out from the Island, but the spirit of enterprise which originated
the expeditions succumbed to the misfortunes which befel each
attempt. The following are the species generally taken by whaling
ships for the oil they afford:—
Balsena, Linn.
B . m y s t i c e tu s , Linn.—The Common or Humpback Whale. Occasionally,
though rarely, one of these huge creatures is cast ashore
dead on the windward side of the Island with several harpoons in its
body, showing plainly how it met its fate. An enormous skeleton
of one long remained on the eastern coast, a single ode of whose
vertebrae may now he seen placed in flower gardens to serve for
a seat. . •
Physeter, Linn.
P . m a c r o c e p h a lu s , Linn.—The Spermaceti Whale.
Delphinus, Linn.
D . sp. ?— One kind only of Dolphin has been observed, hut the
male differs somewhat from the female in having a broader head.
Captain Snow, of the American whaler Gape Horn Pigeon, says that
these creatures do exhibit prismatic colours immediately they are
taken on hoard after capture. They sometimes venture into very
shallow water. Some small hoys, when bathing, encountered one
within a few yards of the landing steps, and, laying hold of its tail,
towed it ashore, in spite of its efforts to tow them, out to sea. Being
thus successful, they carried their prize round the town in triumph,
and eventually sold him to me for half-a-crown. His ultimate
destination was the British Museum.
Phocsena, Linn.
p . Sp. ?—Two kinds of Porpoise may he seen, tumbling head
over heels and indulging in their absurd antics. They yield about
one gallon of oil each, hut are taken by whalers more for the sake of
food. They are distinguished as the “ Right Whale Porpoise” and
the “ Sperm Whale Porpoise.” The latter has a fin on the back ;
the former has none.
O r d e r S i r e n i a .
Manatus, Linn.
M. sp. ?—The manatee, or sea cow, as it was called, which once
frequented the Island, was probably M. senegalensis, Desm., which is
found near the mouths of the West African rivers, or it may
have been If. americanus, Linn., which is found near the mouths of
the Amazon, Orinoco, and other South American rivers. I t would
he difficult now to determine, inasmuch as it has ceased to visit the
Island, and the cause for its departure is not known. About half a
century ago one or two were seen on shore at an unfrequented spot
on the S.W. coast called Manatee Bay; it does not appear that
they were abundant, as their arrival was considered of sufficient
importance to be recorded, and thus we read that the 28th April,
1691, and the 25th September, 1739, were days on which sea cows
were discovered ; on the latter day it was at Old Woman’s Valley ;
as they yielded a good supply of oil they were when seen seldom
allowed to escape. As recently as the year 1810, it is recorded that
one came on shore at Stone Top Valley beach, and was shot by Mr.
Burnham; it measured seven.feet in length, and ten gallons of oil
were obtained from it. Another was also seen in the same year
at Manatee Bay.
C LA S S I I .— A V E S .
- C a r in a t a ).
The feathered portion of the St. Helenian fauna can scarcely he
said to he so interesting from a scientific point of view as the re s t;
still it possesses one land and at least eight sea species which are
indigenous; the former, the “Wire-bird” of the Islanders, doubtless
so named because of the similarity between its legs and bits of thin
wire, has been the subject of much confusion, until clearly demonstrated
by Mr. J. E. Harting, in the Ibis for July, 1873; and it is
to that gentleman and to the Editor of the Ibis that I am so much
indebted for their kind permission to use the plate of this bird
which appeared in that journal. Mr. Harting says : “ I t frequently
happens that a general description of form and colour, intended to
indicate a particular species, applies so well to another for which it
was not intended, that unless measurements are added, or some
marked specific character pointed out, it is impossible to discriminate
the two without reference to the type or types which furnished the
description.
“ A case in point is afforded by the Ckaradrius pecuarivs of Tem-
minck. When that eminent ornithologist described and figured (PI
Col. 183) a little plover from the Cape of Good Hope, he doubtless
imagined that his plate would convey to the eyes of his readers what