The only birds seen were a white-headed eagle and an osprey, neither of which were molested although the latter frequently came within shot, and followed me as if from motives of curiosity.

Almost the only insects seen were small grasshoppers, rising in numbers at every step, and green ants which have nests in the bushes, and appear identical with those of the Louisiade and Australia.
No fresh water was found here.

Some recent traces of natives were met with--including two fireplaces where turtle and fish had been cooked on a framework of sticks over a fire--precisely similar to one of large size, formerly seen on the Duchateau Islands.

I saw many places where turtle eggs had been dug out of the sand behind the beach, where besides were numerous burrows of a maritime crab (Ocypode cursor) which also appeared to feed upon the eggs--judging from the quantity of empty shells about the holes of those creatures.
Of the two remaining islands of the group, one, less than a quarter of a mile long, is covered with trees, probably a Bombax or Erythrina--at this time destitute of leaves--on the other is a high bare rock with three other small detached, needle-shaped ones lying off it.

The observations with the theodolite having been completed we obtained some soundings and returned to the ship.
The view we had today from the Pariwara Islands was not so interesting as I had expected.