248 Mr. E. L. Layard’s Ornithological Notes 
miles south of Madagascar, we saw one Puffinus cinereus and a 
large Tern of some kind. 
On the 18th, several of the White-tailed Tropic-birds passed 
over us to the northward. This species ( Phaeton flavirostris) 
breeds in Mauritius, in the inaccessible precipitous sides of some 
of the ravines. I often saw them from that curious projection 
called the “ Worlds End ” *, entering the crevices of the rocks 
on either side. It also breeds in hollow trees, and may be con¬ 
stantly seen flying over the forest and darting into the holes 
caused by the fall of rotten branches. The first pair I obtained 
had frequented a huge tree for some years. On striking the 
hollow bole, the birds flew out, and were killed by a right-and- 
left shot. I was too late in the season for the eggs. 
On the 22nd, being 180 miles east of Madagascar, we at last 
fell in with birds again. I think I never experienced anything 
like the dreariness and desolation of this part of the ocean. 
Never in my many wanderings have I seen so few birds. What 
can be the reason of it ? Not any want of food, as the towing- 
net always gave profuse returns of small Crustacea, &c. To-day 
we were visited by one Diomedea exulans, Thalassidroma wilsoni 
in abundance, and a single Puffinus. 
25th.—This morning, while scanning a ship, I made out on 
the field of the glass vast numbers of what appeared to be motes 
in the sun, but half an hour’s run showed that the motes were 
Noddies! Never having seen these birds at any great distance 
from land, and the captain having reported 190 miles from 
Madagascar (lat. 28° 30', long. 43°), I inquired if any rock or 
shoal was supposed to exist here, and found we w T ere close to a 
doubtful danger, called Eelliqueux’s shoal. As the birds kept 
constantly fishing in one place, I should think such a shoal 
really existed, but our skipper would not run over it to try for 
bottom. 
26th.— Puffinus abundant. 
* The “ World’s End ” is a curious sharp spar, caused by the junction of 
two ravines or volcanic rifts of great depth; it terminates the Government 
domain at Redui, the residence of the governors of the island, where I 
spent six pleasant and long-to-be-remembered weeks with his Excellency, 
Mr. Higginson and his charming family. 
