2S2 REMARKS AND OPINIONS. 



found at Radack, did not occur in RomanzofT. 

 The plants that we observed were, a Poli/podmm, 

 the cocoa-tree, the pandanus, a grass, Scaevola 

 Konigiiy Tournefortia argeritea, Lythruyn Pemphis^ 

 Guettarda speciosa, a Cassyta, an Euphorbia^ and 

 a Boerhaviay a herbaceous nettle. Besides the 

 above, all of which are at Radack, we met with the 

 following, which are wanting there ; two shrub-like 

 RubiacecVy another shrub Heliotropium prostratuniy 

 Portulacca oleracea, sl Lepidium (acre F), and a 

 Buchnera ? 



Shrubs with entire, simple, and for the most 

 part fleshy leaves, and colourless flowers, form an 

 easily penetrable thicket, over which the cocoa- 

 tree rises, and where the pandanus alone is dis- 

 tinguished by its remarkable form, and only the 

 leafless Cassyta climbs with its reddish fibres. 

 The soil is every where to be seen through the 

 thin vegetable covering. 



We did not observe the rat, which, it is true, 

 conceals itself during the hot hours of noon, (at 

 which time w^e visited the island.) Different kinds 

 of forest birds (Numenius, Scolopaa:,) were nume- 

 rous on this island, which did not appear to fear 

 man. They merely avoided our treading on them 

 like tame fowls in a farm yard. The Ster7ia stoUda 

 is the most numerous among the water-fowls. The 

 foolish confidence of this bird has justly acquired 

 its name. In these seas it literally flew into our 

 hands, and we set some of them at liberty after we 



