TOWNSEND AND WETMORE : THE BIRDS. 153 



The Albatross sailed from San Francisco on 23 August, 1899, 

 arriving at the Marquesas Islands 15 September, having occupied 

 twenty-seven sounding and dredging stations in depths varying from 

 687 to 3,088 fathoms on the way. Hydrographic work was carried 

 on not only during the passage from one archipelago to another, but 

 also at points among the islands composing the different groups. 



The Marquesas Islands. — These are all high islands of volcanic 

 origin and without coral reefs. The group consists of nine principal 

 islands, with some outlying islets of small size. 



The ornithology of the Marquesas, with the exception of Nuku- 

 hiva and Hiva-oa, is unknown. Most of the eleven land birds previ- 

 ously known came from the latter and its outlying island Tahuata or 

 St. Christina. All of the larger islands are forested and may yield 

 much of interest to naturalists. These are Motu Hiva, eight miles 

 in length by four in width and over 3,600 feet high; Tau Ata, nine 

 miles long by five wide and 3,200 feet high; Na-pu, about seven miles 

 in diameter with a height of 4,000 feet; Ua-huka, measuring seven 

 by five miles, and Eiao, six miles long and 2,000 feet in height. 



Nukuhiva, also called Marchand, was the only island of the Mar- 

 quesas Group visited by the Albatross, the vessel lying at anchor in 

 the harbor of Tai-o-hae from 15-17 September. It is the largest of 

 the Marquesas, being fourteen miles in length and ten in width. The 

 island is mountainous, one peak rising to a height of 3,900 feet, with 

 others nearly as high, while most of it is very rugged. The heads of 

 some of the valleys are faced with steep cliffs, and there are many 

 cascades falling from considerable heights. There are fertile valleys, 

 little cultivated owing to a decreasing population, which now numbers 

 less than 1,000. Nukuhiva is well forested and has the fruits common 

 to Polynesian Islands. 



Our stay was too short for anything more than desultory collecting 

 of birds in the vicinity of the anchorage. It is quite possible that 

 Nukuhiva has other birds than the species we obtained. 



The land birds secured were Jungle cock (Gallus gallus), fruit 

 pigeon (Ptilopus dupetithouarsii) , swift {CoUocalia ocista), and warbler 

 (Conopoderas percernis), the last being a new species. All of these are 

 common. The water birds were Heteraditis incanus and Gygis 

 microrhyncha. The White noddy (Gygis viicrorhyncha) of which four 

 specimens were secured, was seen high up in the mountains, flying 

 across deep, forested ravines and occasionally observed resting on the 

 trees. It also nests in trees. This species is apparently restricted 

 to the Marquesas. Tropic birds (Phaethon rubricaudus) were also seen 



