110 Mr. B, Alexauder — Ea^pedition 



tree-growth, while towards the interior it is bosomed witli 

 brown-looking semiglobuba* hills. Of the whole group this 

 island is the poorest in the way of bird-life," and two days 

 proved ample for its exploration. Passaro Island, lying to 

 the north of Mordeira Bay, is a nesting-place of Gannets 

 {Sula fiber). A number of yEgialitls cantiana frequent the 

 salt-pans around Santa Maria, in the vicinity of which they 

 breed. On the flat stony portions we found Ammomanes 

 cinctura in considerable numbers and two nests, each con- 

 taining one young one. Besides these two species and the 

 Gannets, a flock of Sanderlings in summer plumage, a few 

 pairs of Cream-coloured Coursers, several Whimbrels, and a 

 solitary Osprey were all the birds we met with. 



^The next island we visited was Boavista, which is nothing 

 more than a sandy desert, with the exception of a few 

 stone-strewn levels and several hills of considerable altitude. 

 This desert of silver- white sand abounds in shallow hollows 

 scooped out by the wind, and sand-dunes, the sides of which 

 near the shore-line have been fashioned by the sea into high 

 embankments, while in many places along the entire coast 

 long narrow tongues of stony ground shoot out into the sea, 

 making deep low-coasted bays. Clusters of tall gaunt- 

 looking coconut-trees grow in many of the sand-dells, and 

 about their trunks nestle banana plants with their large 

 leaves torn into a thousand shreds by the wind, while on 

 the flat expanses are clamps of lavender-bushes and scattered 

 acacia-trees, stunted and ill-grown. , 



On May 13th we made our first attempt to approach the 

 Flamingoes, which frequent a series of brackish pools close 

 to the sea and not far from the village of Esten90 Velho. 

 The road thither being anything but good, we made use of 

 our schooner to get there. Towards the evening we landed 

 and were met by a guide, who undertook to take us to the 

 locality. On the way we happened to look seaward, and there, 

 to our great satisfaction, caught sight of a party of Flamingoes 

 coming towards the brackish pools ; not in any wedge-shaped 

 formation, but in a long, even line. They settled iu open 

 order, their backs towards the sea, preened their feathers, 



