434 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



minosse was observed ; two or three cassias were abundant as 

 cultivation weeds ; as were also a purple flowering Pliaseolus, 

 and a white flowering bean. Another species of the latter, 

 with large pink flowers, passing into purple as they faded, 

 grew on the seaward slopes, and bore large pods containing 

 enormous beans very good to eat. We also observed a 

 number of small vetch-like forms. One, with whitish leaves 

 and small pink flowers, had a root, which, when bruised and 

 put in a rock pool, would kill all the fish in a few minutes ; 

 there were also numbers of acacias, both cultivated and wild. 

 Three or four euphorbs, besides those already noted, small 

 herbs, and two nettles, may be mentioned. Mallows were 

 numerous ; one little form, with pale yellow flowers and 

 dark brown centre, grew abundantly all over the sand dunes, 

 where it contrasted beautifully with the crimson Ipomoea. A 

 large Hibiscus, with yellow flowers and pods which used to be 

 boiled with beef for the table, grew freely. A very abundant 

 weed was a pale lilac composite, like an Ageratum ; there 

 were but few other composites. Of grasses no great variety 

 exists, and most of them are plants of wide distribution. 

 We got one fern, and also a small moss with fructification, 

 a fact of special interest, as vascular cryptogams have 

 hitherto been supposed to be absent from the island. The 

 shore was exceedingly bare of algae; we saw nothing like 

 our fuci, but a Sargassum was sufficiently common. A 

 green Vha, a green Caulerpa, and some others, grew plenti- 

 fully on the reefs. Plenty of calcareous algse exist here, and 

 we found what seemed to be a flowering marine plant. 



The zoology of the islands is, unquestionably, very poor. 

 The only land mammalia are rats and mice, which swarm in 

 myriads. The land birds are one species of dove (perhaps 

 two, although we could not make sure of that, being only 

 able to secure one), a small, olive-green bird, in size between 

 a thrush and a finch, pale grey beneath, with an approach to 

 a crest on its head, and a warbler, olive coloured above and 

 pale grey beneath, having a dark streak through the eye. 

 We found the nest and eggs of the dove. The eggs are 

 white. The nest is a mere platform of twigs, slightly con- 

 cave on its upper surface. We also discovered two nests of 



