150 Short JS^otices of OrnUholoijieal J-'dhl/ratioiis. . 



been extraordinarily interesting, and it is hard to imagine a 

 more delightful way of avoiding a European winter than 

 enjoying the luxury of a cruise in southern waters on a 

 magnificent vessel such as tlie ' Valhalla,' whilst to an orni- 

 thologist the frequent visits to almost unknown islands, the 

 exploration of which undertaken without hurry was almost 

 sure to result in the discovery of rare and isolated species — 

 some probably new to science — must have been the source of 

 the keenest pleasure. Alas ! such joys are not for all of us, 

 and we can only read and think what a glorious holiday such 

 an adventurous trip would be. Mr. Nicoll has written a 

 charming account of his voyage, and it is only to be regretted 

 that it is too long to be here reproduced. In lat. 7° 14' S., 

 long. 34° 25' W., the author and Mr. Meade-AValdo saw a 

 remarkable sea-creature quite of the proper " sea-serpent " 

 type [vide Proceedings Zoological Society, June 19th, 1906). 

 The route has already been given in this journal, and the 

 following notes, which are of interest to South African orni- 

 thologists, are extracted from the scientific portions of the 

 author's paper. 



On South Trinidad Island, Gy<jis alba = G. eaiuUda = 

 G. craicfordi (?) was found in enormous numbers. The 

 Gy<jis alba, or, as Sclater calls it, G. Candida (White Noddy), 

 which has not been recorded from the Cape, but was found 

 by Layard near Madagascar, is separated by Mr. Nicoll 

 from the species found on this Island ; the latter Mr. Njcoll 

 calls G. crawfordi. These Terns were so tame that they 

 could easily be caught in a butterfly-net whilst hovering in 

 the air ! They were nesting, as w^as also Anous stolidus 

 (Noddy), of which some examples have been obtained in the 

 Cape Seas. Here also Frefjata aqmla (Frigate Bird) was 

 seen in large numbers. 



At Martin Vas Islands, some twenty miles away. Sterna 

 fidiginosa (Sooty Tern) and MicranoKs levcocapillus (Lesser 

 Noddy) were observed. Between these Islands and Tristan 

 d'Acunha Diomedea exidans (Wandering Albatross) and 

 (Estrelata incerta (Schlegel's Petrel) were noticed, whilst on 

 nearing the latter Island ([uite a number of Cape Sea-birds 



