292 PAEIWAEA ISLANDS. 



dr}'^ at low water, and in crossing* it in the boat very 

 little live coral was observed, except on the outer 

 marg'in, outside of which the bottom is a tenaciotis 

 mud, effervescing' on the application of h3'-drochloric 

 acid. 



I collected a few plants, among' which are a 

 vellow flowered Cleome, a purple Pongamia, Convol- 

 vulus multivalvis, ^volvulus villosus, Guettarda 

 speciosa, ^c. The only birds seen were a white- 

 headed eag'le and an osprey, neither of which were 

 molested althoug-h the latter frequently came within 

 shot, and followed me as if from motives of curiosity. 

 Almost the only insects seen were small grass- 

 hoppers, rising' in numbers at every step, and green 

 ants which have nests in the bushes, and appear 

 identical with those of the Louisiade and Australia. 

 No fresh water was found here. Some recent 

 traces of natives were met with — including- two 

 fire places where turtle and fish had been cooked 

 on a framework of sticks over a fire, — precisely 

 similar to one of larg-e size, formerly seen on the 

 Duch^teau Islands. I saw many places where 

 turtle eg'g's had been dug; out of the sand behind 

 the beach, where besides were numerous burrows of 

 a maritime crab {Ocypode cursor), which also 

 appeared to feed upon the eg-gs— judging- from the 

 quantity of empty shells about the holes of those 

 creatures. 



Of the two remaining- islands of the group, one, 

 less than a quarter of a mile long, is covered with 



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