( 12G ) 



They would stand opposite each other, and throw tlicir heads up in the air (Fig. 2); 

 then make two or three prelimiuary bows and parries, and after fencing a minute or 

 less, one would throw up its liead and utter a note with his bill wide 0{)en (Fig. I), 

 and then assume the first position again. The other would follow the example, and 



the same jierforraance would thus 

 be gone through with many times. 

 The eyebrows are very prominent 

 on these birds, also their breasts. 

 Their walk is a peculiar waddle, 

 like the " swagger " of a " bowery 

 tongh." We found the rookeries 

 scattered all around — some near 

 the shore, others well inland. 

 Before flying they had to run 

 some 30 yards to get a start. "We found quite a number of eggs during the 

 day, all of which were addled. Harris, Beck and myself left Hull and a sailor 

 soon after finding the first albatross, and started for the S.E. end of the island. 

 Albatross were scattered all along the route, there evidently being several thousands 

 of them on the island. 

 On reaching the S.E. end 

 we found sea-birds very 

 abundant: gulls {Cre- 

 iignis) were " thick " ; 

 frigate birds extremely 

 abundant and breeding ; 

 boobies ; yellow-crowned 

 night herons, and the little 

 blue herons {Butorkles) ; 

 black terns ; and tropic 

 birds which were nesting in the rocks. We noticed that the young S»hi vehonxi 

 had dark brown eyes instead of the yellow eye of the adult. The black iguanas 

 {Amblyrhynchus cristatua) were very abundant in some places, there being a hundred 

 in a square 3'ard (see Plate V., right-hand lower corner). We ate lunch hero, 



and then started liac'k 

 along tlie shore for the 

 vessel. 



Oct. 27.— Skinned 

 birds all day, putting 

 up 10 albatross, 4 

 tropics, and an owl ; 

 also blew a few of the 

 albatross' eggs. The 

 albatrosses were very 

 fat. 



Oct. 28. — All hands except the captain and cook took the skiff and went towards 

 the E. end of the island, bound on a big bird hunt ; landed at a point about two 

 miles up shore, and dragged the boat out high and dry. Then we started across to the 

 S.E. shore, and there commenced to collect. Shot several oyster-catchers and yellow- 

 crowned night heron. Beck caught a number of red-billed tropic birds among the 



