248 Mr. E. L. Layard^s Ornithological Notes 



miles south of Madagascar, we saw one Puffinus cinereus and a 

 large Tern of some kind. 



On the 18th, several of the White-tailed Tropic-birds passed 

 over us to the northward. This species {Phaeton flavirostris) 

 breeds in Mauritius, in the inaccessible precipitous sides of some 

 of the ravines. I often saw them from that curious projection 

 called the " World's End " *, entering the crevices of the rocks 

 on either side. It also breeds in hollow trees, and may be con- 

 stantly seen flying over the forest and darting into the holes 

 caused by the fall of rotten branches. The first pair I obtained 

 had frequented a huge tree for some years. On striking the 

 hollow bole, the birds flew out, and were killed by a right-and- 

 left shot. I was too late in the season for the eggs. 



On the 22nd, being 180 miles east of Madagascar, we at last 

 fell in with birds again. I think I never experienced anything 

 like the dreariness and desolation of this part of the ocean. 

 Never in my many wanderings have I seen so few birds. What 

 can be the reason of it ? Not any want of food, as the towing- 

 net always gave profuse returns of small Crustacea, &c. To-day 

 we were visited by one Diomedea exulans, Thalassidroma wilsoni 

 in abundance, and a single Pnffinus. 



25th. — This morning, while scanning a ship, I made out on 

 the field of the glass vast numbers of what appeared to be motes 

 in the sun, but half an hour's run showed that the motes were 

 Noddies ! Never having seen these birds at any great distance 

 from land, and the captain having reported 190 miles from 

 Madagascar (lat. 28° 30', long. 43°), I inquired if any rock or 

 shoal was supposed to exist here, and found we were close to a 

 doubtful danger, called Belliqueux's shoal. As the birds kept 

 constantly fishing in one place, I should think such a shoal 

 really existed, but our skipper would not run over it to try for 

 bottom. 



26th. — Puffinus abundant. 



* The " World's End " is a curious sharp spar, caused by the junction of 

 two ravines or volcanic rifts of great depth ; it terminates the Government 

 domain at Redui, the residence of tlie governors of the island, where I 

 spent six pleasant and long-to-be- remembered weeks with his Excellency, 

 Mr. Higginson and his charming family. 



