96 A TOUR AMONG THE ISLANDS 



was therefore alluded to as a " rat island " ; several others 

 will be described later. 



The little hill of Kizima seems to act as a chimney 

 directing a continual current of air upwards, for whenever 

 it v.'as visited there were always numbers of kites soaring 

 round and round in narrow circles just over the island. 

 Around it are fragments of rocks that have broken away 

 and now form resting places for many cormorants and 

 darters ; snow-white egrets with black bills and legs, 

 Egyptian geese, and a giant heron were also there, with 

 a sacred ibis, not to be seen on every island. 



Flycatchers were seen, and swallows were fairly plentiful. 



Butterflies were few (see p. 125) : Glossina was repre- 

 sented by an average catch per fly boy of 29 per hour 

 (both sexes). No termite hills were seen ; indeed, ter- 

 mites seemed altogether absent. 



The Island of Tavu was first visited on January 

 13th. It is about a mile in greatest diameter, being 

 low and flat and covered thickly with vegetation. 

 The northern two-thirds are marshy, and only ambatch 

 grows there, with a dense fringe of rushes ; the southern 

 end is very sandy and covered with cane, " E'tungulu," 

 and bushes, with rushes growing in the shallow water. 

 On the west coast is a large raised beach of sand, which 

 was found to provide admirable breeding places for 

 Glossina. The rest of the island has forest growth, and 

 was at one time cultivated. Tavu proved to be a favourite 

 haunt of crocodiles, of which nine were seen ; some on 

 a rock on the east coast, others in the shallow water off 

 the sandy south point, on which they lay their eggs. 

 No " Enswa-swa " were seen, and subsequent visits 

 always showed them to be scarce. 



Of snakes, the beautiful horned puff adder (Bitis 

 nasicornis) was seen, and a large black elapine was rather 

 common. 



Birds abounded ; giant herons, and herons of other 



