26 



THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



group is about 550 square miles, that is, about twice the size of the Isle of Man, and 

 three times that of Middlesex. The main island is mostly of small elevation, but 

 contains mountains rising to a height of about 1600 feet, which are visible to the 

 eastward of the anchorage of the Challenger in Nares' anchorage. The examination of 

 the islands made by the Expedition was confined to the extreme north-western portion of 

 the northern coast of the main island in the neighbourhood of Nares Bay, and to the 

 numerous small outlying islands, which, lying just off the coast, shelter that anchorage. 



The land surface in the vicinity of Nares Bay consists of a series of low irregular 

 ridges rising one above another, with wide flat expanses at the heads of the bays on the 

 coast, which are scarcely or not at all raised above the sea level, and are thus in a 

 swampy condition. The mountains appear from their form to be volcanic, and it is 

 probable that the obsidian used by the natives for their implements comes from them. 

 A trachytic lava was found to compose one of the outlying islands, and a similar rock 

 was observed on the mainland where it begins to rise. A platform of coral sand rock 

 forms the coast-line of the main island in many places, and a similar rock is the only 

 component of most of the small outlying islands on which the greater part of the natives 

 dwell. The Admiralty Islands, from their position wuth regard to the equator, have an 

 extremely damp climate. They are densely wooded. 



[The Challenger arrived at Nares Harbour, Admiralty Islands, on the 3d of March 

 1875, and anchored to the lee of Wild Island about 6.30 p.m. She left again on the 

 afternoon of March 10th.] 



The specimens of birds obtained during the sojourn of the Challenger at Nares 

 Harbour are 56 in number, and embrace examples of 27 species. Of these six appear to 

 be new to science. 



