HOWICK ISLES. Ill 



tempted. Opposite the ship we landed on a small 

 sandy^ bushy portion of the island^ shg'htly elevated, 

 fronted by the reef, and backed by mang-roves. 

 We found here the usual indications of occasional 

 visits of the natives in a pit dug* as a well^ and 

 numerous remains of turtle and fish about the fire- 

 places. A few quails^ doves^ and other common 

 birds were met with. 



On Aug-ust 18th we removed to an anchorao-e 

 under No. VI., the second larg-est of the gToup. 

 With the exception of a sandy, grassy plain, half a 

 mile in leng'th, the whole of the island is densely 

 covered with mang-roves, and fring-ed with a reef of 

 coral, chiefly dead. Great numbers of larg-e turtle- 

 shells were scattered about, shewing* the periodical 

 abundance of these animals. Another larg'e " vam- 

 pyre-bat,^' Pteropus funereus^ differing* from that 

 of Fitzroy Island, was met with in g*reat numbers 

 among* the mang*roves, — a very larg'e assemblag-e of 

 these animals on the wing*, seen from the ship while 

 approaching* the island, quite resembled a flock of 

 rooks. Here, as elsewhere on the mang-rove-clad 

 islands, a larg*e honeysucker {Ptilotis chrysotis) 

 filled the air with its loud and almost incessant, but 

 varied and pleasing* notes, — I mention it, because 

 it is the onl}^ bird we ever met with on the north- 

 east coast of Australia which produced anything* like 

 a song*. 



Aiig. 21st, — We ran to the N.E. about twenty- 

 eig'ht miles, and anchored off Cape Melville, a 



