18 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



numerous, and the third species of land-bird, 

 a fly catcher, * was met with. 



In this garden, which was nicely laid out and 

 enclosed by an iron fence, were many large 

 coconut trees bearing a quantity of fruit. 

 There were also some sapodillas, the fruit of which 

 was ripe at this time. It is greatly appreciated 

 by the people on Fernando de Noronha, and we 

 were persuaded to taste it. Externally it somewhat 

 resembles a small round potato; the flavour, how- 

 ever, is too much like that of the mango, the 

 suggestion of turpentine which pervades the latter 

 fruit being distinctly noticeable in the sapodilla. 



Doves were swarming in the garden, every tree 

 and bush being apparently tenanted by them, 

 and the Governor showed us a cage full which had 

 recently been caught. They were, he told us, 

 excellent to eat. 



There are no indigenous mammals on Fernando 

 de Noronha, but ratsf and mice;}: have been im- 

 ported or have escaped from ships. I did not get 

 any rats, but two mice which we shot were of a 

 pale fawn colour, and probably differed in colour, 

 at all events, from those of their ancestors which 

 first appeared on this island. One of the outlying 

 islets is called " Rat Island," but we were informed 

 that rats were no more numerous there than on 

 the main island. 



Close to the place where we embarked, we 



* Elainea ridleyana. f Mus rattus. { Mus musculus. 



