to the Cape Verde Islands. 109 



11. Phaethon ^thereus. 



Id the immature bird the plumage of the upper parts 

 is barred with black as in the adult, but in a lesser degree. 

 The beak is a greeaish-horn colour, and the webs of the feet 

 are lemon-yellow. The two long rectrices are absent. 



XIII. Branca, Santa Luzia, Sal, and Boavista. 



Branca is nothing more than a small irregular chain of 

 lofty, craggy hills, rising up from the sea with extraordinary 

 abruptness on its north side, while about halfway down its 

 height this chain has almost a glacis-like slope down to the 

 sea. This slope is honeycombed by Petrels. We found the 

 White-breasted Petrel [Pelagodroma marina), Piiffinus 

 assimilis, and Oceanodroma cryptoleucura breeding, all 

 having young. Puffinus maria also inhabits the island. 

 From several Petrels-holes we pulled out Cocteau's skinks, 

 but, there being few of these lizards, the Petrels have made 

 the island their home. There is not a doubt that Raza was 

 also a breeding-place before the skinks became numerous 

 there, for we found many disused Petrers-holes on that 

 island. Out at sea we saw numbers of Puffinus assimilis, 

 and at intervals one of them would disappear and swim after 

 some small fish just beneath the surface of the water, after 

 the manner of a Penguin. 



While on Branca we obtained specimens of Pelagodrotna 

 marina, Oceanodroma cryptoleucura, Puffinus assimilis, and 

 the young of all three, also five eggs of the second species 

 named. 



On May 5th we landed on Santa Luzia, an island of wild 

 goats., A small flock of Cursorius gallicus, a few Whimbrels, a 

 Vulture or two, and a flock of Sanderlings represented the 

 bird-life of the island. 



We left Santa Luzia on May 7th and sailed for Sal, a 

 voyage which took two days, since the wind was against us 

 the whole time.'^ Sal possesses little or no coast, but a low 

 shore-line instead. The greater portion of the island is flat, 

 with a loose stony soil, sandy in places and devoid of all 



