430 Dr. O. Finsch’s Ornithological 
a vessel engaged in obtaining natives as labourers for the 
Hawaiian kingdom, an opportunity which I embraced gladly, 
although it presented many inconveniences; for it is by 
no means a pleasure to be in the society of a clamorous lot 
of half-wild people crying, dancing, and howling day and 
night, of which our small brig of 156 tons had to carry more 
than 173, and, reckoning the ship’s crew, in all nearly 190 
souls. It may be well imagined that we had, in fact, a “ full 
ship,” and that it was rather crowded. 
We visited the atolls of Butaritari and Makin (Touching 
and Pitt), Maraki, Apaiang (Matthew, Charlotte), and Tarowa 
Tarawo (Marshall, Knox), and, as regards what I saw in 
ornithology, I may say that the Gilberts are poorer even 
than the Marshalls, and not worth visiting by an ornitho- 
logist. Being already not unacquainted with the birds of the 
Pacific, my expectations were of course not very high; but 
even these were disappointed. As, however, only six species 
of birds had been previously noticed from the Gilberts, my 
investigations will, in any case, help a little to augment our 
knowledge. 
What we observed at sea was even more unsatisfactory than 
what I had previously seen of the great ocean. Both species 
of Tropic-birds (Phaeton ethereus and P. flavirostris) were 
many times noticed in single specimens, seldom in pairs, 
but not of regular appearance. But in the Gilbert seas 
we had days in which not a feathered creature was to be 
seen at all, and animal-life in general was of like scarcity. 
Tachypetes I never observed myself, although this noble bird 
may occur, as I noticed feathers of it used by the natives as 
ornaments. Of Shearwaters (Puffinus) I noticed three dif- 
ferent kinds—a black one, underneath white (apparently 
Puffinus obscurus) , a second dark brown, breast and remaining 
underparts white, and a wholly dark one, with short tail, of 
which I do not remember the name now, although it is a well- 
known species to me; but on Taluit there are no books of 
reference, as in Hanover Square, or at the headquarters of the 
B. O. U.; and of the few volumes which I took along with 
me, I left the greater part at Honolulu, having on such 
