36 Mr. M. J. Nicoll — Ornithological Journal 



and a moth. The water round the rocks swarms with 

 sharks and many other fishes. Twenty of the former 

 were caught from the ship. I collected examples of the 

 following species of birds here : — 



1. Strepsilas interpres (Linn.). 

 Armaria interpres Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 92. 



I saw a Turnstone on both the days that we were on 

 St. PauFs Rocks ; the birds were very wild, and I could not 

 get a shot at them. 



2. Anous stolidus (Linn.). 



Anous stolidus Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 136. 



Three adults, two young, embryo from the egg, and- egg. 



The Common Noddy was abundant on the rocks. I found 

 a considerable colony breeding at the base of Booby Hill. 

 The noise which they made reminded me of a large rookery 

 in the breeding-season. Their one egg was laid on the bare 

 rock. Most of the eggs were hard-set. The birds appear to 

 breed here all the year round, as Fitzroy visited these rocks 

 on Feb. 16th, Ross on May 29th, the ' Challenger' on August 

 29th, and we were there on Dec. 17th, while on all these 

 occasions young and eggs of the Noddy were found. 



3. MlCRANOUS LEUCOCAPILLUS (Gould). 



Micranous leucocapiUus Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 145. 



Two pairs. Bill, tarsi, and toes black. 



The little Black-cheeked Noddy was much scarcer on 

 the rocks than the Common Noddy, and I found only 

 one small colony of its nests. They were composed of 

 small heaps of weed, cemented to a projecting ledge of 

 rock with the droppings of the birds, and had a curious 

 bracket-like appearance. Only three contained eggs. These 

 peculiar nests seem to belong exclusively to this species, 

 as I did not find any of them occupied by the larger 

 **A. stolidus. 



This little Noddy was very wild, and I had to shoot those 

 I wanted for specimens ; the Common Noddy was easily 

 caught by hand. 



