112 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Birds of 
south. It is 70 miles due north from the mainland of 
Venezuela, and 46 miles N. by W. from the westernmost 
point of Margarita, another and larger island which les 
close to the mainland. Within sight of Blanquilla are seven 
very small rocky islets (well wooded, high, and steep) called 
Los Hermanos, of which the largest is called Orquilla—not 
to be confounded with Orchilla, which les more to the west 
and is considerably larger. 
Blanquilla is low, flat, and more or less barren. It is 
uninhabited, except by a few fishermen, who come over 
Text-fig. 6. 
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Rlenquillays Los Siete Hermanos 
a 
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ors 
Mar 
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Outline Map of Blanquilla and the neighbouring Islands. 
for a month or two in the season from Margarita. Low 
cliffs of coral-limestone and lava bound its southern shore, 
where we landed; and from these the land gradually rises to 
a flat central plateau, 200 feet, more or less, above sea-level. 
The cliffs consist of very tough, porous black rock, honey- 
combed in places with air-bubbles. Here and there along 
the coast are little coves fringed with mangroves, which in 
places grow to quite tall trees. In these mangroves I found 
nests, with eggs, of Butorides and Nycticorax. These birds 
have apparently a hard struggle with the Iguanas, which 
swarm among the bushes and prey on their eggs. 
