224 Macgillivrav, Along the Great Barrier Reef. [isf "dLc 



not long been occupied, as the eggs are all either fresh or at an 

 early stage of incubation. This species is also nesting in smaller 

 numbers on No. 2 sand-bank. The following day we make out 

 to the reef, but have a struggle to reach it, and decide to anchor 

 under shelter of the corner of the reef, as it would be impossible 

 to go through the opening against the incoming tide, which races 

 through like a millstream. The whole reef here, much to our 

 disappointment, is covered with water at low tide to a depth of 

 from 2 to 3 feet. Many Noddies {Anous stolidtis) are fishing along 

 the reef. Next day, with the wind blowing very strongly, we find 

 it quite impossible to move from where we are anchored. 



RAINE ISLAND. 



We are up early on the 30th October, as the wind has moderated ; 

 but the tides vary, and we have to tack about for 2 hours 

 before we get through the passage and make the Pacific, and 

 after much tossing gain the shelter of the great detached reef, 

 and sight the Raine Island tower. This tower is built on the 

 eastern end of the island, and is constructed of cut blocks of 

 coralline limestone, and is a round, castellated building 64 feet 

 high, with an internal diameter of about 20 feet. It was erected, 

 so the inscription states, by H.M.S. Fly ; the date, however, has 

 weathered awa^^ We discern a cloud of sea-birds over the 

 island, and, under an escort of Brown {Sula leiicogaster). Red-legged 

 {Sula piscatrix), and Masked Gannets {Sula cyanops), we soon 

 sight the island itself. We are puzzled at first with the Red- 

 legged Gannet, as there are more immature than mature birds 

 flying, and the difference in colouring is considerable. Nearing 

 the anchorage at the north-west corner, we are surrounded by a 

 vast number of Gannets (mature and immature), Frigate-Birds, 

 Noddies, Sooty and Brown-winged Terns, and Gulls. Great 

 numbers of turtles are on the beach and in the shallow water round 

 the boat. The island itself is one-third of a mile long, a quarter 

 of a mile broad, and rises 15 to 20 feet above sea level. It is 

 known as a vegetated coral sand-bank, the vegetation consisting 

 of a coarse grass, a kind of pig-face weed, and a low perennial 

 shrub of horizontal growth, not more than i to lA- feet from the 

 ground anywhere, and bearing grey-green cordate leaves and a 

 yellow flower. The centre of the island has been excavated at 

 one time for guano, leaving exposed heaps of coral rock and debris. 

 When we land the birds rise in a dense cloud until the air is 

 full of them, and still there seem to be thousands of old and 

 young birds remaining on the ground. We start to explore 

 systematically, as our boatman has only given us a limited time, 

 because of our anchorage being rather risky. Fully nine-tenths 

 of the nesting birds are Brown Gannets, which are all over the 

 island, some sitting on either fresh or incubating eggs, small naked 

 young or young in down, or feeding nearly fully-fledged birds, 

 while many are just starting to scoop out their nests in the sand, 

 these depressions varying from 8 inches to 12 inches in diameter 



