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all our baggage on board, sailed for Magdaleua, on the opposite coast of Pico. 

 The wind was contrary, tbe sea in the channel rongh and choppy, and it 

 was only after several weary bonrs that we managed to traverse the four 

 intervening miles and land on Pico at 0.3U p.m. It was then too late to start 

 for our camp, and we remained in an emi)ty house on the coast for the night. 

 Early ne.\t morning such things as were required were moved to a large old 

 Quinta, surrounded by high walls, near the village of Sete Cidades, and about 

 four miles from the coast. The Quinta contained a small stone hnt in rather 

 dilapidated condition, but, with the three tents, we soon managed to make a 

 comfortable c;im]). 



AVe had now arrived at what we fondly hoped would prove our best collecting 

 ground. The volcano of Pico, nearly 8000 ft. high, towered to the east of our 

 camp, and its thickly wooded lower slopes, clad with dense bush and scattered 

 clumps of pine, stretched for about six miles above us, and seemed to promise 

 something new. 



The wood, however, ceases at about 2500 ft., and gives place to open grass- 

 country, with clumps of heath-trees and bilberry. Higher up, at about 4000 ft., 

 only grass-slopes are met with : and, above this, desolation and lava, covered 

 with grey lichen and moss, hold undisputed sway to the top. Major Chaves, 

 who knows the island well, had warned us to expect nothing ditlerent in the 

 way of birds, and his prediction proved only too correct. We spent a week of very 

 arduous work on the west side of the great volcano, and got over most of the 

 wooded country in the course of our rambles, but the covert was so dense that 

 small birds were only to be found near the edges of the bugh. 



Tlie walking was simply odious; and the ground being everywhere covered with 

 loose lava, masked with moss and herbage, jdayed havoc with strong shooting- 

 boots. Finding nothing fresh on this ground, we moved round the base of the 

 mountain to the southern side, a distance of about seventeen miles, and ascended 

 by the Kibeira Secca. This ravine proved extraordinarily steep and difficult to 

 traverse, birds were scarce and wild, and we met with no novelties. 



Returning to Sete Cidades, we moved to another camp at San Koque, on 

 the north side, at a distance of nineteen miles, and worked all the ground up the 

 northern and eastern base of the cone. Here the country is comparatively free 

 from lava, and the walking very much better; but though we were indefatigable 

 in our search, no new, or even different, birds were forthcoming. With shells 

 and moths, etc., we were more successful. During our stay on Pico, with the 

 exception of a few miserable days, when we encountered high winds and heavy, 

 almost incessant rain, the weather was fairly good. The climate is much drier 

 than on the other islands, and one of the great difficulties in camping is the 

 lack of water, the su])iily being almost entirely derived from rain-water tanks. 



On May 23rd we returned to Magdalena, and crossed by boat to Fayal. 

 After a quick run of an hour we reached Horta at (> ji.m. in pouring rain, and 

 remained there for the night. An early start was made for the little house 

 which Mr. Ferrcira had kindly engaged for us on the western Lomba, a few 

 miles above the town. The interior of Fayal is lovely, and the ground in many 

 places looks admirable for collecting ; but the very wet climate and damp 

 heat are considerable drawbacks, and during the greater part of our stay the 

 high ground was covered by dense clouds and mist, and it frequently rained 

 heavily. Two attempts to reach the Caldeira were frustrated owing to heavy 



