BRILLIANT FISHES 17 



we noticed numbers of sooty terns,* which were 

 flying in a perpetual stream along the coast, 

 just above the breaking waves. These birds were 

 not nesting at the time of our visit, but we were 

 told that they bred in great numbers on one of the 

 smaller islets, which lies about half a mile off the 

 settlement. A few tropic-birds, which were flying 

 high overhead, appeared from their manner to 

 have nests, which were probably situated in the 

 most inaccessible parts of the cliff. 



The tide was low, and we were able to walk 

 some distance along the shore. A long ledge of 

 rock was pointed out to us by one of our friends 

 as an excellent place for fishing, and in many 

 shallow pools we saw numbers of brilliantly 

 coloured fishes ; some of these were blue on the 

 back and yellow beneath. We made repeated 

 attempts to capture them, but to no purpose. 



It is impossible to make a collection of the whole 

 fauna of an island during a visit of two or three 

 days, as we soon realized ; consequently I spent 

 most of my time searching for the three species of 

 land-birds which inhabit Fernando de Noronha. 

 Specimens of the dove and the warbler, which 

 have already been mentioned, were collected 

 during the morning. As soon as we returned 

 from our excursion across the island a visit was paid 

 to the Governor's garden, where, owing perhaps 

 to the greater abundance of trees, birds were more 



* Sterna fuliginosa. 



