PALMER'S DIAKY. 



(Di.) 21 



of the king, but was purchased by a Mr. Sinclair, who settled here and used the island 

 exclusively as a sheep-walk. In 1877 there were about 75,000 sheep on the island, and the 

 inhabitants, 233 in number, were mostly in the employ of the owner, Mr. Sinclair. (See 

 Eindlay, North Pacific Ocean Dir. pp. 1103 & 1104.) 



At present the island belongs to Messrs. Gay and Robinson. 



On crossing over to Niihau Palmer saw several Petrels, a Brown-breasted Gannet, Grey 

 and Black Terns, and a Black Storm-Petrel with a white bar across the tail. He was very 

 cordially received by the manager, Mr. E. K. Bull, and by the natives. On the flat lagoons 

 a number of Coots and Stilts were found breeding, and a collection made of these and other 

 shore- and water-birds, but no small land-birds of the Passerine Order were found, except 

 the introduced Mynahs. 



On July 28th Palmer left Niihau again and sailed to Kauai once more to try and get 

 a good specimen of an adult Phceornis palmeiH, but he was unsuccessful. 



Here, in August 1893, ended Palmer's collecting-trip, after an unsuccessful attempt to 

 land on the small island of Lehua or Egg Island, off the north end of Niihau. It is a rugged, 

 naked, barren rock, but is the breeding-place of many sea-birds. 



