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MB. H. K. RIDLEY ON THE 











































useful negro convict as a guide. We 



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and 



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islets which were accessible ; but owing to the absence of boats, 

 which are not permitted on the island, we were unable to 

 obtain much by dredging. The coral-reefs, however, at low 

 tide afforded an abundant harvest of marine animals and plants. 











When 



the herbaceous plants were in flower ; as we left the dry season 

 was commencing, and the herbs were withering and the trees and 













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shrubs were beginning to flower. Several of these latter, indeed, 

 only commenced to flower just a day or two before we left; so 

 that we were only able to procure a few flowers, and in two 

 instances only flowers of one sex, and the fruits also were unpro- 

 curable. This latter defect, however, was in some measure made 

 up for by the kindness of the Director, who after our return sent 

 a box of carefully labelled fruits and seeds of some of the rarer 













plants. The nesting-season of the birds bad just begun, and we 

 were able to procure nests of two of the endemic land-birds. The 

 Bea-birds apparently nested somewhat earlier, as we found young 

 birds almost ready to fly of several species. The insects were 

 tolerably plentiful ; but we were rather late for Lepidoptera, and 

 the Coleoptera also seemed not to be at their best. 



During our visit we had only one or two wet days, and usually 

 the sky was bright and clear, with a strong breeze from the 

 south-east. During December, January, and February we were 

 informed that the island becomes very dry. Most of the streams 

 and puddles are dried up and water is scarce. All the herbaceous 



districts 



clear the ground 

















General Account of the Group 











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The whole group of islands forms a chain about eight miles in 

 length, and probably at no very distant date were all connected. 

 Indeed there is very good evidence to prove that the whole was 



xtent (see p. 17, note, and the 



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Report, pp. 86-94) 







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The 







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and nearly two miles across in one spot, viz. near Tangle Bock 







very 



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