to the Cape Verde Islands. 97 



the female is sitting the male will often sit alongside to keep 

 her company. Towards sundown these birds congregated 

 over some favoui^ite spot and indulged in nuptial flights, at 

 times circling high in the air and uttering the whole while a 

 series of harsh screeching notes that bore a striking resem- 

 blance to those of the Common Tern during the breeding- 

 season. ^ 



When the night shadows began to brood vaguely over 

 this lone waste of an island, the Petrels came abroad and 

 filled the still air with their weird cries. They mustered 

 strongly, flitting to and fro over the low-lying ground in 

 hundreds. Among the number the most noticeable was 

 Puffinus assimilis, as it glided like some large soft-winged bat 

 over the small sandhills, and even sometimes brushing past 

 our camp-fire, for ever uttering its weird cry " karki-karrou, 

 karki-karrou, karki-karrou,^' while amid these a similar but 

 softer one would often strike fitfully upon the ear, coming 

 from Oceanodroma cryptoleucura as it flitted over the island, 

 crying to its white-breasted relative '' Vvo. a nigger, I^m a 

 nigger. I'm a nigger.'' And the White-breasted Petrel 

 {Pelagodroma marina) replied by uttering grating notes like 

 those of a pair of rusty springs set in motion. 



As the night wore on, the cries of these Petrels died away, 

 only to recommence, however, with redoubled energy just as 

 dawn arrived, and then, as soon as the dusky light waxed 

 clear, these voices ceased as suddenly as they had commenced, 

 indicating that their owners had crept noiselessly into their 

 dark retreats, there to remain till the heat had once more 

 abated. ^ 



VII. List of Birds of the Rombos Islands, 



1. Neophron percnopterus. 



2. MiLVUS MIGRANS. 



3. tinnunculus neglectus. 



4. Passer jagoensis. 



5. Strepsilas interpres. 



I shot a single bird on a stretch of low-lying rock. Ij; 



SER. VII. VOL. IV. H 



