106 Mr. B. Alexander — Expedition 



streaming out behind them, they kept speeding out across 

 the sea. 



The noise of our landing reached a magnificent flock of 

 Little Egrets, which speckled the rocks, some five hundred, on 

 our left. They all took to flight, tlieir pure white plumage 

 making a striking contrast to the black expanse of rocks 

 and then to the liquid blue of the sea. A party of Turn- 

 stones were also at the same spot, and although they 

 assumed close order, they did not follow the example of the 

 Egrets. And then, on our left, we caught a glimpse of a 

 Gannet colony. Already a general movement seaward had 

 taken place. Not a few, however, remained on the ledges of 

 rock, looking very soldier-like and seeming quite indifferent 

 to our near approach. Some were immature birds, with 

 the entire underparts speckled with chocolate-brown. Out 

 at sea were several Tropic-birds which out-distanced their 

 companions and disappeared from sight. They went straight 

 to their rocky homes that held their youngsters, and, with 

 wings sharply beating, hovered round their entrances ; the 

 next moment to retreat, and then to return and make further 

 futile attempts, as if the gaining of their nest-holes was 

 fraught with much uncertainty. 



Here and there the continuity of the cliffs is broken by 

 rocky slopes that lead up to the higher ground, and, as we 

 ascended one of these natural staircases, wheezy groans 

 came from Shearwaters (Pirfflrms niarice), ensconced in 

 rocky cavities on our right and left, and on looking into 

 these holes we could just discern them sitting together in 

 couples. We next observed a number of Cocteau's skinks 

 basking on flat portions of rocks. One obtained measured 

 17 inches. These skinks live in the clefts of rock and often 

 in company with the Shearwaters. 



On reaching the level ground we discovered a species of 

 Desert-Lark [Spizocorys) in flocks. These birds are so tame 

 that we could have knocked many over with sticks. On 

 taking to flight they utter notes very similar to those of our 

 Skylark when on the wing. Among a flock we had no 

 difficulty in discerning the sexes ; since, on following a 



