Theboobylayshereggsonthebarerock；buttheternmakesaverysimplenestwithseaweed。Bythesideofmanyofthesenestsasmallflying-fishwasplaced；whichIsuppose，hadbeenbroughtbythemalebirdforitspartner。ItwasamusingtowatchhowquicklyalargeandactivecrabGraspus，whichinhabitsthecrevicesoftherock，stolethefishfromthesideofthenest，assoonaswehaddisturbedtheparentbirds。SirW。Symonds，oneofthefewpersonswhohavelandedhere，informsmethathesawthecrabsdraggingeventheyoungbirdsoutoftheirnests，anddevouringthem。
Notasingleplant，notevenalichen，growsonthisislet；yetitisinhabitedbyseveralinsectsandspiders。Thefollowinglistcompletes，Ibelieve，theterrestrialfauna：aflyOlfersialivingonthebooby，andatickwhichmusthavecomehereasaparasiteonthebirds；asmallbrownmoth，belongingtoagenusthatfeedsonfeathers；abeetleQuediusandawoodlousefrombeneaththedung；andlastly，numerousspiders，whichIsupposepreyonthesesmallattendantsandscavengersofthewater-fowl。Theoftenrepeateddescriptionofthestatelypalmandothernobletropicalplants，thenbirds，andlastlyman，takingpossessionofthecoralisletsassoonasformed，inthePacific，isprobablynotcorrect；Ifearitdestroysthepoetryofthisstory，thatfeatheranddirt-feedingandparasiticinsectsandspidersshouldbethefirstinhabitantsofnewlyformedoceanicland。
Thesmallestrockinthetropicalseas，bygivingafoundationforthegrowthofinnumerablekindsofseaweedandcompoundanimals，supportslikewisealargenumberoffish。Thesharksandtheseamenintheboatsmaintainedaconstantstrugglewhichshouldsecurethegreatershareofthepreycaughtbythefishing-lines。IhaveheardthatarockneartheBermudas，lyingmanymilesoutatsea，andataconsiderabledepth，wasfirstdiscoveredbythecircumstanceoffishhavingbeenobservedintheneighbourhood。
FERNANDONORONHA，Feb。20th——AsfarasIwasenabledtoobserve，duringthefewhourswestayedatthisplace，theconstitutionoftheislandisvolcanic，butprobablynotofarecentdate。Themostremarkablefeatureisaconicalhill，aboutonethousandfeethigh，theupperpartofwhichisexceedinglysteep，andononesideoverhangsitsbase。Therockisphonolite，andisdividedintoirregularcolumns。Onviewingoneoftheseisolatedmasses，atfirstoneisinclinedtobelievethatithasbeensuddenlypushedupinasemi-fluidstate。AtSt。Helena，however，Iascertainedthatsomepinnacles，ofanearlysimilarfigureandconstitution，hadbeenformedbytheinjectionofmeltedrockintoyieldingstrata，whichthushadformedthemouldsforthesegiganticobelisks。Thewholeislandiscoveredwithwood；butfromthedrynessoftheclimatethereisnoappearanceofluxuriance。
Half-wayupthemountain，somegreatmassesofthecolumnarrock，shadedbylaurel-liketrees，andornamentedbyotherscoveredwithfinepinkflowersbutwithoutasingleleaf，gaveapleasingeffecttothenearerpartsofthescenery。