ol. X. 



iqio 



] Barrett, Expedition to Capricorn Group. IQ-? 



from the wild, and with a white cross guarding the dreamless 

 head — something for pity and the pen of romance. 



The bird-life of North-West Island was just as interesting as 

 that on ]\Iast-Head Island ; but the Noddies, although their nests 

 were everywhere in the Pisonia forest, had not commenced to lay 

 when camp was struck — a strange fact, remembering that the 

 Mast-Head birds, not a score of miles away, were nearly all 

 brooding at the time. Captain White and his associates made, 

 however, a most interesting collection of specimens and observa- 

 tions. They found plenty to occupy their time, and no minute 

 was wasted. From dawn till dusk all were abroad, and the 

 evenings were not long enough for the after-work of harvesting. 

 The fascinations of the reef, with its coral flowers and other lovely 

 sea things, wove a spell over the hearts of the ladies. At ebb- 

 tide they went out collecting, and were loath to leave the coral 

 causeways and sunny pools when the flood was making. The 

 tides, according to Mr. Hedley's observation, race over the reefs at 

 two knots an hour. The coral is so difficult to walk upon that 

 one's progress is painfully slow ; and delay, after the turn of 

 the tide, means danger. So, although the reefs at ebb run far 

 out, and it was possible to get 4 miles from the beach, caution 

 was necessary. 



Some of the North- Westerners devoted attention to the botany 

 and entomology of the island, with interesting results, that will 

 doubtless be published elsewhere. Insect life was not as luxuriant 

 as expected, but some splendid butterfhes were captured. Hunting 

 the floating beauties with a big gauze net was the recreation of a 

 sunny afternoon. Variety was won by this and other means. 

 Swimming in the lagoon and boating were enjoyed ; and the ladies 

 as well as the men occasionally rode turtles into the sea. Turtles 

 were numerous around North-West Island. On one occasion no 

 fewer than 300 were counted along the eastern beach. It was not 

 the time of egg-laying — we were too early by a week or two ; but 

 there was abundant evidence that ever}^ year tens of thousands 

 of turtles are hatched from eggs buried among the sand-ridges on 

 the Capricorn Isles. A female killed to make a museum specimen 

 was dissected, and long strings of soft-shelled eggs were taken 

 from her. Over 1,000 were counted. 



North Reef. 



Twice during the camp-out members of No. i party made short 

 voyages from North-West Island in the Endeavour. On the first 

 occasion North Reef, with its light-house, was visited. The people 

 of the light were hospitable, and willingly showed the visitors over 

 their lonely home — the light-house itself. North Reef Islet is 

 little more than a raised beach, crested with lusty bushes, and 

 with spinifex grass and a broad-leaved convolvulus trailing over 

 the sand. It was ebb-tide at the time of the ornithologists' visit, 

 and scoi-es of Reef-Herons, white-plumed and blue, were fishing 

 among the pools. The birds are surprisingly tame, allowing one 



