390 Scientific Intelligence — Miscellaneous. 



days to beat up again to the roadstead. But in consequence of 

 Guanos nestling on the face of the Moro, it has a white appearance, 

 from the accumulation of their droppings, which, when recent and 

 dry, as it always is in that locality, is of a grey-white colour, and 

 serves both as a beacon to the navigator who approaches the place, 

 and also as a magnificent object, when seen under the rays of the set- 

 ting sun. The dung of the guano has been used for manure by 

 the Peruvians, from time immemorial, and is highly prized by them, 

 on account of its fertilizing properties, which are very great. I 

 have seen some of these inoffensive beings, who had come several 

 hundred miles, having traversed ravines and tracks over all but 

 impassable mountains, each one with his donkey or llama, for a 

 quintal of guano, with which he had to march back again, trudging 

 on foot, and often rejoicing over his odorous cargo. The guanos 

 were still to be seen in vast numbers on the Moro of Arica, during 

 my first residence there in 1826, but not in such abundance as 

 they were a few years prior to that period ; for during the war for 

 independence, Arica was several times attacked, both by sea and 

 land, when the cannonading had the effect of scaring the guanos 

 from their haunts on the Moro. Since 1826, Arica has been much 

 frequented by foreigners, some of whom often fired at, and other- 

 wise annoyed these birds, which now have all but totally abandoned 

 that part of the Peruvian coast. The guanos have hitherto existed 

 on the coast of the Peru, in numbers which would appear incredi- 

 ble, except to those persons who have seen them. The greatest 

 mass of guanos I ever saw was in 1836, at the Chincha Isles, 

 which are only barren [rocks in the Pacific Ocean, off Pisco, and 

 about 100 miles south from Callio. I saw the birds through a 

 glass from on board a vessel under easy sail, when the rock appeared 

 to be a living mass ; for the guanos seemed to be contending among 

 themselves for a resting-place. They live on fish, and are expert 

 fishers, for which they are beautifully formed by nature. The bill 

 is three or four inches long, according to the age or size of the bird, 

 and it is about one inch broad at the extremity, much curved, and 

 altogether well adapted for hooking up the food, which rarely 

 escapes. The quantity of guano manure accumulated on the Peru- 

 vian coast must have been very great, and may be estimated thus : 

 Allowing the average number of these birds to be one million, which 

 I consider is much within bounds, and that each guano has one 



