HAKDW'ICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



247 



stoue. Ou tliose"parts of the island which are bare 

 of guauo there is a thin lohite layer of birds' dung, 

 to be again referred to ; and on this island is a 

 small bed of fossilized shells. 



No plants of any kind, with the exception of 

 patches of chlorococcus, grow on the north island ; sea- 

 weeds are numerous however. In addition to the 

 mules, dogs, cats, pigs, and fowl belonging to the 

 inhabitants, the island swarms with rats, lizards of 

 several species, flies, scorpions (of which I found 

 the exuviae of two small specimens under the 

 guano), Chelifer fasciatics (?), and one or two coleo- 

 ptera. Ou the sea-rocks are land-crabs belonging 

 to the family Grapstis ; numerous birds, such as the 

 pelican, cormorant, tern, prion, mutton-bird, a 

 little land-bird like a grackle, a long red-billed 

 wader like an oyster-opener in its jhabits and notcj 

 Mother Carey, cape pigeon, gannet, diver, and 

 one albatross. Penguins were formerly common, 

 but are now rare about the Chinchas, though said 

 to be still abundant at Balistas, one of the neigh- 

 bouring groups. In the circumambient seas sper- 

 maceti whales are occasionally seen, and finbacks, 

 often of great size, are quite common at times 

 among the shipping ; but the most numerous and 

 important of all these animals are the sea-lions and 

 seals ; though it is difficult to obtain accurate infor- 

 mation about them, as shooting is not allowed on 

 the island ; but the first seems to be Otaria leonina 

 (Gray's catalogue), or Plioca, leonina (Linnajus). 

 The sea-lions are still numerous about the islands, 

 in unfrequented parts much more so than in the 

 others, they frequently being upwards of 20 feet in 

 length. Ou the rocks about the north or middle 

 islands they are now seldom seen, but hundreds 

 may be seen basking on those about the south 

 island. Li the guano deposit no organic remains 

 are found, except occasionally birds' eggs, which 

 are infiltrated with ammonia, in some cases having 

 their shells quite perfect, in others having them 

 crushed in ; and these eggs are only found in or 

 near the edge of the hills. Sometimes, especially 

 after heavy dews, the surface of the guano becomes 

 covered with a white crust of ammonia, the subja- 

 cent rocks are infiltrated with the same substance, 

 and parts of the cliffs have an inch or more thick 

 incrustation of an ammoniacal salt. The ancient 

 inhabitants for time immemorial used the guano for 

 manure; and for the fining of silver, the sub- 

 stance used for the latter purpose being made 

 up of the seal's dung ox pod, which accumulates in 

 great quantities during the breeding season on the 

 rocks where the seals suckle their young. 



The middle island, from which about a third of the 

 guano deposit was taken, when visited, closely re- 

 sembles the north island, but is smaller and more 

 accessible. It is remarkable for having its main 

 ridge of guano crowned by a rocky pinnacle pro 

 truding to some height. The guano here is drier. 



more friable, and lighter than on the north island, 

 while the crabs are remarkably numerous. 



In 1855 the south island was the most interesting 

 of the group, as it was uninhabited and the guano 

 deposit untouched. This island is not so easy of 

 access as cither of the others, as its one sandy bay 

 is barred by breakers. A landing was effected on a 

 projecting rock joined to the island by a magnificent 

 natural bridge, from which you must clamber up a 

 nearly perpendicular cliff. After passing this you 

 clamber on up a steep hill of guano bored full of 

 galleries by mutton-birds, lizards, &c., and on 

 attaining the summit of the island you find yourself 

 surrounded by dead sea-lions, lying around in a 

 most picturesque confusion— heads and skeletons 

 staring out at you in hundreds in every conceivable 

 attitude. The skins of the lions in a number of 

 cases were but little decayed, much less than their 

 bones, which when buried altogether in'.the guano 

 quickly disappear. The summit of the hill is nearly 

 level, of some acres in extent, the guano of a rich, 

 unctuous brown colour, condensed or caked on the 

 surface, and darker in colour than the summit of 

 the other islands. It slopes slightly towards the 

 cliffs on the sea-side, and very rapidly and abruptly 

 towards the mainland, ending in the sandy cove 

 already mentioned. The guano on the side over 

 the cove is very loose and friable, and the shore 

 below was strewed with whales' teeth and the 

 skeletons,' skulls, and carcasses of seals carried in by 

 the sea. 



Winding up , from the cove around the base of 

 the guano hill was a broad level trackway leading 

 to the summit, tracked the whole way with the 

 spoor of a large sea-lion, whose carcass was to be 

 seen at the top of the hill ; and, lying in various 

 places alongside, were the carcasses of other lions 

 which had perished before reaching the summit, 

 most thickly scattered near the top, but very 

 numerous all along. What instinct leads these seals 

 to seek the land when dying,— an invariable rule with 

 them if we may believe the natives, — it would be 

 profitless to inquire, but such appears to be 

 the fact ; and these mighty heaps of guano, calculated 

 in 1854 at 8,600,000 tons, but probably more, seem 

 to be but the remains of myriads of decayed seals. 



On this island, as on the others, are numerous 

 headlands bare of guano, although the roosting- 

 places of innumerable birds, but covered with a 

 similar white deposit as those previously mentioned 

 on places in the north island. Around this island 

 are a number of detached rocks, many of consider- 

 able size ; on these, innumerable birds roost, yet 

 there is no guano on any of them, except a few that 

 are frequented by the seals. 



Judging from the.appearances traceable on this 

 island, it would appear that the guano deposit was 

 formed by layers of seals' dung and decayed seals, 

 the denser and white thin layers being made up of 



