AYES. 



By H. Gadow, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., and J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. 



INTRODUCTION. 



As was to be expected of such small, although numerous, somewhat outlying islands, 

 naturally without much physical variety, the avifauna is composed of few species only, and 

 most of these either marine or waders. None of the birds are peculiar to the islands. The 

 26 species fall into several categories : — 



I. Permanent residents, which also breed : Puffinus, Phaethon, Fregata, Butondes, Ardea, 

 Nettium, Gallimda, Droinas, Anoiis, Sterna, Corvus, and possibly Asio. The Indian Crow is 

 the only tj'pical land bird of this category. Most of these species have a very wide distri- 

 bution in the temperate or tropical parts of the Old World. 



II. Winter visitors, with their natural home on the Asiatic Continent : Charadrius, 

 Totanns, Falco, Circus, Numenius, Eudynamis, Asio, and Hirundo urhica. Specimens of the 

 full snipe were seen to remain on certain of the islands throughout the year, but it would 

 be very abnormal, if it did really breed on any of them. 



III. Accidental visitors from the nearest land, e.g. India and Ceylon : Hirundo rustica, 

 Herodias cjarzetta, and the Ceylonese Parakeet, Palaeornis calthropae. The latter is a rather 

 unexpected visitor, hitherto not recorded so far from its home. 



Remarkable, and not easily accounted for, is the total absence of Finches, Starlings, and 

 above all, of Pigeons. 



The notes on the different species have been for the most part copied from the original 

 diary. Unless the species is mentioned in " The Fauna of British Indian Birds," by W. T. 

 Blanford and Eugene W. Gates, a reference is given to the British Museum Catalogue. The 

 species marked with a star have been observed only, but we do not think that there can 

 be in any case any doubt as to the species, which were generally described, when seen, in 

 Mr Stanley Gardiner's diary. 



A remarkable feature at Hulule was the daily retirement of all birds from about 11 a.m. 

 to 3 p.m. The heron and tropic-bird were then at rest in the coconut trees, and even the 

 ubiquitous crows retired into the low bushes near the village. The terns about noon might 

 commonly be seen to have settled on the north point of the island, while the waders had 

 long before retreated to the shores of some one of the uninhabited islands. 



