116 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



were carefully covered over with branches, to 

 prevent fouling by herons and other wading birds, 

 which are to be found in great numbers. 



Owing to the very shallow water between our 

 anchorage and the land we were only able to go 

 ashore at high tide, and we were thus somewhat 

 handicapped during our short stay, since our time 

 for collecting was necessarily curtailed. 



Early in the afternoon of our first day we 

 landed on the sandy beach, where we were met 

 by the overseer, who conducted us to the settle- 

 ment, about half a mile distant. But our arrival 

 was followed by a heavy rain, which continued 

 for the rest of the day, and obliged us to seek 

 shelter in a house. I was, on that account, unable 

 to do more than watch several species of birds. 

 The commonest, and at the same time the 

 most brilliant, was a weaver-bird,* a tame and 

 familiar bird which fed in large flocks close to 

 the houses. It has a brilliant coloration, the 

 whole of the breast is of a rich scarlet, the 

 abdomen is yellow, the back greenish with black 

 streaks, and the rump is again scarlet. A flock 

 of males presented a striking sight as they 

 roamed the village in search of food ; all were in 

 full breeding plumage, and several pairs were 

 nesting in the casuarina trees which surround the 

 settlement. 



Another familiar bird in Aldabra is the sacred 



* Neaacanthis aldabranus. 



