rOL. LX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 26 



They saw some wild ducks and curlews, but could liandle none of them : 

 they shot a few birds, much about the size, colour, and make of a woodcock : 

 these they call here stone-plover. They saw another bird, not much unlike a 

 quail, which they call here the whale-bird, from its feeding on the ottal of those 

 fish after the oil is boiled out of it. Besides those, they saw many, and great 

 variety, of the gull, or sea-mew kind ; and also of small birds, like our linnets, 

 larks, &c. But the most extraordinary bird yet met with is, Mr. W. knows not 

 for what reason, called a man-of-war, and feeds on the excrements of other 

 birds ; its way of coming at its food is also a little extraordinary ; he pursues the 

 bird which he pitches on for his supply, until fear makes it void what he wants, 

 and so soon as tfiis hap]).'ns, he c^itches the morsel in his mouth ; after which he 

 leaves that bird and pursues another. 



Mr. W. found here 3 very troublesome insects. The first is the moschetto, 

 too common in all parts of America, and too well known, to need describing 

 here. The second is a very small fly, called (he supposes on account of its small- 

 ness) the sand-fly. These in a hot calm day are intolerably troublesome : there 

 are continually millions of them about one's face and eyes, so that it is impos- 

 sible either to speak, breathe, or look, without having one's mouth, nose, or 

 eyes full of them. One comfortable circumstance is, that the least breath of 

 wind disperses them in an instant. The third insect is much like the large 

 flesh-fly in England ; but, at least three times as large: these, from what part 

 ever they fix their teeth, are sure to carry a piece away with them, an instance 

 of which he had frequently seen and experienced. 



August 1 1th, 12th, 13th, 15tli, l6th, l7th, and 18th, they got on shore the 

 observatory and instruments ; but the people were all so busy unloading the ship, 

 and repairing the quay, craft, &c. that they could not begin to put any part of 

 the observatory up. 



<jThe l6th, Mr .W. went with Mr. Fowler about ten miles up the country, 

 which, as far as they went, was nothing but banks of loose gravel, bare rocks, or 

 marshes, which are over-flowed by the spring tides, and do not get dry before 

 they return, and overflow them again. Their errand was, to see if they could 

 not find some sand likely to produce corn ; and in all that extent they did not 

 find one acre, which was likely to do it. In some of the marshes the grass 

 is very long, and vvith much labour they cut and dry as much hay as keeps 

 three horses, two cows, a bull, and two or three goats, the whole winter. He 

 saw many acres of land covered with fir-trees, some of which might be perhaps 

 about 20 feet high : these grow chiefly on the borders of the marsh-lands, or, 

 which is the same thing, round the skirts of the rocky parts. He saw no other 

 wood, of any kind, that would bear the name of trees ; but, except where the 

 rocks are entirely bare, or where the ground is covered with water every tide, it 



VOL. XIII. E 



