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landed the sun was just setting beliind tlie ship.
There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun AA'ent
cloAA'u into the sea a perfect disc, throAving wonderful
tints of rose-colour upon the fantastic rocks. As
mentioned by Mr. DarAA'in, there are only tAvo species
of birds on the rocks, the ‘ hoohy ’ {Sula fusca) and
the ‘ noddy ’ {Sterna stolida), both having a wide
distribution on tropical islands and shores. On St.
Paul’s Rocks they are in enormous nnmhers, and can
he seen dying round the peaks and sitting on the
ledges from a great distance. "O LJ VVe landed the first
CA'cning on the smaller rock which forms the northern
portion of the ridge, and aaTi I c I i is a hreeding-place of
the tern (Pig. 28). The birds Avere quite tame, alloAving
themselves to he knocked over Avifch a stick, or even
taken with the hand. They build simple nests on
rocky ledges, of a conferva Avhich groAvs abundantly
at the water edge mixed with feathers and matted
together probably Avith some cement matter ejected
from the bird’s stomach. The nests seem to be
used more th an once, perhaps with a little repair
from time to tim e ; for many of them Avere large,
consisting apparently of several layers of different
dates, and Avere decomposed at the base into a
yelloAvish earth. A single egg was found in some
of the nests, and in others a young bird, hut the
breeding-season was evidently nearly over. Tbe
young bird is covered Avith fine black down, and
looks like a little ball of black wool.
The captain’s party laid a line across the month
of the cove to make landing easier for tbeir successors,
and in the evening a boat AA'ent off Avitli officers
and men to fish. The fish Avcrc in great numbers.
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