[89] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 91 



Nye aud myself held our gana in readiness. We were backed in about 

 35 feet when a breaker boarded us, half filling the canoe with water, 

 and we came out as soon as possible. The canoe being too heavily 

 loaded, I got out, and the others went in again. This time Mr. Nye 

 succeeded in shooting two birds, but before he could secure them 

 another breaker boarded them and again partly filled the boat. The 

 swells becoming heavier, we considered it unsafe to venture into the cave 

 again ; however, being very desirous of obtaining the birds, we adopted 

 another plan, which was to shoot them as they came out at night. Cap- 

 tain Tanner thought well of this, and went back to the ship, leaving Mr. 

 Nye and myself to carry out the plan, with Mr. Morrison's assistance, 

 at whose house the greater part of the afternoon was pleasantly spent. 

 Towards night we went into a grove of cocoanut-palms and killed a 

 number of birds. Before dark we were again at the cave in a canoe. Mr. 

 Nye landed and obtained as good a position as the nature of the ground 

 would allow, while I remained in the boat near the cave to shoot as best 

 I could against the face of the precipitous hill which rises above it. 

 The birds did not come out until after dark, when it was possible to 

 see them only against the sky. Nevertheless, Mr. Nye killed two, only 

 one of which was recovered, and that after it had been in the water 

 for half an hour. The night was passed at Mr. Morrison's house, where 

 we were treated to the novel sensation of having a light burn all night" 

 as a protection against the bites of small bats which were liable to 

 enter. ^ 



Early in the morning we left for Port of Spain on a small steamboat 

 rnnniiig between Mono Island and that place. In the evening of the 

 sam6 day the Albatross anchored in a harbor of Mono Island. Mr. 

 Nye landed as before, and killed several birds, only one, however, being 

 recovered. The skins of both birds are in good condition for mounting 

 and the bodies are preserved in alcohol. When the heads were reached 

 in the operation of skinning a large number of parasites were found 

 under the eyelids. 



The list of birds from Trinidad and vicinity, as made out by Mr. Ridg- 

 way, is as follows : 



Certhiola liiteola, Licht. Biplopterus ncevius (Gm.). 



Tanagra sclateri, Berlepsch. Engyptila verreauxi (Bi)S.). 



Tanagr a palmar um (Max.). Pelecanus fuscvs (Linn.). 



Tachyphonus melaleucus (Sparrm.)- Fregafa aquiia (Lin.). 



Tyrannus melancholicuSy Vieill. ^ula leucogastra (Bodd,). 



Contopus braclnjtarsus, Scl. Sula piscator (Linn.). 



Thamnophilus atncapillus (Gm.). Sterna maxima (Bodd.). 



Late at night the electric light was put over, and among other things 

 a small squid was captured. 



We put to sea from Mono Island on February 3. Two hauls were 

 made during the day. Station 2121, in 31 t^ithoms, taking a small 



