178 Mr. P. L. Sclatcr on ///e 



XIII. — On the Land-birds of Juan Fernandez. 

 By P. L. ScLATEK, M.A., Ph.D., F.K.S. 



(Plate VII.) 



What is commonly known by the name of Juan Fernandez is 

 really a group of islands, or rather of two larger islands and 

 several smaller ones, lying in the South Pacific Ocean some four 

 hundred miles from the coast of Chili, in about 34° S. lat. The 

 indigenous fauna of this island-group, like that of all oceanic 

 islands, possesses special points of interest ; and I need therefore 

 make no apologies to the readers of ' The Ibis ' for endeavour- 

 ing to put together the little that is known concerning its 

 land-birdsj more especially as there is some hope that this may 

 lead to a more complete investigation of the subject. 



The largest of the Juan Fernandez group is called Mas-a- 

 tierra (or more towards land)-, and contains an area estimated a'3 

 about seventy square miles. Its northern half presents a lofty 

 basaltic formation, intersected by narrow fruitful valleys; the 

 southern half is less elevated, but rocky and barren. 



The second island of the group, called Mas-afuera (i. e. fur- 

 ther out from land), lies about ninety miles outside Mas-a-tierra, 

 and is said in most geographical books to be little more than a 

 volcanic rock. Of the smaller islets it is not necessary for our 

 present purpose to say any thing. 



The Juan Fernandez group was well-known to the earlier na- 

 vigators of the Pacific, but was never explored zoologically, so 

 far as I know, until it was visited by Captain King during the 

 commencement of the well-known Admiralty Survey of the Straits 

 of Magellan. In the first volume of the * Narrative ' of this 

 expedition, by King and Fitzroy (p. 302 et seq.), will be found 

 an account of the observations made by Captain King during 

 his short stay in Mas-a-tierra in February 1830. " Land-birds," 

 he says, " are not numerous ; some Pigeons, said to have been 

 introduced, and a few Hawks are occasionally seen, besides 

 three species of Humming Birds two of which are new to 

 science"*. 



* Tliese two supposed new Ilumining-birds were afterwards shortly 

 characterized by Captain King in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1830-31, p. 30, as 



