210 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



white feathers points to a tendency to albinism 

 from some cause, and it may be due to excessive 

 interbreeding. This seems quite likely, as the 

 island is very small, and this one sedentary species 

 is particularly abundant from the shore to the 

 highest peak. For its size it utters an extremely 

 loud note, and I was frequently surprised by a 

 harsh screaming, like that of a jay, which I found 

 to be made by this little reed-warbler. 



Flying over the tops of the cocoanut palms 

 were numbers of white terns,* while now and 

 again a red-tailed tropic birdj sailed high 

 overhead. 



A short walk brought us to the settlement, 

 and there we were met by the women and children. 

 The arrival of a ship at Pit cairn is a rare event, 

 and everyone seemed very pleased to see us. All 

 the houses originally built by the mutineers of 

 the " Bounty " are still standing, and were in- 

 habited at the time of our visit. They are strongly 

 made of wood, which was probably taken from 

 the " Bounty." Each house has two rooms, 

 both of which are on one floor, raised about 18 

 inches from the ground by means of stout posts. 

 The roofs are thatched with palm leaves, and the 

 windows are unglazed openings cut in the wooden 

 walls, and fitted with sliding wooden shutters. 

 The newer houses in the settlement are for the most 

 part built after the same pattern. In the centre 



* Gygis alba. f Phaethon rubricauda. 



