THE BIRTH OF A VOLCANO 143 



ture. While still a long distance away my glasses 

 showed what I took to be shrapnel-like projectiles 

 flung up and dropping down in the steam and lava. 

 When closer, I saw that these were frigate- 

 birds and shearwaters, not, to be sure, diving 

 into the boiling water, but exceedingly close. In- 

 stead of the roar and rush of the unusual clouds 

 of steam frightening away the seabirds, the sudden 

 manna drew them in numbers, just as, when I use 

 dynamite in collecting fish, the vultures of the sea 

 gather at the first glimpse of a floating silver belly. 



As best I could I made a census of the immediate 

 eruption area and counted over two hundred and 

 fifty stormy petrels, many in the dark phase, lack- 

 ing the white rump, There were seventy-eight 

 shearwaters of at least two species, thirty-six 

 frigatebirds, ten brown boobies and three pelicans. 

 Not only were they in the outer zone of green water 

 but a dense flock was flying close in shore about the 

 lava. All were attracted by floating fish or other 

 organisms, and often I saw them actually become 

 obscured by the steam and gases. Later two dead 

 petrels and a shearwater floated past, so that some 

 at least paid a price for their reckless search for 

 food. 



At the height of interest in this marvellous sight, 

 but when we were at the aphelion of our circle, I 

 watched the sea-birds through glasses and learned 

 some facts new to me. The shearwaters not only 

 flew in their usual erratic flight and snatched a mor- 

 sel here and there from the surface, but they 

 skimmed the surface with their beaks, ploughing it 



