62 071 the Breeding o/Puffinus auduboni. 



the breeding-place of the sea-fowl ; it is the furthest from 

 shore of three rocks or detached blocks of coral limestone, 

 and rests on a ledge over which the sea breaks continuously. 

 It is difficult to estimate size by the eye, particularly in the 

 glare of the tropical sun and the intense reflected lieat of the 

 white rocks ; but I should say Bird-rock is about thirty-five 

 feet high and about sixty or seventy feet across, the only 

 vegetation I could see on it being a large-leaved creeper, 

 which the men who had been on the rock said was the broad- 

 leaved Ipomcea (Argyreia speciosa), an East Indian plant, 

 common all over Barbados. 



The constant lashing and surging of the waves around the 

 base has eaten a ledge which gives the rock the appearance 

 of an immense mushroom, and adds greatly to the difficulty 

 of ascending it. Mr. Gittens had arranged that some of the 

 men who were in the habit of visiting this rock should be at 

 the spot, prepai'ed to show me the difficulties of reaching it. 

 We found three men awaiting our arrival. Divesting them- 

 selves of their clothes, they plunged into the surf, two of 

 them taking a small tree-trunk about fourteen feet long with 

 them, to be used as a ladder whereby to scale the rock. It was 

 an interesting sight to see these fine athletic fellows in the surf, 

 their bronze skins shining amid the blue and white waters ; 

 then they shot like porpoises under the breakers and appeared 

 floating in the trough of the wave beyond. A biggish wave 

 came rolling in and burst in spray and surf high above the 

 ledge of Bird-rock ; the leader of the three men had dived 

 well beneath this wave, and as it broke and recegled in a 

 cascade, he appeared clinging to the ledge, the war of waters 

 having passed, over him ; in an instant he sprang on to the 

 ledge and in a few minutes the other two men joined him. 

 The ascent to the top of the rock being only possible on the 

 outer side, I was unable to see any more of the men's pro- 

 ceedings. This landing was made to show me how the feat 

 is accomplished. A few hours prior to my arrival these 

 same men had visited the rock and had taken twenty-four 

 young Shearwaters, which they intended to sell for food, and 

 a single egg. 



