Mr. F. Du Cane Godman on the Birds of the Azores. 89 



are of volcanic origin. St. Michael's, the largest and, from its 

 trade in oi-anges, to us the best-known, has a population of 80,000 

 inhabitants. It stretches nearly east and west, being much 

 longer than it is broad. At the eastern end the mountains rise 

 to a height of upwards of 3500 feet, and are chiefly covered with 

 tree-heath {Erica azorica), juniper [Juniperus uxycedrus) , faya 

 {Myrica faya), and other evergreen shrubs. The peak of Agua 

 de Poa in the centre reaches a height of 3070 feet ; between this 

 and the west end the land is lower, but is still studded with nu- 

 merous small volcanic cones, all of which bear traces of extinct 

 craters at their summits. At the extreme w^estern end, again, 

 the mountains rise to nearly 3000 feet. The coast is steep and 

 and rocky, and in some places the cliffs are 1400 feet high. 



There are several lakes in the mountains, formed for the most 

 part by an accumulation of water in the extinct craters ; the 

 principal are the Lagoa Grande, in the Caldeira das Sete Ci- 

 dades, the Lagoa do Fogo, and the Lagoa das Furnas. Gold- 

 fish [Cyprinus aurafus), which have been introduced into these 

 lakes, are extremely abundant, and attract considerable numbers 

 of Gulls and Terns. 



My brother had but a short time in St. Michael's, as he was 

 obliged to return to England to join his regiment. I remained 

 there rather more than a month, during which time I visited 

 different parts of the island, and collected specimens of most of 

 the resident species of birds. My headquarters were at the 

 hotel in Ponta Delgada, a very comfortable house, and having 

 the advantage of a most obliging English landlady. 



We next went to Fayal, and thence visited the two most 

 western islands. We left St. Michael's on the evening of the 

 21st of April, and at six o'clock next morning anchoi-ed in the 

 harbour off Angra, the capital of Terceira. We passed the 

 whole day on shore, as the steamer did not start again till night. 

 This was the first really warm day we had had ; and we made 

 a long excursion into the interior. The scenery is not nearly so 

 pretty as that of St. Michael's, which of its kind is not sui-passed 

 by any I have seen elsewhere. We returned on board in the 

 evening, and at night the steamer again started for Graciosa, 

 which we reached at six next morning. This is one of the 



