GUANO 199 



and Ichaboe islands off the west coast of Africa, 

 and at Kuria Muria in Arabia. Low-graded de- 

 posits have been found elsewhere. 



Guano Birds 



Before dicussing fully the merits and historical 

 significance of guano, we had better inquire more 

 thoroughly into its origin. As the Chincha Is- 

 lands are the most important source of the prod- 

 uct, we shall take as an example the conditions 

 there met with. 



A few leagues off the Peruvian coast a great 

 ocean current sweeps north, bearing with it im- 

 mense schools of small fish termed anchovies, and 

 countless myriads of tiny shrimp-like crustaceans. 

 Between the current and the mainland stand the 

 three rocky Chinchas, where are congregated one 

 of the most formidable arrays of birds the world 

 has ever seen. They are mainly cormorants, 

 gannets, and pelicans, with a sprinkling of jack- 

 ass-penguins, gulls, and skuas. These move over 

 the water in swift-changing clouds, darting, plung- 

 ing, and hovering incessantly, or resting on the 

 water in great rafts which stretch into the dis- 

 tance. 



The fish are the attraction, and all day long the 

 birds pursue them until, gorged and logy, they 

 finally fly on heavy beating wings back to the 



