C 107 ) 



J■^^(»/ 23. — Fair breeze all day. At noon wc were exactly two iiuadred miles 

 from Culpepper Island, Galapagos group. 



July ■Z\. — Made very good progress. Came within fifty miles of the island. 

 Birds were nnmerons. 



Jubf 25. — Found that the vessel had drifted during the night, and that we wore 

 sixty-five miles from the island. Made very slow progress, there being very little 

 wind. Birds were numerous. Two species of tern observed (Anous stolidus galapa- 

 gensis and Sterna J'uliginosd) — one very abundant — and large flocks of them flew 

 around the vessel, uttering their harsh cries. The black-headed gull, peculiar to the 

 islands (Creagrus/iarah/s), was also out in numbers, and frigate birds, tropic birds, 

 petrels, shearwaters, and sandpipers were noted. In the afternoon a flycatcher 

 (Myiarc/ius) came aboard and lighted on the rigging, where he was caught in a 

 net by Harris. The bird seemed very tired, and had evidently come a long way. 



We came in sight of Culpepper at about 3.45 p.m., it being then about fifteen 

 miles distant. The island was very bold and rocky in outline. As the distance 

 diminished, cactus could be distinguished on the top and sides, and the white guano 

 of the birds. The sides were almost perpendicular, nearly everywhere. On the 

 top small bushes were seen. There were several caves in the lower parts of the 



Culpepper Island as it appeared fifteen miles off. 



sides. Thousands of sea birds were flying over the top of the island, the air being 

 fairly black with them. After running in close to the island, the vessel was put 

 about, and we stood off for the night. 



Ji/li/ 26, — From there we had drifted off a long distance with the current. 

 Wenman Island was the next land sighted, and it resembled Culpepper in general 

 outline. We steered for Culpepper, and arrived there about 8.3U a.m., where 

 Harris and Hnll wore put off in tiie skifi", while Beck and myself remained on the 

 schooner, which stood off and on near the island, it not being possible to anchor. 

 Saw several seal (probably the fur seal), which swam around the vessel several 

 times, coming up every few seconds to breathe. iSaw one small turtle, 2 ft. long, 

 and a shark. Saw a very few adult male frigate birds (entirely black), the j)ropor- 

 tion being 1 to 5D of the grey or younger plumage. 



The little jietrels were much tamer than those observed farther out, some of 

 thi-m approaching within five or six feet of the vessel. 



Harris and party returned with a seal, some shearwaters, petrels, boobies, bhu'k 

 and white terns, frigate birds, gulls; and also some land birds — -doves, several species 

 of finches, a sandpiper, mocking bird, and one warbler. Birds of several species 

 were breeding. Frigate birds had tlieir nests on the ground between the rocks, there 

 being only one egg. The black tern were nesting in the rocks along the shore- 



