452 MR. O. SALVIN ON THE AVIFAUNA 
soup. He then cruised about for some days, catching several Sperm Whales. Whilst 
cruising round the south point of James Island he mentions seeing great numbers of 
Penguins (p. 156), ‘‘There were also,” he adds, ‘‘ small birds with red breasts, and 
others resembling the Java Sparrow in shape and size, but of a black plumage; the 
male was darkest, and had a very delightful note.” ‘The ‘ Rattler’ finally left the 
Galapagos on 16th May, 1794. 
The next account we have is by Captain Amasa Delano, who visited the Galapagos 
in 1801, and in the account of his voyages devotes a chapter to the description of the 
islands. In this he adds considerably to the information concerning them given by 
Colnett; and his account is interesting in many particulars. Allusions are frequently 
made to the birds. He speaks of a small kind of Albatross on James Island (probably 
strelata pheopyga) which he describes as not laying its eggs in “rookeries,” but to be 
found sitting and hatching on the burnt stony ground. He also mentions on the same 
islands Pelicans laying their eggs in nests built in trees, Flamingos, Gulls, Teals, Rooks 
(what these can be I know not), a small kind of Heron, and two or three kinds of 
Sparrows. The habits of several of these species are fully described, as well as the 
method of killing Turtle Doves with sticks. An account is also given of an eruption 
of one of the volcanos of Albemarle seen during a former visit on 21st August, 1800; 
and he mentions another eruption as having taken place in 1797. 
By this time the Sperm-Whale fishery seems to have become so much developed in 
the seas surrounding the Galapagos Islands that they were chosen as a rendezvous by 
Captain David Porter, of the U.S. Frigate ‘Essex,’ during the war between England 
and America in 1812-13. Here he lay in wait for the English whalers as they came 
to water their vessels and to catch tortoises, fresh food being very necessary for the 
maintenance of the health of their crews. The ‘ Essex’ remained cruising about the 
islands, with one interval, when she visited the mainland, from 17th May to 2nd 
October, 1813. 
Captain Basil Hall, in H.M.S. ‘Conway,’ in 1822 spent several days on Abingdon 
Island, when he was engaged measuring the length of a pendulum to beat seconds 
under the equator. In his journal he briefly describes the volcanic features of this 
island, but makes no allusion to the birds. 
Lord Byron, in H.M.S. ‘ Blonde,’ on his outward voyage to the Sandwich Islands in 
1825, anchored in Tagus Cove. A short account of the visit is published in the 
‘Voyage of the ‘Blonde,’ He speaks of the number of the aquatic birds, and the 
tameness of the small birds, which hopped upon their feet. During the few days the 
vessel remained in Banks's Bay one of the volcanos of Albemarle was in eruption. 
An ineffectual attempt was made to land on Abingdon Island to search for tortoises ; 
but the current prevented this being accomplished, and the vessel bore away for the 
Sandwich Islands. 
In the same year Captain Morrell also visited the same island, and, in the narrative 
