BIRD AND DENNIS ISLANDS, SEYCHELLES 17 



obstacle to bare feet. A Convolvulus was common climbing up the bushes, and " liane 

 sans fins " (Cassytha Jiliformis) in places bound all the bushes together into a dense mat 

 of vegetation: other plants included various low herbs and the " batatran " (Ipomcea 

 Pescapree). The interior of the island was a large plain entirely occupied by an enormous 

 colony of wide-awake terns [Sterna fuliginosa). Practically no vegetation existed on it 

 at the time of my visit, the birds having destroyed everything. Across the centre of this 

 plain (east to west) a broad belt of coconuts has been induced to grow, while "papaya" 

 trees have been planted round its outskirts and seem to flourish; lastly a few small 

 clearings in the same position produce fair crops of maize and tobacco. The only timber 

 tree on the island is the introduced Casuarina, which has been largely planted and is 

 common round the settlement, where also there is a large " bois blanc " (Hemandia peltata). 



As regards the fauna the birds are dominant, and indeed directly, and also by their 

 guano, govern both the fauna and flora of the island: it is quite impossible to give any 

 idea of the countless thousands which breed upon the island. Wide-awakes exclusively 

 occupy the central bare plain as a breeding ground. The confusion, noise and smell of 

 such a " fair " can only be realised by a visit, as any attempt at description would seem an 

 unpardonable exaggeration. Outside the wide-awakes is a colony of grey-headed noddies 

 (Anous leucocapilhis) : these birds make nests in the scrub, sometimes accumulating quite 

 a large erection of sticks. When all available spaces on the bushes have been occupied, 

 they build on the ground underneath low bushes and masses of herbage. Besides the 

 above, there are a few small colonies of gannets (Sulci piscator) and one of shearwaters 

 (Pujffinus sp. ?). The former breed in small colonies, laying their pairs of eggs wherever an 

 open space can be found: when approached, they usually vomit their last meal and in 

 every way merit their local name of " fou." The shearwaters nest in holes in the sandstone, 

 coming out at night only. Other birds are not numerous and comprise no species not 

 found on other Seychelles islands. The only true land birds noticed were the small 

 ground dove (Geopelia striata f), the cardinal (Foudia madagascar), the white egret or 

 heron (Ardetta sp. V) and the moorhen (Gall inula sp.?). 



Land vertebrates, in addition to birds, are limited to two geckos, one bright green 

 and usually found on the trunks of the coconut trees, and the other mottled grey, 

 nocturnal and usually found under lumps of sandstone. The invertebrates contain 

 nothing which calls for special mention here and will be represented in the lists for the 

 Seychelles islands as a whole. 



Economically the island is mainly of value on account of its eggs, since the coconuts 

 for some reason do not flourish well. The season for the eggs extends from June to 

 August, and they are then collected and sold in Mahe", where they yield a fair profit. 

 According to the manager (M. George), in 1907 no less than 909,000 eggs were collected. 

 I was also informed that the programme of the wide-awakes is as follows: the birds begin 

 to arrive in the vicinity about March 3, and to sleep regularly on the island about 

 April 25; they commence to lay on May 18 and depart in September. The eggs collected 

 are nearly all those of wide-awakes, though no doubt a few noddies' eggs, which are very 

 similar, are sold as well. As the birds produce a regular and increasing profit it seems a 

 doubtful policy to persist in planting coconuts which do not seem to be suited to the 

 island in its present state. 



SECOND SERIES— ZOOLOGY, VOL. XIV. :i 



