Feb. 1830. 



ANSOn's voyage— seal BIKDS. 



307 



nineteen fathoms, and the depth between the points of the bay 

 is shown to be about fifty fathoms. 



There are few persons who have not read, with much interest, 

 Mr. Walter s account of the Centurion''s voyage, and who are 

 not well acquainted with his description of this island, which 

 we found exceedingly correct. The views of the land, although 

 old-fashioned in execution, are most correctly delineated, and 

 the plan of the bay is quite sufficient for every common pur- 

 pose of navigation ; but as we had an opportunity of fixing its 

 latitude and longitude more correctly, it became desirable to 

 make a more detailed plan than Commodore Anson's. 



The seals and sea-lions, which were so abundant formerly, 

 are now reduced to such a small number, as to make the seal- 

 fishery scarcely worth notice. They have been destroyed by 

 taking them indiscriminately, without regard to age or sex, 

 leaving none to propagate the race but those who by chance 

 escaped. At present the island is let to a tenant, who is not 

 permitted to kill them until the young have taken to the water, 

 by which means an opportunity is given for them to increase. 



I am not aware that there are any indigenous animals. Dogs, 

 goats, and rats, have been imported. Land birds are not nume- 

 rous ; some pigeons, said to have been imported, and a few 

 hawks, are occasionally seen, besides three species of humming- 

 birds, two of which are new to science. Of sea-birds we saw 

 very few ; but were informed that the ' Goat Islands," at the 

 south-west end of Juan Fernandez, are completely covered by 

 them at the breeding season. 



During our stay, several excursions were made, in various 

 directions, from the village, and much facilitated by beaten 

 paths, one of which leads up a valley, westward of that of the 



* Trochilus Fernandensis, nob. Troch : ferugineo-rufus ; capitis ve7'tice 

 splendento-coccineo ; remigibus fuscis. Long-. 5 uncias. 



Trochilus Stokesii, nob. Troch: corpore supra mridi-splendente^ siibtus 

 alho, viridi-guttato ; capite supra, guttisque confertis gulcB lazulino-splenden- 

 tihiis : remigibus fusco-atris ; remigum omnium, mediis arceptis, pogoniis 

 internis albis. Long". 4| uncias. Proceed. Zool. Society, vol. i. ; also 

 Phil. Magazine, for March 1831, p. 227. 



x 2 



