156 PERCY SLADEN TRUST EXPEDITION. 
when coconuts were planted. This was abandoned too, and it is only now that the 
casuarinas are being cut down and the island properly treated. Even yet they form an ~ 
enormous clump at the west end and extend along the whole south side to the village, — 
with further clumps to the east point. Below them the ground has the smell 
and appearance of a pine-forest. Little grows, and there is no doubt but that the 
indigenous flora and fauna have been for the most part killed out. The soil is all a rich’ 
red sand, mostly consolidated into tuffe. The water tastes of phosphates, but although 
well retained in these semi-guano lands. The animals and plants presented no striking 
novelties in species, but, of course, many of the insects were pupating in the drought. 
Fig. 44. 
os 
— 
, iS. Mm Are 
an i Desraches 
Desroches Atoll (from the Admiralty chart). E17 and 18, dredgings of H.M.S. Sealark. 
Scale: 4 miles = 1 inch. 
Doves, partridges, and finches had gone wild, as also some cats and rabbits. As in- 
Egmont, wading-birds at the least alarm seemed at once to take to the trees. ty 
We left Desroches on Monday, October 16th, at dawn, and in leaving the atoll took 
four dredgings, two of which, on account of its steep slope, did not reach the bottom. | 
A haul at 280 fathoms was more successful, yielding a very similar fauna to that off — 
Salomon. We then carried on off the north of the bank until night, with pelagic nets 
to round off our series for distribution. On the last haul our large net was carried away 
by some fish. Thanks to Mr. Beer’s energy, our sounding-machine had been repaired, — 
and we were again able to sound during the night. At dawn we picked up Remire, 
an atoll-reef without land on the north-east edge of the Amirante Bank. After some q 
