Wetmore—Journal 7 
apparently. Cuts on my hands burned from it and as the water dried it left a heavy en- 
crustation of salt in the hair on arms. Brine shrimp ( Artemia ) were as abundant as I 
have ever seen them and occurred everywhere in shallow water beyond a depth of six 
inches and everywhere that it was deep. The northern and southern ends of the lagoon 
are deep with a shallow shelf extending across the middle. Dr. Ball found 23 feet the 
vimum depth in the southern end. I was unable to reach bottom with a twelve foot 
pole in the northern part. The basin was floored largely with a hard limestone 
over which was drifted more or less sand. Near the shore particularly near the east and 
north, the side of the prevailing winds were quantities of birds bones lying on the 
bottom. On examination I found these firm and solid and very well preserved. The 
contrast with bones lying exposed on the open sand where the sun had full play on 
them was especially marked, the latter being much worn and brittle so that they 
frequently crumbled at a touch. Those in the water had been more or less eaten by 
crabs before their deposition but subsequently had been free from all attack and from 
decay. Those formed in sand covered at times by the salt water were also well pre¬ 
served. Such a formation would lead readily to fossilization. It may be noted that 
humeri, ulvae, tibio-tarsi and metatarsi perdcminated, with a good many femora, 
metacarpels and vertebrae and occasional fragments of skull, sternum, or pelvis the 
relationship on abundance being about as in aviary fossils. 
Ball and Fullaway have seen a shrimp-like creature an inch or two long and very swift 
in movement in the lagoon that no one has collected as yet. 
May 13 —At Three I walked down the beach to the blowhole. Heavy surf was running and 
terns' nests »n along had been destroyed, d But others are being made. From here 
I crossed Inland to the lagoon for a last look for small passerines and rabbits. The 
tern colony was of interest as always and I passed to ex ami ne many of the young 
Albatross. * 
I was interested in comparing a young S. cyanops and a young Fregata, both about 
