfortunately, by no means so kind on this occasion as on our former visit. A strong wind was blowing, and the surf was break- ing with great fury on the foot of Booby Hill. It might have been possible to land, but we de- cided that, under the conditions prevailing, it was too risky to venture close to the rocks, therefore we were forced to content ourselves with a distant view of the boobies. Some time was, however, spent over shark fishing, and we had hopes that the weather might improve. A number of sharks were caught, and in this way we spent the greater part of a day. As the sea was still high at sunset, Lord Crawford decided that it was not worth while to remain longer, so we sailed for Bahia, Brazil. During this visit to Saint Paul’s Rocks we noticed that the birds were present in about the same numbers as before. Boobies of all ages were flying round the ship the whole time we were there, and many noddies were also seen. CHAPTER. II. FERNANDO DE NORONHA. On 20th December, 1902, the island of Fernando de Noronha was sighted, and at 4 p.m. we dropped anchor off the settlement. On the island is a Brazilian convict settlement, and permission to land is by no means easy to obtain. The “Challenger” Expedition was not allowed to make collections there, and Mr. Ridley, who visited the island in 1887, was, previously to our visit, the only naturalist who had collected with any thoroughness. Of the three species of land-birds which he obtained, two proved to be new to science. It was therefore a matter of great satisfaction that, by the courtesy of the Governor of the island, we were allowed to land and make natural history collections, and not only that, but were also. generously provided with guides and horses. The most remarkable physical feature of Fernando de Noronha is a gigantic column of rock standing erect on the highest peak. This 12 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST column appears to be a smooth mass of rock, and looks as if a slight push would send it head- long into the sea. Another marked feature, which is visible at a considerable distance, is an opening through the sea-cliff at the south-western extremity of the island. This boring has been made by the sea, and is known as the “ hole in the wall.” Just opposite our anchorage, and close to the settlement, there was also a magnificent “blowhole”’ in the cliff, through which the air was driven, by the rise and fall of the sea, with a loud roar every few seconds. The island slopes gradually upwards from the sea, and its general appearance from a little distance is green and fertile. When we landed we found that the cause of this apparent fertility was a thick growth of fig trees, which covered most of the island. Maize is, however, grown at certain seasons of the year, and in a letter received by Doctor Macdonald some months after our visit, one of the Englishmen living on the island describes it as looking very green and fresh, owing to the abundance of the maize crop. As soon as a boat had been lowered we started for the shore. The surf was breaking with such fury on both the charted landing places that we were forced to abandon the idea of getting in at these spots; but we found that, by backing the boat to a jutting mass of rock, we could, with a little difficulty, scramble ashore. A CONVICT SETTLEMENT 13 The Governor, accompanied by two English- men who manage the telegraph and Lloyd’s signal station, had come down to meet us, and, thus accompanied, we proceeded to the settle- ment, where arrangements were made for a collect- ing expedition on the following day. While we were at the Governor’s house a bugle was sounded to summon the convicts. There were about 200 of them, all under long sentences, most of them having been convicted of murder. One man, who was told off as a guide to our party, was said to have committed seven murders, and as he owned to five of them, I have no doubt that we were correctly informed. After their names had been called, the convicts dispersed for the night, about fifty being locked up in the gaol, and the rest going off to their own houses. Most of these men have wives and families, and, as far as we could judge, their lives were not hard. They have to work three hours a day for the State, but the rest of the day they can spend as they like, though all have to appear when the bugle is sounded in front of the Governor’s House. Shortly after the convicts had dispersed we started for the landing place. At its best this is a difficult place from which to embark without getting wet, and it was seldom that we landed there or got away without getting soaked by the waves. 14 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST The next morning we landed early, and, walking to the settlement, were met by our English friends, who had procured ponies for us on which to cross the island. During our ride I saw a pair of white terns (Gygis sp.), the most beautiful of all the tropical sea-birds. Later on we saw many of these terns in the various islands we visited, and, whether hovering over the deep blue sea of the South Pacific, or sailing round the palms of a coral island in the Indian Ocean, they seem equally at home; wherever they were seen the snow-white of their plumage and the deep dark blue of their eyes made them ever memorable. At the base of the column on the peak we made our first acquaintance with frigate birds,* which were sitting in numbers on some bushes; their scarlet pouches were extended, and looked in the distance like large red blossoms. It is only in the breeding season that frigate birds develop this curious ornament. When closely examined it is seen that the pouch is formed by a bare patch of skin on the throat, which can be expanded by the bird at will. At times a great bladder as large as a football is thus formed. When the bird is taken in the hand and carefully examined, the whole of the body appears to be inflated. On skinning the bird it is at once seen that the whole body is enveloped with a mass of air cells. The pouch is only an exaggerated form of such an air * Fregata aquila. THE FRIGATE BIRD’S POUCH 15 cell, and, being larger than those on the rest of the body, is more noticeable. In the breeding season the pouch is constantly being inflated, and, as a consequence, the skin of the throat becomes stretched to such a degree that when not inflated it hangs down in a loose fold below the bill of the bird. It is only the males that are able to inflate these pouches in this way, the female having a non-inflatable patch of bare skin of a duller colour on the throat. We afterwards found that by inserting a bicycle pump into the larynx of a freshly-killed male frigate bird and pumping air into the throat, the whole of the body, as well as the throat, becomes inflated. Along the shore we saw a species of the tropic, or bo’sun, bird. This proved to be Phaethon lepturus, and two fine specimens were obtained by Lord Crawford. Several of them were flying along the face of the cliff. The name “ bo-sun” is said to have been given to this bird on account of its cry, which is supposed to resemble the pipe of a boatswain’s whistle. It must be confessed, however, that the only cry we heard it utter was a harsh scream not unlike that of a tern. A dove known as Zenaida auriculata, which was originally, without doubt, introduced from the mainland of South America, was extraordinarily abundant on this island. They were very tame 16 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST and fearless, but were not nesting at the time of our visit. Their note is a loud rattling “ coo.” Insects were not very numerous—bees, dragon- flies, beetles and crickets being the most notice- able, while a little blue butterfly was frequently seen fluttering along at our feet in the pathways through the groves of fig trees. In the houses we collected a number of mosquitoes, apparently of one species only. It seems that it is only in the houses that mosquitoes are troublesome, as, during the whole of the time we were on the island, we were not attacked by these pests out-of-doors, and it was only when we entered a house that they became a nuisance. We went to the furthest extremity of the island in a north-west direction from the settlement. Here we found that the low fig trees, which seem to be the principal trees of the island, were growing in greater abundance than near the settlement. In these trees numbers of small birds, which in general appearance much resembled reed- warblers, were flitting in and out among the leaves in search of insects. These birds proved to be all of the species called Vireo gracilirostris. Their loud, but by no means unpleasant, song somewhat resembled that of a pied wagtail, so familiar as a British bird. This part of the island was steep and precipitous. We followed a path which took us down to the seashore about one hundred feet below, and here FRIGATE BIRDS ON GLORIOSO ISLAND. (See also Chapter X.) [16] BRILLIANT FISHES 17 we noticed numbers of sooty terns,* which were flying in a perpetual stream along the coast, just above the breaking waves. These birds were not nesting at the time of our visit, but we were told that they bred in great numbers on one of the smaller islets, which lies about half a mile off the settlement. A few tropic-birds, which were flying high overhead, appeared from their manner to have nests, which were probably situated in the most inaccessible parts of the cliff. The tide was low, and we were able to walk some distance along the shore. A long ledge of rock was pointed out to us by one of our friends as an excellent place for fishing, and in many shallow pools we saw numbers of brilliantly coloured fishes; some of these were blue on the back and yellow beneath. We made repeated attempts to capture them, but to no purpose. It is impossible to make a collection of the whole fauna of an island during a visit of two or three days, aS we soon realized; consequently I spent most of my time searching for the three species of land-birds which inhabit Fernando de Noronha. Specimens of the dove and the warbler, which have already been mentioned, were collected during the morning. As soon as we returned from our excursion across the island a visit was paid to the Governor’s garden, where, owing perhaps to the greater abundance of trees, birds were more * Sterna fuliginosa. 18 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST numerous, and the third species of land-bird, a flycatcher,* was met with. In this garden, which was nicely laid out and enclosed by an iron fence, were many large cocoanut trees bearing a quantity of fruit. There were also some sapodillas, the fruit of which was ripe at this time. It is greatly appreciated by the people on Fernando de Noronha, and we were persuaded to taste it. Externally it somewhat resembles a small round potato ; the flavour, how- ever, is too much like that of the mango, the suggestion of turpentine which pervades the latter fruit being distinctly noticeable in the sapodilla. Doves were swarming in the garden, every tree and bush being apparently tenanted by them, and the Governor showed us a cage full which had recently been caught. They were, he told us, excellent to eat. There are no indigenous mammals on Fernando de Noronha, but ratst and micet have been im- ported or have escaped from ships. I did not get any rats, but two mice which we shot were of a pale fawn colour, and probably differed in colour, at all events, from those of their ancestors which first appeared on this island. One of the outlying islets is called “‘ Rat Island,” but we were informed that rats were no more numerous there than on the main island. Close to the place where we embarked, we * Hlainea ridleyana. + Mus rattus. t Mus musculus. CATAMARANS 19 noticed a thick-stemmed plant covered all over with small spikes, and bearing leaves like those of the geranium. We were warned by our friends that this plant, when touched, gave a most painful sting. Moseley mentions that, although he used the greatest care when securing a specimen, he got a sting, the results of which he felt for several days afterwards. We afterwards saw this same plant in Brazil. During the second day of our stay on Fernando de Noronha a steamer, which visits the island once every month, arrived, bearing mails for the inhabitants. The advent of the steamer is much looked forward to, as life on Fernando de Noronha for a European is dull in the extreme. As soon as the boat arrived a large raft was pushed off from the shore and anchored outside of the surf. The raft resembled in shape a large table, the legs of which were fixed to a platform composed of a number of logs lashed together. A boat was sent off from the steamer loaded with packages of stores, clothing, letters, and other things, and these were put on to the raft, from which they were landed in native catamarans. The catamarans, which are built on the same principle as the large raft, are of sufficient size to carry one person with comfort besides the native oarsman. They are especially adapted for landing through surf, and they ride over the breaking waves with wonderful buoyancy. 20 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST We once landed in a catamaran, and all of us got ashore with no more than wet feet. In Brazil we frequently landed through surf in the same way, though the catamarans there are larger and are propelled by two natives. Our time ashore on this second day was limited, and we did not get very far beyond the settlement. Major Wilbraham and I walked for some distance along the shore, and saw the same species of birds as at Saint Paul’s Rocks, but we noticed that the turnstone appeared to be quite numerous. There are, I believe, two species of lizards on the island, but we only saw one of them. This was Mabwa punctata, and it seemed to be a most abundant species on every part of the island. As we had many other interesting places to see, our stay on Fernando de Noronha was of necessity very short, and after two days we set sail for Bahia, in Brazil. It is probable that in a few years’ time Fernando de Noronha will cease to exist as a convict settlement. We were informed that as capital punishment had taken the place of exportation for life in Brazil, no more convicts were to be sent there. [tz] ‘aNVISI VOIUVdIVLL NO dWVO CHAPTER, III. ITAPARICA, BAHIA. Durina the three cruises of the ‘“ Valhalla,” we made two visits to Bahia. On the first occasion we landed on 26th December, 1902, Christmas Day having been spent in sight of the coast of Brazil, while on the second we dropped anchor in the Bay of All Saints on 10th December, 1905. Some six miles from the town lies Itaparica, a large island inhabited by about 30,000 people, and it was here that most of our time (a fortnight on each occasion) was spent. During our first visit some time was occupied in finding the most suitable places for landing on this island, and also in searching for the best spots for collecting birds, butterflies, and other specimens. What we learnt on this occasion, however, proved of the greatest assistance during our second visit, as we were then able to find the passage through the reef with little difficulty, and go at once to our old collecting grounds. Before describing our doings at Bahia, I must refer in detail to an important incident which D 22 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST occurred on the high seas during our second voyage thither. On the 7th December, 1905, when in latitude 7° 14’ S., longitude 34° 25’ W., and about fourteen miles from the coast of Brazil near Para, a creature of most extraordinary form and proportions was sighted by two of us. At the time we were under sail only, and were slowly making our way to Bahia. It was at about 10 o’clock in the morning, and I was leaning on the rail of the poop deck, when a large fin suddenly appeared close to the ship at a distance of about fifty yards. This fin resembled that of no fish I had previously seen, and I pointed it out immediately to Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, who was on deck with me at the time, and we watched it together for several minutes. As we passed slowly by, a long eel-like neck surmounted by a head, shaped somewhat like that of a turtle, rose out of the water in front of the fin. This creature remained in sight for a few minutes, but we soon drew ahead of it, and it became lost to view, owing to the ripple of the water. Owing to the fact that we were under sail at the time, it was not possible to go about and make a closer inspection, and with great regret we had to be content with the view we had had of this remarkable monster. A full account of it was given at a meeting of the Zoological Society of London, on 19th June, 1906, and I quote below from the report which was (‘fas200g' yoorBojoogy ay; fo shuypoo004g Ot} WOT.) 24 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST printed in the “Proceedings” of that Society (10th October, 1906, p. 721) :— “ At 10.15 a.m., on Thursday, 7th December, 1905, when in lat. 7° 14’ S., long. 34° 25’ W., in a depth of from 322 to 1,340 fathoms, Meade-Waldo and I saw a most extraordinary creature about 100 yards from the ship, and moving in the same direction, but very much slower than we were going. At first all that we could see was a dorsal fin, about four feet long, sticking up about two feet from the water; this fin was of a brownish-black colour, and much resembled a gigantic piece of ribbon-seaweed. Below the water we could in- distinctly see a very large brownish-black patch, but could not make out the shape of the creature. Every now and then the fin entirely disappeared below the water. Suddenly an eel-like neck, about six feet long and of the thickness of a man’s thigh, having a head shaped like that of a turtle, appeared in front of the fin. This head and neck, which were of the same colour above as the fin, but of a silvery-white below, lashed up the water with a curious wriggling movement. After this it was so far astern of us that we could make out nothing else. “ During the next fourteen hours we went about twice, and at about 2 am. the following day (8th December), in lat. 7° 19’ S., long. 34° 04’ W., °° the first and third mates, Mr. Simmonds and Mr. Harley, who were on the bridge at the time, saw THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT 25 a great commotion in the water. At first they thought it was a rock a-wash about 100 to 150 yards away on the port side, just aft of the bridge, but they soon made out that it was something moving and going slightly faster than the ship, which at that time was doing about 84 knots. Mr. Simmonds hailed the deck, and one of the crew, who was on the look-out, saw it too. Although there was a bright moon at the time, they could not make out anything of the creature itself, owing to the amount of wash it was making, but they say that from the commotion in the water it looked as if a submarine was going along just below the surface. They both say most em- phatically that it was not a whale, and that it was not blowing, nor have they ever seen anything like it before. After they had watched it for several minutes, it ‘sounded’ off the port bow, and they saw no more of it.” This creature was an example, I consider, of what has been so often reported, for want of a better name, as the “great sea-serpent.” I feel sure, however, that it was not a reptile that we saw, but a mammal. It is, of course, impossible to be certain of this, but the general appearance of the creature, especially the soft, almost rubber- like fin, gave one this impression. It is often said that, if there were such a monster, remains of it would have been found long ago, but this is not necessarily so. Supposing the “ sea-serpent ”’ 26 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST lives in deep holes, such as there were in the spot where we saw our “ monster,”’ then there would be little chance of remains being washed ashore, and the amount of deep-sea dredging that has yet been done is very small, so that it is not surprising that no parts of this creature have been obtained in that way. That it is not more often reported is not to be wondered at, when one realizes how often it is that a ship may sail for days together without sighting another ship, even in seas where there is considerable traffic. Also it must be remembered that such ridicule is generally bestowed on the reports of sea-monsters that many persons hesitate to describe what they have seen. I know myself of several instances of unknown sea-monsters having been seen by reliable witnesses, who, to avoid the inevitable “ chaff,” would not publicly state their experiences. * # * * The town of Bahia has a striking and picturesque appearance from the harbour, white houses peeping out here and there from luxuriant vege- tation. But “distance lends enchantment to the view,’ and when on shore the narrow and filthy streets, and the general untidiness of the whole place, quickly dispel the illusion of cleanliness. During my two visits to Bahia I spent as little time as possible in the town. A run of some forty A BRAZILIAN FOREST 27 minutes in our steam launch took us across to Itaparica, where, after passing through a passage in the reef, we landed in a small ‘‘ Berthon”’ boat.