270 Mr. E. Newtou's Oimithological Notes from Mauritius. 



a narrow-necked bottle ; and it invariably utters it when about 

 to swallow a piece of offal/^ Decidedly not ! The bird happens 

 to have no cry at all, and (like most other Storks) wants the 

 sterno-tracheal tendinous muscles, and is therefore voiceless. 

 The only noise it can produce is by clattering its mandibles to- 

 gether, as may be likewise observed in the case of Ciconia alba. 

 Calcutta, March 25th, 18G1. 



XXVII. — Ornithological Notes from Mauritius. By Edward 

 Newton, M.A., C.M.Z.S.— No. II. A Ten Days' Sojourn at 

 Savanne. 



I LEFT Port Louis on the 26th September, 1860, for St. Martin, 

 an abandoned sugar-estate situated on the coast of Savanne, the 

 southernmost district of Mauritius, where I was in hopes of find- 

 ing a very different lot of birds from those which frequent the 

 neighbourhood of the metropolis. Being the first holiday of any 

 length I had taken since my arrival in the island, I determined to 

 devote it to getting a better knowledge of its ornithology ; and, 

 as may be supposed, I greatly enjoyed not merely the complete 

 relaxation from all work thus afforded me, but also the being able 

 to turn my attention more fully to my favourite pursuit. The only 

 drawback was the short time that I could be away. Two of my 

 friends had preceded me, and I found their tent pitched within 

 twenty yards of high-water mark, under the shade of a line of 

 Filao-trees — Madagascar Fir [Casuarina equisetifolia) . The 

 ground all along the sea-shore was covered with short grass — 

 almost down-like, and unencumbered by the large blocks of basalt 

 which are found nearly everywhere else over the island. Alto- 

 gether it was as pleasant a spot for a camp as ever was seen. Un- 

 fortunately there was not, anywhere near, above three or four feet 

 of water inside the reef (which lies about a mile and a half out) ; 

 and the bottom was covered with long slug-like monsters which 

 have very sharp feelers, and scratch uncommonly if you tread 

 upon them j so there was not much bathing to be had, beyond 

 sitting for half an hour or so in a place free from these brutes. 

 In many parts of the tropics it would be impossible to encamp 

 by the sea-shore on account of the sand-flies and mosquitoes. 



