observed during the Voyage of the ' Valhalla.' 687 



between these two islands is a third, which is little more 

 than a large rock covered with grass, on which thousands of 

 Noddies (Anous stolidus) were nesting, as well as one or two 

 pairs of Boobies (Sula leucogastra) . 



Except for the cocoanut trees and a large maize-field, 

 Glorioso is covered with a thick growth of trees and scrub. 

 It is a low coral island covered with a deep layer of sand ; in 

 places on the leeward side this sand has drifted and formed 

 a fairly high ridge. 



The land-birds are represented by five resident species and 

 one migrant, the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) . All these are 

 on the main island. We spent one day on He de Lise, but 

 saw no birds there of any kind, though, judging from the 

 appearance of the ground and the dried remains of Sooty 

 Terns, I should say that it is a large breeding-station of this 

 species during certain seasons. He de Lise is even more 

 thickly-wooded than the main island, and the heat in both 

 is very intense. The Cocoanut Crab (Birgus latro) is 

 plentiful upon He de Lise, though not found on Glorioso. 



On the main island the common fowl runs wild, and we 

 saw many familiar " barn-door " varieties of it. 



These islands — Glorioso, Assumption, and Aldabra — have 

 seldom been visited by naturalists. Dr. W. L. Abbott, an 

 American, explored them about sixteen years ago, and an 

 account of his collections is to be found in the c Proceedings 

 of the U.S. Nat. Museum,' vol. xviii. (Ridgway). Dr. Cop- 

 pinger also visited Glorioso in H.M.S. ' Alert/ when he 

 discovered a new Dove, Turtur coppingeri. 



Although special search was made, and Ave went over 

 nearly if not quite the whole of the island, we failed to find 

 any trace of a Dove, although Dr. Abbott got one specimen 

 (cf. Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. xviii. p. 526). 



Two most interesting days were spent on Glorioso, where 

 I made a collection of birds, referable to six species : — 



IXOCINCLA MADAGASCARIENSIS (P. L. S. Mtill.). 



I.rocincla madagascariensis Sharpe, Cat. B. B. M. vi. 

 p. 45. 



