( 125 ) 



Fig. 1. 



the top of the island on an inspection tonr. The country nearly all rocks, covered 

 with dry vegetation — quite thick in places. Huge lizards were abundant, and a 

 number were taken. We got two snakes, the largest about 3 ft. long. Birds not 

 numerous, and many in very worn plumage. I saw Certhidea, mocking-birds, and 

 three species of (jfeospiza. One hawk was seen. Doves very numerous. We 

 collected several black tern, 

 and the sailors killed a yellow- 

 crowned night heron (JVi/cta- 

 nassa). Beck brought back 

 two goats from a flock of 

 twenty that he saw. 



Oct. 23. — Went ashore 

 early after birds. Returned 

 at 11 a.m. with about 50 

 small birds, two hawks, several 

 oyster - catchers, a booby, 

 sanderling, gull, and a lot of 



lizards ; also several black iguanas. We skinned all the birds before supper, 

 with the exception of the two Iiawks, it getting too dark to work. In the 

 evening several short-eared owls came out to see us, and I knocked one down 

 with the spreader of the yawl-boat. 



Oct. 24 (Sunday). — Skinned a 

 hawk before breakfast, after which 

 Hall finished the other. I skinned 

 the owl, spent another hour in fi.xing 

 up things, and took a vacation the 

 rest of the day. I fed one of the 

 tortoises with banana peel, which it 

 took from my hands. 



Oct. 25. — Shot 20 birds each, and 

 returned at 9.30 a.m. AVe skinned 

 birds all the rest of the dav. In the 

 afternoon the mate and sailors went 

 off on a goat hunt, but found no goats. They reported, however, a big albatross' 

 rookery, and brought in several eggs of the albatross. 



Oct. 26. — Up early and started for the rookery. We separated after going 

 inland for some distance, the mate and a sailor after a goat, and the rest of us 

 for albatross. We 

 reached the first lot 

 soon. They were a 

 mile or more inland, 

 on a smooth patch 

 of ground. Some of 

 the groups contained 

 a dozen or more indi- 

 viduals. They were very tame, like the boobies, but some attacked us in a savage 

 manner. We noticed a very curious and interesting habit which seemed to be a 

 pastime of theirs, and resembled fencing as near as birds could imitate it — their 

 beaks being the foils (Figs. 1 to 6). In every direction birds were fencing in pairs. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 3. 



