CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 47 



circle of minute white feathers ; three toes full webbed, the 

 fourth toe behind very small, and quite free ; bill and legs 

 black. This specimen on examination proved to be a full 

 grown male. 



The second specimen, which was found to be a young 

 female, was somewhat less than the first ; the dove colour 

 on the crown of the head was deeper, nearly mixing with 

 the general brown ; and the circle of minute feathers round 

 the eye Avas black ; it differed in no other respects from the 

 male. These birds were observed generally in pairs; they 

 fly close to the water with the neck stretched out and the 

 tail spread. 



On the l6th, at day-light, Prince's island was in sight, 

 bearing S.E. 12 or 14 leagues ; our approach to it the pre- 

 ceding day having been denoted by great numbers of fish- 

 ing birds, apparently different species of gulls. 



The swarms of albicore round the ship were now such 

 as almost to justify the hyperbole of their obstructing the 

 ship's way ; and twenty a day was the usual success of our 

 fishery with hook and line, the flying-fish found within them 

 serving as bait. The proportion of bonito appeared to be 

 small, not one being taken to 10 albicores. The flying fish, 

 in endeavouring to escape from their cruel enemies, 

 skimmed the surface hke flights of birds, and it was ob- 



