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94 Mr. B. Alexander — Expedition 



the Brava hills in order to reach another part of the coast. 

 The dexterity with which the species catches its prey must 

 be seen to be appreciated. As soon as the fish is sighted^ 

 the bird^ with closed wing, shoots into the water, the next 

 moment to reappear floating on the surface busy tackling its 

 prey and looking for an instant like a bird mortally wounded. 

 Sometimes, however, a series of rapid twists and turns are 

 indulged in prior to the dive_, some 20 feet above the water. 

 These movements may either result from the presence of a 

 shoal of nsh, the sight of wdiich causes the bird to waver in 

 its choice, or to a single fish having altered its course. 



Besides being much smaller than the female, the coloration 

 of the soft parts in the male is altogether brighter, while the 

 remarkable patch of bluish slate-colour visible in front of 

 the eye in the female is continued round it in the male. 

 The webs also in the feet of the latter are of a greenish 

 yellow. 



VI. The Rombos Islands. 



On March 13th we set out to explore theEombos Islands, 

 a small group three in number, uninhabited and devoid of 

 water, lying about five miles to the north of Brava, and easily 

 discernible from the mainland except on a very dull day : 

 their sandy-brown appearance, unrelieved by any growth, 

 affording a striking contrast to the deep blue of a southern 

 sea. Our first attempt to reach this group failed. About 

 halfway across we got into a heavy sea, which grew rapidly 

 worse, our small boat, heavily laden, rushing into the big 

 wave-troughs and striking the water with violent thuds. 

 Then, to make matters worse, the rudder broke, and this 

 became a signal for the whole crew to shout vociferously 

 at each other; however, after three hours of stiff rowing, 

 we regained the harbour, but not before we had been wetted 

 to the skin. Our second attempt, two days later, proved 

 successful, and we landed safely on the largest island, barely 

 two square miles in extent. Its general character is flat, 

 save for a lofty hill of a sugar-loaf shape that rises up about 

 its centre, while creeks and small bays make indentations 



