On two Nesting -places of Gannets and Terns. 63 



V. — On two Nesling-places of Gannets and Terns in tlie 

 South Indian Ocean. By Commander Stuart St. J. 

 FarquhaRj E.N. 



Between the Seychelles and Mauritius lies a group of coral- 

 islands known as the ^'Farquhar Islands/^ named after a 

 former Governor of Mauritius. This group is composed of 

 two larger islands^ separated by a narrow stretch of shoal- 

 water^ and extends about eight miles in length and half a mile 

 to a mile in breadth^ forming wath the surrounding coral- 

 reef an almost perfect atoll. There is a layer of about six 

 inches of guano on these islands, and the vegetation is almjst 

 entirely coconut-trees, planted by natives, and a species of 

 mangrove-bush. Of bird-life there is plenty. Guinea- 

 fowl, w^hich were introduced many years ago, are now very 

 numerous and do much damage to the small patches of 

 Indian corn. Several kinds of Doves are resident: one, a 

 very small, short-winged species [Turtur rostratus), is abun- 

 dant, and I obtained a good many of their eggs. Fowls, 

 which have strayed from the settlement, form a not incon- 

 siderable item in a day^'s shooting, as they have bred freely, 

 and the offspring are as wild as the wildest Pheasants in 

 England. The sea-birds, however, form the principal attrac- 

 tion, being far more numerous and varied than any other 

 family. Three kinds of Gannets, or Boobies, were common, 

 viz. Sula piscator, S. cyanops, and S. leucogastra. 



The first-named of these species was found nesting on 

 both the main islands, and, so far as I could ascertain by 

 enquiry and observation, was the only one which did so. 

 All the other sea-birds nested on a small island named 

 Goelet Island, from the immense number of Sooty Terns 

 (called '^Goelets^^ by the natives) which resoi-t there. Sula 

 piscator alone did not, probably because on Goelet Island 

 there were very few bushes, whereas the two large islands 

 were almost entirely overgrown with scrub. S. cganops 

 and S. leucogastra both nest on the ground, and S. piscator 

 always on the bushes. 



On July 10th, 1897, I paid a visit to Goelet Island: it is 



