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 



c 



