Visit to Dassen Island. 523 



breeds in very large numbers on Dassen Island .during the 

 months from August to January. 



This bird is a very important one eommercially, as from it 

 is derived the guano which^ together "with the Penguin eggs, 

 yields a considerable income to the Cape Government. The 

 guano is scraped up from, the rocks on whioli the Duykcrs sit, 

 and also from the nests after the breeding-season is over. 

 The time for collecting the guano begins in December and 

 continues until May, after the Duykers have finished breed- 

 ing. I was told by Mr. Almeda that about 800 tons had 

 been collected during the seasons 1895-96. 



I left the island about 12 midday, reaching Cape Town 

 about 4 o^clock the same afternoon, after a very smooth and 

 enjoyable passage. In addition to the birds already men- 

 tioned as occurring on the island, I was able to distinguish 

 during the journey home the Grey-backed Albati'oss or 

 JNlollymawk {Diomedea leucophrys) . The Wandering Alba- 

 tross [D. exidans) is not commonly seen until considerably 

 further south. Another bird observed in large numbers on 

 this excursion was the C'ape Solan Goose, or Malngash 

 [Sula copensis). This bird, which is also a great guano- 

 producer, is never found breeding on the same islands as the 

 Penguins and Duykers. It nests, I was told, on some 

 islands in Saldanha Bay ; further north, on Ichaboe, which 

 is in the neighbourhood of Angra Pequcna, in German South- 

 west Africa ; and on Bird Island, in Algoa Bay. The only 

 other bird commonly seen in these waters is the so-called 

 ^'' Cape Hen ^^ [Majaqueus cBquinoctiuUs). 



In conclusion, I may say a few words on the subject of 

 the working of these guano-islands, taken from information 

 derived from the Government reports. 



The islands are nineteen in nuuiber. They are, beginning 

 from the north : — Ichaboe and Penguin Islands, off Angra 

 Pequena ; Elephant's Rock and Bird Islands, oflF the coast of 

 the Van Rhijnsdorp division of the colony ; an islet in 

 Lambert's Bay, Clanwilliam division; North-west Rocks, 

 St. Helena Bay ; Paternoster Island, Marcus Island, Jutten 

 Island, Jacob's Rock, Malagash Island, Schaapen-Meeuwen 



