64 PARIWARA ISLAND. 



Stanley^ and not considered very satisfactory^ were 

 repeated under more favourable conditions^ but with 

 nearl}^ the same result. This mountain^ the hig-hest 

 of the range of the same name^ is somewhat 

 flat-topped (as viewed from our anchorag'e), about 

 six miles in length^ and the mean of five observations 

 from different stations^ g"ave 13/205 feet as the 

 heig-ht of the highest part above the level of the 

 sea. 



On the largest Pariwara Island^ although 

 abundance of rain had fallen lately, there was no 

 water left in any pool or hole in the rock. Nor 

 although the soil^ from the additional moisture^ 

 looked darker and richer than during' my former 

 visit in September^ was there any perceptible im- 

 provement in the vegetation. A {i^.'N fork-tailed red- 

 fronted swallows (Hirundo neoxena) were hawking 

 about^ and a large yellow and black butterfly 

 (^Pcqnlio JEpius, common in collections fi*om India 

 and China) was abundant. Many Torres Strait 

 pigeons were observed from the ship to resort 

 nightly to the second largest of the group^ which is 

 covered with trees and seems quite inaccessible from 

 the steepness of its low cliffs. On several successive 

 evenings about sunset^ and until it became too dark 

 to distinguish them^ immense numbers of frigate 

 birds were observed flying over Eedscar Head, and 

 going out to the N.N.E. This being a gregarious 

 bird only when associated at a breeding place, and 

 there beino- no known sand-bank or islet in the 



