to the Cope Verde Islands. 95 



along the coast-liue. In mauy places its surface is strewn 

 with ironstone, while there are several creeks that hold nickel 

 and copper. 



A few wild goats inhabit the island, while the only birds 

 we came across were a solitary Vulture and a Kestrel. 

 Petrels used to breed here in numbers until they were driven 

 away by the descendants of a pair of cats brought over 

 by the goatherd, y 



As soon as morning came we left for the next island, about 

 a mile distant. Just halfway there lies a rock of considerable 

 extent. This is a breeding-station of the Gannets. On 

 approaching it we could see these birds chequering the 

 scarped sides in hundreds, and at the report of my gun they 

 rose up from the recesses till it became difficult sometimes 

 to behold the sky. Close to this barren rock, and almost in 

 line with it, lies the remaining island of the group. It was 

 upon this that our hopes were centredj since, according to 

 the Brava fishermen, a large colony of Petrels existed there. 

 On the Brava side this island culminates in a rocky head- 

 land of considerable altitude, serving as a screen to hide 

 from view the low, flat, gravelly land directly behind it, in 

 length about two miles, and one in width at its broadest 

 part. This portion Avas literally honeycombed by Petrels, 

 causing the ground underfoot to give way at nearly every 

 tread. The first species discovered was the elegant White- 

 breasted Petrel {Pelagodi'oma marina). We found it breeding 

 in considerable numbers, the eggs being in an advanced stage 

 of incubation. The nest-holes had an average depth of 8 

 inches and a length of 2 feet. We are inclined to think 

 that the female does the entire incubation, since every bird 

 taken off its egg proved to be of that sex. The only three 

 males obtained were in company with females and were not 

 incubating. 



In unearthing these Petrels several managed to escape us. 

 They ran along the ground in a dazed condition, and before 

 we could rescue them they were pounced upon and carried 

 off by Kites. 



In close proximity to Pelagodroma marina was a colony of 



