AN EXPEDITION TO THE SALVAGE ISLANDS. 403 



appreciatien of the splendid management and extreme comfort 

 on board the boats of this line, and the general excellence of all 

 their internal arrangements. Our baggage, necessarily bulky, 

 as it comprised tents, bedding, a large amount of collecting-gear, 

 and many gallons of spirit, was taken the greatest care of, and 

 nothing could exceed the kindness and civility of the officers, 

 though we must have given them a considerable amount of extra 

 trouble. Finding it impossible to procure a craft suitable to our 

 purpose at Madeira, and being obliged to remain there for a week, 

 we paid a flying visit to the islands of Porto Santo, which lie about 

 thirty miles to the north-west, and obtained some interesting 

 zoological specimens of all kinds. The Little Shearwater 

 (Paffinus assimilis) was breeding on the Lime Island, and several 

 nestlings in various stages of downy plumage were obtained, the 

 larger ones appearing nearly twice as big as their parents. Like 

 the young of all petrels,*the bodies of these birds are thickly 

 coated with a layer of yellow fat, and the skins require to be very 

 carefully cleaned and prepared. 



Among the birds obtained was a Kestrel, and being curious to 

 ascertain what she had been preying on, we opened the stomach 

 and found that it contained nothing but seven snail shells (Helix 

 pisana) which had been swallowed whole ! Curious diet for a bird 

 of prey. As we traversed the fields of growing crops, the note of the 

 Quail was constantly heard, and here and there we accidentally 

 flushed one after nearly walking on to it, but it is almost hopeless 

 looking for these birds without dogs. There were numerous 

 flocks of Schimper's Eock Dove (Columba schimperi), which were 

 rather wild and difficult to approach, as they are constantly 

 pursued and shot at by the native gunners. This species much 

 resembles the common Stock Dove in general appearance, having 

 the rump grey like the back, but the general colour of the upper 

 parts is altogether much paler, and there are two black bands 

 across the wings, as in the Eock Dove. The small birds, though 

 fairly numerous, belonged to few species, the commonest being 

 Pipits (Anthus bertheloti), Eock Sparrows, and Linnets, while a 

 few Canaries, Swifts, Swallows, &c.,were observed. A fine series 

 of the peculiar land snail (Helix nivosa) was collected, the species 

 being apparently extremely local, and said to be only obtained at 

 the base of the western rocky point where we met with them. Of 

 spiders, the largest on the island is the Tarantula (Lycosa made- 



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