208 Lieut. J. R. H. MacFarlanc on Birds 



breeding-ground of any importance on San Lorenzo; but as 

 both Gulls and Terns appear in the harbour at certain 

 periods of the year, and in large numbers^ it looks as if there 

 is some large breeding-place adjacent. Of course this does 

 not refer to birds that are known to breed in North America. 

 My theory is, that since the birds have been driven away from 

 their breeding-places, such as the Chinchas, Lobos de tierra, 

 Lobos de afuera, and other guano-islands, they have gone to 

 the small island of Hormigas de afuera, about 30 miles to the 

 west of Callao, seldom, if ever, visited, except by a few 

 nomadic fishermen, as it lies out of the track of vessels. 

 The local fishermen told me that at certain seasons the islands 

 were crowded with birds breeding, and that Ncsnia inca was 

 certainly amongst the number. 



At Chimbote (about 9° S.), 2nd to 5th August, there 

 were numbers of Sterna hirundinacea, the South-American 

 representative of our Common Tern, on the beach ; this is 

 the only part of the coast where I have seen them. We also 

 shot several Curlews (Numenius hudsonicus) . 



The bay of Payta (5° S.) claims some notice for its remark- 

 ably pleasant climate; for although the surroundings are 

 sandy, it is probably one of the most cheerful-looking places 

 on the coast, — almost continual sunshine without great heat, 

 cool sea-breezes, and a dry atmosphere : rain having fallen 

 about once in the last ten years, on which occasion it flooded 

 the dry bed of a former small stream and did considerable 

 damage to the adobe-hmM houses, which were never intended 

 for such a contingency. There is no fresh water in the 

 place, it being all brought in tanks, by train, from the Chira 

 river, and sold by the gallon. Daption capensis was plentiful 

 outside and in the harbour in July, and I sent home a 

 specimen for identification, taken in 6° S., as well as a white 

 Procellaria gigantea, the only one seen on the coast. The 

 Grey-capped Gull, Larus cirrhocephalus, was also obtained 

 here, making the fifth example obtained on the west coast 

 of America, and the most northern locality on record. 



Payta, like many other places on this coast, is devoid of 

 verdure. It is said that some years ago a tree was painted 



