CH. in ON BO ABB H.M.S. 'FLYING FISH' 41 



as yet, formed on any part of it. The beach is composed 

 of a fine black volcanic sand, npon which may be seen 

 scattered lumps of water-worn tubiporas, astraeas, fmigias, 

 and other corals. In many places I found the footprints 

 of the maleos, and several little pits where they may have 

 deposited their eggs, but as the island had quite recently 

 been visited by a number of natives from Tagulandang, 

 none of the eggs were to be found. 



On the following morning (August 21), accompanied by 

 two of the officers of the ' Flying Fish,' a small party of 

 blue-jackets, two native guides and the schoolmaster of 

 Tagulandang, I made the ascent of the Euang. Plunging 

 at once into the thick undergrowth of leguminous herbs which 

 seems to form a belt surrounding the island just above high- 

 water mark, we soon came to 'a small thicket of young 

 trees profusely festooned with creepers. Then we came to 

 a broad bare lava road consisting of large lumps of dried 

 mud which broke into a fine black dust as we trod upon 

 them. Leaving this lava road, we plunged again into a 

 wood of young trees with a profuse undergrowth of ferns 

 and grasses. 



As our guides were frequently occupied for some minutes 

 in cutting a way through the undergrowth, we had ample 

 opportunity of looking around us at the various natural 

 objects that presented themselves. The maleos seemed to 

 be here quite tame, for they would calmly watch us from 

 the branches of the trees until we got within thirty or 

 forty yards of them, and then only, slowly and clumsily 

 flew on a few yards further. Pigeons were in the woods, 

 too, in great numbers. There was the handsome bronze- 

 winged pigeon, Carpophaga paulina, and the beautiful little 

 green dove with a bright red tail. Large and brilhant 

 Epeira spiders hung in the centre of their huge coarse 

 webs. Butterflies and diurnal moths flitted in countless 



