120 CAIRNCKOSS ISLAND. 



Sterna melanauchen, and mixed up with them a few 

 individuals of the still rarer Sterna gracilis. 



We anchored under Cairncross Island, on the 

 afternoon of Sept. 3rd, and remained during the 

 following' day. The island is about a quarter of a 

 mile in length, low and sandy, covered in the centre 

 with tall trees, and on the outskirts with smaller 

 ones and bushes. These large trees (Pisonia 

 grandis) form very conspicuous objects from their 

 great dimensions, their smooth, light bark, and leaf- 

 less, dead appearance. Some are from eighty to one 

 hundred feet in height, with a circumference at the 

 base of twenty feet. The wood, however, is too soft 

 to be useful as timber. Nowhere had w^e seen the 

 Torres Strait pigeon in such prodigious numbers as 

 here, crossing over in small flocks to roost, and 

 retiu-ning in the morning* • yet many remained all 

 day feeding on the red, plum-like fruit oiMimusops 

 KaukiL In the first evening not less than one 

 hundred and fifty-nine pigeons were brought off after 

 an hour's work by seven shooters, and next day a still 

 greater number were procured. Being large and 

 well flavoured birds, they formed no inconsiderable 

 addition to our biU of fare, and appeared on the 

 table at every meal, subjected to every possible 

 variety of cooking. Some megapodii also were 

 shot, and many eggs of a fine tern, Onychoprion 

 Panaya, were picked up. 



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