Coral Islands of The Western Indian Ocean

ATOLL RESEARCH
BULLETIN
136. Coral Islands of the Western Indian Oeean
Ed&& by D. R. S&dalars
ATOLL RESEAlPCH BU1,LETIN
No. 136
CORAL ISLANDS OF THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN
Edi t ed by
D. R. St oddar t
Issued by
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Washington, D. C . , U.S . A.
August 28, 1970
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The At ol l Research Bul l et i n i s i ssued by t he Smithsonian
I ns t i t ut i on as a pa r t of i t s Tropi cal Biology Program. I t i s
co-sponsored by t he Museum of Nat ural Hi st ory, t he Offi ce of Environ-
mental Sci ences, and t he Smithsonian Pr es s . The Press support s and
handles product i on and di s t r i but i on. The e di t i ng i s done by t he
Tropi cal Biology s t a f f i n t he Museum of Nat ural Hi st ory.
The Bul l et i n was founded and t he f i r s t 117 numbers i ssued by t he
Paci f i c Science Board, Nat i onal Academy of Sci ences, wi t h f i nanci al
support from t he Offi ce of Naval Research. It s pages were l ar gel y
devoted t o r epor t s r es ul t i ng from t he Paci f i c Sci ence Board' s Coral
At ol l Program.
The s ol e r es pons i bi l i t y f or a l l st at ement s made by aut hors of
papers i n t he At ol l Research Bul l et i n r e s t s wi t h them, and st at ement s
made i n t he Bul l et i n do not neces s ar i l y r epr esent t he views of t he
Smithsonian nor t hose of t he e di t or s of t he Bul l et i n.
Editors
F. R. Fosberg
M. - H. Sachet
Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n
Washington, D. C. 20560
D. R. St oddart
Department of Geography
Uni versi t y of Cambridge
Downing Pl ace
Cambridge, England
C. J. Bayne
Museum of Zoology, Uni ver si t y of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
U.S.A.
C. W. Benson
Department of Zoology, Uni versi t y of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
B. H. Cogan
Department of Entomology, Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) ,
London, S.W.7.
A. W. Diamond
Cul t er t y Fi el d St at i on, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scot l and
F. R. Fosberg
Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n , Washington, D. C. , U.S.A.
J. Fr azi er
Department of Zoology, Uni ver si t y of Oxford, Oxford, England
P. Grubb
Department of Zoology, Uni ver si t y of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
A. Hutson
Department of Entomology, Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) , London,
S.W.7.
J. F. G. Lionnet
Department of Agr i cul t ur e, Port Vi ct or i a, Ma he ' , Seychel l es
I . S. C. Parker
Box 21199, Nai robi , Kenya
J. F. Peake
Department of Zoology, Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) , London,
S.W.7.
M. E. D. Poore
The Nature Conservancy, 19 Belgrave Square, London, England
S. A. Renvoize
The Herbarium, Royal Bot ani c Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey,
England
F. Staub
Royal Road, Curepipe, Mauri t i us
D. R. St oddart
Department of Geography, Uni ver si t y of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
J . D. Taylor
Department of Zoology, Br i t i s h Museum (Natural Hi s t or y) , London,
S.W.7.
Contents
I nt r oduct i on
D. R. St oddart
Geography and ecology of Farquhar At ol l
D. R. St oddar t and M. E. D. Poore
Pl ant s of Farquhar At ol l
F. R. Fosberg and S. A. Renvoize
An ol d record of a Blue Pigeon Al ect roenas s peci es
and s ea- bi r ds on Farquhar and Providence
D . R. St oddar t and C . W. Benson
Geography and ecology of Cosmoledo At ol l
C. J. Bayne, B. H. Cogan, A. W . Diamond,
J . Fr azi er , P . Grubb, A. Hutson, M. E. D.
Poore, D. R. St oddar t , and J . D. Tayl or
Pl ant s of Cosmoledo At ol l
Land ( i ncl udi ng shore) b i r d s of Cosmoledo
C. W. Benson
Geography and ecology of Astove
C. J . Bayne, B. H. Cogan, A. W. Diamond,
J . Fr azi er , P. Grubb, A. Hutson, M. E . D.
Poore, D. R. St oddar t and J . D. Tayl or
Pl ant s of Astove
Note on t he Lepi dopt era of Astove At ol l
J . F. G. Lionnet
Land ( i ncl udi ng shore) b i r d s of Astove
C . W. Benson
Ecol ogi cal change and e f f e c t s of phosphate mining
on Assumption I sl and
D. R. St oddar t , C . W. Benson, and J . F. Peake
Pl ant s of Assumption I s l and
Geography and ecology of Desroches
D. R. St oddart and M. E . D. Poore
Page
15. Pl ant s of Desroches
16. Geography and ecology of Remire
17. Pl ant s of Remire (Eagle) I s l and, Amirantes
18. Geography and ecology of Afri can Banks
D. R. St oddar t and M. E . D. Poore
19. Pl ant s of Afri can Banks ( I l e s Af r i cai nes)
F. R . Fosberg and S. A. Renvoize
20. An i nt r oduct i on of St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a i n t o
t he Amirantes
C. W. Benson
21. Geography and ecology of Tromelin I s l and
F. Staub
22. Some or ni t hol ogi cal observat i ons from t h e
western Indi an Ocean
I . S. C. Parker
Page
167
Appendix: Names of I s l ands
J . F. G. Lionnet
TABLES
Page
1 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Farquhar At ol l . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 . Marine fauna recorded from Farquhar At ol l . . . . . . . . . 18
3 . I ns ect s recorded from Farquhar At ol l by t h e
. . . . . . . . . . . Percy Sladen Expedition
4 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Cosmoledo At ol l . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5 . Mollusca col l ect ed on Cosmoledo At ol l . 1968 . . . . . . . . 46
6 . Crust acea (Decapoda) col l ect ed on Cosmoledo
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At ol l . 1968 46
7 . I ns ect s recorded from Cosmoledo At ol l by t h e
Percy Sladen Expedition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Astove 85
9 . Mollusca col l ect ed on Astove. 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
10 . Crust acea (Decapoda) col l ect ed on Astove. 1968 . . . . . . . 92
11 . I ns ect s recorded from Astove by t h e Percy
Sladen Expedition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
12 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Assumption I s l and . . . . . . . . . . 123
13 . Monthly r a i n f a l l a t Assumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
14 . I ns ect s recorded from Assumption by t he Percy
Sladen Expedi t i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
15 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Desroches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
16 . I ns ect s recorded from Desroches by t h e Percy
Sl adenExpedi t i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
17 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Remire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
18 . I ns ect s recorded from Remire by t he Percy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sladen Expedition 175
19 . Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Afri can Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
20 . Met eorol ogi cal dat a. mean monthly figu. res 1955.1968.
Tromelin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
v i
Page
21 . Fr egat ami nor col oni es onTromel i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
22 . Breeding bi r ds and occasi onal v i s i t o r s . Tromelin . . . . . . 208
FIGURES
1 . The Southwest Indian Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . Front i spi ece
Page
2 . Far quhar At ol l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3 . Cosmoledo At ol l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4 . The Aldabra Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5 . Astove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
6 . Assumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
7 . Desroches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
8 . Remire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
9 . Ombrothermic diagram f or Tromelin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
10 . Tromelin. showing di s t r i but i on of breedi ng
bi r d col oni es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
PLATES
Farquhar At ol l (fol l owi ng p. 26)
1. Scaevola community on hi gh dunes, nor t h end of South I sl and
2 . Unvegetated bar achoi s, lagoon shore, nor t h end of South I sl and
3 . Cay sandstone out crop on erodi ng lagoon shore, North I s l and
4 . Scaevola and Casuarina on erodi ng seaward shore, North I sl and
5. Prograding lagoon shore wi t h Scaevola and Casuari na, North I s l and
6. Conglomerate pl at form out croppi ng on t he s i des of t he channel
between t he nort hern Manaha I sl and and North I s l and; view towards
t he lagoon
7. Open Casuarina woodland on ol d dunes, North I sl and
8. Woodland of Cocos and Casuari na on ol d dunes, North I sl and; not e
t he hurri cane damage t o coconuts
9 . Replanting of coconuts i n hurricane-damaged ar ea of North I s l and
Open woodland of - Cocos wi t h Fi mbr i st yl i s on f l a t gravel
North I s l and
spread,
11. Coconut woodland with grove of wi l d Cari ca papaya, nor t h end of
North I sl and
12-16. Sooty Terns and Noddies on Goel et t e I s l and. Note t he low
herb-mat veget at i on, and t h e s c a r c i t y of dwarf shrubs
17. Copra sheds a t Set t l ement , North I sl and
Assumption I sl and (fol l owi ng p. 145)
18. Low champignon c l i f f s and perched beach, e a s t coas t , view towards
t he sout h
19. Pocket beach i n t he champignon c l i f f s , continuous wi t h t h e hi gher
perched beach; nor t h of t h e high dunes, e a s t coast
20. Eroded i nner edge of t he r e e f f l a t where i t passes beneat h t he
beach a t t he f oot of t he hi gh dunes, e a s t coast
v i i i
21. Transverse er osi onal grooves i n t h e r eef f l a t , backed by a rocky
er osi on ramp, beach, and hi gh dunes; eas t coast
Outer edge of t he r eef f l a t near t he hi gh dunes, e a s t coast
Small dunes on t he perched beach, which i s densel y covered wi t h
gr asses; eas t coast , l ooki ng nor t h
Clumps of Suri ana maritima and s cat t er ed Fi mbr i st yl i s on t he
erodi ng seaward face of t he hi ghes t dune
Scaevola and Fi mbr i st yl i s on t h e hi gh dunes
View from t he summit of t he hi ghest dune. with -- Tournefort i a scrub,
across t he low mixed scrub of t he cent r e of Assumption. The
l i n e of Casuarina t r e e s on t he west shore marks t he Set t l ement
The l e e sl ope of t he hi ghest dune, wi t h Tour nef or t i a and Scaevola
Tournefort i a and Suri ana forming t he l i t t o r a l hedge on t he
progradi ng west coast , view nor t h from Set t l ement
Sur i ana and Pemphis forming t he l i t t o r a l hedge near t he nor t her n
end of t he west coast
Leafl ess Pi soni a i n t he low mixed scrub i n t he cent r e of t he
i s land
Fl at p l a t i n almost devoid of s o i l and veget at i on, nor t her n end of
t he i s l and; Ficus i n t he foreground
-
Nephrolepis bi s e r r a t a i n a s ol ut i on hol e, nort h end
Agave, massive Termi nal i a, and Cocos a t t he s i t e of t h e ol d
set t l ement ; not e t he wat er t a nkbe hi nd t he coconut
Labourers' hut s a t Set t l ement ; compare wi t h t he i l l u s t r a t i o n
given of s i mi l ar quar t er s i n Fryer (1910)
Guano rai l way and sheds a t Set t l ement
Desroches (fol l owi ng p.165)
3 6 . Scaevola and Casuarina on t h e sout h coast near Poi nt e Helene
37. Suri ana on t he sout h coast near Murai l l e Bon Dieu
38. Massive beachrock near t h e cent r e of t he sout h coast
39. Massive beachrock a t t he southwest poi nt
40. Scaevola and Cocos on t he lagoon shore a t Set t l ement
-
41. Mixed Cocos and Casuarina woodland near La G'uigui
-
42. Labourers' quar t er s a t Set t l ement , t he pat h fl anked by - Cocos
and Hymenocallis
43. Labourer' s quar t er s a t Set t l ement
Tromelin (fol l owi ng p. 209)
44. Sul a s u l a r ubr i pes: chi ck wi t h "brown and white" par ent s
--
45. Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes: chi ck near l y fl edged t o "bro~m" j uveni l e form
--
46. Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes: "brown" j uveni l e
--
47. Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes: adul t "brown and white" form wi t h few whi t e
--
scapul ar markings.
Sul a s ul a rubri pes: adul t "brown and white" form wi t h back near l y
--
white
49. Sul a s u l a rubri pes: adul t "white" form
--
50. Sul a dact yl at r a melanops: par ent s wi t h chi ck
51. Tromelin Meteorological St at i on
52. Male and four females of Fregat a minor wi t h Red-footed Booby i n
f l i g h t
53. Nesting colony of Fregat a minor and Sul a s u l a r ubr i pes near
--
a i r s t r i p , with Tour nef or t i a t hi c ke t s and herb-mat veget at i on
Fi g. 1. The Southwest Indi an Ocean
CORAL ISLANDS OF TIIE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN
1. INTRODUCTION
D. R. St oddart
As p a r t of t he programme of r esear ch on Aldabra At ol l i n t he
southwest Indi an Ocean, which began i n August 1967 (St oddart 1967,
1969a), it has been possi bl e f or p a r t i e s from t he Royal Soci et y
Expedi t i on t o Aldabra t o v i s i t ot her west ern Indi an Ocean cor al
i s l ands from time t o t i me. These v i s i t s , though b r i e f , have been
i mport ant f o r two reasons. F i r s t , t h e arguments f o r t h e conservat i on
of Aldabra i t s e l f f or s c i e n t i f i c r esear ch r es t ed, a t l e a s t i n p a r t ,
on a comparative anal ysi s of t he ecol ogi cal s t a t u s of neighbouring
i s l ands . Second, much of t he avai l abl e i nformat i on on t hes e i s l ands
i s many decades ol d, and some have never been descri bed. This
s e r i e s of r epor t s aims f i r s t , t her ef or e, t o record t he new i nformat i on
obt ai ned duri ng v i s i t s i n 1967 and 1968 t o seven such i s l ands , and
second, t o provi de succi nct summaries and gui des t o t he l ar ge but
s cat t er ed l i t e r a t u r e , much of it taxonomic i n nat ur e, but which
cont ai ns occasi onal references t o them. In t h i s way it is hoped t o
provi de convenient accounts of t hes e i s l ands f o r t he use of f ut ur e
workers, and a l s o t o i ndi cat e t o v i s i t i n g s c i e n t i s t s a t t he Aldabra
Research St at i on t he p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r i nves t i gat i on of p a r t i c u l a r
problems o r p a r t i c u l a r groups elsewhere i n t he western Indi an Ocean.
A c e r t a i n amount of r e pe t i t i on i n bi bl i ogr aphi cal l i st s, acknowledge-
ments e t c . , has been unavoidable t o mai nt ai n t he independence of t he
chapt er s on t he di f f e r e nt i s l ands .
The cor al i s l ands of t he west ern Indi an Ocean (Fi gure 1) may be
t aken t o comprise t he fol l owi ng groups:
(a) t he i s l ands of t he Mozambique Channel, i ncl udi ng Europa;
(b) t he Aldabra group, i ncl udi ng Aldabra, Assumption, Cosmoledo
and Astove;
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 1-5, 1970.
(c) t he Farquhar group, comprising Farquhar, St Pi er r e and
Providence;
(d) t he Amirantes, i ncl udi ng (from nor t h t o sout h) Afri can Banks,
Remire, D'Arros, St Joseph, Desroches, Poivre, Et oi l e,
Boudeuse, Marie-Louise, and Desnoeufs;
(e) Bird and Dennis I sl ands, nor t her n Seychel l es Bank;
( f ) Cargados Caraj os;
(g) i s ol at ed i s l ands , i ncl udi ng Gl ori osa, Agalega, Tromelin,
Coetivy and Alphonse.
Most ear l y navi gat or s completely negl ect ed t he cor al i s l ands i n
t he accounts of t h e i r t r a ve l s . Thus Owen, who surveyed Farquhar and
ot her i s l ands i n t he 1820s, r e f e r r e d t o t he i s l ands of t he Amirantes
simply a s "low, sandy, s t e r i l e , and al t oget her i ns i gni f i cant " (Owen,
1833, 11, 159), and nei t her he, nor Fai rfax Moresby, a f t e r whose
s hi ps t he Menai and Wizard i s l ands on Cosmoledo At ol l a r e named, nor
-
Wharton, who car r i ed out t he f i r s t thorough hydrographic survey i n
t he 18705, pay much a t t e nt i on t o i s l and form, veget at i on o r animal
l i f e . The fi rst us ef ul accounts ar e gener al l y t hose dat ed from t he
peri od 1890-1910, by Abbott, Dupont and ot her s .
Two major expedi t i ons,
i n H.M.S. Al ert i n 1882, t o t he Amirantes and Gl ori osa, and by H.M.S.
Seal ark in=, t o most of t he western Indi an Ocean i s l ands , r es ul t ed
i n l ar ge col l ect i ons and many records s cat t er ed through a l ar ge
l i t e r a t u r e . While t he col l ect i ons i n t o t a l were l ar ge, however,
i ndi vi dual i s l ands were of t en represent ed by smal l and i nadequat e
col l ect i ons . Gardiner (1936, Gardiner and Cooper 1907) cont r i but ed
br i e f accounts of many i s l ands t o t he Reports of t he Percy Sladen
Trust Expedition, and J. C. F. Fryer (1910) wrote us ef ul accounts of
Bi rd and Dennis I sl ands i n addi t i on t o h i s work on t h e Aldabra group.
Apart from Vesey-FitzGerald' s work i n t he 19305, t he most
important subsequent i nves t i gat i ons have been t hose of Baker (1963)
and Pi ggot t (1961, 1968), who v i s i t e d a l l of t he Bri t i sh-admi ni st ered
i s l ands duri ng a geol ogi cal and s o i l survey i n 1960, and of Gwynne,
Wood and Parker, who col l ect ed pl a nt s and bi r ds duri ng a cr ui s e i n
1967 (Gwynne and Wood 1969). Summaries of t h e e a r l i e r work on
Assumption, Astove, Gl ori osa, Cosmoledo, Farquhar, St Pi er r e and
Providence were publ i shed by St oddar t (1967b).
The pr esent s e r i e s of s t udi es i s based on v i s i t s by Royal Soci et y
Expedition personnel t o Farquhar, Cosmoledo, Astove, Assumption,
Desroches, Remire, and Afri can Banks. In addi t i on, t her e have been
excel l ent recent r epor t s on Europa I sl and (Legendre 1966) and on
Cargados Carajos Shoals (Staub and ~ u i h o 1968). Gibson-Hill (1952)
summarised dat a from Agalega, and Brygoo (1955) publ i shed observat i ons
on Tromelin. These western Indi an Ocean s t udi es ar e l i nked wi t h ot her s
i n t he c e nt r a l Indi an Ocean, i n t he sout hern Maldives (St oddart 1966)
and i n t he Chagos Archipelago (St oddart and Tayl or, i n pr epar at i on) .
These permi t some pr el i mi nar y gener al i s at i ons on r egi onal var i at i on
i n Indi an Ocean r e e f s and i s l ands (St oddart 1969b).
Important gaps remain, however, even a t t he l evel of t he summary
r epor t s present ed i n t h i s Bul l et i n. Though l ar ge col l ect i ons of
marine and t e r r e s t r i a l fauna were made a t Coetivy i n 1905, t her e i s
no account of t h i s i s l a nd avai l abl e. There has been no st udy i n t h i s
cent ury of Gl ori osa (though Gui l cher and ot her s (1965) gi ve a e r i a l
phot ographs), i n s p i t e of i t s probabl e importance i n t he col oni s at i on
of t he Aldabra group from Malagasy. Apart from t he t hr ee i s l ands
di scussed her e, t her e i s no account of t he fauna and f l o r a of t he
Amirantes, and our knowledge of Agalega i s very pat chy. Tromelin
has been among t he l e a s t wel l known of a l l t hes e i s l ands ; t he
account i ncl uded her e (Staub 1970) fol l ows a v i s i t t o t he i s l and i n
1968 by M. France Staub of Curepipe, Maur i t i us.
I t i s , of course, unf or t unat e t h a t more comprehensive accounts
were not compiled sevent y year s ago, f o r Coppinger, Abbott, Gardiner
and ot her s were abl e t o gi ve t a n t a l i s i n g r ef er ences t o i s l and f eat ur es
t hen l ar gel y unal t er ed by man. Si nce t h a t t i me t he sandy i s l ands have
been almost e n t i r e l y pl ant ed wi t h coconuts, and t he rocky i s l ands
gener al l y devast at ed by s ur f ace guano mining. The e f f e c t of t he l a t t e r
on i s l and ecology i s wel l i l l u s t r a t e d by Assumption, though t he case of
Remire suggest s t h a t a t l e a s t p a r t i a l recovery i s pos s i bl e over a
per i od of a few decades, but endemic speci es once e xt i nc t cannot be
brought back. I t i s pos s i bl e t h a t more i nformat i on on t he former
s t a t e of t hes e i s l ands s t i l l e x i s t s i n manuscri pt form o r i n Government
ar chi ves: we have, f o r example, been f or t unat e t o have had t he l oan of
d i a r i e s and papers bel ongi ng t o M r H. A' C. Bergne and S i r John Fryer,
dat i ng from 1900-1910, which cont ai n i mport ant i nformat i on on t he
i s l ands t hey v i s i t e d . There i s no doubt t h a t modern work can now i n
many cases onl y record t he s t a t e of i s l and ecol ogi es i nt ens el y di s t ur bed
and modified by man, and wi t h t he except i on of marine l i f e it i s now
d i f f i c u l t t o at t empt t o r econs t r uct t he s t a t e of i s l and ecosystems
bef or e human expl oi t at i on began.
The i s l ands t r e a t e d i n t h i s r epor t f a l l i n t o two main groups:
(a) el evat ed r eef - l i mest one i s l ands , i ncl udi ng Cosmoledo, Astove and
Assumption, which s har e many o f t he c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of Aldabra; and
(b) sand cays on s ea- l evel r e e f s , i ncl udi ng Farquhar, Desroches,
Remire and Afri can Banks. They al s o experi ence consi der abl e var i at i on
i n r a i n f a l l , though r ecor ds have not been kept on any of them except
Assumption and Tromelin. I nt er pol at i on from known i s l and r ecor ds
(St oddart 1969b) suggest s t h a t Cosmoledo, Astove and Assumption have
1000 mm o r l e s s per annum, Farquhar about 1200 mm, and Desroches,
Remire and Afri can Banks, i n t h e nort hern Amirantes, about 1500 mm.
Acknowledgements
Speci f i c acknowledgements and t hanks a r e given i n many i ndi vi dual
papers i n t h i s Bul l et i n, but I wish t o thank her e t he fol l owi ng:
Capt ai n C. R. K. Roe, D.S.C., R. N. , and t he o f f i c e r s and crew of
H.M.S. Vi dal , f o r making t he 1967 v i s i t t o Assumption possi bl e; and
Ca p t a i n M. i l l i a ms and Captain T. Phipps f or t h e i r a i d wi t h M.F.R.V.
Manihine duri ng v i s i t s t o t he ot her i s l ands i n 1968. The cooperat i on
of M r Bas i l Bel l , Di r ect or of t he East Afri can Marine Fi s her i es Research
Organi zat i on, Zanzibar, hel ped t o make t hes e v i s i t s i n Manihine a
success.
The Lessees and Managers of t h e i s l ands v i s i t e d , f o r t h e i r
h o s p i t a l i t y and as s i s t ance duri ng our s hor t v i s i t s .
The Royal Soci et y of London, which i s sponsori ng t he Aldabra
i nves t i gat i ons , and whose support t hus made t hes e v i s i t s pos s i bl e.
The Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund, whose gr ant t o C. W. Benson
enabled t he March 1968 v i s i t t o Astove and Cosmoledo t o t ake pl ace.
M r J. A' C. Bergne and Lady Joan Fryer f o r t he l oan of manuscript
records made by t he l a t e Mr H. A' C. Bergne and t he l a t e S i r John
Fryer, r es pect i vel y; and t he Li br ar i an of t h e Old I ndi a Of f i ce
Li brary, f o r access t o Fai r f ax Moresby' s manuscri pt s.
References
Baker, B. H. 1963. Geology and mi neral r esour ces of t he Seychel l es
Archipelago. Mem. Geol. Surv. Kenya, 3: 1-140.
Brygoo, E. 1955. Observat i ons s ur l e s oi seaux de Tromelin. Nat ur al i s t e
Malgache, 7: 209-214.
Fryer, J. C. F. 1910. Bird and Dennis I sl ands, Seychel l es. Trans.
Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 14: 15-20.
Gardiner, J. S. 1936. The r e e f s of t he west ern Indi an Ocean. I.
Chagos Archipelago. 11. The Mascarene Region. Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, s e r . 2 , Zool. , 19: 393-436.
Gardi ner, J. S. , and Cooper, C. F. 1907. Descri pt i on of t he
Expedi t i on, 11. Mauri t i us t o Seychel l es. Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, s e r . 2 , Zool., 12: 111-175.
Gibson-Hill, C. A. 1952. Notes on t he bi r ds r epor t ed from t he Agalega
I s l ands , west ern Indi an Ocean. Bul l . Raf f l es Mus. 24: 257-269.
Gui l cher, A. , Bert hoi s, L. , Le Calvez, Y. , Ba t t i s t i n i , R. , and Crosni er,
A. 1965. Les r 6 c i f s c or a l l i e ns e t l e lagon de l ' t l e Mayotte
(Archipel des Comores, 0c6an Indi en) . Pa r i s : Of f i ce de l a
Recherche Sci ent i f i que e t Technique Outre-Mer, 1-210.
Gwynne, M. D. , and Wood, D. 1969. Pl ant s col l ect ed on i s l ands i n t he
west ern Indi an Ocean dur i ng a c mi s e of t he M.F.R.V. "Manihine",
Sept . -Oct . 1967. At ol l . Res. Bul l . 134: 1-15.
Legendre, R. 1966. Mission s c i e nt i f i que i l f i ' l e Europa. M&. Mus.
Nat. H i s t . Nat ur. , N.S., s6r. A, Zool. , 41: 1-220.
Owen, W. F. W. 1833. Nar r at i ve of voyages t o expl or e t he shores of
Af r i ca, Arabia and Madagascar; performed i n H. M. Shi ps Leven
and Barracout a. London, 2 vol s .
Pi ggot t , C . J. 1961. A r epor t on a v i s i t t o t h e Outer I s l ands between
October and November 1960. Di r ect or at e of Overseas Surveys, Land
Resources Di vi si on, t ype s c r i pt , 1-71.
---------- 1968. A s o i l survey of Seychel l es. Di r ect br at e of
Overseas Surveys, Land Resources Di vi si on, Tech. Bul l . 2: 1-89
Staub, F. 1970. Geography and ecology of Tromelin I sl and. At ol l Res
Bul l . ( t h i s i s s ue) .
St aub, F., and ~u g h o , J . 1968. The Cargados Caraj os Shoal s o r St
Brandon: resources, avi fauna and veget at i on. Proc. Roy. Soc.
A r t s Sci . Mauri t i us, 3( 1) : 7-46.
St oddar t , D. R. . 1966. Reef s t udi es a t Addu At ol l , Maldive I s l ands :
pr el i mi nar y r e s u l t s of an expedi t i on t o Addu At ol l i n 1964. At ol l
Res. Bul l . 116: 1-122.
---------- 1967a. Ecology of Aldabra At ol l , Indi an Ocean. At ol l Res.
Bul l . 118: 1-141.
---------- 1967b.
Summary of t h e ecology of cor al i s l ands nor t h of
Madagascar (excl udi ng Al dabra). At ol l Res. Bul l . 118: 53-61.
---------- 1969a. Ret rospect and prospect of Aldabra r es ear ch.
Nature, 221: 1004-1006.
---------- 1969b. Regional va r i a t i on i n Indi an Ocean cor al r e e f s .
Marine Bi ol ogi cal Associ at i on of I ndi a, Symposium on Coral s and
Coral Reefs, i n pr es s .
St oddar t , D. R. , and Tayl or, J. D. , e di t or s . I n pr epar at i on.
Geography and ecology of Diego Garci a At ol l , Chagos Archi pel ago.
At ol l Res. Bul l .
2. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF FARQIJHAR ATOLL
D. R. St oddart and M. E. D. Poore
I nt r oduct i on
Farquhar At ol l (l OO1l ' S, 5107'E) l i e s 285 km nor t heast of
Madagascar and 1150 km from t he coas t l i ne of Af r i ca. I t i s roughly
t r i angul ar i n shape, with an ar ea of 170 sq km. Apart from smal l
sand cays on t he nort hern r i m ( I l e s des ~gpose' s, du Mi l i eu, Lapin)
dry land i s confi ned t o t h e eas t er n o r windward s i de. Tot al l and
area, by pl ani met ry from Figure 2, i s 7. 5 sq km o r 4. 4 per cent of
t he ar ea of t he a t o l l .
The fi rst char t of Farquhar was made by Margaro i n 1776 and
publ i shed, wi t h addi t i ons by W. F. W. Owen i n 1824, as Admiralty
Chart 718 i n 1878. This char t is very rudi ment ary. The a t o l l was
surveyed by Cdr W. J. L. Miharton i n 1878, wi t h a l ar ge- s cal e survey
of t he lagoon ent rance by L t . J. T. A. White, and t hese surveys
formed t he bas i s of a r evi s i on of Chart 718 i n 1879. Wharton's
survey, wi t h some recent addi t i ons , i s t he bas i s of pr esent char t s ;
it i s det ai l ed onl y f or t he nor t her n r i m and t h e eas t er n i s l ands .
Figure 2 i s based on a i r photograph cover of t h e a t o l l flown i n 1960,
with t opographi c cont r ol and bathymetry from t he Admiralty c ha r t :
while r eef f eat ur es ar e shown i n d e t a i l , t h i s map should not be
used f o r navi gat i onal purposes.
The f i r s t bi ol ogi cal observat i ons on record ar e t hose of Fai r f ax
Moresby i n 1822, but t hes e remained unpubl i shed. The Percy Sladen
Expedition spent t hr ee days on Farquhar i n 1905, when St anl ey Gardiner
worked over North I sl and, es peci al l y t he seaward r e e f , and t he
entomologist Bainbrigge Fl et cher , over South I s l and. The col l ect i ons
made were small and heterogeneous; det ermi nat i ons publ i shed f o r
vari ous groups i n t he Percy Sladen Expedition Reports ar e l i s t e d,
with c i t a t i ons , i n Table 1. Most a t t e nt i on was given duri ng t h i s
v i s i t t o t he i ns e c t s , and Table 2 l i s t s t he det ermi nat i ons on i ns ect s ,
by or der s and f ami l i es , i n t he Expedi t i on Report s. Col l ect i ons made
i n some groups, such a s t he cor al s , remain unpubl i shed; ot her groups
were negl ect ed. Thus it i s d i f f i c u l t t o gai n an impression of t h e
ecology of Farquhar from t he work of t he Percy Sladen team.
Apart from a v i s i t i n 1937 by Vesey-FitzGerald, who r epor t ed on
t he bi r ds (1940, 1941), l i t t l e f ur t he r work was done on Farquhar u n t i l
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 7-26, 1970
Fig. 2. Farquhar At ol l . Data reproduced from BA Chart No. 718 wi t h t he sanct i on of t he Cont r ol l er ,
HM St at i oner y Of f i ce and of t he Hydrographer of t he Navy.
t he 1960s. The a t o l l was v i s i t e d i n 1960 by t h e geol ogi st B. H.
Baker and t he agronomist C. J. Pi ggot t , and though no col l ect i ons
were made sever al us ef ul account s were publ i shed (Baker 1963, 80-85;
Pi ggot t 1968, 56-57; Pi ggot t , unpublished, 48-53). In 1967 M. F. R. V.
Manihine cal l ed a t Farquhar wi t h a par t y col l ect i ng f or t h e Nat i onal
Museum, Nai robi , and i ncl udi ng I . S. C. Parker, D. Wood and M. D.
Gwynne; bi r ds and pl ant s were col l ect ed (Gwynne and Wood 1969, Parker
1970). On 19 September 1968 Manihine r e vi s i t e d Farquhar wi t h a Royal
Soci et y par t y comprising T. S. West ol l , M. E. D. Poore and D. R.
St oddar t . St oddart and Poore t r aver s ed North I sl and, I l e s Manahas,
and t he nort hern ha l f of South I sl and, and v i s i t e d Goel et t e; pl ant s
were col l ect ed and observat i ons made on bi r ds . I n s p i t e of t he
br evi t y of t hes e v i s i t s , and of t h e ot her s l i s t e d i n Table 1, it i s
pos s i bl e t o gi ve some account of t he ecology of t he a t o l l , and t o
i ndi cat e ar eas i n which more det ai l ed work i s r equi r ed.
Table 1. Sc i e nt i f i c St udi es a t Farquhar At ol l
Date
-
Study
-
1504 Discovered by 3020 de Nova; named
a f t e r him.
1776 Charted by M. Margaro
1821 May Li eut . Hay, schooner - El i za
1822 March 12 Li eut . Hay, Wizard and - Menai
1822 J ul y 26 V i s i t by Fai r f ax Moresby, b i r d
not es
Chart addi t i ons by W. F. W. Owen;
renamed a f t e r S i r R. Farquhar,
Governor of Mauri t i us
Furt her char t i ng by L t Hay
French char t by M. Li eut ard
Hydrographic char t by W. J. L.
l a a r t on
1905 Sept . 28-
Oct. 2 Percy Sladen Expedi t i on: J. S.
Gardiner, C. F. Cooper, T. B.
Fl et cher
1937 L. D. E. F. Vesey-FitzGerald,
b i r d s t udi es , economic i ns e c t s
1956 W. Travi s, underwater and general
observat i ons
1957 Dec. 7 W. D. Hartman, l and bi r ds
1960 Sept . 26-
29 B. H. Baker (geology) and C. 3.
Pi ggot t ( s oi l s )
1961 Sept . 28-
Oct. 3 P . 0. Wiehe, pl ant s
1967 Oct. 3 M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I. S. C.
Parker, col l ect i ons of pl ant s
and bi r ds
1968 Sept . 19 D. R. St oddar t , M. E. D. Poore,
T. S. Westoll, col l ect i on of
pl ant s , observat i ons of
geomorphology and bi r ds
Reference
Moresby (1842)
St oddart and
Benson (1969)
Gardiner and
Cooper (1907),
Gardiner (1936)
Travi s (1959)
Hartman (1958)
Baker (1963)
Pi ggot t (1961,
1968)
Fosberg and
Renvoize, t h i s
i s s ue
Parker (1970) ;
Gwynne and Wood
(1969)
Thi s r epor t
Geomorphology
Lagoon and r e e f s
Knowledge of t he r e e f s and submarine topography comes e n t i r e l y
from hydrographic surveys and a e r i a l photographs (Figure 2 ) , but it
is c l e a r t ha t Farquhar lagoon is one of t he most complex i n topography
and presumably i n geomorphic hi s t or y i n t he world. Three main
di vi s i ons may be not ed: (1) t he main lagoon basi n, 17 km l ong and
with a gr eat es t width of 7. 5 km; ( 2) a t r i angul ar ar ea on t he sout h
s i de, ext endi ng 4. 5 km southwards from t he r i m of t he main lagoon
basi n; and ( 3) a submerged spur a t t he northwest corner, ext endi ng
f or 7 km northwestwards with dept hs of 11-30 m.
The main lagoon basi n i s cr ossed by a s e r i e s of narrow continuous
r i dges , up t o 5 km long, t r endi ng approximately NE-SW. A i r photographs
suggest t h a t t hese ar e not act i ve r e e f s a t t he present t i me. These
r i dges di vi de t he basi n i nt o t hr e e p a r t s : a western pa r t wi t h appar ent l y
smooth f l o o r at depths of 10-15 m, with har dl y any r eef knol l s; a
cent r al pa r t with very numerous knol l s and pat ches, and dept hs
probably about 8-10 m; and an eas t er n p a r t wi t h r i dges and few knol l s ,
and dept hs of 4-11 m. The sout hern t r i a ngul a r ext ensi on i s crowded
with knol l s and pat ches, with deep hol es of up t o 16. 5 m. The
sout hern r eef f l a t here i s wide, wi t h much cor al growth around broad
shallow ent r ances. Nothing i s known of t he northwest ext ensi on apar t
from t he bathymetry shown i n Fi gure 2 .
The asymmetry of t he shallow f eat ur es of t he a t o l l i s t hus marked;
it i s emphasised f ur t her by t he char act er of t he per i pher al r e e f .
The eas t er n r eef f l a t is rocky, s t r a i g h t , and t i d a l l y emergent; it
is l ar gel y covered with d e t r i t a l i s l ands . The r e e f on t he sout h s i d e
i s apparent l y act i vel y growing, and i t s f l a t i s low enough f o r cor al
growth. The r eef f l a t on t he west and nor t h s i des i s poorl y def i ned,
with onl y smal l pat ches r i s i n g t o i n t e r t i d a l l e ve l s . A i r photographs
show t h a t t he per i pher al r eef f l a t s , bot h of t he main basi n and of
t he sout hern t r i a ngl e , t r uncat e s t r uc t ur e s wi t hi n t he lagoon. Thus
lagoonal r i dges near Goel et t e and South I sl and pass i nt o r e e f f l a t
depos i t s , and i n t he sout hern t r i a n g l e debr i s s heet s from t he r eef
f r ont ar e buryi ng r eef knol l s i n t h e back r eef ar ea.
There i s only one ent rance t o t he lagoon, a narrow channel
6-10 m deep near t he nort h poi nt , though much water must e nt e r t h e
lagoon over t he windward r eef f l a t sout h of Goel et t e and l eave over
t he leeward r e e f s .
Bottom topography seaward of t he per i pher al r eef s i s a l s o unusual .
Gn t he eas t er n s i de depths of l e s s than 30 m ar e found between 1 and
2. 5 km from t he r eef edge, though t he f l o o r t hen f a l l s more s t eepl y
t o depths of hundreds of met res. Along t he nort h coast t he zone
l e s s t han 30 m deep i s 1 km o r l e s s wide, though broadening a t t he
northwest poi nt .
These f eat ur es ar e i mpossi bl e t o i n t e r p r e t wi t hout f i e l d i nve s t i -
gat i on, but t hey probably r e s u l t from a complex hi s t or y, possi bl y
i nvol vi ng d i f f e r e n t i a l movement o r t i l t i n g of t he a t o l l i t s e l f . The
cent r al oval lagoon i s probabl y an ol d f eat ur e, though i t s l i n e a r
r i dges ar e uncommon i n a t o l l lagoons el sewhere. The s t r a i g h t windward
r eef appears t o be r e t r e a t i n g lagoonward, t r uncat i ng lagoon f eat ur es
and l eavi ng a s hel f a t 20-30 m t o seaward. I t i s pos s i bl e t ha t t he
sout hern t r i angul ar r e e f ar ea i s a r ecent addi t i on t o t he a t o l l , perhaps
formed by r eef growth on a former submarine spur s i mi l ar t o t h a t now
extending t o t he nort hwest . The sharp di s t i nc t i on i n t h e main lagoon
between r i dges , apparent l y l ar gel y r e e f l e s s , and t he adj acent deeper
f l o o r may r e s u l t from kar s t erosi on of ol d r e e f r i dges duri ng Pl ei st ocene
low sea l evel st ands.
There is no i nformat i on on t he modern r e e f s . Gardiner (1936,
432-433) noted t he absence of a boul der zone and f i s s ur ed ( al gal )
zone on t he east er n r eef f l a t , which he c or r e c t l y s t a t e d was a
rock f l a t wi t h few c or a l s . He descri bed Hel i opora and Por i t es i n
t he lagoon, t oget her wi t h much Cymodocea. Living r e e f s ar e c e r t a i nl y
damaged by frequent t r opi c a l cyclones, and some e f f e c t s ar e descri bed
by Travi s (1959, 69-73).
I sl ands
The eas t er n r eef f l at has a width of 1-1. 5 km, and t he i s l ands
st andi ng on it ar e of si mpl e form and s t r uc t ur e . South I sl and, t he
l a r ge s t , i s 5. 7 km l ong, 0.6-0.9 km wide, and has an ar ea of 3. 9 s q km.
The cr es cent i c North I s l and measures 8. 5 km i n l engt h al ong i t s
axi s , i s 0. 2-1 km wide, and has an ar ea of 3.2 sq km. Most of
South I sl and i s formed of dunes, both a c t i ve coas t al dunes up t o
20 m hi gh ( Pl at e I ) , and ol der i nl and dunes forming a hummocky s ur f ace.
The lagoon shore of South I sl and i s formed by a wide sand r i dge, i n
pl aces encl osi ng i nfrequent l y-fl ooded unveget at ed ar eas ( Pl at e 2) ,
f l oor ed with poor l y- sor t ed sands and gr avel s, which resemble t he
barachoi s of t he Chagos a t o l l s . On North I s l and t he dunes ar e lower,
and are found i n t he cent r e and on t he lagoon s i d e of t he i s l and as
wel l as on t he seaward s i de . Beaches ar e gener al l y sandy, wi t h l ocal
beachrock on t he lagoon s i de up t o 1 m above low wat er l evel ( Pl at e 3) .
Seaward beaches on North I sl and ar e erodi ng ( Pl at e 4) , wi t h r e s ul t i ng
t r uncat i on of veget at i on zones: dune f aces a r e a l s o erodi ng both on
North I sl and and a t t he nor t h end of South I s l and. Lagoon beaches
by cont r as t a r e progradi ng ( Pl at e 5) . The only cobbl e beach seen was
on t he nor t h s i de of South I s l and, f aci ng t he channel between it and
t he Manahas. Gravel i s found i n pl aces on t he i s l and s ur f aces and
on t he f l oor s of t he South I s l and barachoi s, but i s not common.
The t hr ee smal l Manahas i s l ands ar e of consi derabl e physi ographi c
i n t e r e s t . Each i s a cay of sand and gr avel , r e s t i ng on a pl at form
of cemented cay deposi t s which ext ends up t o 200 m seaward of t he
i s l e t ( Pl at e 6) . The pl at form out crops along t he s i des of channels
between t he i s l e t s , where it has a width of onl y a few met res, and
resembles out crops of c l a s t i c rocks on t he s i de s of s i mi l a r channel s
(hoa) - i n t he Tuamotu a t o l l s .
Such a conglomerate pl at form, which i s
qui t e d i s t i n c t from t he i n t e r t i d a l r e e f pl at f or m, was not seen on t he
main i s l ands , except pat chi l y on t he lagoon shore of North I s l and,
but may be forming beneat h them a s a cay sandst one. The s ur f ace of
t he Manahas conglomerate st ands about 0. 5 m above hi gh wat er l evel ,
and i s f r e t t e d by s ubaer i al er os i on.
Goel et t e i s a smal l f l a t f e a t ur e l e s s i s l a nd wi t h seaward beaches
of i mbr i cat e cobbl es; it cons i s t s of sand and gr avel s , p a r t l y
phosphat i sed (Baker 1963, 85). I t has no beachrock. There a r e s ever al
small i s l e t s on t he nor t her n r e e f , but t hey have not been v i s i t e d .
Gardiner (1936, 432) claimed t o f i nd "evidence i n i s ol a t e d masses
of rock on t he out er s i de s of t he enci r cl i ng r e e f , and es peci al l y on
t he i s l e t s , of an almost cont i nuous o r qui t e cont i nuous r e e f t h a t
st ood up f o r 10 f e e t o r more above t he wat er l e ve l , and formerl y
surrounded t he whole bank, appar ent l y about coveri ng t he e xi s t i ng
reef". I f t hese f eat ur es e x i s t t hey may be st orm-cast r eef - bl ocks:
no t r a c e of them was seen i n 1968, though el evat ed reef-rock. would
be expected i f t he hi s t or y of t he a t o l l has been a s complex as t he
lagoon bathymetry suggest s.
Pi ggot t (1968) di s t i ngui s hes f our s o i l s e r i e s on t he Farquhar
i s l ands : (1) t he Farquhar Ser i es , developed on f i n e dune sands; (2)
Shioya Ser i es , on non-dune cal careous sands; (3) smal l ar eas of
phosphat i c hardpan s o i l descri bed as Jemo Ser i es , though di f f e r i ng
i n some r es pect s from t he t ype Jemo Se r i e s descr i bed by Fosberg (1954);
and (4) a smal l ar ea of Sal i ne Marsh on South I s l and. The par ent
mat er i al s of t he Farquhar Ser i es a r e r e l a t i v e l y homogeneous, f i n e r
and more angul ar t han t hose of Shioya Ser i es , and Farquhar Ser i es
s o i l s a r e gener al l y developed on r o l l i n g topography wi t h a deep
wat er t a bl e . Parent mat er i al s of Shioya Se r i e s range from sands
t o gr avel s . Baker (1963) has given anal yses of guano and phosphat i c
rock from Pi ggot t ' s Jemo Ser i es .
Tropi cal cycl ones a r e common on Farquhar, and major storms
occurred i n 1893, 1926, 1950 and 1954. Apart from t h e i r e f f e c t s on
r eef s , t hes e storms have l ed t o beach er os i on, c ut t i ng back of dunes,
and t he mant l i ng of i s l a nd s ur f aces wi t h coar se depos i t s .
Veget at i on
Though pl ant s were col l ect ed on Farquhar by Fl et cher duri ng t he
Percy Sladen Expedi t i on i n 1905, no l i st was ever publ i shed. The
fol l owi ng paper by Fosberg and Renvoize des cr i bes col l ect i ons made
by Gwynne and Wood i n October 1967 and by St oddar t and Poore i n
September 1968. The l a t t e r col l ect i on t o t a l l e d 62 s peci es of fl oweri ng
pl ant s , one moss and one l i chen, t o which can be added t en speci es
of fl oweri ng pl a nt s recorded a s s i ght r ecor ds onl y. Gwynne and Wood
(1969) r ecor d 47 s peci es , i ncl udi ng 16 s i ght r ecor ds .
Both f l o r a and veget at i on d i f f e r markedly from t hose of el evat ed
l i mest one i s l ands i n t he Aldabra group, and resemble more t hose of t he
sand cays of t he Amirantes and t h e c e nt r a l Indi an Ocean. No r a i n f a l l
records have been kept , but wi t h probabl y 1200 mm/yr Farquhar i s
consi derabl y wet t er than Aldabra and Asswnption.
Both t h e r ai s ed
l i mest one community and t he mangrove community ar e absent on Farquhar.
The i s l ands ar e simple sand cays wi t h dunes, but t he veget at i on,
though c ha r a c t e r i s t i c of such ha bi t a t s , i s complicated by a long
hi s t or y of human i nt er f er ence, wi t h t he r e s u l t t h a t t he r e i s a s t r ong
gr adi ent i n number of i nt roduced s peci es southwards from t h e set t l ement
on t he North I sl and. The channel between North and South I s l ands forms
a major break i n t h i s gr adi ent , and though bot h of t he main i s l ands
ar e l ar gel y covered with coconuts, North I s l and has many more i nt roduced
s peci es of herbs and gr asses i n t h e ground l ayer t han has South.
Nesting seabi r ds a l s o i nf l uence t h e veget at i on, par t i cul ar y on t he
smal l er i s l ands . Farquhar is af f ect ed by a major cyclone about once
i n 25 year s, when t he l i t t o r a l veget at i on and a l s o t he t r e e s , es peci al l y
t he coconuts, ar e subj ect t o major damage.
Nine veget at i on t ypes can be di s t i ngui s hed on Farquhar on t he
bas i s of our br i e f reconnai ssance i n 1968:
(1) Seaward beach wi t hout dunes: where t he beach i s s t a b l e t he r e
i s a hedge of Scaevol a, Tour nef or t i a, Pemphis and Suri ana;
where t he beach i s r e t r e a t i n g , i nl and speci es such as
Casuarina ar e found a t t he beach c r e s t .
(2) Seaward coas t al dunes: t hes e ar e covered wi t h a mosaic of
Suri ana, Scaevola and Tour nef or t i a, wi t h Fi mbr i s t yl i s and
Port ul aca.
(3) Inland s t a bl e dunes : mainly under coconuts and Casuari na,
wi t h a ground cover of gr asses ( Pl at es 7, 8 and 9) .
(4) Inl and sand or f i n e gr avel ar eas , under coconuts o r Casuarina,
wi t h consi derabl e di ve r s i t y i n ground cover ( Pl at e 10) .
(5) Lagoon beach, mainly edged by Scaevola, Suri ana and Pemphis.
(6) Barachois, edged by Pemphis and Suri ana, wi t h a s par s e
i r r e gul a r cover of gr asses and sedges.
(7) Inland depressi ons wi t h st andi ng wat er o r wet ground. These
ar e uncommon; one on North I sl and has a s o l i t a r y Rhizophora.
(8) Herb mat community dominated by Boerhavia and Achyranthes,
found i n t he t er n- nes t i ng ar ea on Goel et t e I sl and.
(9) Vegetation i n t he main s et t l ement and a l s o adj acent t o
i ndi vi dual houses el sewhere, dominated by i nt roduced decor at i ve
and cul t i vat ed pl a nt s .
North I s l and
The veget at i on of North I s l and has been much af f ect ed by r ecent
cycl ones: t he seaward beach has eroded, and many coconuts and Casuari na
t r e e s have been broken i nl and. The main veget at i on t ype i s coconut
woodland i n t he f l a t t e r i nl and ar eas . Apart from Casuari na and,
es peci al l y i n t he nort h, wi l d Car i ca papaya ( Pl at e l l ) , few ot her t r e e s
ar e pr esent , and t hose which a r e found ar e concent rat ed near t he
lagoon shork beach hedge. They i ncl ude Cordia subcordat a, a Fi cus,
and Hernandia sonora, none of them common; Guet t arda speci osa and
Thespesi a populnea were not seen. According t o Pi ggot t (1968, 36)
wi l d Cari ca i s an i ndi cat or of phosphat i c s o i l s , and groves of t h i s
speci es were erowing wi l d on ~ o E t h I s l and as e a r l v as-1905 (Gardiner
&d Cooper 1967, 14i ) .
The sward beneat h t he coconuts i s extremely var i abl e, more
es peci al l y i n t he nor t h where it i s c l e a r l y f r eauent l v cut . In
adhi t i on t o grasses (Cenchrus echi nat us, itar aria hor i zont al i s ,
Stenotaphrum dimidiatum, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Chl ori s barbat a)
and sedges ( Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa, Cyperus dubi us, Cyperus l i g u l a r i s ) ,
and t he vi ne Cassytha, t her e a r e more than twenty s peci es of fl oweri ng
pl ant s pr esent . Those col l ect ed i ncl ude:
Ipomoea t uba
Kalanchoe pi nnat a
Laportea aest uans
Launaea i nt ybacea
Li ppi a nodi f l or a
Parthenium hyst erophorus
Pas s i f l or a suberosa
Phy l l ant hus amarus
Phyl l ant hus maderaspat ensi s
Port ul aca ol er acea
Si da c f . pa r vi f ol i a
-
St achyt arphet a j amai censi s
St r i ga a s i a t i c a
Tri bul us c i s t oi de s
Turnera ul mi f ol i a
Vernonia ci ner ea
Turnera i s pa r t i c ul a r l y conspicuous i n many pl aces, but of t en t her e i s
a very di ver se assemblage wi t h no s i ngl e dominant. The f er n
Nephrolepis bi s e r r a t a i s pr esent and l ocal l y abundant on t he ground.
The coconuts ar e gener al l y 10-12 m t a l l . In t he middle of t he
i s l and many ar e snapped of f and crownless ( Pl at e 8) . Newly pl ant ed
coconuts towards t he sout hern end ar e 2-3 m t a l l . Mature Casuarina
t r e e s throughout t he i s l and reach 20 m i n hei ght .
The seaward beach on North I sl and i s sandy and r e t r e a t i ng ( Pl at e
4 ) . Broken, sometimes dead, j uveni l e Casuarina l i n e much of t he beach
c r e s t , wi t h a zone of spi ndl y Scaevola t accada t o landward. Pemphis
i s a l s o found on t he seaward beach. The ground under t he shrubs i s
of t en bare, but Tri umfet t a procumbens was col l ect ed on t he beach
i t s e l f . The lagoon shore i s progradi ng, wi t h a dense hedge of
Scaevola t accada and Suri ana maritima, and occasi onal t r e e s of
--
Casuarina and Cordia.
Dunes car r y a d i s t i n c t i v e veget at i on. On act i ve dunes, a s a t
t he sout hern t i p of t he i s l and, t her e is a shrub l ayer of bushy
Scaevola t accada 1. 5 m high, wi t h a l ar gel y bar e ground s ur f ace dot t ed
wi t h r os et t es of Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa and Er agr ost i s: t he ground her e
i s being eroded by wind and t he sedges and gr asses st and on smal l
pi nnacl es. Non-active dunes ar e common over t he i s l and and car r y
mature Casuarina woodland with a mixed ground veget at i on.
One small marshy ar ea i n t he cent r e of t h e i s l and cont ai ns a
s o l i t a r y t a l l Rhizophora, t he only mangrove seen on Farquhar, with
a dense ground cover of Stenotaphrum.
The main set t l ement a t t he nor t h end of North I sl and cont ai ns
s ever al t r e e s not seen elsewhere, i n addi t i on t o t a l l Casuarina and
Hernandia sonora. These i ncl ude Ochrosi a oppos i t i f ol i a, Moringa
ol e i f e r a , Termi nal i a cat appa, Calophyllum inophyllum, and Tabebuia
pal l i da, t he l a s t a New World decor at i ve. Cul t i vat ed pl ant s
Lf economic val ue i ncl ude Gossypium hi rsut um, Agave, Gs a , Ricinus
communis, var i ous cucur bi t s , and maize; decor at i ves i ncl ude a red-
fl owered- Opuntia, cat harant hus r oseus, Bidens sul phurea, i-ieliotropium
indicum, Solanum c f , melongena, Malvastrum coromandelianum, Gai l l ar di a
l anceol at a and Zinnia el egans. The whole ar ea of t h e set t l ement has
t he appearance of long-continued human occupat i on and a l t e r a t i on.
Manaha I sl ands
These t hr ee smal l i s l e t s between North and South I sl ands ar e
covered wi t h a t a l l woodland of - Cocos and Casuarina. Each has a
l i t t o r a l hedge of Tournefort i a argent ea, Scaevola t accada and Suri ana
maritima. The eround veeet at i on beneat h t he coconuts cons i s t s of
" "
abundant vi nes of Ipomoea t uba, clumps of Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa, and
l i t t l e e l s e . The c o n t r a s t wi t h t he di ve r s i t y of similar ground
veget at i on on North I sl and is very s t r i k i n g .
South I sl and
Like North I sl and, South I s l and has a small set t l ement , not
permanently occupied, a t i t s nor t her n end; a l ar ge pa r t of t he
i s l and is covered wi t h dunes; and most of t he r e s t by coconut or
Casuarina woodland. In t he coconut woodland few ot her t r e e s ar e
pr esent ( r ar e Hernandia sonora and Cordia subcordat a) and t he r e a r e
few shrubs. The ground cover i s s i mi l a r t o t h a t under coconuts on
North I sl and, but fewer speci es a r e pr es ent . Grasses i ncl ude
Er agr ost i s s p. , Cenchrus echi nat us, and Dactyloctenium aegyptium; t he
sedges Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa and CE l i g u l a r i s . Other fl oweri ng
pl ant s not ed i n t he ground l a y e r i ncl ude:
Achyranthcs as= Phyl l ant hus anlarus
Boerhavia di Ffusa
- - - - . . - -
Por t ul aca c f . aus t r a
la f i l i f or mi s - Si da s p.
A s i ngl e bryophyte, col l ect ed on t he s ur f ace of ol d dunes i n heavy
shade, can onl y be determined as - Brywn s p. o r Pohl i a s p. by C. C.
Townsend.
The seaward dunes ar e covered wi t h a dense growth of Scaevol a
t accada, wi t h Suri ana maritima and some Tournefort i a ar gent ea. The
lagoon beach i s l i ned mainly wi t h Scaevol a and Suri ana, and t he l ong
i n l e t s o r barachoi s by Suri ana and Pemphis aci dul a.
The l i chen Usnea
was col l ect ed from Suri ana on t h e margins of one of t h e bar achoi s.
The smal l set t l ement has i nt roduced t r e e s , pa r t i c ul a r l y Moringa
o l e i f e r a but a l s o i ncl udi ng a s i ngl e young Barri ngt oni a a s i a t i c a .
Musa s p. , Ri ci nus communis and Amaranthus dubius ar e cul t i vat ed, and
-
t h e decor at i ves i ncl ude Mi r abi l i s j al apa and Gai l l ar di a l anceol at a.
Goel et t e I sl and
The t ern-breedi ng i s l and of Goel et t e i s almost devoid of t r e e s
(one Cocos and one Casuarina, bot h smal l and s i ckl y) and shrubs
( s o me l o w~ u r i a n a maritima and Tour nef or t i a argent ea on t he nort hwest
shor e) . Almost t he whole i s l and i s covered wi t h a low mat of Ipomoea
pes-caprae vi nes, t he sedges Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa and Cyperus l i g u l a r i s ,
-
and es peci al l y Boerhavia di f f us a and Achyranthes aspera, t he l a t t e r
forming t he t a l l e s t veget at i on apar t from t he r a r e t r e e s and shrubs.
No s peci es not present elsewhere on t h e a t o l l were found on Goel et t e,
but t he absence of St achyt arphet a j amai censi s, dominant i n s i mi l a r
b i r d col oni es on Desnoeufs, Amirantes (Ridley and Percy 1955), and
pr esent on North I sl and, may be not ed.
Fauna ot her t han Bi rds
Both t he l and and marine fauna of Farquhar ar e very i nadequat el y
known, f or apar t from Gardi ner' s par t y i n 1905 no a t t e nt i on has been
pai d t o any group except t he b i r d s . Gardi ner' s own col l ect i ons were
small by comparison with t hose he made on ot her i s l ands duri ng t he
Percy Sladen Expedi t i on. A s i ngl e marine al ga i s recorded (Gepp and
Gepp 1909), but t he col l ect i ons of marine fauna, ot her t han pel agi c
forms, ar e very smal l (Table 2 ) . Gardi ner and Cooper (1907, 144-145)
descri bed t he Green Tur t l e nes t i ng on Farquhar, and it s t i l l does so.
According t o Rothschild (1915) t he Giant Land Tor t oi se Geochelone
gi gant ea formerl y exi s t ed on Farquhar but has become e xt i nc t . No
evidence f o r t h i s st at ement i s known, , ei t her h i s t o r i c a l l y o r i n t he
f o s s i l record. However, two Giant Tor t oi ses from Aldabra a r e pr es ent
on North I sl and: one of t hese was seen i n 1968, i n t he coconut
woodland near t he sout h end of t he i s l and, and i s consi derabl y l a r ge r
t han any t o r t o i s e now l i vi ng on Aldabra, presumably i n response t o t h e
wet t er cl i mat e, r i c he r veget at i on, and absence of compet i t i on.
Boulenger (1909) recorded two r e p t i l e s , a Hemidactylus and a Phelsuma,
but ne i t he r was seen i n 1968. Two crabs (Cardisoma, Coenobita) a r e
18
Table 2. Marine Fauna recorded from Farquhar At ol l
Group Number of s peci es Reference
-
Coel ent er at a Hydroids
Siphonophorae
Medusae
Al cyonari a
Annelida Pol ychaet a
Echinodermat a
Crust acea Decapoda Anomura
Brachyura
Stomatopoda
Mollusca Gastropoda
Pteropoda
Heteropoda
J a r v i s (1922)
Browne (1926)
Browne (1916)
Thomson and
Mackinnon (1910)
Pot t s (1910)
Bel l (1909)
Lauri e (1926),
Borradai l e (1907)
Borradai l e (1907),
Rathbun (1911)
Ta t t e r s a l l (1912)
Mel vi l l (1909)
Tesch (1910)
Tesch (1910)
recorded by Bor r adai l e (1907), and ni ne s peci es of Arachnida (Neumann
1907, Hirst 1911). There a r e no na t i ve mammals. Bainbrigge Fl et cher
col l ect ed i ns e c t s i n 1905, and t h i s accounts f o r t h e 66 s peci es of
i ns ect s recorded i n t he Percy Sladen Reports: c i t a t i o n s of Farquhar
mat er i al i n t hes e Reports a r e keyed i n Table 3 .
Table 3 . I ns ect s recorded from Farquhar At ol l
by t he Percy Sladen Expedition
Group
Apterygota
Ort hopt era
Dermaptera
Hemiptera
Neuroptera
Lepidoptera
Col eopt era
Hymenoptera
Di pt era
Number of Speci-es Reference
Carpent er (1916)
Bol i var (1912, 1924)
Burr (1910)
Di st ant (1909, 1913),
Green (1907)
Needham (1913)
Fl et cher (1910), Fryer
(1912), Meyrick (1911)
Arrow (1922), Champion
(1914), Fl eut i aux (1923),
Gebien (1922), Grouvelle
(1913), Scot t (1912)
Cameron (1907), Cockerel1
(1912), Forel (1907),
Meade-Waldo (1912)
Lamb (1922)
I t i s c l e a r from t h i s record t h a t l i t t l e can be s ai d about t h e
i nver t ebr at e fauna of Farquhar, e i t h e r marine o r t e r r e s t r i a l , wi t hout
f ur t he r col l ect i ng.
Bi rds
-
Breeding land b i r d s
The number of l and bi r ds i s very smal l by comparison wi t h t h a t on
t he el evat ed l i mest one i s l ands , and a l l f our s peci es recorded may have
followed human s et t l ement . Apart from a pos s i bl e Al ect roenas, now
ext i nct (St oddart and Benson 1970), and a dubious s i ght i ng of "a
s o l i t a r y and shy warbl er which I coul d not i dent i f y" by Travi s
(1959, 66), t h e na t i ve land b i r d fauna of Farquhar may have been
n i l . The fol l owi ng speci es a r e recorded.
Foudia madagascari ensi s
Nat i ve accordi ng t o Gardi ner, i nt roduced accordi ng t o
.
Hartman (1958). Common everywhere, es peci al l y on North
I s l and i n 1968.
St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a
Recorded ( as Turt ur pi ct ur at us ) as "very common i n Farquhar",
probabl y i nt roduced from Madagascar, by Gadow and Gardiner
(1907, 107). No ot her r ecor d known; not seen i n 1968.
Geopelia s t r i a t a
Int roduced bef or e 1905 and t hen common around North I s l and
set t l ement (Gardiner and Cooper 1907, 144) . d col l ect ed on
North I s l and by Parker, 3 October 1967. Common, es peci al l y
on t he nor t her n h a l f of North I s l and, 1968.
Bubulcus i b i s
p col l ect ed on Goel et t e by Parker, 3 October 1967. Breeding
i n Suri ana bushes on Goel et t e, September 1968; s i x adul t
bi r ds .
Possi bl y r es i dent shore bi r ds
Ardea ci ner ea
Si ght , Manahas, September 1968.
But ori des s t r i a t u s
Si ght , North I s l and, September 1968.
Migrants
--
Arenari a i nt e r pr e s
Squat arol a s quat ar ol a
As - S. hel vet i ca i n Gadow and Gardi ner (1907), 1 specimen.
Charadri us al exandri nus
Si ght r ecor d, a s Ae gi a l i t i s cant i ana, i n Gadow and Gardiner
(1907).
Limosa l apponi ca
1 specimen t aken, 1905 (Gadow and Gardiner 1907).
Crocet hi a al ba
Er ol i a t es t acea
p col l ect ed by Parker, Goel et t e, 3 October 1967.
Dromas ar deol a
Ot her speci es a r e recorded from Providence Bank by Watson and
ot her s (1963, 187). Charadri us l es chenaul t i i and Numenius phaeopus
i n p a r t i c u l a r a r e l i ke l y t o occur.
Sea bi r ds
The main s ea bi r d breedi ng ground i s on Goel et t e I s l and ( Pl at es
14, 15 and 16), and has been expl oi t ed i n t he pa s t f o r t e r n s ' eggs
(Ridley and Percy 1955). Vesey-FitzGerald (1941, 525) recorded t h a t
"about 25,000 bi r ds [St erna f us cat a] were r ear ed i n 1937 a f t e r heavy
egg-col l ect i ng" on t h i s i s l and; he a l s o recorded St er na sumatrana and
r oos t i ng Anous t e n u i r o s t r i s . Tr avi s (1959, 62-63) found few i f any
Sooty Terns on Goel et t e, t he whole bei ng covered with Noddies, but
t he t i me of vear of h i s v i s i t i s not c l e a r . Parker i n October 1967
col l ect ed f our speci es of t e r ns ( St er na al bi f r ons , S. f us cat a, - S.
sumatrana, S. dougal l i ) on G o e l e t t e , d n d a s ~ e u s b e r g i i . He
found s ever al thousand vouna Sooty Terns on t he i s l and, a l l more t han
h a l f fl edged and t he maj or i t y f u l i y fl edged, and he not ed a l ar ge
number of dead o r dying bi r ds (Parker 1970). A l ar ge number of
Noddies Anous s t ol i dus a l s o n e s t on Goel et t e, but were al r eady fl edged
a t t he time of Par ker ' s v i s i t . I n September 1968 we found many
thousands bot h of St er na f us c a t a and Anous s t ol i dus on Goel et t e,
i n l a r ge di s c r e t e f l ocks . Again most of t he t e r ns were fl edged, and
t her e were l a r e e numbers of dead b i r d s . The whole i s l and was covered
"
wi t h t i c k s (Amblyomma s p. ? ) , i n cont r as t t o s i mi l ar b i r d col oni es on
Afri can Banks.
The onl y ot her s ea b i r d d e f i n i t e l y known t o ne s t on Farquhar i s
t he Red-footed Booby -- Sul a s ul a. Tr avi s (1959, 64-65) r ecor ds nes t i ng
boobi es wi t h chi cks i n Casuari na on t he e a s t s i de of South I s l and.
Thi s colony was seen, i n t a l l Casuari na s t ai ned white by t h e bi r ds ,
on t he lagoon shore of South I s l and i n 1968. Other s e a bi r ds may
ne s t on t he smal l remote sand cays of t he nort hern r e e f , but t hes e
have not been i nves t i gat ed.
The fol l owi ng s ea bi r ds have been recorded from Farquhar:
Sul a da c t yl a t r a
Recorded by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) from Goel et t e.
Sul a s u l a
--
Recorded from South I s l and by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) and
Travi s (1959), and seen i n 1968. Breeds i n Casuari na.
Fregat a minor
Si ght , September 1968; not common.
St er na dougal l i i
9 col l ect ed by Parker on Goel et t e, 3 October 1967.
St er na sumatrana
Recorded by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) on Goel et t e; od col l ect ed
by Parker on Goel et t e, 3 October 1967.
St er na f us cat a
Breeds i n thousands on Goel et t e. Recorded bv Vesev-FitzGerald
(1941) and l a t e r v i s i t o r s . 099 col l ect ed b i ~ a r k e k on
Goel et t e, 3 October 1967.
St er na al bi f r ons
999~0' col l ect ed by Parker on Goel et t e, 3 October 1967.
Anous s t ol i dus
Recorded by Parker on Goel et t e; pr es ent i n thousands i n
September 1968.
Anous t e nui r os t r i s
Recorded a s r oos t i ng on Goel et t e by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941).
Gygis al ba
--
Recorded by St oddar t and Poore, September 1968: probabl y
t he "small whi t e g11" noted by Moresby i n 1821-2 (St oddart
and Benson 1969).
Set t l ement
Farquhar was di scovered by Joao de Nova i n 1504, but apar t from
t he French hydrographic survey i n 1776 and t he Br i t i s h i n 1824, not hi ng
i s known of i t s hi s t or y u n t i l t h e e a r l y ni net eent h cent ur y. The a t o l l
was apparent l y uni nhabi t ed when a s hi p named t h e St Abbs was wrecked
--
t he r e i n 1855, though Li eut . Hay had found a f i s hi ng set t l ement
es t abl i s hed on 12 March 1822 (Moresby 1842, 680). A smal l f i s hi ng
s t a t i o n was es t abl i s hed soon af t er war ds (Li eut ard 1868), and pl ant i ng
of coconuts followed: a consi der abl e number were pl ant ed on North
I s l and by a Mauri t i an fi rm i n 1870 (Fi ndl ay 1882, 546-547). According
t o a v i s i t i n g St i pendi ar y Magi st r at e ( r epor t ed i n Bergne 1900),
however, coconut t r e e s were not bear i ng by 1879. A t t h i s t i me t he
popul at i on numbered 40 men, wi t h an export of s a l t f i s h and t u r t l e
val ued a t Rs 14,000. More coconut s were pl ant ed by James Spurs about
1885 (Gardiner and Cooper 1907, 143), but many were dest royed i n t h e
cyclone of 1893. I n 1895 t he coconuts which survi ved were i n f u l l
beari ng, producing about 70,000 nut s per month, and support i ng a
popul at i on of 100 men, women and chi l dr en (Bergne 1900). Pl ant i ng
began on South I sl and as l a t e as 1905 (Gardi ner and Cooper 1907, 143).
Pi ggot t (1961, 82) has swnmarised t he hi s t or y of t he coconut
pl ant at i ons . By 1950 t hey were yi el di ng 30 t ons of copra per month.
30,000 t r e e s were dest royed, however, i n t he major cyclone of t h a t
year. In s p i t e of r epl ant i ng, copra product i on i n 1960 was only 20
t ons per month, and 24 t ons i n 1967.
The set t l ement ( Pl at e 17) i n 1968 cons i s t ed of 39 peopl e, a l l
r es i dent on North I sl and, wi t h 31 head of c a t t l e , 2 donkeys, and 2
horses, pi gs, chickens, t urkeys, ducks, geese and bees. Maize has
been cul t i vat ed a t l e a s t si nce 1905. The economic development of
t he a t o l l is l i mi t ed both by t he r ecur r ent cyclones and by t he gr eat
di st ance t o ~ a h d , i n both r es pect s comparing unfavourably wi t h
competing pl ant at i ons i n t he Amirantes and on Coetivy.
From 1814, when Mauritius came under Br i t i s h r ul e, Farquhar
was admi ni st ered as par t of t he Colony of Mauri t i us, and while t he
new Colony of Seychel l es was formed i n 1903, Farquhar was not
t r ans f er r ed t o it u n t i l December 1921. I n 1965 Farquhar was detached
from t he Seychel l es and became p a r t of t he Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean
Ter r i t or y. As such it i s covered by t he pr ovi si ons of an agreement
between Br i t ai n and t he United St a t e s governing t he use of B.I.O.T.
f o r defence purposes f or a peri od o f not l e s s t han f i f t y year s .
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---------- 1913. Rhynchota, Par t I : suborder Het eropt era. Trans. Linn.
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R. H. Lauri e, 4t h edi t i on, 1-1304.
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Seychel l es. Proc. Entom. Soc. London, s e r . A, 25: 75-80.
FARQUHAR ATOLL
1. Scaevola community on hi gh dunes, nor t h end of South I s l and
2 . Unvegetated barachoi s, lagoon shore, nor t h end of South I s l and
3. Cay sandst one out crop on erodi ng lagoon shore, North Isl and
4. Scaevola and Casuari na on erodi ng seaward shore, North I sl and
5. Progradi ng lagoon shore wi t h Scaevol a and Casuarina, North I s l and
6 . Conglomerate pl at form out croppi ng on t he s i des of t he channel
between t he nor t her n Manaha I s l and and North I sl and; view towards
t he lagoon
7. Open Casuari na woodland on ol d dunes, North I s l and
8. Woodland of Cocos and Casuari na on ol d dunes, North I s l and; not e
t he hur r i cane damage t o coconut s
9. Repl ant i ng of coconuts i n hurricane-damaged ar ea of North I sl and
10. Open woodland of Cocos with Fi mbr i st yl i s on f l a t gravel spread,
North I s l and
-
11. Coconut woodland with grove of wi l d Cari ca papaya, nor t h end of
North I s l and
12. Sooty Terns and Nod6ies on Goel et t e I s l and. Note t he low
herb-mat veget at i on, and t he s c a r c i t y of dwarf shrubs
13-14. Sooty Terns and Noddies op Goel et t e I sl and. Note t h e low
15-16. Sooty Terns and Noddies on Goel et t e I s l and. Note t he low
17. Copra sheds a t Set t l ement , North I s l and
3 . PLANTS OF FARQUHAR ATOLL
USNEA sp.
South I . , St oddart & Poore 1368 (K) . On Suri ana.
Uni dent i fi ed moss
St oddart & Poore s . n.
NEPHROLEPIS BISERRATA (Sw.) Schot t
S. l . , Wiehe 10174 (MALI)*; North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1342
( K, US); Gwynne & Wood 1179 (EA).
CYMODOCEA CILIATA Ehrenb. ex. Aschers. ?
South I . " Al t . 10 ft", Gwynne & Wood 1216 (EA) .
Small, i nt ernodes condensed, l e a f - t i ps shar pl y and prominently
dent i cul at e.
THALASSIA HEMPRICHII (Ehrenb . ) Aschers .
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1216 (EA). (Fragment mixed wi t h
Cymodocea c o l l . )
CENCHRUS ECHINATUS L.
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1201 (K, EA); North I . , St oddar t &
Poore 1341 ( K) .
CHLORIS BARBATA Sw.
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1364 (K)
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM (L.) Wi l l d.
S. l . , Wiehe 10162 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1361 (K,
US) ; South I . , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
DIGITARIA TIMORENSIS (Kunthl Bal.
South I . , Gwynne.6 wood 1202 (K, EA): North I . , St oddar t &
Poore 1357 (K, US)
DIGITARIA s p.
Wiehe 10163 (MAU)
*Wiehe col l ect i ons c i t e d from Mauri t i us Herbarium have not been
seen by t he aut hor s.
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 27 - 33, l g70.
ELEUSINE I NDI CA (L. ) Gaert n.
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1200 (K, EA), 1206 (EA) .
-
ERAGROSTIS s p.
S. l . , Wiehe 10178 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1360 (K);
South I . , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
LEPTURUS REPENS R. Br.
North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1186 (EA) .
PANICUM MAXI MUM Jacq.
S. l . , Wiehe 10179 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1203 (EA).
PANICUM (near) UMBELLATUM Tr i n.
S. l . , Wiehe 10183 (MAU) .
PASPALUM DISTICHUM L. (P. vaginatum Sw.)
S. I . , Wiehe 10187 (MAU); North I. , Gwynne & Wood 1182 (K, EA).
PENNISETUM POLYSTACHION ( L. ) Schul t .
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1332 ( K, US).
PENNISETUM PURPUREUM Schum.
S. I . , Wiehe 10160 (MAU); North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1184 (EA).
STENOTAPHRUM DIMIDIATUM (L. ) Brongn .
S. l . , Wiehe 10161 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1359 (K, US)
STENOTAPHRUM MICRANTHUM (Desv .) Hubb .
S. l . , Wiehe 10159 (MALI) ; South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1197 (EA) .
ZEA MAYS L.
CYPERUS DUBIUS Rot t b.
S. l . , Wiehe 10165 (MAU) : North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1348 (K,
US) ; South I . , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
CYPERUS KYLLI NGI A Endl.
North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1183 (EA): St oddar t & Poore 1334 (K, US).
FIMBRISTYLIS CYMOSA R. B r .
S. l . , Wiehe 10164 (MAU); North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1181 (EA);
St oddar t & Poore 1349 (K); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1213 (EA) ;
St oddar t & Poore 1370 (K, US); Manaha I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
North, South, and Manaha I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
AGAVE SISALANA Per r .
North I . , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
MUSA SAPIENTUM L.
North and South I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968
CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA L.
LAPORTEA AESTUANS (Gaud. ) Chew
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1344 (K).
FICUS BENGHALENSIS L.
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1336 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 1188 (EA).
BOERHAVIA DIFFUSA L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10173 (MAU) ; North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1185 (EA) ;
St oddar t & ~ o o r e T3 5 2 (K, US); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1211 (K,
EA) .
MIRABILIS JALAPA L .
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1199 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1371 (K, US)
ACHYRANTHES ASPERA L .
S. I . , Wiehe 10172 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1346 (K, US);
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1189 (K, EA) .
AMARANTHUS DUBIUS Mart. ex Thel l .
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1324 (K, US); South I . , seen by
St oddar t , 1968.
AMARANTHUS sp.
S. l . , Wiehe 10190 (MAU).
PORTULACA cf . AUSTRALIS End1 .
South I . , St oddart & Poore 1369 (K)
PORTULACA OLERACEA L.
S. I . , Wiehe 10193 (MAU) ; South I. , Gwynne & Wood 1205 (EA) ; North
I . , St oddar t & Poore 1328 ( K, US).
PORTULACA sp .
S. l . , Wiehe 10177 (MU) .
CASSYTHA FILIFORMIS L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10196 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t 4 Poore 1321 (K, US);
HERNANDIA SONORA L.
North I . , St oddar t 4 Poore 1345 (K, US); South I . , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
GYNANDROPSIS GYNANDRA (L.) Bri q.
S. I . , Wiehe 10167 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1204 (K, EA);
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1343 (K, US) .
MORINGA OLEIFERA Lam.
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1379 (K, US); South I . ,
seen by St oddar t , 1968.
KALANCHOE PINNATA (Lam.) Per s.
North I . , s t oddar t . fi Poore 1322 (K, US) ; South I . , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
DESMANTHUS VIRGATUS Wi l l d.
S. I. , Wiehe 10184 (MAU).
INDIGOFERA sp.
S. l . , Wiehe 10175 (MAU)
LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA (Lam .) de W i t
North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1186 (K, EA) .
TRIBULUS CISTOIDES L.
North I . , St oddart fi Poore 1339 (K, US); South I . , Gwynne & Wood
1193 (K, EA).
-
SURIANA MARITIMA L .
North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1187 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1333 (K, US);
South and Manaha I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
ACALYPHA INDICA L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10192 (MU) "first observed a f t e r 1950 cyclone";
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1382 (K).
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
S. I . , Wiehe 10188 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1198 (EA);
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1354 (K) .
EUPHORBIA PROSTRATA A i t .
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1355 (K); South I . , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L .) Poi t .
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1326 (K).
PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS Schum. & Thonn .
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1350 (K); South I . , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
PHYLLANTHUS MADERASPATENSIS L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10170 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1212 (EA);
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1362 ( K, US).
PHY LLANTHUS (near) TENELLUS Roxb .
S. I . , Wiehe 10189 (MAU).
RICINUS COMMUNIS L.
North and South I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
TRIUMFETTA PROCUMBENS For s t .
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1329 (K, US).
ABUTILON s p.
S. l . , Wiehe 10198 (MU) .
GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L .
S. l . , Wiehe 10186 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1191 (K, EA).
MALVASTRUM COROMANDELIANUM (L.) Garcke
S. l . , Wiehe 10191 (MU);. North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore
1378 (K, US) ; South I . , St oddart & Poore 1367 ( K-
- P
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1327 (K, US); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1210
(K, EA).
CAiOPHY LLUM INOPHY LLUM L .
TURNERA ULMIFOLIA L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10169 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t 4 Poore 1351 (K, US);
PASSIFLORA FOETIDA var . HISPIDA (DC.) Ki l l i p
S. l . , Wiehe 10189 (MAU) .
PASSIFLORA SUBEROSA L.
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1366 (K, US).
CARI CA PAPAYA L.
North I . , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
CUCURBITA c f . MAXIMA Duch. ex Lam.
North I. , St oddart & Poore 1323 (K, US).
CUCURBITA PEP0 L.
South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1190 (EA).
MELOTHRIA MADERASPATANA (L. ) Cogn .
North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1340 (K); South I. , Gwynne & Wood 1194
(K, EA); I l e Goel et t e, Gwynne & Wood 1219 (EA).
PEMPHIS ACIDULA For s t .
S. l . , Wiehe 10197 (MAU); North I . , Gwynne & Wood 1180 (K, EA) ;
St oddar t & Poore 1330 (K, US).
RHIZOPHORA MUCRONATA Lam.
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1331 (K, US)
TERMINALIA CATAPPA L.
BARRINGTONIA ASIATICA ( L. ) Kurz
South I . , St oddar t & Poore 1386 (K, US).
OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) M i l l .
North I. , photo by St oddar t , 1968 (det ermi nat i on ve r i f i e d by Lyman
Benson, 1969).
CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS (L.) G. Don
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1338 (K, US).
OCHROSIA OPPOSITIFOLIA (Lam.) K. Sc hm.
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1385 (K)
IPOMOEA TUBA (Schl echt . ) G. Don
S. I . , Wiehe 10200 (MAU); Goel et t e I . , Gwynne & Wood 1218 (EA);
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1337 (K, US) - & Wood
1209 (K, EA); Manaha I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
-
CORDIA SUBCORDATA Lam.
North I . , St oddart & Poore 1335 (K, US); South I . , seen by St oddar t ,
1968.
HELIOTROPIUM INDICUM L.
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1375 (K, US).
TOURNEFORTIA ARGENTEA L. f .
North and South and Manaha I s l e t s , seen by St oddar t , 1968.
LIPPIA NODIFLORA (L.) Michx.
S. l . , Wiehe 10166 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1365 (K, US).
STACHYTARPHETA JAMAICENSIS (L.) Vahl
S. l . , Wiehe 10180 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1358 (K, US)
SOLANUM MELONGENA L.
SOLANUM NI GRUM L.
STRIGA ASIATICA (L.) 0. Ktze
S. I . , Wiehe 10195 (MAU) ; North I . , St oddar t 6 Poore 1347 (K, US) ;
TABEBUIA PALLI DA ( Li ndl . ) Miers
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1380 (K) .
ASYSTASIA BOJERIANA Nees
S. I . , Wiehe 10182 (MU).
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaert n. ) Roxb:
BIDENS PILOSA L.
S. I . , Wiehe 10194 (MU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1363 (K, US).
BIDENS SULPHUREA (Cav.) Sch . -Bip.
North I . , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1374 (K)
GAILLARDIA LANCEOLATA Michx?
South I . , St oddart & Poore 1372 (K, US), 1373 (K, US); Gwynne &
Wood 1207 (K, EA), - 1208 (K, EA).
LAUNAEA INTYBACEA (Jacq .) Beauv .
S. l . , Wiehe 10181 (MAU); North I . , St oddar t & Poore 1325 (K).
PARTHENIUM HYSTEROPHORUS L.
S. l . , Wiehe 10185 (MAU); South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1195 (EA); North
I . , St oddar t 6 Poore 1353 (K, US).
SPILANTHES sp.
S. I . , Wiehe 10176 (MU) .
VERNONIA CINEREA IL.1 Less
. .
S. l., Wiehe 10171 (MAU) ; South I . , Gwynne & Wood 1196 (EA) ; North
I . , St oddar t & Poore 1356 (K, US).
ZINNIA ELEGANS Jacq.
North I. , Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1377 (K)
4. AN OLD RECORD OF A BLUE PIGEON ALECTROENAS SPECIES
AND SEA-BIRDS ON FARQUHAR AND PROVIDENCE
D. R. St oddar t and C. W. Benson
While working on manuscripts i n t he Old Indi an Offi ce, London,
St oddart found t he fol l owi ng st at ement i n a document about voyages
i n t he southwest Indi an Ocean i n 1821-22, wr i t t en by Captain ( l a t e r
Admiral of t he Fl eet Si r ) Fai r f ax Moresby:
"Jean de Nova i . e . Farquhar and Providence . . . l i k e t he Amirantes,
Coetivy and Alphonse ar e t he r e s or t of Mi l l i ons of Bi rds of which,
t he Fr i gat e Bird, t he Fou, a beaut i f ul smal l whi t e gul l , a va r i e t y
of var i ous col oured Gannet, and t he Tropi c Bird ar e t he pr i nc i pl e :
I n S. Pi er r e and Providence a s peci es of smal l bl ue pigeon a r e i n
gr eat abundance, and s o seldom di s t ur bed t h a t t hey do not f l y a t
Man's approach, but ar e knock'd down wi t h St i cks , we found them
excessi vel y good eat i ng, t hes e bi r ds bui l d and nes t on t he Mapou
t r e e and ot her Dwarf t r ees which cover t he s ur f ace of t he
i s l ands . ..
( 1
The "small bl ue pigeon" must have been a speci es of Blue Pigeon,
Al ect roenas. We know of no ot her r ef er ence t o i t s occurrence on Farquhar,
Providence o r St Pi er r e. St oddart spent 19 September 1968 on Farquhar,
t r aver s i ng most of t he a t o l l l and (see maps i n St oddart and Poore 1970
and Watson, Zusi and St or er 1963, 184), but saw no bl ue pi geons. The
genus Al ect roenas i s endemic t o t he Malagasy Region. I t was formerl y
represent ed on Mauri t i us, and i s st i l l s o on Malagasy (Madagascar), t h e
Comoros, Aldabra and t he Seychel l es (Goodwin 1967, 380-384). There may
a l s o have been a form on Rodriguez, A. r oder i cana (Milne-Edwards), known
only from bones (Hachisuka 1953, 1807. According t o Rountree and ot her s
(1952, 187), t he Mauri t i us form, A. ni t i di s s i ma (Scopol i ), became e xt i nc t
about 1831, though Renshaw ( 1 9 3 9 ) ~ i v e s t h e da t e as e a r l y a s 1826.
Penny (1967, 272) wr i t es of t h e "decl i ni ng numbers" and e d i b i l i t y of A.
ul cherri ma (Scopol i ) i n t he Seychel l es. The Comoro form, A. s. sganyi ni
YBonaparte), was r epor t ed by Benson (1960, 52) as very confydidi;ig and
excel l ent eat i ng, though s t i l l p l e n t i f u l . Nevert hel ess r epr es ent at i ons
were made a t t he Conference of t he I nt er nat i onal Council f or Bird
Preservat i on i n New York i n 1962 f or i t s proper pr ot ect i on (IX Bul l .
I.C.B.P., 1963, 38, 41). We can confirm t h a t on Aldabra A. sganzi ni
minor Berlepsch is extremely confi di ng. I t i s s t i l l pl enFi f ul i n t he
sout heast of t he a t o l l . Tameness and p a l a t a b i l i t y , bot h mentioned i n
Moresby's account , were undoubtedly t he undoing of Al ect roenas on St
Pi er r e and Providence, and presumably Mauri t i us t oo.
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 35 - 36, 1970.
O f t he ot her speci es ( sea bi r ds ) mentioned i n Moresby' s account ,
Watson and ot her s (1963, 185-188) mention ne i t he r f r i ga t e bi r ds Fregat a
spp. nor t r opi cbi r ds Phaethon spp. "Fou" i s French f o r a gannet , s o
t h a t it would appear t h a t t he r e were a t l e a s t two Sul a spp. Watson and
ot her s (1963) l i st bot h S. da c t yl a t r a and s u l a as breedi ng on Farquhar.
The "beaut i f ul small whi t e gul l " was pr es mabl y t he Fai r y T e n Gygis al ba,
--
which accordi ng t o Watson and ot her s (1963) breeds on Providence.
Acknowledgement
Unpublished Crown-copyright mat er i al i n t he I ndi a Of f i ce Records
t r ans cr i bed i n t h i s paper appears by permi ssi on of t he Secr et ar y of
St a t e f o r Foreign and Commonwealth Rel at i ons .
References
Benson, C. W. 1960. The bi r ds of t he Comoro I s l ands . I bi s , 103b: 105-106.
Goodwin, D. 1967. Pigeons and doves of t he world. London.
Hachisuka, M. 1953. The dodo and ki ndred bi r ds . London.
Moresby, F. No dat e (?1822). Memoir on t he i s l e s i n t he Indi an Ocean.
Manuscript. London, I ndi a Of f i ce, Records Department, MS 51: 1-70.
Penny, M. 1968. Endemic bi r ds of t h e Seychel l es. Oryx, 9: 267-275.
8
Renshaw, G. 1939. Some e xt i nc t b i r d s . 5. The Pigeon Hol l andai s. Bi rd
Notes and News, 18(5): 109-110.
Rountree, F. R. G. , Gue'rin, R. , Pel t e, S. , and Vinson, J. 1952. Catalogue
of t he bi r ds of Mauri t i us. Mauri t i us I n s t . Bul l . 3( 3) .
St oddar t , D. R. and Poore, M. E. D. 1970. Geography and ecology of
Farquhar At ol l . At ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Watson, G. E . , Zusi, R. L. , and St or e r , R. E. 1963. Prel i mi nary f i e l d
gui de t o t he bi r ds of t he Indi an Ocean. Washington.
5. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF COSMOLEDO ATOLL
C. J. Bayne, B. H. Cogan, A. W. Diamond, J. Fr azi er , P. Grubb,
A. Hutson, M. E . D. Poore, 0. R. St oddar t , J. D. Tayl or
I nt r oduct i on
Cosmoledo At ol l , go41' S, 47'35'E, i s l ocat ed 110 km e a s t of Aldabra.
I t cons i s t s of ei ght main i s l a nds and numerous i s l e t s on t he a t o l l r i m ,
surroundi ng a l ar ge and open l agoon. The two l a r g e s t i s l ands , Wizard and
Menai, a r e t hose us ual l y v i s i t e d by s c i e n t i s t s . There has been no
de t a i l e d survey of Cosmoledo a t any t i me, though many expedi t i ons have
c a l l e d t her e f o r b r i e f v i s i t s (Table 4) . The main publ i shed accounts
a r e t hose by Dupont (1907, 8-12), Fryer (1911, 428-430), Tr avi s (1959,
111-156), Baker (1963, 86-92), and Pi ggot t (1961, 27-30; 1968, 53-54).
Ten members of t he Royal Soci et y Expedi t i on t o Aldabra v i s i t e d Menai
and Wizard I sl ands i n March 1968, and f i v e more v i s i t e d Menai onl y i n
September 1968: t h i s paper summarises e a r l i e r work and adds new i nf or -
mation from t he Royal Soci et y sur veys.
The main hydrographic survey of Cosmoledo was by W. J. L. Wharton
i n 1878, publ i shed a s Admiralty Chart 718 i n 1879. This c ha r t , wi t h
r evi s i ons by H.M.S. Owen - i n 1964, i s s t i l l cur r ent . The a t o l l was
covered by a e r i a l photography i n 1960, and Baker (1963, 87, 89, 91, 93)
used a i r photographs t o pr epar e sket ch maps of t he geology of t he main
i s l ands . Figure 3 i s based pr i mar i l y on t he 1960 a i r photograph cover,
wi t h t opographi c cont r ol and bathymetry from t he 1967 e di t i on of Admiralty
Chart 718. This map should not be used f o r navi gat i onal purposes wi t h-
out f ur t he r f i e l d survey.
Geomorphology
Cosmoledo st ands on t he nor t her n of two presumably vol cani c peaks,
45 km apar t , r i s i n g from t he ocean f l oor a t 4000-4400 m dept h. A t t he
4000 m i sobat h t he vol cani c massi f i s 85 km long N-S and 33-52 km wide:
t he Cosmoledo peak becomes d i s t i n c t from t h a t on which Astove st ands a t
a dept h of 1000 m (Fi gure 4) . Out si de t he per i pher al r e e f of Cosmoledo,
t he s e a f l o o r f a l l s gent l y t o 50 m, over a di s t ance of 0. 5-1 km, and t hen
more s t eepl y: t h e 500 m i sobat h gener al l y l i e s 1-1. 5 km from t h e s ur f ace
r e e f s .
The a t o l l has maximum dimensions of 14.5 x 11. 5 km, and a t o t a l
a r e a of 152 sq km. The per i pher al r e e f f l a t va r i e s i n wi dt h from 1 t o
2.5 km, averaging about 1. 5 km, and encl oses a shal l ow lagoon, opening t o
t he sout h i n two major channel syst ems. The gr eat es t dept hs i n t he lagoon
Tabl e 4. Sc i e n t i f i c St udi es a t Cosmoledo At ol l
Date
-
1822 J u l y 31
1875 Oct. 17
1907
1908 Sept . 1- 5
1906 Sept . 14-19
1937 Sept.-Nov.
1953 Nov.
1956
1957 Dec. 10-12
1959 Oct.9-Nov.27
1964 March 13-14
1967 Oct. 5-6
1968 March 6
1968 Sept . 14
Study Reference
-
Cant. F. Moresbv i n s hi vs
Wizard and ~ e n a i
Capt . Niej ahr, Hermann
Fr i edr i ch
Hydrographic survey by W . J.
- -
i. Wharton
Agr i cul t ur al survey by S. C.
E. Baty
Visit by H. A' C. Bergne
Chart emendations by L.
Fer r ar i
H. L. Thomasset, i ns e c t s
J. C. F. Fryer: gener al
observat i ons, i ns e c t s
R. Dupont: pl a nt s , i ns e c t s
L. D. E. F. Vesey-FitzGerald:
veget at i on, bi r ds
I t a l i a n Zool ogi cal Expedi t i on:
C. Pr ol a, F. Pal ombel l i , F.
Pr osper i , S. Nievo
H. Legrand: Lepi dopt era
W. D. Hartman: l and b i r d s
H. Legrand, M. Gerber:
Lepi dopt era
B. H. Baker, geology; C. J.
Pi ggot t , s o i l s
R. E. Honegger: bi r ds ,
Moresby (1822)
Niej ahr (1876)
Adm. Ch. 718 (1879)
Bergne (1900)
Bergne (1901)
Fryer (1911, 428-30)
Dupont (1907, 8-12)
Beri o (1956)
Legrand (1965)
Hartman (1958)
Legrand (1965)
Baker (1963) ; Pi ggot t
(1961,1968)
r e p t i l e s Honegger (1966, unpub.
a , unpub .b)
H.M.S. Owen; Cmdr D. W. Haslam:
-
survey, b i r d s Bourne (1966)
M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I. S.
C. Parker: pl ant s , bi r ds Parker (1970); Gwynne
and Wood (1969)
C. W. Benson, B. H. Cogan,
A. W. Diamond, F. R. Fosberg,
J. Fr azi er , A. Graham, P. Gntbb,
A. Hutson, K. McKenzie, S. A.
Renvoize Thi s r epor t ; Benson
(1970); Fosberg and
Renvoize (1970)
C. J. Bayne, J . C. Gamble,
M. E. D. Poore, D. R. St oddar t ,
T. S. Westoll This r epor t
Fi g. 4. The Aldabra Group
ar e found a t t he i nner ends of t hes e two channels and i n t he channels
themselves, though where t hes e bi f ur cat e and di sappear t he r e i s much
cor al growth between t he branches wi t h dept hs of l e s s t han 1 m. Most of
t he cent r al lagoon basi n i s more than 5 m deep; a smal l ar ea a t t he
head of t he southwest channel reaches more t han 6 m, and a l a r ge r ar ea
a t t he head of sout heast channel more than 7 m. Maximum recorded depth
i s 8. 2 m. Coral growth i s i mport ant only around t he branchi ng channel
systems and a l s o where t he lagoon narrows towards Menai I sl and, her e
forming a r e t i c u l a t e r eef network s i mi l ar t o t h a t a t I-Iitaddu, Addu At ol l .
I r r e g u l a r i t i e s on t he lagoon f l o o r can be seen on a i r photographs, but
t he general s i mpl i ci t y of form and absence of knol l s and pat ches cont r as t s
markedly with t he Farquhar lagoon. Maximum dept hs i n t he main channel s
range from 5 t o 11 m; ot her passages through t he per i pher al r eef which
a r e navi gabl e by smal l boat s do not i nt e r s e c t t he r eef f l a t i t s e l f , and
have depths of 1 m o r l e s s .
There ar e ei ght main i s l ands on t he a t o l l r i m , wi t h numerous small
i s l e t s ; t he t o t a l l and a r e a i s approximately 5. 2 sq km, o r 3. 4 per cent
of t h a t of t he whole a t o l l . Wizard I sl and (Grande I l e ) , on t he windward
s i d e of t he a t o l l , i s 3.2 km l ong and has an ar ea of 1. 6 s q km. I t
cons i s t s of low el evat ed r eef r ock l ar gel y covered wi t h sand and gr avel ,
and with coas t al dunes on t he seaward s i de up t o 17 m hi gh. The c r e s t s
of t hese dunes ar e al i gned p a r a l l e l t o t he pr evai l i ng Trades, and Baker
(1963) s t a t e s t h a t r eef r ock pavement i s exposed i n t he dune s l acks . The
seaward beach, a t l e a s t i n t he cent r e, cons i s t s of sand and cobbles over-
l yi ng a smooth i ncl i ned rock pavement, r i s i n g from a pot hol ed and eroded
r e e f f l a t . The cent r al pa r t of t he i s l and i s formed by a sand pl a i n,
and t he lagoon shore i s a gent l y sl opi ng sand beach wi t h, i n pl aces ,
l edges of r eef l i mest one.
Menai I s l and on t he l e e s i d e has a l and a r e a of 2 . 3 sq km. The
ar ea of r ai s ed reefrock i s l a r ge r than on Wizard. On t he seaward s i de
t he rock reaches 2-4 m i n hei ght , forming undercut headlands separat ed
by sandy beaches. The rock decl i nes i n hei ght t o about 1 m on t he
lagoon s i de, where t her e i s a l ar ge ar ea of mangrove. Several dune ar eas
a r e l ocat ed between t he r eef r ock and t he mangrove, and t he dunes a t t he
sout h poi nt , about 8-10 m hi gh, a r e still. a c t i ve . Older veget at ed dunes
a t t he nort h end r i s e t o 10-15 m. On t he seaward s i de t he r ai s ed r eef -
rock i s p a r t l y covered wi t h sand, and nort h of t he set t l ement t he ol d
undercut c l i f f l i n e i s f r ont ed by a wide ar ea of r ecent sand. The el evat ed
r eef r ock at t he sout h poi nt is a massive r e e f l i mest one wi t h much Acropora;
it resembles t he main Aldabra l i mest ones but t her e i s no i nl and r i dge
a t about 8 m a s on Aldabra. There i s probably no bas i s i n f a c t f o r
Ni ej ahr ' s (1876, 244) r epor t of l ava bl ocks on Menai.
The ot her i s l ands of t he a t o l l r i m were not v i s i t e d by Royal Soci et y
pa r t i e s , but Pi ggot t (1961) v i s i t e d North, Grand Pol yt e, Pagoda and South
I s l ands . North I sl and he descr i bes as bei ng formed e n t i r e l y of eroded
champignon, wi t h some sand on t he sout h s i de, t he whole formerl y covered
with guano, now l ar gel y scraped away and remaining onl y i n hol es . Grand
Pol yt e, about 250 m wide, i s formed i n t he nor t h of r ai s ed r eef r ock s t and-
i ng about 1. 6 m above high wat er, and i n t he sout h of sandy f l a t s ; c e nt r a l
dunes r i s e t o about 5 m. South I s l and, about 200 m wide, cons i s t s e n t i r e -
l y of r a i s e d r eef l i mest one.
The s o i l s of t he Cosmoledo i s l a nds can be cl as s ed i n t o Pi ggot t ' s
(1968) main s o i l s e r i e s : most of t h e i s l ands , es peci al l y on rock, a r e
covered wi t h phosphat i c Desnoeufs Se r i e s wi t h a very shal l ow A hori zon;
Farquhar Ser i es s o i l s a r e forming on dunes; and i n some ar eas t he r e a r e
s o i l s approximating t o Shioya Se r i e s , but always mixed wi t h dune sands.
Veget at i on
The f l o r a of Cosmoledo i s s i mi l a r t o t h a t of Aldabra, and pl a nt s
col l ect ed i n 1968 and by Gwynne and iVood (1969) i n 1967 a r e l i s t e d by
Fosberg and Kenvoize (1970). Three main veget at i on t ypes can be d i s t i n -
guished: (1) r a i s e d r eef r ock veget at i on; (2) sand veget at i on, i ncl udi ng
dunes; and (3) mangrove veget at i on. The r a i s e d r eef r ock veget at i on has
some of t he s peci es pr esent on Aldabra, and not abl y Pemphis, Si deroxyl on
and Fi cus, wi t h Sarcostemma, but t h e smal l ar ea, degree of human i n t e r -
-
ference, and l ack of i nves t i gat i on combine t o expl ai n t he absence i n
r ecent r ecor ds of such c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s peci es a s Lomatophyllum and
Solanum. Sand veget at i on has been much af f ect ed by man, except f o r t h e
l i t t o r a l veget at i on of Scaevola, Tour nef or t i a and Sur i ana. Most of t h e
sand ar eas, except t he dunes, support coconut s, wi t h a ground cover of
gr asses, sedges, herbs and vi nes, i ncl udi ng many i nt roduced weeds and
cul t i vat ed s peci es . St abl e dunes a r e covered e i t h e r wi t h Casuari na
woodland o r wi t h a scrub of Scaevol a and Suri ana. The mangrove veget at i on
i s t a l l and i ncl udes a t l e a s t s i x s peci es : Avicennia marina, Rhizophora
mucronata, Brugui era gymnorhiza, Sonner at i a al ba, Xylocarpus granatum
and Ceriops t a ga l . Apart from t he ext ensi on of coconut woodland and
at t endant i nt r oduct i on of a l i e ns on t he sand ar eas, and t he cl ear i ng of
r eef r ock veget at i on duri ng guano di ggi ng on t h e North I sl and, t h e
veget at i on of Cosmoledo has probabl y changed l i t t l e s i nce Moresby (1822,
30) recorded t h a t "here we saw a few Cocoa Nut t r e e s , t he Mapou Pi s oni a,
some Lat anni a, and t r e e s t h a t resemble t he Fi l ahoe Casuari na of t he
Mauri t i us".
Recent observat i ons of veget at i on a r e avai l abl e onl y f o r Menai and
Wizard I s l ands . Pi ggot t (1961) mentions a mixed scrub wi t h Pemphis and
much wi l d cot t on on r ai s ed r eef r ock a t North I s l and, wi t h Scaevol a on
r ecent sand. He agai n found a Pemphis scr ub on r eef r ock on Grand Pol yt e,
and t he same s peci es on t he dunes and a l s o on t he sout hern sand f l a t s .
t oget her wi t h ' Scaevola and Tour nef or t i a. On t he r ai s ed r eef r ock of sout h
I s l and he des cr i bes "a few Pemphis and Pi s oni a grandi s (mapou) shrubs but
l i t t l e ot her veget at i on".
43
Menai I s l and
The seaward shore of Menai has a c ha r a c t e r i s t i c beach-crest hedge of
Scaevola t accada, Tournefort i a ar gent ea and Suri ana maritima, wi t h Cordia
--
subcordat a on t he landward s i de of t he hedge. Pemphis aci dul a i s found
on rocky headl ands. The veget at i on of t he sandy ar ea nor t h and sout h of
t he set t l ement i s most di ver s e. Cocos nuci f er a i s common though pat chy
i n i t s di s t r i but i on. Tal l Casuari na e q u i s e t i f o l i a i s found a t t h e
set t l ement i t s e l f ; t h i s s peci es was not ed by Moresby i n 1822, and Fryer
(1908) found it "apparent l y of gr eat age" s i x t y years ago. Guet t arda
speci osa, Cordia subcordat a, Thespesi a s p. , and Grewia s a l i c i f o l i a ar e
t he onl y ot her t r e e s not ed. Scat t er ed shrubs ar e more numerous near t he
sout hern end of t he i.sland, where t hey i ncl ude Allophylus af r i canus ( 3 m
t a l l ) , Premna obt us i f ol i a (4 m), Azima t et r acant ha, Acalypha cl aoxyl oi des,
and Caesal pi ni a major; nor t h of t h e set t l ement we al s o not ed Vernonia
--
al dabr ens i s . The ground cover is ver y di ver s e. North of set t l ement
Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa i s dominant; t o t he sout h t her e is a cover of gr asses
-
( Er agr ost i s s p. , Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Lepturus repens), sedges
( Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa, Cyperus l i g u l a r i s ) , t he vi ne Cassytha f i l i f o r mi s ,
-
and a number of fl oweri ng pl ant s , i ncl udi ng Launaea i nt ybacea, L.
sarmentosa, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Boerhavia repens, Pl eurost el ma cernuum,
--
Pa s s i f l or a suberosa, Euphorbia ~ p . , ~ a r v i f o l i a , Evolvulus al s i noi des ,
-
Hypoestes al dabr ensi s, Cleome s t r i g o s a and Asparagus umbel l ul at us.
A t and near t he set t l ement ot her speci es a r e found. These i ncl ude
c ul t i va t e d t r e e s Moringa o l e i f e r a , Termi nal i a cat appa and Car i ca
papaya, decor at i ves such a s Pedi l ant hus t i t hymal oi des, Cat harant hus roseus
and Solanum melongena, and a number of ot her i nt r oduct i ons, such a s Agave,
Gossypium hi rsut um, Ricinus communis and Panicum maximum. Maize i s a l s o
-
cul t i vat ed.
The sand dune veget at i on va r i e s wi t h t he age and s t a b i l i t y of t he
dune. The act i ve sout hern dunes ar e covered wi t h clumps of t he sedges
Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa and Cyperus l i g u l a r i s , and pat ches of t h e gr as s
Dactyloctenium aegypt i m. On t he lower dunes t her e i s a mosaic of t he
shrubs Scaevol a, Tournefort i a and Suri ana; two t r e e s of Pi soni a grandi s
n e s t l e i n t he l e e of t he southernmost dune, a s t hey do i n t h e l ee of Dune
Jean-Louis on Aldabra. The nor t her n dunes a r e most subdued and cl os el y
veget at ed, wi t h an open woodland of Casuari na, s cat t er ed shrubby growths
of Col ubri na a s i a t i c a and Turnera ul mi f ol i a, and a s ur f ace cover wi t h
much Fi mbr i st yl i s, t oget her wi t h Er agr os t i s s p . , Dactyloctenium
aegyptium, Cr ot al ar i a l aburnoi des and Achyranthes asper a.
The lagoon sand beach, where not d i r e c t l y col oni sed bv manprove. i s
" ~. ~, --
a narrow l edge wi t h low Scaevol a, ~ o u r n e f o r t i a and ~u r i a n a ; wi t h such
pl ant s a s Tri bul us ci s t oi des and Port ul aca ol er aceay A t t he nor t h end
Sesuvium port ul acast rum forms a t hi c k mat between t he beach proper and t h e
mangrove zone.
The mangrove veget at i on has not been examined i n d e t a i l . A t t he nor t h
end it cons i s t s of mature Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata 10-15
m t a l l ; a t t he sout h end of an out er zone of Avicennia, much of it dying,
apparent l y because of t he bur i a l of pneumatophores by sediment, t oget her
wi t h Rhizophora and Sonnerat i a al ba. Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Ceriops
t agal ar e found i n open i n l e t s sout h of t he set t l ement , lagoonward of t he
r ai s ed reefrock.
The champignon zone was crossed nor t h of t h e set t l ement , where it i s
not very deeply di s s ect ed. Euphorbia abbot t i was not seen, though previ ous-
l y r epor t ed from t he a t o l l . The veget at i on of shrubs (Pemphis aci dul a,
Sideroxylon i neme) and a t r e e (Fi cus t honni ngi i ) i s 2- 3 m hi gh.
Sarcostemma vi mi nal e i s abundant (but cur i ousl y not Plumbago aphyl l a, a l s o
previ ousl y recorded), t oget her wi t h t he low, spreadi ng woody shrub
Salvadora angus t i f ol i a.
Wizard I sl and
Less i s known of t h e veget at i on of Wizard t han of Menai. The seaward
beach has a scrub of Scaevola and Suri ana, wi t h a ground cover of
Sporobolus vi r gi ni cus , Launaea s p. , and Euphorbia s p. The dunes have a
dense growth of Tour nef or t i a argent ea, 1-2 m t a l l wi t h about 30 per cent
dead wood, and Suri ana maritima. Sporobolus i s not common on t he dunes,
--
where t he ground cover cons i s t s of clumps of Fi mbr i s t yl i s , r os e t t e s of
Er agr ost i s, and Boerhavia.
Between t he seaward dunes and t he lagoon coast t her e i s a meadow of
Dactyloctenium 0.5 m t hi ck, ext endi ng up t o a l i n e of Agave a t t he f oot
of t he dunes. This c e nt r a l pl ai n a l s o i ncl udes Ipomoea, Achyranthes,
Boerhavia, Microstephanus, Plumbago aphyl l a, Solanum nigrum, speci es of
Port ul aca, Sporobolus vi r gi ni cus , Cassytha, Cassi a occi dent al i s , and a
very few dwarf Sideroxylon and Premna. Near t he lagoon beach, t her e i s
a b e l t of t a l l scrub. which i s l e s s di ver se t han s i mi l ar communities
on Aldabra. I t i ncl udes Acalypha, Azima, Achyranthes, Thespesia
populneoides, Allophylus, and Ipomoea pes-caprae. The fi rst t hr ee of
-
t hese speci es t end t o be l ocal l y dominant, t he - Azima reachi ng up t o 3 m
i n hei ght . Achyranthes i s t he commonest speci es, of t en forming pure
st ands i n which Blue-faced Boobies nes t , and i n pl aces extending up t o t he
t op of t he lagoon shore dunes. Vines of Ipomoea t uba drape many of t h e
-
shrubs.
South of t he t a l l scrub i s an ar ea of extremely uneven champignon.
The veget at i on i s dominated by Pemphis, wi t h Ipomoea t uba and Cassytha.
-
Other speci es noted i ncl ude Phyl l ant hus, Acalypha, Achyranthes and Abut i l on.
Red-footed Boobies nes t i n t h i s champignon scrub, which appears t o be
very l i t t l e di st ur bed by human a c t i v i t i e s .
A coas t al woodland on t he lagoon shore i ncl udes moderate-sized man-
-
groves, mostly Avicennia but a l s o Xylocarpus. Other t r e e s i ncl ude Pi soni a,
Abutilon, Cordi a, and t he shrubs Suri ana and Pemphis.
Li t t l e i s known of t he marine fauna of Cosmoledo, though it i s
probably s i mi l a r i n composition and zonat i on t o t h a t of Aldabra. Marine
animals were col l ect ed i n t he boul der zone a t t he edge of t he r e e f f l a t
immediately sout h of Menai set t l ement , on a smal l c l i f f e d promontory
cl ose t o t h e vi l l a ge , and t o t h e sout h of i t . In t he fi rst ar ea t he fauna
was r a t he r l i mi t ed, and hermit crabs were t he most conspicuous animals, a l -
though on t he edge of t he r eef f l a t t h e fauna resembled t he i nshore fauna
under boul ders a t West Isl and set t l ement , Aldabra. The champignon promon-
t or y r os e st eepl y, and while not heavi l y pi nnacl ed, had rock pool s near l y
1 m i n di amet er. The fauna resembled t he sorav-zone fauna on t he t oo of
c l i f f s on t he sout h coast of Aldabra, and i ncl uded Ner i t a t e x t i l i s ,
Li t t or i na, Cr assost r ea cucul l at a, and s ever al speci es of grapsi d cr abs.
From t h i s promontory southwards t he c l i f f s ar e col oni sed by chi t ons, dor i d
nudibranchs, bar nacl es and smal l prosobranchs. The r eef f l a t is covered
with marine ancriosoerms. and cor al growth on t h e edee i s not l uxur i ant .
-
Animals not ed on t i e lagoon beach a; Wizard i ncl ude Grapsus t enui cr us t at us ,
Ocypode cerat opt hal ma, Coenobita per l at us , C. rugosa and Acanthopleura
Lrevi spi nosa. Table 5 l i st s marine mol l usca col l ect ed on Cosmoledo by
P. Grubb i n 1968 and i de nt i f i e d by J. D. Tayl or. and Table 6 Decaood
Crustacea, a l s o col l ect ed by ~ r u b b and i de nt i f i e d by Tayl or; bot h' col l ec-
t i ons ar e now i n t h e Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st or y) .
Tur t l es nes t on Cosmoledo. On Wizard, t he cent r al pa r t of t he sea-
ward beach, f o r a di s t ance of about 100 m, i s r i ddl ed wi t h a t l e a s t 50
t u r t l e p i t s , though t her e was no si gn of t u r t l e a c t i v i t y on t he lagoon
beach. There i s a t u r t l e pen on Menai nor t h of t he set t l ement . Before
t he Augusr. 1968 Green Tur t l e Pr ot ect i on l e gi s l a t i on, a t l e a s t two Green
Tur t l e were t aken each month f o r food, accordi ng t o t he Manager, and
Hawksbill were t aken f or expor t .
The t e r r e s t r i a l fauna, so f a r a s i s known, i s a small one. Land
mollusca ar e represent ed by two ( possi bl y t hr ee) s peci es col l ect ed by
Thomasset (Connolly 1925). Land cr ust acea, apar t from some of t he
speci es l i s t e d i n Table 6, i ncl ude Birgus l a t r o , r epor t ed by Honegger
(no dat e) on Wizard, Grand Pol yt e and South I sl ands, and Cardisoma
car ni f ex. The r e p t i l e fauna formerly i ncl uded t he Giant Land Tor t oi se
Geochelone gi gant ea. The dat e of i t s ext i nct i on i s not known, nor do we
know of any h i s t o r i c a l account of it s t i l l l i vi ng, but Fryer (1911)
r epor t s f i ndi ng f o s s i l eggs i n t he champignon. There a r e t hr ee ot her
r e p t i l e s (Boulenger 1911). Ablepharus bout oni i has been recorded
from Wizard and Menai; none were seen on Menai i n 1968, though it
was common on Wizard. Hemidactylus mercat ori us occurs on both i s l ands ,
and was seen on Menai i n 1968. Phelsuma abbot t i was seen i n 1968 on
46
Table 5. Mollusca col l ect ed on Cosmoledo At ol l , 1968
Gastropoda
Monodonta a u s t r a l i s Lamarck Thais acul eat a Deshayes
Turbo marmoratus T. hippocastanum (Linnaeus)
-
Phasi anel l a aet hi opi ca Phi l i ppi - T. t uberosa (Roding)
Ner i t a a l b i c i l l a Linnaeus Engina mendi cari a (Linnaeus)
N. p l i c a t a Linnaeus
- Cantharus undosus (Linnaeus)
N. t e x t i l i s Dillwyn
- Chrysame f r aga (Quoy and Giamard)
Li t t or i na undul at a Gray St r i g a t e l l a acuminata (Swainson)
Cerithiwn echinatum Lamarck S. l i t t e r a t a (Lamarck)
-
Hipponyx coni ca Schwnacher - S. paupercul a (Linnaeus)
Lambis lambis (Linnaeus) I mbr i car i a film (Wood)
Strombus gi bberul us Linnaeus Ol i va epi s copal i s Lamarck
S. mut abi l i s (Swainson)
- Vasum t ur bi nel l us (Linnaeus)
Cypraea ar abi ca Linnaeus Conus arenat us Hwass
C. caput ser pent i s Linnaeus
- - C. chaldeus Roding
C. car neol a Linnaeus
- - C. ebraeus Linnaeus
C. caput draconi s Mel vi l l
- - - C. f l avi ans Lamarck
C. hel vol i s Linnaeus
- - C. musicus Hwass
C. h i s t r i o Gmelin
- - C. t es s ul at us Born
C. lynx Linnaeus
- - Terebra a f f i n i s Gray
C. moneta Linnaeus
- - T. c e r i t hi na Lamarck
C. t i g r i s Linnaeus
-
C. v i t e l l u s
- Amphineura
Cymatiwn nicobaricum (Roding) Acanthopleura br evi spi nosa
C. p i l e a r e (Linnaeus)
- (Sowerby)
Drupa r i c i nus (Linnaeus) Bi val vi a
Morula gr anul at a (Duclos) Isognomon d e n t i f e r (Krauss)
M. uva Roding
- - -- Donax faba (Gemlin)
Col l ect ed by P. Grubb; i de nt i f i e d by J. D. Tayl or; i ncorporat ed i n t o t he
col l ect i ons of t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st or y) , accessi on number
2213.
A l l speci es were col l ect ed on t he beach of Menai I s l and.
Tabl e 6. Crust acea (Decapoda) col l ect ed on Cosmoledo At ol l , 1968
Wizard I sl and
Ocypode ceratopthalma ( Pal l as ) :
Menai I sl and
Grapsus t enui cr us t at us (Herbst )
2 d , 29
Geograpsus st ormi (de Man): 10'
Er i phi a laeuimana (Guerin) : Id
Epixanthus f r o n t a l i s (Milne
Edwards): 3 d
Leptodius qui nquedent at us
(Krauss): 40'
Pet r ol i s t hes . - l amarcki i (Leach)
Pagurus pedunculatus (Herbst)
Cl i banari us s t r i o l a t u s (Dana)
Cal ci nus laevimanus (Randall)
Coenobita rugosus (Milne Edwards)
Col l ect ed by P. Grubb; i de nt i f i e d by J. D. Tayl or; i ncorporat ed i n t o
t he col l ect i ons of t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st or y) .
Menai but not on Wizard; it i s more br i ght l y col oured t han t he Aldabra
Phelsuma. Honegger (1966) di s t i ngui s hed P. abbot t i menaiensis on
Menai and - P. abbot t i subsp. on Wizard, Grand Pol yt e and South I s l and.
I ns ect s were col l ect ed on Cosmoledo by Fryer i n 1908, and f o r t y
s peci es ar e recorded i n t he Percy Sladen Expedi t i on Reports; t he s e r ecor ds
a r e keyed i n Table 7. O f t hes e, onl y two s peci es were Lepi dopt era.
Legrand' s (1965) col l ect i ons of Lepidoptera on Menai t o t a l l e d 70 speci es,
i ncl udi ng 1 new genus, 24 new s peci es , and 3 new subspeci es, most l y
Mi crol epi dopt era, though some of t hes e may need r evi s i on. B. 15. Cogan
and A. Hutson made a t r a ns e c t of Wizard I s l and i n March 1968, c ol l e c t i ng
i ns e c t s on a t r ans ect a t t he narrowest poi nt between lagoon and seaward
shor e. I ns ect s were abundant i n number i f not i n var i et y, but unl i ke
Astove onl y t he smal l er s peci es appeared t o be wel l r epr esent ed. Many
of t he l ar ger speci es were appar ent l y s car ce, perhaps a s a r e s u l t of t he
l ack of permanent f r e s h wat er. Acri di d grasshoppers were pr es ent i n some
numbers, and females of t he l ar ge Cyrt acant hacri s t a t a r i c a t a t a r i c a L.
were common. But t e r f l i e s and Odonata were nowhere common, and t he smal l
Lycaenid Syntarucus pi r i t hous L. was t he onl y s peci es t o be seen i n any
number. The morning v i s i t t o Wizard was followed i n t he aft ernoon by
3-4 hours on Menai, but because of r a i n t he col l ect i ons were t o t a l l y
unr epr es ent at i ve of t he fauna t h e r e . The onl y i ns e c t of not e recogni sed
i n t he col l ect i ons s o f a r i s a s peci es of Pi puncul i d f l y , t he fi rst record
of t h i s i nt e r e s t i ng p a r a s i t i c f ami l y of Di pt era i n t he Aldabra group.
Most of Legrand' s c ol l e c t i ng was car r i ed out on Menai, and t he 1968
col l ect i ons may be t he fi rst on Wizard. Cosmoledo has a smal l f aunal
element t h a t it shar es wi t h Astove and none of t he ot her i s l ands i n t h e
Table 7. I ns e c t s r e c or de d from Cosmoledo At ol l
by t he Percy Sladen Expedi t i on
Group Number of s peci es Reference
-
Orthopt e r a 11 Bol i var (1912, 1924)
Dermaptera 1 Burr (1910)
Hemiptera 8 Di st ant (1913)
Lepi dopt era 2 Fryer (1912)
Col eopt era 11 Champion (1914), Gebien
(1922), Schenkl i ng (1922),
Scot t (1912, 1926),
Si car d (1912)
Hymenoptera 5 Cockerel1 (1912), Turner
(1911)
Di pt er a 1 Lamb (1922)
Odonata 1
Campion (1913), Blackman
and Pinhey (1967)
group, f o r example a Dolichopodid f l y genus Sci apus s p. n. and a Trypet i d
f r u i t f l y Coel ot rypes v i t t a t u s . The maj or i t y of s peci es , however, found
on Cosmoledo a r e found throughout t he Aldabra group of i s l ands .
Bi rds
-
The b i r d fauna of Cosmoledo i s smal l er t han t h a t of Aldabra and has
a t t r a c t e d l i t t l e at t ent i on. Ea r l i e r t r eat ment s a r e t hose of Fryer (1911),
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 1941), Hartman (1958), Bourne (1966), and Watson
and ot her s (1963). Benson (1970a) deal s i n d e t a i l with t' le l and and shore
bi r ds i n t h e fol l owi ng chapt er , drawing on t he e a r l i e r l i t e r a t u r e and on
col l ect i ons and observat i ons made duri ng t h e Royal Soci et y v i s i t s and from
t h a t by I . S. C. Parker.
Of t he seven recorded land bi r ds , only two a r e common: Ci s t i c ol a
cheri na, which Benson bel i eves t o be nat i ve and not i nt roduced, and, l e s s
-
abundant, Nect ar i ni a sovimanga. Hartman (1958) r epor t ed Zosterops
r n a d e r a ~ ~ a t ~ c b e ~ e n a i ; t h e March 1968 par t y di d not s ee it
a t a l l , though St oddar t and Poore saw it on Menai i n September. Two
land bi r ds a r e probably e xt i nc t , t h e f l i g h t l e s s Rai l Dryolimnas cuvi er i
and t he Turt l edove St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a . Abbott ( i n Ridgway 1895) and
Fryer (1911) bot h r epor t ed t he exi s t ence of a r a i l on Cosmoledo, t he
l a t t e r speci f yi ng South I sl and, though he di d not land t her e and observe
i t . I t i s pos s i bl e but very doubt ful t h a t bot h Dryolimnas and St r ept opel i a
both s t i l l sur vi ve on South I s l and. Two ot her land bi r ds a r e recorded:
Geopelia s t r i a t a was seen b r i e f l y by Benson, and t her e a r e a few crows
Corvus al bus. Possi bl e r es i dent shore b i r d s , a l l seen i n 1968, a r e
A F d e a c E a , Egr et t a gar zet t a, Bubulcus i b i s , and But ori des s t r i a t u s .
Benson (1970a) l i st s a dozen mi grant s recorded from t he a t o l l . Thi s
pauci t y i n s peci es (seven t r u e l and bi r ds a t most, pl us f our pos s i bl y
r es i dent shore bi r ds ) cont r as t s wi t h t he ei ght een s peci es of l and bi r ds
recorded f or Aldabra. Endemism is a l s o low. thoueh Benson (1970bl has
"
di scussed a well-marked subspeci es of Nect ar i ni a sovimanga, onl y ot her -
wise known on Astove.
Sea bi r ds have been b r i e f l y not i ced by s ever al previ ous workers,
not abl y Dupont (1907), Vesey-FitzGerald (1941), Honegger (unpubl i shed),
Gaymer (unpubl i shed), and observers on H.M.S. - Owen i n 1964 (Bourne 1966).
Diamond vj - si t ed Wizard i n t he morning and Menai i n t he aft ernoon of 6
March 1968. Three speci es nes t i n l ar ge numbers on Wizard: Sul a
-
dact yl at r a, Sul a s u l a and St er na f us cat a. A t l e a s t 200 pa i r s of White
--
Booby S. da c t yl a t r a were occupying cl ear i ngs i n t h e long gr ass on t he
west sTde of t he i s l and or on t he dune r i dge t o t h e e a s t . Most were
di spl ayi ng a t empty nes t s i t e s or i n appar ent l y i nact i ve at t endance a t
pas t s i t e s .
Only f i v e occupied ne s t s were found, f our with s i ngl e eggs
and t he ot her wi t h two. There were a l s o two f ul l y- f eat her ed j uveni l es ,
both of which r egur gi t at ed l ar ge f l yi ng- f i s h (probabl y Cypsi l urus s p . ) .
On Ascension I sl and i n t he At l ant i c, Dorward (1962) found t h a t t e r r i t o r i e s
of t h i s s peci es were defended out s i de t he breedi ng season, and t h a t
although eggs were l a i d i n most months of t he year t her e was a marked
peak of l ayi ng i n one or two months. He found t he i ncubat i on per i od t o
be 42-46 days, and f l edgi ng t o t ake about 120 days; so t h a t t he near -
fl edged chi cks found on Wizard i n March would have come from eggs l a i d
i n t he previ ous October. The eggs found would have been l a i d i n t he
previ ous s i x weeks, and t her e were no younger chi cks; hence, a s t he gr eat
maj ori t y of t h e bi r ds had ne i t he r eggs nor young, t he main l ayi ng per i od
must be between March and October. Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) des cr i bes
t h i s s peci es as breedi ng on f our i s l ands of t he a t o l l (West North, East
North, Grand Pol yt e, South) but not on Wizard, presumably duri ng h i s
v i s i t between September and November 1937.
Towards t he sout h end of Wizard, low bushes appear among t he l ong
gr ass and f i n a l l y merge i nt o dense clumps 2-3 m hi gh, covered wi t h t horny
cr eeper s and penet r abl e only wi t h t he gr e a t e s t d i f f i c u l t y . These bushes
were occupied by nes t i ng Red-footed Boobies Sul a s ul a, whose numbers were
--
i mpossi bl e t o est i mat e with any accuracy but which were wel l i n excess
of 150 p a i r s . On t he lagoon shore a t l e a s t 20 pa i r s were nes t i ng i n a
smal l clump of Avicennia mangrove, which on Aldabra i s avoided as a nes t -
i ng s i t e . Those nes t s whose cont ent s could be seen e i t h e r cont ai ned eggs
or were empty, whi l e on Aldabra, and on Menai I s l and on Cosmoledo, most
ne s t s cont ai ned eggs o r half-grown chi cks. A l l t he adul t s seen were of
t he whi t e phase.
Along t he dune r i dge, and i n cl ear i ngs i n t he l ong gr ass t o t he
nor t h of t he l andi ng pl ace on t he lagoon shor e, many fragmented s kel et ons
and f eat her s of t he Sooty Tern St er na f us cat a were found; Vesey-FitzGerald
(1941) descr i bes t h i s speci es a s nes t i ng on Wizard. They c l e a r l y s u f f e r
heavy mor t al i t y, s i mi l ar t o t h a t on Goel et t e I s l and, Farquhar At ol l
(St oddart and Poore 1970); whether t h i s i s from pr edat i on, s t a r va t i on or
di s eas e on Cosmoledo i s not known, but t h e most l i k e l y c u l p r i t s would
seem t o be c a t s , of which two were seen and one s hot , and which cause
s er i ous l os s es t o Sooty Terns on Ascension I s l and (Ashmole 1963). Baker
(1963) r e f e r s t o a t er n- br eedi ng ar ea a t t h e nor t h end of Wizard, and
though no l i v i n g Sooty Terns were seen on t he i s l and t hey were heard and
seen over t he s hi ps a t ni ght , and a few were seen between Astove and
Cosmol.edo e a r l y on 5 March.
The ot her s e a bi r ds seen on Wizard were t hr ee Red-t ai l ed and two
Yel l ow-bi l l ed Tropi cbi rds Phaethon rubri cauda and P . l ept ur us; two Black-
naped Terns St er na sumatrana; and a s i ngl e female Great Fr i gat e Bi rd
Fregat a minor. Honegger (unpubl i shed) r epor t ed t h a t - P . rubri cauda ne s t s
on Cosmoledo i n March.
Diamond a l s o covered t he nor t her n h a l f of Menai I sl and, from t h e
set t l ement round t o t he lagoon shor e mangroves. Red-footed Boobies,
many wi t h half-grown chi cks, were nes t i ng i n t h e mangroves, p a r t i c u l a r l y
t he t a l l Rhizophora on t he landward f r i nge. A few Fr i gat e bi r ds Fregat a
sp. were seen soar i ng over t a l l mangroves on Chauve-souris i s l and; t he
only Fr i gat e b i r d c e r t a i nl y i de nt i f i e d on t h e a t o l l was a female Great
Fr i gat e bi r d Fregat a minor har r yi ng m i t e Boobies on Wizard. A t dusk
t her e was a l ar ge f l i g h t of Red-footed Boobies i n from t he sea, f l yi ng
low and f a s t over t he dunes and us ual l y avoi di ng t he a t t e nt i on of t he few
Fr i gat e bi r ds soar i ng i n wai t .
St oddar t and Poore not ed s oar i ng Fr i gat es over t he sout h end of Menai
i n September 1968, and l ar ge numbers of boobies on an i s l and t o t he sout h
of Menai. Pi ggot t (1961) mentions l ar ge numbers of boobies on Grand
Pol yt e, and a l s o b i r d col oni es on Pagoda and South I s l and, al l of which
need i nves t i gat i on.
The fol l owi ng l i s t swnmarises t he r ecor ds of s e a bi r ds on Cosmoledo;
f o r s i mi l ar l i st s of t he l and and shore bi r ds , s ee t he accompanying paper
by Benson (1970a).
Puffi nus l ' her mi ni er i
Heard a t ni ght over t he set t l ement on Menai; r epor t ed by l ocal
fishermen t o Diamond.
Phaethon rubri cauda
Sai d t o breed by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) and r epor t ed by Honegger
(unpublished) on t he ne s t i n March. H.M.S. - Owen r epor t ed t h i s
s peci es over Menai (Bourne 1966), and Diamond saw t hr ee on Wizard.
Phaethon l ept ur us
Si ght record by R. D. T. Gaymer on 1 October 1965; two seen by
Diamond on Wizard.
Sul a da c t yl a t r a
Reported breedi ng by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) on West North, East
North, Pol yt e and South I s l ands , and by Diamond on Wizard. Also
recorded by H.M.S. - Owen (Bourne 1966).
Sul a s u l a
--
Reported by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) on Menai, East North, Grand
Pol yt e, Wizard and South I s l ands . Reported by Honegger (unpublished)
breedi ng i n t r e e s on Grand Pol yt e, by-Diamond i n mangroves on Menai,
and by St oddart and Poore on i s l a nd sout h of Menai. Gaymer
(unpublished) found a l ar ge col ony wi t h many young, 1 October 1965,
on Chauve-souris, 200 per annum r epor t edl y bei ng t aken f o r food.
Recorded by H.M.S. - Owen i n March (Bourne 1966); col l ect ed by
Parker i n September.
Sul a l eucogast er
Reported by l ocal s t o Diamond as breedi ng. Col l ect ed by Parker, 5
October 1967.
Fregat a a r i e 1
Reported by l ocal s t o Diamond a s breedi ng. Sai d t o breed on i s l e t s
by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941).
Fregat a minor
Diamond i de nt i f i e d one female on Wizard: l ocal l v r eoor t ed t o breed.
Sai d t o breed on i s l e t s by vesey-Fi t zGeral d (1941) .'
Hydroprogne cas pi a
Si ght , Vesey-FitzGerald (1941).
St er na anaet het us
On i s l e t s i n October (Vesey-FitzGerald 1941).
St er na f us cat a
Breeds on Wizard I s l and (Vesey-FitzGerald 1941; Diamond, t h i s paper ) .
St er na sumatrana
2 seen by Diamond on Wizard, 1968.
Thal asseus be r gi i
Si ght record by Gaymer, 1 October 1965.
Anous s t ol i dus
Breeding on i s l e t s , accordi ng t o Vesey-FitzGerald (1941).
Set t l ement
Li t t l e i s known of t he hi s t or y of set t l ement on Cosmoledo. I t i s
more hos pi t abl e t han Aldabra and presumably more a t t r a c t i v e t o e a r l y
s a i l o r s , though permanent set t l ement may have been hi ndered by l ack of
f r es h water. Moresby (1822, 30) r epor t ed t h a t "t he Cosmoledo I s l e s a r e
sometimes r es or t ed t o f o r f i s h , where a few bl acks a r e l e f t , who wai t t he
ves s el s r et ur n". The a t o l l was s e t t l e d by t h e t i me of a v i s i t by Sebert
Baty i n 1895 (Bergne 1900). Two t o t hr ee hundred coconuts had been
pl ant ed, maize grew f a i r l y wel l , and goat s t hr i ved i n numbers. There was
a t t h a t time a r es er voi r on Menai hol di ng 1300 v e l t s (1950 gal l ons) of
wat er, and one i r on roof f o r catchment, t oget her wi t h one roof and 500
v e l t s (750 gal l ons) capaci t y on Wizard. There was a l s o on Menai a "l ar ge
i r on pan i n which one man i s abl e t o d i s t i l l 6 v e l t s (9 gal l ons ) of wat er
a day i ncl udi ng wood c ut t i ng and carryi ng". It was s a i d t h a t t he a t o l l
could provi de work f o r twelve l abour er s. When H. A' C. Bergne v i s i t e d i t
i n 1901 t her e were two men on Menai, though sevent een were l e f t t her e i n
t he season: ni ne t o t ake t u r t l e , s i x f o r fi shi ng' , and two f o r pr epar i ng
f i s h and s h e l l . James Spurs was i n charge of t he a t o l l , which had two
pi rogues, a coxugat ed i r on house, and l abour er s ' hut s made from pi l ed-up
t u r t l e carapaces. Bergne (1901) found t h a t h a l f a dozen goat s on Menai
were not doing wel l , i n cont r as t t o t he r a t s . I n a good season 5000 l b
of maize could be produced, but t her e were f r equent f a i l u r e s of t he
har ves t . I n addi t i on t o t h e 2 persons on Menai, t he r e was one on Wizard,
though no pl ant at i on, and f our on Nort heast . The expl oi t at i on of guano
had al r eady begun on Nort heast I sl and: Bergne s t a t e d t h a t 120 t ons had
al r eady been removed, a t Rs 60 pe r t on, and t h a t 300-400 t ons were l e f t .
The onl y i s l and now i nhabi t ed i s Menai, where t her e is a set t l ement
with wat er t anks, a manager' s house, l abour er s ' houses and a smal l
cemetery. There a r e f i s hi ng hut s on Wizard and some of t h e ot her i s l ands .
Guano i s no l onger worked on Nort heast I s l and, though s ever al hundred t ons
remain i n cavi t i es ; Baker (1963) a l s o est i mat es r eser ves on Grand Pol yt e,
not yet worked, a t 3700 t ons .
The goat s formerl y r epor t ed on Menai a r e no l onger t her e, but a r e
r epor t ed by Pi ggot t (1961) f o r Nort heast I s l and. Rabbi t s have been
i nt roduced on South I sl and, accordi ng t o Dupont (1907) bef or e 1906,
though accordi ng t o Honegger (unpubl i shed) about 1930. Two c a t s were
seen on Wizard i n 1968.
Unt i l 1903, when it was t r a ns f e r r e d t o t he new colony of Seychel l es,
Cosmoledo was admi ni st ered as pa r t of Maur i t i us: it s t i l l forms p a r t of
Seychel l es, and was not i ncl uded i n t he Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean Te r r i t or y i n
1965. The a t o l l i s now l eased, wi t h Aldabra and Assumption, by M r H.
Savy of Mahd, and i s used pr i mar i l y as a f i s hi ng s t a t i o n . There a r e
few coconut s, and Pi ggot t (1961) r epor t ed t h e average yi e l d t o be onl y
two nut s pe r palm per annum.
Acknowledgements
We thank t he Di r ect or , East Afri can Marine Fi s her i es Research
Organi zat i on, Zanzibar, M r Basi l Bel l , and Captain M. Williams and Capt ai n
T. Phipps, M.F.R.V. Manihine, f o r t he oppor t uni t i es f o r Royal Soci et y
p a r t i e s t o v i s i t Cosmoledo i n March and September 1968; and a l s o t he
Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund, a gr ant from which t o C. W. Benson made
t he fi rst v i s i t pos s i bl e. Unpublished Crown-copyright mat er i al i n t he
Indi an Of f i ce Records quoted i n t h i s paper appears by permi ssi on of t he
Secr et ar y of St a t e f o r Foreign and Commonwealth Rel at i ons. We thank Lady
Joan Fryer f o r t he loan of t he l a t e S i r John Fr yer ' s manuscript di a r y
of h i s v i s i t t o Cosmoledo i n 1908, and ot her mat er i al , and Mr J. A' C.
Bergne, f o r t he l oan of h i s f a t he r ' s j ournal of a v i s i t t o Cosmoledo i n
1901, and ot her papers, and bot h Lady Fryer and Mr Bergne f o r permi ssi on
t o quot e from t hes e documents.
References
Ashmole, N. P. 1963. The bi ol ogy o f t h e Wideawake o r Sooty Tern St er na
f us c a t a on Ascension I s l and. I bi s , 103b: 297-364.
Archipelago. Geol. Surv. Kenya Mem. 3: 1-140.
Benson, C. W. 1970a. Land ( i ncl udi ng shore) bi r ds of Cosmoledo. At ol l
Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
---------- 1970b. The white-eye Zost erops maderaspatana (Li nn. ) of Menai
I s l and, Cosmoledo At ol l . Bul l . Brit. Or ni t h. Club, 89: 24-27.
Bergne, H. A' C. 1900. Fai r r ecor d of i s l ands i n t he Indi an Ocean.
Manuscript.
---------- 1901. Rough not es of a voyage t o t he Aldabra group. Manuscript.
Beri o, E . 1956. Et er ocer i r a c c o l t i dal D r Carl o Pr ol a dur ant e l a
spedi zi one a l l e i s o l e d e l l i Af r i c a or i e nt a l e , con des cr i zi one d i e
s peci e nuove. Bul l . Soc. Entom. I t a l . 86: 82-87.
Blackman, R. A. A. and Pinhey, E. C. G. 1967. Odonata of t he Seychel l es
and ot her Indi an Ocean i s l a nd groups, based pr i mar i l y on t h e Br i s t ol
Uni ver si t y Expedition of 1964-1965. Arnol di a, 3( 12) : 1-38.
Bol i var , I . 1912. Ort hopt era: Acrydi i dae, Phasgonuridae, Gr yl l i dae.
- - - - - - - - - - 1924. Ort hopt era Di ct yopt era ( Bl at t i dae and Mantidae), and
supplement t o Gr yl l i dae, of t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l a nds .
Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 9, 13: 313-359.
Boulenger, G. A. 1911. List of t he Bat rachi ans and Rept i l es obt ai ned by
Pr of . St anl ey Gardiner on h i s second expedi t i on t o t h e Seychel l es
and Aldabra. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool., 14: 375-378.
Bourgogne, J . 1963. Sur deux Psychidae exot i ques, dont une esphce
inconnue des f l e s Aldabra-Cosmoledo. Bul l Soc. Entom. France,
68: 260-263.
Bourne, W. R. P. 1966. Observat i ons on i s l ands i n t he Indi an Ocean. Sea
Swallow, 18: 40-43.
Burr, M. 1910. Dermaptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 14:
123-133.
Campion, H. 1913. Odonata. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 15:
435-446.
Carcasson, R. H. 1964. New Afri can b u t t e r f l i e s . J. East Afr. Nat. H i s t .
SOC. 24(4): 67-72.
London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 16: 393-497.
Cockerel l , T. D. A. 1912. Hymenoptera, Apoidea. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2, Zool. , 15: 29-41.
Connolly, M. 1925. Notes on a col l ect i on of non-marine Mollusca from t he
i s l ands of t he Indi an Ocean. J. Conchol. 17: 257-266.
Di st ant , W. L. 1913. Rhynchota. Par t I: suborder Het eropt era. Trans.
Dorward, D. F. 1962. Comparative bi ol ogy of t he White Booby and t he Brown
Booby Sul a spp. a t Ascension. I b i s , 103b: 174-220.
-
Dupont, R. 1907. Report on a v i s i t of i nves t i gat i on t o St Pi er r e, Astove,
Cosmoledo, Assumption and t h e Aldabra Group. ~ a h e ' : Seychel l es
Government, 1-51.
Fosberg, F. R. , and Renvoize, S. A. 1970. Pl ant s of Cosmoledo At ol l
At ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Fryer, J. C. F. . 1908. Diary. Manuscript.
---------- 1911. The s t r uc t ur e and format i on of Aldabra and nei ghbouri ng
i sl ands--wi t h not es on t h e i r f l o r a and fauna. Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 14: 397-442.
---------- 1912. The Lepi dopt era of t he Seychel l es and Aldabra,
excl usi ve of t he Orneodidae and Pt erophori dae and of t he Tor t r i ci na
and Ti nei na. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 15: 1-28.
Gwyrine, M. D. , and Wood, D. 1969. Pl ant s col l ect ed on i s l ands i n t he
west ern Indi an Ocean dur i ng a cr ui s e of t h e M.F.R.V. "Manihine",
Hartman, W. D. 1958. Report on some l and bi r ds of Farquhar, St Pi er r e,
Astove, Cosmoledo, Assumption and Al dabra. Seychel l es Govt. Bul l .
21.
Honegger, R. 1966. Beobachtungen an der Herpetofauna der Seychel l en.
Salamandra, Zei t schr . f . Herpet . u. Terrari enkunde, 2(1-2): 21-36
- - - - - - - - - - 1967. The Green Tur t l e (Chelonia mydas j aponi ca Thunberg) i n
t he Seychel l es I s l ands . B r i t . J. Her pet ol . , 4: 8-11.
---------- Unpublished a. Some not es on wi l d l i f e and wi l dl i f e
conservat i on on t he Seychel l es and ot her Indi an Ocean i s l ands .
World Wi l dl i f e Fund Pr oj ect 28. Typescr i pt , 1-11.
---------- Unpublished b . Some not es and observat i ons on Giant Tor t oi s es
Testudo gi gant ea Schweigger l i vi ng and ext i nct of t he Iildian Ocean
I sl ands. World Wi l dl i f e Fwd Pr oj ect 28. Typescr i pt , 1-30.
Lamb, C. G. 1922. Di pt era: Asi l i dae, Scenopi ni dae, Dolichopodidae,
Pi puncul i dae, Syrphi dae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. ,
18: 361-416.
Legrand, H. 1965. ~ 6 ~ i d o ~ t & e s des ?l es Seychel l es e t dt Al dabr a. ~ 6 m .
Mus. Nat. H i s t . Nat ur. , S . A, Zool. , 37: 1-210.
Mamet, R. 1943. A r evi sed l i st of t h e Coccoidea of t he i s l ands of t he
west ern Indi an Ocean, sout h of t he equat or . Mauri t i us I n s t . Bul l . ,
2: 137-170.
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Capt ai n Ni ej ahr. Ann. Hydrogr. Mari t . Meteorol. 4: 243-250.
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---------- 1968. A s o i l survey of Seychel l es. Di r ect or at e of Overseas
Surveys, Land Resources Di vi si on, Tech. Bul l . 2: 1-89.
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London, s e r . 2 , Zool . , 15: 215-262.
---------- 1926. Col eopt era from t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l a nds :
Carabidae (supplement), Cryptophagidae (supplement), Dermestidae,
Lymexylonidae, Rhi pi ceri dae, Sphindidae, Throsci dae, Brent hi dae.
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Indi an Ocean. Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 12, 8 : 337-350.
---------- 1955b. The f i s hes of t he fami l y Pomacanthidae i n t h e west ern
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H i s t . s er . 12, 9: 817-829.
Tr avi s, W. 1959. Beyond t he r e e f s . New York: E. P. Dutton (London:
Turner, R. E. 1911. Fos s or i al Hymenoptera from t he Seychel l es and
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The endemic b i r d s . I bi s , s e r . 14, 4: 480-489.
---------- 1941. Furt her cont r i but i ons t o t he orni t hol ogy of t he
Seychel l es I s l ands . I bi s , ser. 14, 5: 618-531.
---------- 1942. Furt her s t udi es of t he veget at i on on i s l ands i n t he
Indi an Ocean. J. Ecol. 20: 1-16.
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guide t o t he bi r ds of t h e Indi an Ocean. Washington: Smithsonian
I ns t i t ut i on, 1-214.
6. PLANTS OF COSMOLEDO ATOLL
CYMODOCEA CILIATA Ehrenb. ex Aschers.
Menai I . , sout h p a r t , Fosberg 49854 (US, K) .
HALODULE WRIGHT11 Aschers .
Menai I . , sout h p a r t , Fosberg 49851 (US, K) .
THALASSIA HEMPRI CHI I (Ehrenb.) Aschers.
Menai I . , sout h pa r t , Fosberg 49852, 49853 (US, K)
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM IL.1 Wi l l d.
. ,
Menai I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1263 (K, EA); sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddart 8 Poore 1228 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore
1254 (K); Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg 49794 (US, K); Renvoize
-
1264 (US, K).
-
DACTYLOCTENIUM PILOSUM St apf
Wizard I . , cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49800 (US, K), Renvoize 1262
(US, K); nor t h end, Fosberg & McKenzie 49828 (US).
DAKNOPHOLIS BOIVINII (Camus) Cl ayt .
Wizard I . , cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49805 (US, K); Renvoize 1263
(US, K); Menai I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1237 (K, EA).
DIGITARIA HORIZONTALIS Willd
Menai I . , s . l . , Gwynne & Wood 1238 (K, EA); nor t h end, Fosberg
49786 (US, K) .
-
ENTEROPOGON SECHELLENSIS h r . & Schinz
(US, K).
ERAGROSTIS sp.
Wizard I . , Fosberg 49813a (US); nor t h end, Fosberg 49830 (US, K);
c e nt r a l pa r t , Renvoize 1261 (US, K); Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t & Poore 1224 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore
1260 (K); sout h p a r t , Fosberg 49849 (US, K).
-
LEPTURUS REPENS R. B r .
Menai I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1249 (EA); nor t h end, Fosberg &
McKenzie 49789 ( u- ement , St oddar t & Poore 1261
(K, US); Renvoize 1240 (US, K), Renvoize 1252 (US,K).
PANICUM MAXIMUM Jacq.
Menai I . , s . l . , Fosberg 49776 (US); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t
& Poore 1221 (K, U S ) ; d , Fosberg & Grubb 49776 (US).
-
PANICUM VOELTZKOWII Mez
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49819 (US, K); nor t h
end, Fosberg & McKenzie 49827 (US, K).
SPOROBOLUS VIRGINICUS Kunth
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49825a (US).
STENOTAPHRUM MICRANTHUM [Desv.) Hubb.
Menai I . , Fosberg 49783 (US); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1241
(US, K).
ZEA MAYS L.
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1251 (US, K)
CYPERUS LIGULARIS L.
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1227 (K); sout h
p a r t , Fosberg 49838 (US, K).
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg 49806b (US); Menai I . , sout h of
Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1235 (K, US).
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
Menai I . , seen by St oddar t , 1967, and by Fosberg, 1968; nor t h of
Set t l ement , Renvoize 1254 (US, K) .
Wizard and Menai I . , seen by Fosberg, 1968. Menai I . , Renvoize
s. n . . March 1968, s p i r i t c ol l e c t i on onl y ( K, US).
-
ASPARAGUS UMBELLULATUS Si eb. ~- - - .-. . ~
Menai I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1265 (K, EA); nor t h end, Fosberg &
Grubb 49774 (US); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1207 (K);
nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1237 (US, K) .
LOMATOPHYLLUM BORBONICUM Wi l l d.
Reported by Hemsley (1919) on aut hor i t y of Dupont, no specimen
seen by Hemsley.
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s from a l l i s l ands [ i n t he Aldabra Group]",
Hemsley (1919); seen by St oddar t , 1967, and by Fosberg on Menaj
I . , 1968.
FICUS AVI - AVI B1 .
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1249 (US, K).
FICUS NAUTARUM Baker
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s s peci es from a l l of t he i s l ands [ i n Aldabra
group]", Hemsley (1919).
FICUS THONNINGII B1 .
"Dupont records t h i s s peci es from ... Cosmoledo ..." Hemsley (1919);
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1257 (K); Gwynne &
Wood 1241 (EA); nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49765 (US, K) , - 49768
(US, K).
BOERHAVIA DIFFUSA L.
Menai I . , Gwynne & Wood 1258 (EA) .
BOERHAVIA ELEGANS Choisy
Wizard I . , s . I . , Thomasset i n 1902 (K); cent r al p a r t , Renvoize
1226 (US, K).
-
BOERHAVIA REPENS L.
Wizard I . , cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49792 (US, K) , - 49806 (US, K);
Menai I . , sout h p a r t of S-oddart - & Poore 1240 (K, US)
PISONIA GRANDIS R. B r .
Wizard I . , cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49807 (US, K); Menai I . , sout h of
Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1241 (K) .
ACHYRANTHES ASPERA L.
Wizard I . , s . l . , Gwynne & Wood 1224 (EA); cent r al p a r t , Renvoize
1219 (US, K); Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1249
-
(K); cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49748 (US, K); sout h p a r t , Fosberg 49850
(US, K) .
ACHYRANTHES CANESCENS R. B r .
E. North I . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5990 ( K ) ; Wizard I . , Thomasset i n
1902 (K) .
SESWIUM PORTULACASTRUM L.
PORTULACA c f . AUSTRALIS Endl.
S. I . , Thomasset 214 (K); Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg &
Grubb 49823 (US, K); Renvoize 1260 (US, K); Renvoize 1221 (US, K).
Wizard I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1223 (EA) ; c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg
49802 (US, K); Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore
-
1245 (K).
-
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49818 (US); Menai I . ,
sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1233 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
Renvoize 1246 (US, K) .
CLEOME STRIGOSA (Boj.) Ol i v.
Wizard I . , s. l . , Thomasset i n 1902 (K); c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg
49796 (US, K); Renvoize 1229 (US, K); Menai I . , s . l . , Gwynne &
Wood1251 (K, EA); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1216 (K)
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Graham 49782 (US, K); sout h of
Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1218 (K).
CAESALPINIA BONDUC (L.) Roxb. 7
CAESALPINIA MAJOR (Medic.) Dandy 6 Exel l
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1211 (K).
CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS L.
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1200 (US, K, EA);
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Renvoize 1220 (US, K).
CROTALARIA LABURNOIDES Klotzsch
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1250 (K, US).
GAGNEBINA PTEROCARPA (Lam.) Ba i l l .
"' Very common and a l s o i n Cosmoledot--Thomasset" Hemsley (1919).
ERYTHROXYLON ACRANTHUM Hemsl.
Menai I . , Gwynne & Wood 1233 (K, EA); nor t h end Fosberg & Grubb
49771 (US, K).
Wizard I . , s. I . , Thomasset i n 1903 (K); c e nt r a l p a r t Renvoize 1225
(US, K); Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1248 (K).
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Renvoize 1231 (US, K); Menai I . , Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d 5986a (K); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1238
(K) .
XYLOCARPUS MOLUCCENSIS (Lam. ) Roem .
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49820 (US, K); Renvoize
1266 (K).
-
ACALYPHA CLAOXYLOIDES Hutch .
S. l . , Thomasset 243 (K); Menai I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1240
(K, EA); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1231 (K); E. North
I s . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5989 (K); Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg
49804 (US, K, Fo).
-
ACALYPHA INDICA L.
Menai I . , Fosberg 49844 (US, K) .
EUPHORBIA ABBOTTII Baker
"Duoont r ecor ds t h i s from a l l t he i s l ands of t he Sevchel l es r eei on
-
except Gl ori osa, but not from t he Seychel l es Archipelago" Hemsley
(1919); s. l . , Fryer 52 (K) ; Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb
49764 (US, K).
-
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
Menai I . , sout h pa r t , Fosberg 49848 (K, US).
EUPHORBIA s p. (near E. PROSTRATA Ai t . )
S. I. , -Thomasset 232 (K); wizard- I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1230 (K,
EA); near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49816 (US, K); c e nt r a l p a r t ,
-
Fosberg 49799 (US, K); dunes i n cent er , Fosberg 49806a (US, K);
c e nt r a l p a r t , Renvoize 1228 (US, K); Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t & Poore 1222 (K).
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES L . Poi t .
. ,
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1214 (K), - 1202
(US, K, EA).
PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS Schum. & Thonn.
Wizard I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & McKenzie 49826 (US); c e nt r a l p a r t ,
PHYLLANTHUS CHELONIPHORBE Hutchinson
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Graham 49788 (US); Renvoize 1242
(US, K).
PHY LLANTHUS s o.
Wizard I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & McKenzie 49831, - 49826 (US); near
sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49815a (US).
RICINUS COMMUNIS L.
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49775 (US)
MAYTENUS SENEGALENSIS (Lam.) Exel l
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49781 (US); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
Renvoize 1245 (US, K).
ALLOPHYLUS ALDABRICUS Radlk.
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart 6 Poore 1205 (K, US); nor t h
end, Fosberg & Grubb 49770 (US, K) ; nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize
1248 (US, K) .
-
COLUBRINA ASIATICA (L.) Brongn.
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg 49811 (US, K); Renvoize 1257 (US,
K ) ; Menai I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1262 (K, EA), 1256 (EA) ; nor t h
of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1246 (K).
-
GOUANIA TILIAEFOLIA Lam.
Wizard I . , s. I . , Thomasset i n 1903 (K).
SCUTIA MYRTINA (Burm. f .) Kurz
Menai I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1244 (EA); Fosberg & Grubb 49773
(US).
CORGfORUS AESTUANS L .
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l pa r t , Fosberg 49810 (US, K); Renvoize 1234
(US, K).
GREWIA SALICIFOLIA Schinz
Menai I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1257 (K, EA); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
Renvoize 1239 (US, K); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1212
(K); nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49763 (US, K) .
P
ABUTILON ANGULATUM (G. & P. ) Mast.
S. l . , Thomasset 226 (K); Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg 49803
(US, K).
GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTWl L.
Wizard I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1226 (K, EA); c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg
49812 (US, K); Renvoize 1233 (US, K); Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t & Poore 1220 ( K) .
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
S. l . , St oddart & Poore 1217 (K); Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg
& Grubb 49815 (US, K) ; c e n t r a l p a r t , Renvoize 1235 (US, K) ; Menai
I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1230 (K).
SIDA "VESCOANA Bai l lon"
Wizard I . , s. I . , Thomasset i n 1902 (K), ( possi bl y a form of - S.
p a r v i f o l i a DC.) .
TNESPESIA POPULNEOIDES (Roxb.) Kost el
Menai I . , nor t h end, ~ o s b e r g & Grubb 49766 (US); Renvoize 1238
(US, K) .
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1247 (K).
CARICA PAPAYA L.
Seen on Menai I . by St oddar t , 1967.
CUCUMIS MELO L .
Menai I . , s. 1, Gwynne & Wood 1255 (EA); Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t ,
Fosberg 49797; Renvoize 1224 (US, K); Renvoize 1267 (K).
CUCURBITA MAXIMA L.
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg 49787 (US).
PEMPHIS ACIDULA For st .
S. I . , Thomasset 217 (K); Fi t zGeral d 5988 (K) ; Menai I . , sout h of
Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1242 (K); Wizard I . , c e n t r a l pa r t ,
BRUGUIERA GYMNORHIZA (L.) Lam.
Menai I . , s . l . , Gwynne & Wood 1259 (K, EA); sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t and Poore 1209 (K, US).
CERIOPS TAGAL ( Per r . ) C. B. Rob.
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1210 (K, US)
RHZ ZOPHORA MUCRONATA Lam.
Menai I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1261 (K, EA); sout h of Set t l ement ,
St oddart & Poore 1239 (K).
SONNERATIA ALBA (L.) J. E. Sm.
Menai I . , lagoon s i de, sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1223
(K) .
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1213 (K)
AZIMA TETRACANTHA Lam.
Wizard I . , cent r al pa r t , Fosberg 49808 (US, K); Menai I . , s. l . ,
Gwynne & Wood 1243 (EA); sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1237
(K) ; nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49779 (US, K) .
SALVADORA ANGUSTIFOLIA Turr.
S. l . , s o n t 289 (K), 5 (K); Menai I . , s. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1247
(K, EA), 1242 (EA); nor??h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1258 (K);
49785 (US) Renvoize 1243 (US, K) ; nor t h end, Fosberg 49784 (US, K) ,
PLUMBAGO APHYLLA Boj. ex Boi ss.
Wizard I. , s. I., Gwynne & Wood 1227 (EA); c e nt r a l p a r t Fosberg 49809
(US, K); Renvoize 1232 (US, K).
SIDEROXYLON INERME L. subsp. CRYPTOPHLEBIUM (Baker) J. H. Hemsley
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l pa r t , Fosberg 49813 (US, K) ; Menai I . , nor t h end,
Fosberg & Graham 49782a (US); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore
1255 (K), 1256 ( K) .
- -
CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS ( L. ) G. Don
PLEUROSTELMA CERNUUM IDecne.1 Bullock
Wizard I . , cent r al p a r t , Fosberg 49801 (US, K); Renvoize 1227 (US,
K); Menai I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1234 (K, EA), 1252 (EA) ; sout h
of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1219, -- 1203, 1204 (K).
SARCOSTEMMA VIMINALE R. B r .
Menai I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1239 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t & Poore v o i z e 1244 (US, K).
P
EVOLVULUS ALSINOIDES L.
S. l . , Thomasset i n 1902 (K); Wizard I . , nor t h end, Fosberg &
McKenzie 49832 (US) ; c e nt r a l p a r t , Renvoize 1259 (US, K) ; sout h end,
Gwynne & Wood 1231 (EA); Menai I . , sout h of s et t l ement , St oddar t &
Poore 1229 (K).
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE (L.) R. B r .
(US, K); Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1232 ( K) .
-
IPOMOEA TUBA (Schl echt . ) Don
Wizard I . , c e nt r a l p a r t , Fosberg 49793 (US, K); Renvoize 1223 (US, K)
CORDI A SUBCORDATA Lam.
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49821 (US, K); Menai I . ,
sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1236 (K); nor t h end, Fosberg
& Grubb 49767 (US).
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1234 (K); Wizard I . ,
c e nt r a l pa r t , Renvoize 1256 (US, K).
AVICENNIA MARINA (Forsk .) Vierh.
S. l . , Fryer 22 (K); Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb
(US, K); Menai I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1260 (K, EA) ; nor t h
of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1259 (K); sout h of Set t l ement ,
CLERODENDRUM GLABRUM E. Mey. (C. mi nut i fl orum Bak.)
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s from-~osmoledo," Hemsley, (1919) ; s . I . ,
Thomasset i n 1902 (K, 2 s heet s ) .
PREMNA OBTUSIFOLIA R. Br .
Menai I . , s . l . , Gwynne & Wood 1250 (EA); nor t h end, Fosberg &
Grubb 49780 (US, K); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1236 (US, K);
sout h of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1206 (K), - 1226 (K).
SOLANUM ALDABRENSE C. H. Wright
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s from . . . Cosmoledo", Hemsley (1919)
SOLANUM MELONGENA L.
Menai I . , nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1244 (K).
SOLANUM NIGRUM L.
Wizard I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & McKenzie 49829 (US); c e nt r a l p a r t ,
HYPOESTES ALDABRENSIS Baker
Wizard I . , s. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1225 (K, EA); near sout h end,
Fosberg & Grubb 49817 (US, K); Menai I . , s . l . , Gwynne & Wood
1264 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1252 (K).
-
GUETTARDA SPECIOSA L.
Menai I . , s . I . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5987 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
POLYSPHAERIA MULTIFLORA Hiern
Menai I . , nor t h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49772 (US).
TARENNA TRICHANTHA (Bak . ) Brem.
S. I . , Dupont 279 (K).
TRIAINOLEPIS FRYER1 (Hems 1. ) Brem.
S. I . , Thomasset 242 (K) .
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaertn. ) Roxb.
Wizard I . , near sout h end, Fosberg & Grubb 49824 (US); Menai I . ,
nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1253 (US, K) .
LAUNAEA INTYBACEA (Jacq. ) Beauv .
Menai I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1253 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
St oddar t & Poore 1262, - 1201 (K, US); Renvoize 1247 (US, K).
1,AUNAEA SARMENTOSA fWilld. l A l s t -
S. I . , Dupont 35 (K); Wizard I . , s . I . , Gwynne & Wood 1229 (EA);
c e nt r a l pa r t , Fosberg 49791 (US, K); Renvoize 1217 (US, K);
Menai I . , sout h of Set t l ement , St oddar t 8 Poore 1243 (K, US).
VERNONIA ALDABRENSIS Hemsl.
Menai I . , nor t h end of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1251 ( K) ; nor t h
end, Fosberg & Grubb 49777 (US, K).
7. LAND (INCLUDING SHORE) BIRDS OF COSMOLEDO
C. W. Benson
I nt r oduct i on
Excepting a b r i e f r ef er ence by Abbott t o a r a i l (see below), t h e
e a r l i e s t r ef er ence t o bi r ds on Cosmoledo seems t o be by Bergne (1901),
who had t he l eas e of Aldabra, i ncl udi ng a l s o Cosmoledo, a t t he begi nni ng
of t he cent ury. D r D. R. St oddart has brought t o my not i ce t he l i st of
bi r ds made by Bergne, a s a r e s u l t of h i s v i s i t t o Cosmoledo between 9
and 12 October 1901. In addi t i on t o f i ve s ea bi r ds and a "curlew", it
i ncl udes f our s peci es t o be r ef er r ed t o below. Dupont (1907) drew up a
f a i r l y comprehensive l i st of bi r ds a s a whole. Fryer (1911, 430) thought
t h a t l and bi r ds were s car ce on Cosmoledo, which was "too broken i n t o
small i s l ands t o be s ui t a bl e f o r a l and fauna". Vesey-FitzGerald (1940,
486-488) gi ves an account of t he l and, excl usi ve of shore, bi r ds of t he
Aldabra archi pel ago, i ncl udi ng Cosmoledo, which he v i s i t e d i n 1937.
According t o Williams (1953) and Benson (1969) he a l s o col l ect ed sunbi rds
and a white-eye on Menai I sl and i n Apr i l 1952. But he has r ecent l y
expl ai ned t o me t ha t he only v i s i t e d Cosmoledo t he once, i n 1937, and
t h a t t hese specimens were merely col l ect ed a t h i s r equest , and t h a t a t
t he time he was i n Afri ca. Hartman (1958), who spent 10-12 December
1957 on Cosmoledo, v i s i t i n g Menai and West North I s l ands , a l s o gi ves an
account of t he l and bi r ds . H.M.S. - Owen cal l ed at Menai on 13-15 March
1964, and some observat i ons ar e given by Bourne (1966). The Br i s t ol
Seychel l es Expedition, of which R. Gaymer was a member, v i s i t e d Menai
on 9 November 1964, and Gaymer made a f ur t her v i s i t t o Menai on October
1965. He has ki ndl y made h i s observat i ons avai l abl e. I . S. C. Parker
col l ect ed specimens f o r t he Nat i onal Museum of Kenya, Nai robi , on Menai
on 6 October 1967.
A grant from t he Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund, made a t t he
i nst ance of D r Dean Amadon, Lamont Curat or of Bi rds i n t h e American
Museum of Nat ural Hi st ory, enabled me t o v i s i t Cosmoledo and Astove
myself, on t he M. F. R. V. Manihine, duri ng t he time t h a t I was working
on Aldabra, i n January-March 1968. We were on Cosmoledo on 6 March: on
Wizard I sl and from about 0900 t o 1300 hours, and on Menai I s l and from
1600 t o 1845 hours. My own observat i ons were augmented by many from
A. W. Diamond and P. Gmbb. Some addi t i onal obser vat i ons were made on
Menai I sl and by D r M. E. D. Poore and D r D. R. St oddart duri ng a
f ur t her v i s i t by M.F.R.V. Manihine, on 14 September 1968.
I n addi t i on t o t he generous as s i s t ance from t he Chapman Fund, I am
much i ndebt ed t o var i ous ot her per sons. D r R. H. Carcasson, t he former
Di r ect or , and A. D. Forbes-Watson, l e n t me t he specimens col l ect ed by
Parker f o r t he Nat i onal Museum of Kenya, and permi t t ed me t o make use of
them i n t h i s paper. They a l s o seconded t o me a ski nner , Loriu Lokiru,
who worked f o r me throughout my t i me on Aldabra, and accompanied me t o
Cosmoledo and Astove. Pr of essor Charl es G. Si bl ey and Mrs El eanor H.
St i ckney l ent me t he mat er i al col l ect ed by Hartman i n t h e Aldabra
ar chi pel ago as a whole, i n t he Peabody Museum of Nat ural Hi st or y, Yale
Uni ver si t y, and which was brought t o my not i ce by R . K . Brooke, of
Rhodesia, while on a v i s i t t o t h a t Museum. A. M. Hutson, of t he
Department of Entomology, Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) , has i de nt i f i e d
t he stomach cont ent s of my specimens. D r D. W. Snow and h i s s t a f f i n t he
Bird Room, Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) , have given me t he necessary
f a c i l i t i e s f o r t he comparative st udy of specimens. My orvn from Cosmoledo
and Astove a r e t o be present ed t o t h e American Museum of Nat ural Hi st ory,
whi l e Par ker ' s l and bi r ds from t he s e two a t o l l s have r ecent l y been donated
by t he Nat i onal Museum of Kenya t o t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) .
I thank M r J. A' C. Bergne f o r t h e oppor t uni t y t o make us e of unpubl i shed
obser vat i ons made by h i s f a t he r on Cosmoledo i n 1901.
Resident t r u e l and bi r ds
Dryolimnas cuvi er i Whi t e-t hroat ed Rai l
Abbott ( i n Ridnway 1895, 5291 had it a t second-hand t h a t r a i l s
"swarm" on cosmoledo (and stove); whi l e accordi ng t o Fryer (1911, 430,
under D. abbot t i ?), a r a i l s t i l l e xi s t e d i n 1908 on South I s l and,
cosmol ~do. We were unabl e t o land on South I s l and, which has no human
s et t l ement , s o t h a t it i s pos s i bl e t h a t t h i s speci es does s t i l l e x i s t
t her e. Thi s i s worth f ur t he r i nve s t i ga t i on.
St r ept opel i a pi c t ur a t a Malagasy Turt l edove
Thi s speci es is l i s t e d by Dupont (1907, as Tur t ur s at ur at us ) f o r
Cosmoledo, and Bergne (1901) mentions a brown "Tour t er el l e des I l es " ,
but no ot her r ef er ence t o i t s occurrence has been t r aced. However, one
of t h e l abour er s on Aldabra, who had pr evi ousl y l i ved on Cosmoledo f o r
more t han t en years, assured me t h a t it s t i l l occurs on South I s l and.
Like t h e case of t he r a i l , t h i s i s worth f ur t he r i nves t i gat i on. A r e l i c
popul at i on might s t i l l sur vi ve- - i n cont r as t t o t he s i t ua t i on on
Assumption, where ext i r pat i on is complete.
Geopelia s t r i a t a Barred Ground-Dove
On Menai, I had a quick view of a smal l l ong- t ai l ed dove, which I
took t o be t h i s speci es, not Oena capens i s , which occurs i n Malagasy as
wel l as i n Af r i ca. I onl y saw t he one bi r d, which may r epr es ent a not
very s ucces s f ul a r t i f i c i a l i nt r oduct i on. Elsewhere, a s i n t he
Seychel l es and on Farquhar, t h i s eas t er n speci es evi dent l y t hr i ve s
(Watson e t a l . 1963, 170, 188; St oddar t and Poore 1970), but t he r e seems
t o be no previ ous suggest i on of i t s occurrence i n t he Aldabra ar chi pel ago.
Ci s t i c ol a cheri na Malagasy Grass -Warbler
Bergne (1901) l i st s "Al l ouet t e", French f o r a l ar k. He may wel l
have seen Ci s t i col a cher i na, brown above s t r i pe d bl acki sh, and white
below, i n general col our resembling a t ypi cal l a r k. I t i s not mentioned
by Dupont (1907), nor by Fryer (1911). I t i s recorded from Menai by
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488), and appar ent l y from bot h Menai and West
North I sl ands by Hartman (1958). Ga p e r found it p l e n t i f u l on Menai i n
November 1964 and October 1965, as I and Diamond di d on Wizard and Menai.
Diamond of t en heard a " t i c " al ar m- cal l , remi ni scent of t h a t of a Robin
Er i t hacus rubecul a i n England. St oddart and Poore heard t h i s c a l l and
saw bi r ds both on t he sout hern dunes on Menai and on t he pat h across
champignon nor t h of set t l ement i n September 1968. On Wizard Diamond
found a nes t cont ai ni ng t hr ee eggs, i n a bushy Achyranthes 0. 6 m above
t he ground. This i s r a t he r hi gh: t he gr eat es t hei ght which Rand (1936,
450) gi ves i s 450 mm. The ent r ance was near t he t op. Hartman (1958)
and Watson e t a l . (1963, 198) imply t h a t t he bi r d was a r t i f i c i a l l y
i nt roduced t o Cosmoledo and Astove. This seems most unl i kel y, and it i s
v i r t u a l l y cer t ai n t h a t col oni s at i on (from Malagasy) was unaided by man.
There may be no i nst ance of t he successf ul a r t i f i c i a l i nt r oduct i on of an
i nsect i vor ous warbl er i n any p a r t of t he world.
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488) col l ect ed a specimen on Astove. I t
was s ent t o t he Br i t i s h Museum, but cannot now be found. Hartman
col l ect ed a male on Menai, Parker t hr ee males on Menai and two on Astove.
I n a l l , s i xt een specimens ar e avai l abl e from t hes e two i s l ands and
Wizard. Twelve of them ar e adul t , i n breedi ng dr es s . Thei r measurements
i n mm, and of mat er i al i n t h i s dr es s from Malagasy, i n t h e Br i t i s h Museum,
wi t h t he addi t i on of a few i n t h e Uni versi t y Museum of Zoology, Cambridge,
ar e as fol l ows:
Wing Tai l
-
Culmen from base
Malagasy
19 da' 50 - 52 (50.8) 37 - 42 (39.4) 11. 5 - 13 (12.3)
15 09 45 - 48 (47. 1) 36 - 41 (38.9) 11 - 13 (13.0)
Astove
3 0' 0' 51 52 53 38 39 40 12. 5 13 13
3 99 47 47 48 34 38 39 12 12. 5 12. 5
Cosmoledo: Menai I sl and
4 o'd 51 52 52 52 37 38 39 42 11. 5 11. 5 12 12.5
Cosmoledo: Wizard I sl and
2 do' 50 50 38 39 12. 5 13
3 j u v . m 47 48 48 40 42 42 12 12 one broken
1 juv. 9 45 41 11
The j uveni l es a r e suf f used wi t h r us t y above and on t he f l anks , as
descri bed by Lynes (1930, 113) f o r Malagasy. The j uveni l e female i s
a l s o washed with sul phur on t he chi n, t hr oat and ches t . Whereas my
adul t s had t he pal at e wholly bl ack, a l l f our j uveni l es had bl ack
r e s t r i c t e d t o a smal l ar ea i n t h e cent r e, t he female wi t hout any bl ack
a t a l l . Also, t hey had i r i d e s grey-brown i ns t ead of red-brown, and i n
two a t l e a s t s kul l - os s i f i cat i on had bar el y s t a r t e d . Probably none i s
more t han about two months ol d (from dat e of hat chi ng) , and t hey ar e
assumed t o be from eggs l a i d not e a r l i e r t han December. They a r e probab-
l y f u l l y grown, never t hel ess t h e i r measurements ar e kept s epar at e.
The wing-lengths suggest t ha t , while t he Astove and Menai bi r ds ar e
s i mi l ar i n s i z e t o t hose from Malagasy, t hose from Wizard ar e s l i g h t l y
smal l er, pa r t i c ul a r l y i f t he j uveni l es a r e taken i n t o consi der at i on.
Weights ( i n g) a l s o t end t o bear t h i s out . Using a l s o dat a from Par ker ' s
specimens a s wel l as my own, t he r e s u l t i s as fol l ows:
Astove
3 do" 9 10 10. 8
3 ?? 8. 4 8. 5 10. 8
(The heavi es t female cont ai ned an enl ar ged, yol ki ng egg)
Cosmoledo: Menai I s l and
3 da' 10 10 10
Cosmoledo: Wizard I s l and
2 da' 9. 5 9. 7
3 juv.n'd 8 9 9. 4
1 j uv. 9 8. 2
It can be seen t h a t t he Wizard males ar e l i g h t e r t han t hose from
Astove and Menai, t he only except i on bei ng t he Astove male weighing only
9 g.
Also, t h e j uveni l e female from Wizard i s s l i g h t l y t he l i g h t e s t
female. The i nves t i gat i on could be t aken f ur t he r by t r appi ng and
weighing of l i v e bi r ds a t t h e same time of day.
As t o col our, absol ut el y no va r i a t i on could be di scerned, and t he
known range of Ci s t i col a cher i na must be extended t o i ncl ude Astove and
Cosmoledo. The two a t o l l s may have been col oni sed qui t e r ecent l y, though
i n 1937, accordi ng t o Vesey-FitzGerald, t he s peci es was al r eady abundant
on Astove. I t i s a p i t y t h a t Ni col l (1906, 705) was unable t o v i s i t
Astove and Cosmoledo, as we could have been reasonabl y s ur e from t he
account t ha t he would have wr i t t en what t he s i t u a t i o n was i n 1906, and
t he i nference from Bergne t ha t it was al r eady on Cosmoledo i n 1901 would
have been f ur t her i l l umi nat ed. The f a c t t h a t ne i t he r Dupont nor Fryer
mentions it does not neces s ar i l y mean t h a t it was absent a t t he time
of t h e i r v i s i t s . Unlike Ni col l , t hey were not pr i mar i l y or ni t hol ogi s t s .
Ni col l (1906, 686-692) vi s i t e d Gl ori osa i n 1906, but makes no mention
of - C. cher i na. It would be i nt e r e s t i ng t o know whether it i s t he r e
now.
Perhaps i n due course Aldabra and Assumption w i l l a l s o be col oni sed.
S. A. Renvoize (personal communication) is unaware of any di f f er ence i n
t he speci es of gr asses on t he four a t o l l s t o account f or i t s presence
only on Cosmoledo and Astove. On t he ot her hand, from t he physiognomical
aspect , on Aldabra t her e i s no h a b i t a t comparable t o t he f a i r l y open
pl ant at i ons wi t h grassy ground cover found on Menai and Astove, o r t h e
low scrub on Wizard and Astove.
I t would be i nt e r e s t i ng t o a s c e r t a i n how ext ensi ve t he breedi ng
season i s on Cosmoledo and Astove. Par ker ' s specimens, col l ect ed i n
e a r l y October, were al ready i n breedi ng dr es s . The di f f er ences between
breedi ng (summer) and non-breeding (wi nt er) dr es s ar e c l e a r l y and cor r ect -
l y given by Lynes (1930, 112). For sout h- cent r al Afri ca, Benson, Brooke
and Vernon (1964, 83) gi ve 82 egg-l ayi ng records f or t he r e l a t e d C.
j unci di s , a l l wi t hi n t he per i od November-June (only t hr e e f o r ~ovgmber,
and a marked f a l l - of f i n t he l a s t t hr e e months). Yet Rand (1936, 449)
expresses t he opi ni on t h a t cher i na probably breeds throughout t h e year
i n Malagasy, and gi ves s ever al r ecor ds suggest i ng egg-l ayi ng i n August
and September (one de f i ni t e l y f o r t he l a t t e r month). Nor a r e specimens
i n breedi ng dr es s on Cosmoledo and Astove i n e a r l y October i n keeping
wi t h t he dat a f o r j unci di s . Thus cher i na would appear f o r some reason
t o be more p l a s t i c i n i t s season. As would be expected i n j unci di s
t oo, breedi ng was s t i l l under, way on Cosmoledo and Astove i n March.
Apart from t he nes t wi t h eggs found by Diamond, t he heavy female c o l l e c t -
ed on Astove hel d an egg measuring a s much as 10 x 15 mm.
I n order of predominance (numbers of i ndi vi dual specimens i n each
group), t he stomach-contents of my specimens a s a whole, i ncl udi ng t hose
from Astove, were:
Hemiptera: Homoptera and Het eropt era, i ncl udi ng one Reduviidae
nymph
Col eopt era: i ncl udi ng Ni t i dul i dae and Curcul i oni dae
Ort hopt era: i ncl udi ng Tet t i gonoi dea and Acridoidea
Di pt er a: i ncl udi ng Fannia s p. l ar vae (Muscidae), Scenopinidae, and
Asi l i dae
Hymenoptera: winged ant s
Neuroptera: Myrmelionidae
Arachnida: smal l s pi der s
Corvus al bus Pi ed Crow
Li st ed from Cosmoledo by Dupont (1907, a s C. scapul at us) and by
Bergne (1901, as "Corbeau"). Vesey-FitzGerald 1 9 4 0 , 488) gi ves it a s
a v i s i t o r only. Hartman (1958) r ecor ds a p a i r from West North I s l and;
Bourne (1966) a p a i r on Menai, "the first f o r many years". I saw a p a i r
on Menai, but was t ol d t h a t t hes e were t h e onl y bi r ds on t he a t o l l a s a
whole. But Ga p e r ' s i nformat i on is t h a t t he r e were a s many a s f i v e on
Menai when he was t he r e on 1 October 1965. Two of t hes e he saw.
Zosterops maderaspatana Malagasy White-eye
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488, as Z. al dabr ensi s) records it a s common
on Cosmoledo (no pa r t i c ul a r i s l a nd s peci f i ed) , as does Hartman (1958)
f o r Menai. The onl y ot her record of whi t e-eyes on Cosmoledo i s of one
seen by Gaymer on Menai on 1 October 1965. None was seen by any of our
par t y on e i t h e r Wizard o r Menai, though it was seen by St oddar t and Poore
on Menai i n September 1968.
Three specimens col l ect ed on Menai have been st udi ed (Benson 1969),
and descri bed a s a d i s t i n c t subspeci es, di f f e r i ng from t he popul at i on
of nominate maderaspatana on Astove i n bei ng pa l e r green above and pa l e r
yellow on t he t hr oat and under t a i l - c ove r t s . But it has s i nce been
ascer t ai ned from Vesey-FitzGerald t h a t t he specimen col l ect ed i n h i s
name (on 15 Apri l 1952) was kept i n al cohol , probabl y f o r s ever al months,
bef or e bei ng skinned by J. G . Williams i n Nai robi . I t i s a l s o understood
from Mrs St i ckney t h a t Hartman' s specimens may have been i n al cohol f o r
as long as one year . I t i s pos s i bl e t h a t t he p a l l o r of a l l t hr ee Menai
specimens may be due t o immersion i n al cohol , and t he v a l i d i t y of - Z. m. -
menaiensis Benson r equi r es f ur t he r i nves t i gat i on. The s peci al i n t e r e s t
of Hartman's two specimens i s however t h a t t hey ar e p a r t i a l l y grey and
p a r t i a l l y green above. I t i s unl i kel y t h a t t h i s was caused by al cohol .
They seem t o cl os el y resemble t he only known specimen of Z. hovarum
Tri st ram, which probably came from Malagasy. The ot her specimen i s
wholly green above.
Nect ar i ni a sovimanga Souimanga Sunbird
The speci es i s l i s t e d from Cosmoledo by h p o n t (1907, as Ci nnyri s
abbot t i ) . Fryer (1911, 430) r ecor ds a Ci nnyri s; Vesey-FitzGerald (1940,
487) records t he speci es a s "es peci al l y common" on Menai; Hartma11 (1958)
as "very common" on Menai, "common" on West North T5land; and Bourne
(1966) "many" Nect ar i ni a s p. on Menai. On Wizard we di d not f i nd it t o
be common. On Menai it was more s o, though not as numerous as Ci s t i c ol a
cheri na. Vesey-FitzGerald found a nes t cont ai ni ng young (he does not
say how many) on West North I sl and on 5 October, and Hartman saw a nes t
cont ai ni ng two eggs on Menai, duri ng 13-15 December. Gaymer r epor t s
t h a t t he bi r ds were p l e n t i f u l on Menai i n November 1964 and October 1965.
I col l ect ed on Wizard two ol d ne s t s , now i n t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural
Hi st or y) . Each was about 1 m above t he ground, at t ached t o a bush
i de nt i f i e d by S. A. Renvoize as Azima t et r acant ha. This pl ant i s wel l
equipped with l ar ge spi nes, which might hel p pr ot ect t he ne s t s and t h e i r
cont ent s from any enemies. Three j uveni l e males col l ect ed by Parker on
Menai on 6 October, t he b i l l s of which ar e recorded a s "black with yellow
gape", and a j uveni l e female by Vesey-FitzGerald on 15 Apr i l , f or f ur t he r
d e t a i l s of a l l f our of which see below, ar e probabl y onl y about one month
ol d from dat e of hat chi ng, suggest i ng egg-l ayi ng r es pect i vel y i n August
and l a t e February o r e a r l y March.
On Aldabra, occupied ne s t s with eggs
have been found throughout t he per i od August t o March, and presumably
t h i s al s o appl i es on Cosmoledo. There may even be some breedi ng
throughout t h e year, a s wi t h some Mect ari ni a spp. i n sout h- cent r al Af r i ca
(Benson, Brooke and Vernon 1964, 93-95).
Taking i nt o consi der at i on t he mat er i al (Benson 1967, 85) i n which
N. s. buchenorum was represent ed by onl y t hr ee specimens, a l l from Menai,
-
a n d t h a t r ecent l y col l ect ed, i ncl udi ng Hartman's specimens (Astove, 2
19 ; Menai 2dd l p ; Assumption i d 1 j uv. 9 ; Aldabra i d ), r evi sed
measurements i n mm ar e a s fol l ows :
Wing Ta i l Culmen from base
- -
Astove (buchenorum)
7 dd 54 - 57 (55.1) 39 - 43 (40.6) 17. 5 - 20 (19.1)
5 99 50 - 53 (50.8) 35 - 36 (35.2) 16 - 19 (17. 5)
2 juv. 99 49 50 33 35 16. 5 19
Cosmoledo: Wizard (buchenorum)
1 d 55 39.5 20
Cosmoledo : Menai (buchenorum)
6 ob' 54 - 57 155.5) 39 - 44 (40.2) 18 - 20 (18.8)
3 juv. ob' 52 53 55 34 36 37
2 99 51 53
33 36
1 j u v . 9 50 31
Assumption ( abbot t i )
6 do' 53 - 55 154.3) 37 - 41 (39.2)
1 9 49
1 juv. 0 49
Aldabra ( al dabr ensi s)
20 ob' 51 - 55 (52. 7) 33 - 40 (37.8) 18 - 21 (19.5)
2 juv. dd 50 51 32 33 19. 5 20
12 09 47 - 50 (48. 4) 30 - 35 (32. 5)
17 - 19 (18.2)
Specimens not i ndi cat ed a s j uveni l e ar e c e r t a i nl y f u l l y grown, and
measurements of wing i ndi cat e t h a t Astove and Cosmoledo bi r ds ar e l ar ger
than t hose from Aldabra, with Assumption bi r ds i nt ermedi at e. Astove
and Cosmoledo bi r ds a l s o average l ar ger t han t hose from Malagasy and
Gl ori osa, see f i gur es f o r t h e l a t t e r two ar eas i n Benson 1967, 85. They
a l s o have pr opor t i onat el y s hor t er b i l l s t han any ot her s .
Of t he mat er i al now avai l abl e, much more comprehensive t han I had
previ ousl y, i n t h e first i nst ance adul t males may be consi dered.
The
exi st ence of an off-season dr es s was denied (Benson 1967, 88) , but it
is now evi dent t h a t , a s i n some Afri can speci es (Skead 1967, 20-24), it
does e x i s t , a t l e a s t i n al dabr ensi s and abbot t i , and probably i n a l l t he
subspeci es. Ten specimens of al dabr ensi s ar e i n f u l l met al l i c (breedi ng)
dr ess, wi t h t he r e d chest-band f u l l y developed. Most of t h e remainder
(anot her t en) have t h i s dr ess onl y p a r t i a l l y developed, wi t h t he upper-
s i de l ar gel y d u l l ol i ve, and t he lower bbdomen always d u l l ol i ve-yel l ow
i ns t ead of dingy whi t e. They appear t o r epr esent an off-season dr es s .
In t he white of t h e abdomen, t hose i n breedi ng dr es s only d i f f e r from
specimens of apol i s , of dry south-western Malagasy, i n t ha t it i s l e s s
br i ght , not s o pure a whi t e. Three of t h e males of abbot t i , col l ect ed
by Ni col l on 12-13 March, a l s o appear t o be i n an off-season dr es s . The
ot her t hr ee d i f f e r from males i n breedi ng dr es s of al dabr ensi s i n havi ng
t he abdomen mainly bl ack, with a r e l a t i v e l y l i t t l e dingy white on t he
lower abdomen, while t he rump and upper t a i l - c ove r t s have some me t a l l i c
green i ns t ead of bei ng pl ai n bl ack. A l l t he males from Astove and
Cosmoledo (buchenorum) appear t o be i n breedi ng dr es s , with no const ant
di f f er ence apparent between t he two a t o l l s . White on t he abdomen has
almost di sappeared. In some specimens t he process i s complete, i n ot her s
some of t he f eat her s of t he lower abdomen have whi t i sh f r i nge s . Met al l i c
green on t he rump i s more ext ensi ve t han i n abbot t i , whi l e t he lower back
i s bl ack i ns t ead of ol i ve a s i n a bbot t i and al dabr ens i s .
I s t a t e d (1967, 84) t ha t buchenorum can al s o be di s t i ngui s hed by
t he brownish, l e s s reddi sh t one of t h e chest-band. This i s not borne
out by t he r e l a t i ve l y long s e r i e s now avai l abl e. The col our i n t he t ype
of buchenorum t he only adul t male of t h i s subspeci es which I had pr e-
vi ousl y seen i s almost a br i ck- r ed, and i s qui t e accur at el y reproduced i n
t he col our p l a t e accompanying t he or i gi nal des cr i pt i on (Williams 1953).
According t o t he col our-chart of Villalobos-Dominguez and Vi l l al obos
(1947), it i s near est t o SSO 8"( 9) . Specimens of nominate sovimanga ar e
about t he same, though t h e band i s narrower, as it a l s o i s i n a pol i s . In
t he ot her males of buchenorum t h e col our i s more s c a r l e t i n t one, accord-
i ng t o t he same col our char t near es t t o S g0( 6) . Only Hartman's two
males from Menai show some tendency t o br i ck- r ed. I n a pol i s , abbot t i
and al dabr ensi s t he col our i s always s c a r l e t r a t he r t han br i ck- r ed, and
t he l a t t e r col our i s only normal i n nominate sovimanga. The t ype of
buchenorum, a l s o two females, one adul t , one j uveni l e, were col l ect ed i n
Vesey-Fi t zGeral dt s name on t he same day (15 Apri l 1952) on Menai. He
has t o l d me t ha t , l i ke t he specimen of Zosterops maderaspatana, t hey were
kept i n al cohol before bei ng ski nned i n Nai robi . According t o Mrs
St i ckney, c e r t a i n of ~ a r t m&' s specimens were al s o i n al cohol p r i o r t o
ski nni ng, and t h i s i s t he cause of t he br i ck- r ed chest-band i n some of
t he adul t males, which ar e ot herwi se normal i n col our .
O f adul t females, Vesey-Fi t zGeral d' s specimen does not appear t o
have been af f ect ed by al cohol , but a Hartman specimen from Menai l acks
t he usual wash of yellow on t h e under si de, and was i n al cohol f o r one
year . Mat eri al of nominate sovimanga i s d i s t i n c t l y washed wi t h ol i ve on
t he uppersi de, and a r e l a t i v e l y b r i g h t yellow below. In buchenorum
( di sr egar di ng Hartman's female from Menai), abbot t i and al dabr ensi s t he
uppersi de i s brown with l i t t l e o r no ol i ve wash, and t he yellow wash on
t he undersi de i s much l e s s br i ght . In t hese r es pect s t hes e t hr ee sub-
s peci es from t he Aldabra ar chi pel ago do not seem di s t i ngui s habl e from
one anot her. Four specimens of a pol i s ar e l i k e t hose from t he Aldabra
archi pel ago on t he uppersi de, though perhaps a t r i f l e pa l e r . On t h e
undersi de t hey ar e white with no yellow wash except f o r a s l i g h t s i gn of
it i n two from Tabiky. Four of t h e Astove specimens show a var i abl e
degree of orange-red f r i ngi ng t o t he f eat her s of t h e ches t , and t h e one
which has t h i s most pronounced, col l ect ed by Parker, a l s o has some
met al l i c bl ui sh-green f r i nges t o t he f eat her s of t h e crown, nape and
mant l e. One ol d specimen of al dabr ensi s i n t he Br i t i s h Museum a l s o shows
s l i g h t s i gns of t h i s orange-red f r i ngi ng. M. P. St uar t Irwin has shown
me i n t he Nat i onal Museum of Rhodesia, Bulawayo, females of two Afri can
speci es, N. bi f a s c i a t a and mari quensi s, t he odd i ndi vi dual of which
shows t hes ame tendency t o r ed f r i ngi ng on t h e ches t . Benson and Irwin
(1966) a l s o not e t h i s i n - N. bour i e r i .
Of s i x specimens whose extreme youth i s shown by uniform soot y chi n
and t hr oat , a male from Aldabra and t hr ee col l ect ed by Parker on Menai
agree with each ot her i n bei ng washed with d u l l ol i ve above and ol i ve-
yellow below. But a j uveni l e female each from Menai and Assumption,
r es pect i vel y Vesey-FitzGerald and Hartman specimens, l ack any ol i ve
above o r yellow below. This i s c e r t a i nl y a t t r i b u t a b l e t o immersion i n
al cohol . Another j uveni l e male from Aldabra, somewhat ol der , agrees
bes t i n col our and pa t t e r n wi t h adul t femal es, though has some ol i ve
above. I t l acks t h e soot y chi n and t hr oa t . The younger of t h e two
Aldabra j uveni l e males, and one of t he t hr ee from Menai, have no met al l i c
f eat her s a t a l l , t he ot her s onl y a few. Two j uveni l e females from Astove
ar e l i k e adul t females but ar e more ol i ve above.
It may be hel pf ul t o gi ve t he fol l owi ng summary of t he subspeci es,
based onlv on males i n br eedi ne dr es s . not i ne t h a t females of nominate
v 'z
sovimanga ar e r i c he s t i n col our, apol i s t he l e a s t so, t he ot her t hr e e
subspeci es r a t he r r i c h e r t han apol i s :
N. s. sovimanga (Gmelin): Abdomen yellow, bl ack r e s t r i c t e d t o upper-
- -
most p a r t . Chest-band br i ck- r ed, r e l a t i v e l y narrow. Wina 51-56 mm.
-
~ l o r i b s a and Malagasy except t he - dry southwest.
N. s . apol i s ( Har t er t ) : Like l a s t , but abdomen whi t e, chest-band
- -
s c a r l e t . Dry southwestern Malagasy.
N. s. buchenorum (Williams): Abdomen almost o r completely black;
chest r bai h s c a r l e t , and broader. Lower back bl ack i ns t ead of ol i ve a s i n
t he l a s t two; rump and upper t a i l - c ove r t s met al l i c green i ns t ead of bl ack
Larger, wing 54-57 mm. B i l l pr opor t i onat el y s hor t e r t han i n a l l f our
ot her subspeci es. Astove and Cosmoledo.
N. s. abbot t i (Ridgway): Like buchenarum, but some white on lower
abdom&n,lower back ol i ve, me t a l l i c on rump l e s s ext ensi ve. Sl i ght l y
smal l er t han l a s t , wing 53-55 mm. Assumption.
N. s. al dabr ensi s (Ridgway): Like abbot t i , but lower abdomen wholly
dingy?vhFte (not s o br i ght as i n apol i s o r nominate sovimanga); rump and
upper t a i l - c ove r t s wholly bl ack, wi t hout any met al l i c. Wing 51-55 mm.
Aldabra.
No pl aus i bl e expl anat i on can be of f er ed f o r t he ext ensi ve bl ack i n
t he male of buchenorum, bot h on t he abdomen and on t h e lower back. I f
it i s t he e f f e c t of melanism, t hen it i s puzzl i ng t h a t t he female shows
no r i chness of col our. I t i s ver y l i k e t h e female of a bbot t i and
al dabr ensi s, and only s l i g h t l y r i c h e r t han i n t h e dry count ry apol i s .
The males of apol i s and of al dabr ens i s ( i n breedi ng dr ess) ar e r a t he r
s i mi l ar . The only col our di f f er ences ar e t h a t apol i s has t h e s c a r l e t
chest-band narrower, and t he abdomen a br i ght er whi t e, wi t h t h e bl ack
on t he upper abdomen more r e s t r i c t e d .
While on Astove, Diamond not ed t ha t t h i s s peci es appeared t o be
l a r ge r than on Aldabra, t hus agreei ng with i nf er ence made above from
wi ng-l engt hs. The fol l owi ng weights i n g from specimens col l ect ed by
me do not support t h i s very wel l :
Astove
3 0%: 6. 8 7. 6 7. 6
2 ?'? 6. 0 7.2
(The heavi er female cont ai ned an enl arged, yol ki ng egg)
Wizard
1 d 7.2
1 9 6.9
Aldabra
12 dd 6. 4 - 7.9 (7. 1)
6 OO 5. 7 - 6. 8 (6. 3)
Nevert hel ess, t r appi ng and weighing t he l i v e bi r ds a t t h e same time of
day might wel l demonstrate a more marked di f f er ence.
In adul t s of buchenorum which I col l ect ed on Astove and Wizard,
males had t he fl esh-col oured pa l a t e suffused wi t h bl ack, whereas i n
females t he r e was no such s uf f us i on. The stomach-contents of specimens
col l ect ed by Parker on Menai consi st ed of fragments of i ns ect s , i n-
cl udi ng some Col eopt era. Those of a male and a female t aken by me on
Wizard cons i s t ed of small Arachnida ( s pi der s ) and Homoptera.
Seri nus mozambicus Yellow-fronted Ser i n
Bergne (1901) l i st s "Sourin", "greyi sh yellow" i n col our. Thi s
name may be a corrupt i on of "Serin". S. mozambicus i s a common and wide-
spread s peci es i n sout hern Afri ca, and-is sometimes kept a s a cage bi r d.
I t i s greyi sh green above, yellow below. I t has been i nt roduced t o
Desroches, i n t he Amirantes (Watson e t al . 1963, 182), as wel l as t o
Mauri t i us and Reunion ( i bi d. , 148, 159), and an i nt r oduct i on t o Cosmoledo
would not be surprising.ut t he r e i s no subsequent record, and s o
presumably it di ed out long ago.
Possi bl y r es i dent shore bi r ds
Ardea ci ner ea Grey Heron
Li st ed by Dupont (1907). Between us , Diamond, Grubb and I saw at
l e a s t f i ve i ndi vi dual s -on Wizard, and two more on Menai.
Egr et t a ga r z e t t a Li t t l e Egret
Dawson (1966, 7, under - E. dimorpha) r ecor ds t h a t it occurs on
Cosmoledo "in l ar ge fl ocks", though we have no evidence of t h i s . There
were however at l e a s t f i ve bi r ds on Wizard a t t he time of our v i s i t . I
counted t hr ee dark phase i ndi vi dual s , one whi t e. On Menai, Diamond
counted 13 dark phase bi r ds , four whi t e. Bourne (1966) r e f e r s t o e gr e t s
and herons a s abundant on Menai, of which some a t l e a s t were presumably
E. gar zet t a.
-
Parker col l ect ed a female on Menai, and I col l ect ed a female on
Wizard. Some pa r t i c ul a r s f o r them a r e :
Local i t y Menai Wizard
Wing 277 nun
Culmen from base 90 nun
Culmen exposed 88 mm
Colour of plumage bl ui s h grey,
chi n, t hr oat and
out e r primary
cover t s whi t e
Colour of s o f t p a r t s upper mandible
bl acki s h, lower
bl acki s h a t t i p ;
r e s t pal e horn;
f r ont of t a r s i bl ack,
back and t oes
gr eeni sh yellow
Weight -
287 nun
92 mm
90 mm
s i mi l ar , but i n
f r e s he r dr es s ,
bl ui s h grey dar ker
b i l l bl ack; orange-
yel l ow a t base and
around eye; l egs
bl ack, f e e t yellow;
i r i d e s yel l ow
According t o me (Benson 1967, 68), E. assumpt i oni s does not seem
r ecogni sabl e, and t hes e two specimens mu 3 be assi gned t o E. g. dimorpha,
of Malagasy and t he Aldabra ar chi pel ago. Thei r bi l l - l e ngt Fs are lower
t han t he minimum given by Grant and Mackworth-Praed (1933, 193) f o r
assumpt i oni s.
Bubulcus i b i s Cat t l e- Egr et
No e a r l i e r record has been t r aced. Inl and on Wizard, t h e r e were
some f i f t y i ndi vi dual s a t l e a s t . I n t h e sout h, Grubb counted 15, about
h a l f wi t h buffy breedi ng plumes. I saw anot her 34 i n t h e nor t h, i ncl ud-
i ng one f l ock of 19. One bi r d was seen on Menai. Thi s i s not s t r i c t l y
a "shore" b i r d a t a l l , but i s b e s t t r e a t e d wi t h ot her Ardeidae spp.
But ori des s t r i a t u s Li t t l e Green Heron
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, as B. a t r i c a p i l l u s ) . Only one i ndi vi dual
was seen by us on Wizard, and a t o t a l of f i v e on Menai. No specimen
has been col l ect ed, but most l i k e l y Cosmoledo bi r ds a r e B. s . - cr awf or di ,
- -
as on Assumption and Aldabra.
Migrants
Unless ot herwi se i ndi cat ed, t he fol l owi ng records of shore b i r d s
ar e from Diamond, Grubb o r mysel f.
Squat ar ol a s quat ar ol a Grey Pl over
Ei ght on Wizard, a l s o not ed on Menai. One on Wizard was mainly i n
breedi ng dr es s .
Charadri us l es chenaul t i i Great Sand-Plover
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, as Ae gi a l i t i s geof f r oyi ) . On Menai and
Wizard i n small f l ocks .
Nwnenius phaeopus Whimbrel
Li st ed bv Du~ont (1907). About 30 on Wizard. some perch in^ on --
Agave i nf l or escences o r on t ops of Tour nef or t i a bi s hes . ' Also noted on
-
Menai, where Parker col l ect ed one.
Nwnenius ar quat a
Li st ed by Dupont (1907), but not seen by us
Curlew
Limosa l apponi ca Bar - t ai l ed Godwit
About f i ve seen by Diamond on Menai.
Tringa nebul ar i a Greenshank
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, as Totanus g l o t t i s ) . One on Wizard, two
on Menai .
Ac t i t i s hypoleucos Common Sandpiper
Li st ed by Dupont (1907), but not seen by us .
Arenari a i nt er pr es Turnstone
Li s t e d by Dupont (1907). Large numbers on Menai (Bourne 1966).
A t l e a s t 100 on Wizard. Also seen on Menai.
Crocet hi a al ba Sanderl i ng
Seven seen by myself on Wizard, not ed by Diamond on Menai.
Er ol i a minuta
Li st ed by Dupont (1907), but not seen by us
Er ol i a t es t acea
I n smal l f l ocks on Menai and Wizard.
Li t t l e S t i n t
Curlew-Sandpiper
Dromas ar deol a Crab-Plover
Li st ed by Dupont (1907). Bourne (1966) records 20 on Menai. A t
l e a s t 50 on Wizard, over 30 on Menai.
Of t r ue l and bi r ds , Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488) records a Broad-
b i l l e d Rol l er Eurystomus . - gl aucurus on Wizard on 6 October 1937. I t
was presumably E. g. gl aucurus, wel l known as a migrant from i t s
breedi ng quar t er s i n Malagasy t o Afri ca. Gaymer a l s o r epor t s one
seen on Menai on 9 October 1964 and agai n on 1 October 1965. He saw
a s i ngl e Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops s uper ci l i os us on Menai on 1
October 1965. This would be unusual l y e a r l y f o r t he pal aear ct i c M.
s . per s i cus , two of which I de f i ni t e l y saw on Aldabra on 22 March-1968.
-
The e a r l i e s t a r r i v a l dat e f o r t h e subspeci es i n Zambia i s given a s
l a t e October (Benson and White 1957, 51). Gaymer's record i s presumed
t o r e f e r t o M. s. s uper ci l i os us , suspect ed of mi grat i ng from breedi ng
quar t er s i n KalZgasy t o Af r i ca. On Menai, I saw a Red-backed Shri ke
Lanius col l ur i o, an adul t female o r an immature bi r d, perched a t t he
t op of a Tour nef or t i a bush. Thi s seems t o be t h e onl y record of t h i s
pal aear ct i c speci es from t he Malagasy Region, and it can onl y be of a
s t r a y i ndi vi dual . Other pal aear ct i c l and bi r ds may be expected t o
occur on Cosmoledo occasi onal l y. The number of such speci es record-
ed by now from Aldabra i s about 14.
Summary
1. An account is given of t h e l and ( i ncl udi ng shore) bi r ds of
Cosmoledo.
2. Of t he r es i dent t r u e l and bi r ds :
(a) A r a i l Dryolimnas cuvi er i and a t ur t l edove St r ept opel i a
pi c t ur a t a a r e s a i d t o have exi s t ed some 60 year s ago, but ar e now
ext i nct exceut uerhaus on South I s l and.
( b j su war bier Ci s t i c ol a cher i na may be a recent col oni s er
from Malagasy, and i s undi f f er ent i at ed from t he parent st ock, except
t ha t specimens from Wizard I sl and ar e r a t h e r smal l i n s i z e . There i s
a well-marked subspeci es of a sunbi rd Nect ar i ni a sovimanga, confi ned
t o Cosmoledo and Astove. A white-eye Zosterops maderaspatana, onl y
known from Menai I s l and, may belong t o t he same subspeci es a s on Astove.
Two out of t h e t hr e e specimens col l ect ed ar e remarkable f o r bei ng
p a r t i a l l y grey above. The fi rst two of t hese speci es ar e p l e n t i f u l ,
t he white-eye l e s s s o.
(c) A crow Corvus al bus occurs i n smal l numbers. There i s
one record of a dove Geopelia s t r i a t a , probabl y i nt roduced by man.
Another such i nt r oduct i on may h a v e e n a s e r i n Seri nus mozambicus,
--
but it has apparent l y di ed out .
3. The number of speci es of r es i dent t r u e l and bi r ds i s much
l e s s t han on Aldabra (see l i st i n St oddart , Benson and Peak 1970),
des pi t e t he f a c t t h a t Cosmoledo i s near er t o Malagasy, t he pr i nci pal
source of col oni s at i on. But t he l and ar ea of Cosmoledo i s much l e s s .
4. There a r e f our possi bl y r es i dent herons o r egr et s (fami l y
Ardeidae) .
5. O f mi grant s, eleven speci es of shore bi r ds which breed i n t he
Pal aear ct i c Region have been recorded; a l s o t he Crab Plover Dromas
ar deol a and t hr e e speci es of t r u e l and bi r d.
References
Benson, C. W. 1967. The bi r ds of Aldabra and t h e i r s t a t us . At ol l
Res. Bul l . 118: 63-111.
---------- 1969. The white-eye Zosterops maderaspatana (Li nn. ) of
Menai I sl and, Cosmoledo At ol l . Bul l . B r i t . Orni t hol . Club,. 89:
24-27.
Benson, C. W. , Brooke, R. K. , and Vernon, C. J. 1964. Bird breedi ng
da t a from t he Rhodesias and Nyasaland. Occas. Papers Nat. Mus. S.
Rhodesia, 27B: 30-105.
Benson, C. W. and Irwi n, M. P. St ua r t . 1966. The sunbi rds Nect ar i ni a
bouvi er i and ba t e s i . Bul l . Brit. Or ni t hol . Club, 86: 62-65.
Benson, C. W. and Penny, M. J. I n pr epar at i on. The l and bi r ds of
Aldabra.
Benson, C. W. and White, C. M. N . 1957. Check l i s t of t he bi r ds of
Northern Rhodesia. Lusaka.
Bergne, H. A' C. 1901. Rough not es of a voyage t o t h e Aldabra group.
Manuscript.
Bourne, W. R. P. 1966. Observat i ons on i s l ands i n t h e Indi an Ocean.
Sea Swallow, 18: 40-43.
Dawson, P. 1966. A survey of t h e s ea bi r ds of t he Seychel l es I s l ands .
001. Rec. 40: 1-11.
Dupont, R. 1907. Report on a vi s i t o f i nves t i gat i on t o St Pi er r e,
Astove, Cosmoledo, Assumption and t he Aldabra Group. Mahe':
Seychel l es Government, 1-51.
Fryer, J. C. F. 1911. The s t r u c t u r e and formation of Aldabra and
neighbouring i sl ands--wi t h not es on t h e i r f l o r a and fauna. Trans.
Linn. Soc. London, Ser. 2, Zool. , 14: 397-442.
Gaymer, R. 1967. Observations on t he bi r ds of Aldabra i n 1964 and 1965
At ol l Res. Bul l . 118: 113-125.
Grant, C. H. B. and Mackworth-Praed, C. W. 1933. On t he r el at i ons hi p,
s t a t u s and range of Egr et t a gar zet t a, Demigretta gul a r i s , D.
schi st acea, - - D. asha, and D. dimorpha, a new subspeci es, an;f t he
cor r ect t ype- l ocal i t y of Egr e t t a gar zet t a. Bul l . B r i t . Or ni t hol .
Club, 53: 189-196.
Astove, Cosmoledo, Assumption and Aldabra. Seychel l es Govt. Bul l .
21.
Lynes, H. 1930. Review of t he genus Ci s t i col a. I bi s , s e r . 12, 6, suppl .
Ni col l , M. J. 1906. On t he bi r ds col l ect ed and observed dur i ng t he
voyage of t he ' Val hal l a' , R.Y.S., from November 1905 t o May 1906
I bi s , s er . 8, 6: 666-712.
Rand, A. L. 1936. The d i s t r i b u t i o n and habi t s of Madagascar bi r ds .
Bul l . Amer. Mus. Nat. H i s t . 72: 143-499.
Ridgway, R. 1895. On bi r ds col l ect ed by Doctor W. L. Abbott i n t he
Seychel l es, Amirantes, Gl ori osa, Assumption, Aldabra, and adj acent
i s l ands , wi t h not es on ha bi t s , e t c . , by t he c ol l e c t or . Proc. U.S.
Nat. Mus. 18: 509-546 ( act ual dat e of publ i cat i on June 24, 1896).
Skead, C. J. 1967. The sunbi rds of sout hern Af r i ca. Cape Town
St oddar t , D. R. , Benson, C. W. , and Peake, J. F. 1970. Ecol ogi cal change
and t he e f f e c t s of phosphate mining on Assumption I s l and. At ol l
Vesey-FitzGerald, L. D. E. F. 1940. The bi r ds of t he Seychel l es. I . The
endemic bi r ds . I bi s , s e r . 14, 4: 480-489.
Villalobos-Dominguez, C. and Vi l l al obos, J. 1947. At l as de 10s Col ores.
Buenos Ai res.
Watson, G. E. , Zusi, R. L. , and St or er , R. E. 1963. Prel i mi nary f i e l d
guide t o t he bi r ds of t he Indi an Ocean. Washington.
Williams, J. G. 1953. Revision of Ci nnyri s sovimanga: wi t h des cr i pt i on
of a new r ace. I b i s , 95: 501-504.
8. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF ASTOVE
C. J. Bayne, B. H. Cogan, A. W. Diamond, J . Fr azi er , P. Grubb,
A. Hutson, M. E. D. Poore, D. R. St oddar t , J. D. Tayl or
I nt r oduct i on
Astove, 106' S, 47'4S1E, is an el evat ed a t o l l with a near l y cont i n-
uous land r i m , l ocat ed 35 km sout h of Cosmoledo At ol l and 145 km sout h-
eas t of Aldabra. There have been fewer v i s i t s by s c i e n t i s t s t o Astove
t han t o many of t he nei ghbouri ng i s l ands , and ol der records a r e p a r t i -
cul ar l y scar ce. Fryer cal l ed t he r e b r i e f l y i n 1908 (Fryer 1911),
fol l owi ng Dupont i n 1906 (Dupont 1907). The main account s a r e t hose by
Vesey-FitzGerald (1942), Baker (1963), and Pi ggot t (1961a, 1961b, 1968).
Table 8 l i st s s c i e n t i f i c v i s i t o r s t o Astove. This account i s based on
t he l i t e r a t u r e , and on obser vat i ons made duri ng two v i s i t s by Royal
Soci et y Expedition personnel , t he fi rst by t en members on 5 March and
t he second by f i ve on 14 September 1968. Most of t hes e observat i ons
were made on t he western s i d e of t he a t o l l , though some members v i s i t e d
t he nort hern pa r t of t he eas t s i de, and St oddart walked round t he whole
l and r i m . The f i r s t hydrographi c survey of Astove was by H.M.S. - Owen i n
1964 (Admiralty Chart 718, 1967); Figure 5 i s based on smal l -scal e
a e r i a l photography car r i ed out i n 1960, wi t h d e t a i l s added from Baker
(1963) and Pi ggot t (1961b, 1968).
Geomorphology
Astove has maximum s ur f ace dimensions of 4. 6 x 2. 8 km: t he land
ar ea i s 4. 25 sq km, t h a t of t he lagoon 5 sq knl, and t h e t o t a l , i ncl udi ng
per i pher al r eef , about 9. 5 sq km. I t st ands on t he southernmost of two
presumably vol cani c peaks which r i s e from t he ocean f l oor a t dept hs of
4000-4400 m; Cosmoledo st ands on t he adj acent peak t o t he nor t h. The
a t o l l lagoon i s very shallow, wi t h l ar ge ar eas l e s s t han 0. 5 m, and it
has a r e s t r i c t e d t i d a l range. According t o t he l es s ee, t he lagoon l evel
gr adual l y f a l l s i n t he two weeks precedi ng neaps u n t i l a l ar ge p a r t of
t he f l oor i s exposed. Between neap and spr i ng t i de s t he l evel r i s e s .
Thus flow i n t o t he lagoon i s gr e a t e r t han out of i t duri ng s pr i ng t i d e s ,
and vi ce ver s a duri ng neaps. The di ur nal cycl e i s damped wi t hi n t he
--
lagoon. The lagoon ent rance a t t h e sout h poi nt i s approximately 100 m
wide, and a l s o shallow.
Much of t he west r i m of Astove i s formed of el evat ed r eef - r ock,
which r i s e s t o 4-5 m above s e a l e ve l . In t he nor t h t he r eef - r ock i s
f a i r l y smooth and p a r t l y covered wi t h sand, but f ur t he r sout h it i s
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 1.36: pp. 83 - 99, 1970.
\
,
\
/
/ 0 1000
\
1
/ u
\ ,.,' Met r es
'- ,
/ ' DEPTHS IN METRES
'--- ---5OO-
REEF LIMESTONE a PEMPHIS @ SETTLEMENT
L_? DUNES rn
SESUVIUM FLATS
@ PLAINE PAILLE-EN-QUEUE
WIT14 AVICENNIA
SAND 8 GRAVEL MANGROVE
a PLAi NE ST. GEORGES
Fig. 5. Astove
Table 8. Sc i e n t i f i c St udi es a t Astove
Date Study
- -
1895 S. C. E. Baty, a g r i c u l t u r a l survey
and rudimentary char t
1901 H. A' C. Bergne, gener al observat i ons
1906 Sept. 10-14 R . Dupont, fauna, f l o r a , a gr i c ul t ur a l
pot ent i al
1907 H. L . Thomasset, i ns e c t s
1908 Aug.28- J . C. F. Fryer, i ns e c t s , general
Sept . 1 observat i ons
1910X R. Dupont, i ns e c t s , pl a nt s
1937 Oct. L. D. E. F. Vesey-FitzGerald,
veget at i on and b i r d s
1952 Nov. E. S. Brown, i n s e c t s
1956 W. Travi s, underwat er and general
observat i ons
1957 Dec.9 W. D. Hartman, l and b i r d s
1960 Oct. 6-9 B. H. Baker, C. J. Pi ggot t , geology
and s o i l s
1964 March 16
1964
1967 March 8
1967 Oct. 7
1967-8
1968 March 5
1968 Sept . 15
1969 June
H.M.S. - Owen, Cmdr D. W. Haslan~:
survey, bi r ds
R. E . Honegger, r e p t i l e s
J. F. G. Li onnet , H. A. Beamish,
i ns ect s
M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I . S. C.
Parker, col l ect i ons of pl a nt s and
bi r ds
Mrs R. M. Veevers-Cart er and Miss
T. Ridgway, c ol l e c t i on of pl a nt s
C. W. Benson, B . H. Cogan, A. W.
Diamond, F. R . Fosberg, J. Fr azi er ,
A. Graham, P. Grubb, A. Hutson, K.
McKenzie, S. A. Renvoize
C. J. Bayne, J . C. Gamble, M. E. D.
Poore, D. R. St oddar t , T. S.
Westoll
A. W. Diamond, J. Fr azi er
Reference
Bergne (1900) ;
Adm.Ch.718(1911)
Bergne (1901)
Dupont (1907)
Fryer (1908,
1911, 1912);
Gardiner (1936)
Tr avi s (1959)
Hartman (1958)
Baker (1963) ;
Pi ggot t (1961a,
1961b, 1968)
Bourne (1966)
Honegger (1966)
Lionnet (1970)
Parker (1970) ;
Gwynne and Wood
(1969)
Fosberg and
Renvoize (1970)
Thi s r epor t
Thi s r epor t
Thi s r epor t
*
J. A. de Gaye col l ect ed Lepi dopt era, now i n t h e Rot hschi l d Col l ect i on,
Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st or y) , on Astove a t a dat e unknown, probabl y
c . 1910.
deeply di ssect ed wi t h l ar ge s ol ut i on hol es and i s comparable t o some of
t he more extreme Aldabra champignon. The reef-rock i s known on Astove
as @, a name which might be adopted f o r smoother-surfaced r ai s ed
limestone which i s more i r r e gul a r t han Aldabra p l a t i n and st ands at a
hi gher l evel . Baker (1963, 92-97), who cal cul at es t he ar ea of r ai s ed
reef-rock t o be 236 ha o r near l y 50 per cent of t he t o t a l l and ar ea, has
not ed t ha t t h e s ol ut i on hol es a r e arranged i n s t r a i g h t l i n e s i n t he r eef -
rock sur f ace.
The reef-rock out crops t o form low c l i f f s al ong t h e southwest coas t ,
but f ur t her nor t h t her e i s a seaward sand s t r i p up t o 500 m wide (forming
Grand Anse) between t he s ea and t he r ai s ed l i mest one. There i s a l s o a
di scont i nuous sand s t r i p on t he lagoon s i de of t he l i mest one: it i s more
complete i n t he nor t h, where t he r e ar e veget at ed dunes 5-6 m hi gh.
The eas t er n r i m of Astove cons i s t s of low sand and gravel spreads
overtopped on t he seaward coast by act i ve dunes up t o 18 m hi gh. These
ar e hi ghest and s t eepes t i n t he nor t h and become pr ogr essi vel y lower and
smal l er southwards. There i s no r ai s ed reef-rock out croppi ng on t he
s ur f ace of t he eas t r i m . Much of t he seaward coast i s rocky, however,
though with t he appearance of a massive bedded beach conglomerate, wi t h
seaward di p, r at her than a r a i s e d reef-rock. Thi s i s a rough-water
coast duri ng t he Sout heast Trades, and because of t h e narrowness of t he
r eef pl at form t he beaches a r e formed by gr avel , cobbles and rubbl e a s
wel l as sand. Patches of hori zont al l y-bedded sandst one out crop i n pl aces
along t he lagoon shore, but t hes e may be of r ecent or i gi n exposed only
by t he enlargement of t he lagoon, and hence do not neces s ar i l y r e s u l t
from u p l i f t .
The nort hern ar ea l i nki ng t h e eas t and west ri ms, Pl ai ne Pa i l l e -
en-Queue, i s a l ar gel y unveget at ed gravel fan t h a t appears t o have been
r ecent l y deposi t ed. I t may be e i t h e r a r ecent channel f i l l i n a
depressi on formerly s epar at i ng t h e two rims, o r a cyclone deposi t . I t
i s surmounted al ong t he seaward coast by a low sandy beach.
The f r i ngi ng r eef surroundi ng t he land r i m i s narrow, wi t h an
average width of 250 m. On t he e a s t s i de it i s an er osi onal f eat ur e,
wi t h pot hol es and deep grooves normal t o t he shor e. The r eef f r ont i s
except i onal l y s t eep, es peci al l y on t he west s i de, where t he bottom
plunges s o s t eepl y t h a t shi ps ar e unable t o anchor and a cabl e must be
taken i nshore by smal l boat and an anchor lodged on t he r eef f l a t . A
buoy formerly moored out si de t he r e e f near t he set t l ement has been
washed away.
Fryer (1911) consi dered t h a t t he r ai s ed reef-rock i ndi cat ed a
r e l a t i v e u p l i f t of Astove by a t l eas-t 18 m. The asymmetry of t he a t o l l
i s s t r i ki ng, wi t h reef-rock confi ned t o t he western s i de, wi t h i t s
s t r a i ght , ve r t i c a l ( f aul t ed?) coast , and absent from t he e a s t s i de.
This suggest s t i l t i n g r a t h e r t han simple e u s t a t i c emergence of t he a t o l l
r i m ; t he asymmetry i s a l s o evi dent i n t he 100 and 500 m i sobat hs (Fi gure
5) .
No evidence has yet been seen on Astove e i t h e r of an 8 m r i dge or
of a newer l i mest one a t t he 4 m l evel , as on Aldabra, but observat i ons
have been r api d and t he reef-rock ar eas have been much a l t e r e d by
phosphate mining i n t he p a s t .
The usual s o i l s e r i e s have been di s t i ngui s hed by Pi ggot t (1961):
Desnoeufs Ser i es on t he l i mest one, now l ar gel y removed f o r phosphate;
Farquhar Ser i es on t he dunes; and a var i abl e Shioya Ser i es , i ncl udi ng
gr avel l y loamy sand and loamy sand.
Vegetation
Previ ous workers have recorded 58 s peci es of fl oweri ng pl ant s from
Astove (Dupont 1907, Vesey-FitzGerald 1942). Recent col l ect i ons have
been made by Gwynne and Wood (1969) i n 1967, by Veevers-Carter and
Ridgway i n 1967-68, by Fosberg and Renvoize i n March 1968, and by St oddar t
and Poore i n September 1968. These col l ect i ons a r e l i s t e d i n t he
fol l owi ng paper (Fosberg and Renvoize 1970). The f l o r a resembles t h a t of
Aldabra, though t he ar ea of sand i s much gr eat er , and t her e has been more
i nt er f er ence by man. The fol l owi ng veget at i on t ypes can be di s t i ngui s hed:
1. Pemphis hedge on leeward c l i f f s .
2. Scaevola hedge on leeward sand beach.
3. Mixed scrub on r a i s e d r eef - r ock.
4. Coconut woodland on leeward sand pl a i ns .
5. Coconut woodland on leeward s t a bl e dunes.
6. Casuari na woodland on t he western r i m .
7. Lagoon beach scrub of Scaevola and Pemphis.
8. Scrub of Suri ana maritima on hi gh dunes, wi t h ground cover of
Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa, and with scr ub of Tour nef or t i a and Scaevola
i n pr ot ect ed s i t ua t i ons .
9. Grasslands of t he exposed sand and gravel pl ai ns of t he nor t h
and e a s t s i des .
10. Sesuvium mat of t he eas t er n lagoon shore, wi t h occasi onal
Avicennia.
11. Dwarf mangrove woodland of lagoon i s l e t s .
The c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of t hes e t ypes can be s t be descri bed i n terms of
t h e i r di s t r i but i on round t he a t o l l r i m .
West r i m
The r a i s e d l i mest one veget at i on is s i mi l a r t o t h a t of Aldabra, but
more open. Thespesi a populneoides (3 m) and Grewia s a l i c i f o l i a ar e t he
only common t r e e s , and Pi soni a grandi s, Euphorbia abbot t i and Sideroxylon
inerme, a l l pr evi ousl y recorded, were not seen. The most common shrubs
ar e Vernonia al dabr ensi s (1-2 m), Colubrina a s i a t i c a (2-3 m), - Azima
t et r acant ha and Gagnebina pt erocarpa. Other c ha r a c t e r i s t i c pl ant s ar e
Capparis car t i l agi nea, Lomatophyllwn borbonicum, Cassi a occi dent al i s and
Euphorbia h i r t a . North of t he set t l ement t he l i mest one out crop i s
narrower, wi t h fewer and s mal l er shrubs (mainly Vernonia al dabr ensi s and
Colubrina a s i a t i c a ) and wi t h a ground cover of Ipomoea t uba, Cassytha
f i l i f or mi s , Plumbago aphyl l a, Sarcostemma vi mi nal e, Launaea i nt ybacea,
Boerhavia el egans, Asyst asi a boj er i ana and Vernonia ci ner ea. This
resembles t he veget at i on of t h e more di s t ur bed ar eas on t he l i mest one
near t h e West I sl and set t l ement on Aldabra.
The sand s t r i p sout h of t h e r ai s ed r eef - r ock has a seaward hedge of
Pemphis aci dul a 3-4 m t a l l , t hen a low dune ar ea under woodland of Cocos
and Casuarina. Cordia subcordat a i s common i n t h e l e e of t h e emp phis
hedge. The ground cover i n t h e woodland cons i s t s of gr asses
(Dactyloctenium - aegyptium, Enteropogon s echel l ens i s , Cenchrus echi nat us) ,
wi t h Cassytha, Vernonia ci ner ea and ot her pl a nt s . Gossypium hirsutum,
Caesal pi ni a, and Ricinus communis ar e common under t he coconuts and i n
t he more open ar eas . There i s a l ar ge ornamental t r e e of ~ a b e b u i a
p a l l i d a a t a small fi shermen' s hut i n t h i s s ect i on.
Furt her nor t h t he lagoonward sand s t r i p has a di scont i nuous hedge
of Suri ana maritima and Pemphis aci dul a, wi t h a woodland of Cocos and
-
Casuarina on low hummocky dunes. Guet t arda speci osa i s qui t e common,
Tournefort i a argent ea much l e s s s o. The woodland has a low t r e e s t or ey
of Guettarda, and a ground l ayer of long vi nes of Ipomoea pes-caprae and
I . t uba, with Di gi t ar i a hor i zont al i s , Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa, Boerhavi a
- - -
repens and St achyt arphet a j amai censi s .
The seaward sand ar ea on t h e west r i m has a l i t t o r a l hedge of
Suri ana maritima and Scaevola, wi t h Guettarda; Tour nef or t i a i s agai n
uncommon. The coconut woodland i s mostly 5-10 m t a l l , wi t h some
Guet t arda and Vernonia beneat h, but gener al l y t her e i s no shrub l ayer
and only a ground cover of gr as s es , sedges, vi nes and her bs. This car pet
i ncl udes Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Cenchrus echi nat us, Sporobolus
vi r gi ni cus , St achyt arphet a j amai censi s, Euphorbia pr os t r a t a , Si da
pa r vi f ol i a , Boerhavia, Ipomoea t uba, Achyranthes aspera and Fi mbr i st yl i s
cymosa. Immediately sout h of t h e set t l ement t h e coconut woodland has a
l ayer of s cat t er ed shrubs, wi t h Maytenus, Bar l er i a s p. , Grewia s a l i c i f o l i a
and Vernonia al dabr ensi s as w e l l a s t r ~ u e t t a r Z ' Z - -
A t t he set t l ement t he r e i s a grove of t a l l Casuari na t r e e s , a
s i ngl e Hernandia, and common i nt roduced pl ant s . Catharanthus roseus and
Ipomoea pes-caprae ar e p l e n t i f u l round t he houses, and Agave i s
cul t i vat ed.
East r i m
The veget at i on of t he e a s t r i m d i f f e r s markedly from t h a t of t he
west , l ar gel y i n t h e almost complete absence of t r e e s , except f o r some
smal l chl or ot i c coconuts on Pl ai ne St George, i n t he l ee of t he hi ghest
dunes, but a l s o i n t he absence of r ai s ed l i mest one and i t s c ha r a c t e r i s t i c
pl ant s .
The high nort hern dunes a r e covered on t h e i r seaward s i de wi t h a
dense scrub of Suri ana mari t i ma, overgrown wi t h Cassytha.
Bare ar eas ,
es peci al l y on t he t ops of t he dunes, have clumps of Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa,
Euphorbia s p. , and Boerhavia; and immediately i n t he l e e t he r e i s l e s s
l uxur i ant Suri ana, wi t h Scaevola and Tour nef or t i a on more pr ot ect ed
s i t e s , and a ground cover of Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa and Sporobolus, wi t h
Por t ul aca ol er acea, Euphorbia s p. , and Si da pa r vi f ol i a . The gr avel and
sand pl ai ns l ack not only t r e e s but a l s o shr ubs: t he gravel spreads a r e
coverkd wi t h mats of plumbago aphyl l a and Cassytha f i i i f or mi s , t he sand
with Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Er agr os t i s s p. c f . r i p a r i a , Sporobolus
vi r gi ni cus , Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa, Cleome s t r i gos a , St achyt arphet a
jamaicensis and Ipomoea t uba. Much of t h i s ground i s bur nt over
--
f r equent l y.
The lagoon shore i s f r i nged with a low (1-2 m) scrub of Pemphis
aci dul a o r Suri ana maritima, which i s ver y d i f f i c u l t t o penet r at e, and
much which is dead. On t he lagoonward s i de of t he Pemphis t her e
i s normally a zone of bar e s i l t y sand, t hen a b e l t of f l eshy Sesuvium
port ul acast rum, ext endi ng along most of t h e lagoon shore, forming a mat
up t o 80 m wide. There ar e ver y occasi onal s t unt ed t r e e s of Avicennia
marina up t o 2 m t a l l i n t h i s Sesuvium zone.
The i s l e t s near t he sout h end of t h e lagoon support a dwarf mangrove
woodland (1-1.5 m hi gh) of Lumnitzera racemosa and Rhizophora mucronata,
t he former on t he windward erodi ng shores, t he l a t t e r (more r a r e l y) on
hi gher d r i e r ar eas . Suri ana and Pemphis ar e bot h pr esent on t hes e i s l e t s .
The nort hern gravel spread of Pl ai ne Paille-en-Queue has a very
spar se veget at i on cover, wi t h a l i n e of windbreak Casuarina a t i t s west
end, and a mosaic of St achyt arphet a, Achyranthes, Boerhavia, Plumbago.,
Dactyloctenium and Fi mbr i s t yl i s . Cassytha i s widespread. Pemphis
aci dul a forms a hedge al ong t he lagoon shore.
Small faunal col l ect i ons were made by Fryer i n 1908: i n addi t i on t o
i ns ect s , he col l ect ed two s pi der s ( Hi r st 1911) and two r e p t i l e s
(Boulenger 1911). Honegger (1966) col l ect ed r e p t i l e s more r ecent l y, and
Legrand (1965) and Lionnet (1970) t he Lepi dopt era. Furt her c ol l e c t i ons
were made by t h e Royal Soci et y par t y i n March 1968.
The l i t t o r a l fauna and f l o r a resemble t hose at Aldabra. On t he
west r i m , near t he Set t l ement , t he r e e f f l a t i s sandy and covered wi t h
marine gr asses, of which Cymodocea predominates toward t he seaward edge.
Low overhanging c l i f f s t o t h e nor t h have a fauna which i ncl udes t h e
s n a i l s Ner i t a p l i c a t a and Ner i t a -- undat a, t h e l ar ge chi t on Acanthopleura
brevi spi nosa, t he l i mpet Cel l ana cer ni ca, a r ed xant hi d rock crab, and
t he grapsi d Grapsus t enui cr us t at us . Echinometra mat t hai was a l s o
col l ect ed on t h e f l a t . On t he eas t coast , near t he hi gh dunes, t he
c l i f f i s formed by a rough champignon sl opi ng down t o an abr asi onal
f l a t . The c l i f f l acks t he pi nnacl es and pool s of s i mi l a r c l i f f s a t
Cinq Cases, Aldabra, and t her e i s no spray fauna such as t h a t as s oci at ed
with Cinq Cases rock pool s. Grapsus t enui cr us t at us , Coenobita rugosa
and - C. per l at us were observed her e. Round t he lagoon shor e t he r e ar e
wide muddy f l a t s . In t he nor t h t her e ar e abundant - Uca hol es i n t he mud,
as wel l as numerous l ar ge e l l i p t i c a l hol es occupied by t he gi ant port uni d
crab Scyl l a s e r r a t a . On t he lagoon shore t her e ar e many mollusc s he l l s ,
both of bi val ves and Cerithium. Table 9 l i st s t he marine mollusca and
Table 10 t he Decapod Crust acea col l ect ed by P. Grubb i n 1968, and
i dent i f i ed by 3 . D. Tayl or.
Astove i s an important nes t i ng ground f o r Green Tur t l e, Chelonia
mydas, though on a smal l er s c a l e than formerly: Baty i n 1895 was t ol d
of 150 bei ng taken i n a s i ngl e 24 hour peri od (Bergne 1900). Hi r t h
(FA0 1967) consi ders t h a t Astove has t he l ar ges t Green Tur t l e rookery
i n t he Aldabra group, though he gi ves no evidence f o r t h i s . Hawksbill
t u r t l e ar e s ai d t o be r a r e .
O f t he land fauna, Rot hschi l d (1915) records t he former exi st ence of
t he Giant Land Tor t oi se Geochelone gi gant ea, now e xt i nc t , and Fryer
(1911) records t he f i ndi ng of remains i n t he r ai s ed l i mest one. No
h i s t o r i c a l records of i t s presence on Astove ar e known. Three ot her
r e p t i l e s ar e found: Phelsuma a s t r i c t a ast ovei FitzSimons (Mertens 1962),
a br i ght l y coloured form; Hemidactylus mercat ori us (Honegger 1966); and
Ablepharus bout oni i . A l l were seen i n 1968 i n t he set t l ement ar ea, and
Ablepharus was al s o seen on lagoon i s l e t s . A l l t hr e e genera ar e common
on southwest Indi an Ocean cor al i s l ands . Among t he land Crust acea,
Birgus l a t r o and Cardisoma car ni f ex ar e conspicuous.
Table 11 keys t he l i t e r a t u r e on t he small recorded i ns e c t fauna of
Astove found i n t he Percy Sl aden Expedition r epor t s . Col l ect i ons made
by Cogan and Hutson i n 1968 w i l l probably i ncr ease t he known i ns ect
fauna from l e s s than 30 t o more t han 100 speci es, i n s p i t e of only about
s i x hours col l ect i ng. The veget at i on on Astove, l i k e t h a t on Cosmoledo,
i s more l uxur i ant than on Aldabra, and t h i s i s r ef l ect ed i n t he i ns ect
popul at i on. This shows a gr eat var i et y of form, i ncl udi ng many of t he
speci es found on Aldabra and Cosmoledo, wi t h one o r two s t r i k i n g addi -
t i ons . The l ar ge dark brown Hemipteran Anoplocnemis curvi pes (Fab.)
was pa r t i c ul a r l y not i ceabl e, and although t h i s speci es has been taken i n
Aldabra i n t he pas t it has not been found t her e duri ng t he pr esent
expedi t i on. The composition of t he i ns ect fauna appears t o be very
s i mi l ar t o t ha t of t he ot her i s l ands i n t h e Aldabra group. I t cons i s t s
of a l ar ge Et hi opi an element wi t h st r ong Malagasy connect i ons, t h e
remainder cons i s t i ng of cosmot ropi cal speci es t oget her wi t h a small
number of endemics. These gener al i s at i ons ar e based on previ ousl y
recorded mat er i al and a pr el i mi nar y survey of t h e 1968 mat er i al . So
f a r t he 1968 col l ect i ons have been found t o i ncl ude one Dolichopodid
f l y of t he genus Sciapus endemic t o Astove, and a probabl e new sub-
speci es of t he Pi er i d b u t t e r f l y Col ot i s evant hi des Hol l .
Astove i s noted f o r i t s Lepidoptera ( see a l s o t h e subsequent paper
by Lionnet, 1970), but t h i s i s not t he r e s u l t of a very r i c h fauna, but
of favourabl e condi t i ons f o r t h e presence of very l ar ge numbers of
cer t ai n speci es, such as Acraea ranavalona Boisd. and Junoni a c l e l i a
e p i c l e l i a Boisd. Another Junoni a, J . rhadama Boi sd. , a b r i l l i a n t bl ue
-
Table 9. Mollusca col l ect ed on Astove, 1968
Gastropoda
Trochus flammulatus Lamarck
Bursa gr anul ar i s ~ o d i n g
Tectus mauri t i anus (Gould) Tonna per di x (Linnaeus)
Turbo argyrostomus Linnaeus Quimalea pomum (Linnaeus)
Ner i t a a l b i c i l l a Linnaeus Drupa mar gar i t i col a (Broderip)
Ner i t a p l i c a t a Linnaeus Morula gr anul at a (Duclos)
Ner i t a p o l i t a Linnaeus
Nassa f r ancol i na (Brugui6re)
Ner i t a t e x t i l i s Dillwyn Engina mendicaria (Linnaeus)
Ner i t a undat a Linnaeus Nassari us grandi osa (Minds)
Phasi anel l a aet hi opi ca Nassari us muri cat us (Quoy and Gaim.)
Phi l i ppi Lat i r us c r a t i c ul a t us (Lamarck)
Phi l i ppi a hybri da (Linnaeus) Pe r i s t e r ni a nas s at ul a (Lamarck)
Cerithium ar t i cul at um Adams Cantharus undosus (Linnaeus)
and Reeve Mi t ra s t i c t i c a (Link)
Cerithium columna Sowerby St r i g a t e l l a l i t t e r a t a (Lamarck)
Cerithium echinatum Lamarck Chrysame f r aga (Quoy and Giamard)
Hipponyx coni ca Schumacher Pt er ygi a nucea (Gmelin)
Strombus gi bberul us Linnaeus Vasum t ur bi nel l us (Linnaeus)
Strombus mut abi l i s Swainson Conus ar enat us Hwass
Polynices melanostoma (Gmelin) Conus coronat us Gmelin
Cypraea annulus Linnaeus Conus ebraeus Linnaeus
Cypraea carneol a Linnaeus Conus f l avi ans Lamarck
Cypraea er osa Linnaeus Conus pul i car i us Hwass
Cypraea hel vol a Linnaeus Conus r a t t u s Hwass
Cypraea h i s t r i o Gmelin Terebra a f f i n i s Gray
Cypraea i s a b e l l a Linnaeus
Cypraea lynx Linnaeus Bi val vi a
Cypraea moneta Linnaeus
Cypraea v i t e l l u s Linnaeus Modiolus aur i cul at us Krauss
Phalium achat i na Lamarck Se pt i f e r bi l oc ul a r i s (Linnaeus)
Cymatium nicobaricum (Roding) Gafrarium pectinatum (Linnaeus)
Cymatium pi l eane (Linnaeus)
Col l ect ed by P. Grubb; i de nt i f i e d by J . D. Tayl or; i ncorporat ed i n t o t h e
col l ect i ons of t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) , accessi on number
2214.
Table 10. Crust acea (Decapoda) col l ect ed on Astove, 1968
Grapsus t enui cr us t at us (Herbst) : 2 9 l d
Metopograpsus messor ( For s ki l ) : 29 ovi g.
Pachygrapsus polyodus (Stebbing) : Id
Percnon gui not ae Crosni er: Id
Thal ani t a prymna (Herbst) : I d
Charybdis o r i e n t a l i s (Dana) : 29 ovi g.
Actaea r uppe l l i (Krauss)
Chl or odi el l a ni ger (Forsk8l) : Id
Phymodius monticulosus (Milne Edwards)
Phymodius ungul at us (Milne Edwards): 2 d
Epixanthus f r ont a l i s (Milne Edwards) : Id 39
Xanthias l amarcki i (Milne Edwards): 2@
Liomera monticulosus (Milne Edwards): I d
Lachnopodus subacutus (Stimpson): 19
At er gat i s f l or i dus (Linnaeus) : 2d
Zozimnus aeneus (Linnaeus) : 19
Er i phi a laevimanus ( ~ u 6 r i n ) : 19
Er i phi a s cabi cul a (Dana) : 19
Lybia t e s s e l l a t a ( Lat r ei l l e) : I d 19
Madaens granul osus (Haswell) : 19
Coenobita per l at us ~(Mi l ne Edwards) : 19
Coenobita mgosus (Milne Edwards)
Pagurus megistos (Herbst) : 1
Pagurus peduncul at us (Herbst) : 3
Calcinus el egans (Milne Edwards): 2
Calcinus laevimanus (Randall)
Cl i banar i us s t r i o l a t u s (Dana)
Cl i banar i us vi r escens (Krauss)
Col l ect ed by P. Grubb; i de nt i f i e d by J. D. Taylor; i ncorporat ed i n t o t he
col l ect i ons of t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st or y) .
Table 11. I ns ect s recorded from Astove by t he Percy Sladen Expedi t i on
Group
-
Ort hopt era
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Col eopt era
Hymenoptera
Di pt era
Number of speci es Reference
Bol i var (1912, 1924)
Green (1907), Di st ant
(1913), Mamet (1943) .
Fryer (1912)
Champion (1914), Gebien
(1922), Schenkling (1922),
Scot t (1912)
Burr (1910), Turner
(1911)
Lamb (1912)
Nymphalid, i s found on Astove, presumably col oni si ng from Malagasy, but
it has progressed no f ur t he r i n t he Aldabra group.
Unfort unat el y it
appears t o be decreasi ng i n numbers and was not seen by t he 1968 par t y.
Fryer i n 1908 found it not uncommon al ong t h e lagoon shore (Fryer 1912).
Another l e s s pl eas ant par t of t he i ns ect fauna, very much i n
evidence, i s t he mosquito Aedes (Ochl erot at us) -- f r y e r i Theo., found i n
very l ar ge numbers. This speci es breeds i n br acki sh and s a l t wat er i n
t he crab-hol es al ong t he shore, and t he human i nhabi t ant s must of t en si t
i n clouds of smoke f o r pr ot ect i on i n t he eveni ngs.
Bi rds
-
The l and b i r d fauna i s smal l and very s i mi l a r t o t h a t of Cosmoledo;
it i s consi dered i n d e t a i l by Benson (1970) i n a l a t e r paper. Of t he
s i x probably r es i dent l and bi r ds , two (Dryolimnas cuvi er i , St r ept opel i a
pi ct ur at a) have not been recorded s i nce 1906 and 1908 r es pect i vel y
(Dupont 1907, Fryer 1911) and a r e c e r t a i nl y e xt i nc t . Corvus al bus i s
present i n very small numbers. Ci s t i c ol a cher i na i s t he most abundant
land bi r d, followed by Nect ar i ni a sovimanga; t h e white-eye Zostero s
h-4- maderaspatana i s not common. I n addi t i on t o t hes e l and b i r s consi dered
by Benson, St oddar t was informed t h a t pigeons i nhabi t ed a l ar ge b i r d box
i n a t a l l Casuari na a t t he set t l ement , but he di d not see t he bi r ds ,
which may have been r ecent l y i nt roduced. Benson l i s t s f our shore bi r ds
as possi bl y r es i dent : Ardea ci ner ea, Egr et t a gar zet t a, Bubulcus i b i s and
Butorides s t r i a t u s . Adults and young of Ardea ci ner ea were seen i n June
1969 by Fr azi er and Diamond.
The s ea b i r d fauna i s u n u s u a l i ~ impoverished, presumably as a
r e s u l t of t he l ack of s ui t a bl e ha bi t a t f o r t r ee- nes t i ng bi r ds ( t he absence
of mangroves, f or example), t he degree of human i nt er f er ence, and t h e
cont i nui t y of t he land r i m and r e s ul t i ng l ack o f i s ol a t e d r ef ugi a. Sea
bi r ds have been recorded by Dupont (1907), Vesey-FitzGerald (1941), and
Bourne (1966). Diamond made observat i ons on t he west ern r i m b r i e f l y
i n March 1968. The onl y s ea bi r ds seen were one o r two adul t Caspian
Terns Hydroprogne caspi a and t hr e e Crest ed Terns Thalasseus be r gi i . The
s i t e of a smal l colony of t er ns , probably Sooty Terns St er na f us cat a, was
found on t he i s l e t Pe t i t Astove of f t he west ern ext remi t y of t he a t o l l .
Frazi er saw t he Caspian Tern i n t he lagoon on t he same occasi on, and
St oddart two of t he same s peci es on t he eas t er n r i m i n September 1968.
Fr azi er al s o saw t h e Crest ed Tern over t h e lagoon i n March.
Previous r ecor ds ar e scant y, and of t en r e f e r t o t he Aldabra
archi pel ago gener al l y r a t h e r t han t o Astove i t s e l f . They may be swnmarised
as fol l ows:
Recorded from t he ar chi pel ago by Watson e t a l . (1963).
Sul a s u l a
--
Recorded by Watson e t a l . (1963) as "formerly" occurri ng. Seen on
t he west s i de by Hartman (1958) and by H.M.S. - Owen (Bourne 1966).
Fregat a a r i e l
Fregat a minor
Both speci es recorded gener al l y i n t he archi pel ago by Dupont (1907)
Hydroprogne caspi a
Seen i n March bv Diamond and Fr azi er on t he west s i de and i n t he
lagoon; i n September by St oddar t on t he eas t s i de; and i n October by
Vesey-FitzGerald (1941, 527). Young seen wi t h adul t s i n June 1969
by Fr azi er and Diamond.
St er na f us cat a?
Colony probably of t h i s s peci es on Pe t i t Astove, noted by Diamond.
Recorded by Dupont (1907), a s - S. minuta.
Thalasseus ber gi i
Recorded by Bourne (1966); t hr ee seen by Diamond. Young seen with
adul t s i n June 1969 by Fr azi er and Diamond.
Gygis al ba
--
Recorded by Dupont (1907).
Seychel l oi s l abourers on Aldabra, who were f ami l i ar wi t h Astove, s ai d
t ha t bot h "Diament" (a Creole term coveri ng t hr ee speci es of t e r n but
her e most l i k e l y t o be t he Black-naped Tern St er na sumatrana) and
Audubon's Shearwater Puffi nus l ' her mi ni er i nes t on Astove. Even i f t h i s
were confirmed, Astove would scill have t h e most impoverished s e a b i r d
avi fauna i n t he archi pel ago. In addi t i on t o t he l ack of t r e e s f o r
nes t i ng of such speci es a s Fregat a spp. , Sul a s u l a and Gygis al ba, t her e
-- --
ar e very few of t he small i s l e t s favoured by Noddy Terns Anous s t ol i dus ,
Black-naped and Crest ed Terns, St er na sumatrana and Thal asseus b e r g i i
and Yel l ow-bi l l ed and Red-t ai l ed Tropi c Bi rds Phaethon l ept ur us and - P.
rubri cauda.
Set t l ement
Li t t l e i s known of t he e a r l y hi s t or y of Astove. A Portuguese s l a ve r
Don Royal is s a i d t o have been wrecked t her e, probably i n t h e ei ght eent h
--
cent ury, and t he sur vi vor s t o have l i ved on t he a t o l l f o r 30-40 year s .
Other ves s el s were c e r t a i nl y wrecked, and t he remains of some can s t i l l
be found on t he western r e e f s . Two ol d graves formerl y exi s t ed on t h e
west shore. A t t he time of Seber t Bat y' s survey i n 1895 (Bergne
1900), t he a t o l l was uni nhabi t ed, and t he r e were onl y s i x coconut palms
on t he e n t i r e i s l and, one of them a t t he l andi ng pl ace on t he west s i de.
I n t h a t year James Spurs l e f t f our men t her e f o r f i s hi ng and b u i l t a hut
100 m sout h of t he palm t r e e on t he west shor e. Because of l ack of r a i n
f or s i x months, water had t o be landed f or t hes e f i r s t s e t t l e r s . Bergne
(1901) found t he set t l ement deser t ed s i x years l a t e r and t h e bui l di ngs
dest royed. Though Baty had f or ecas t t h a t maize would probably be a f a i l
ur e, 150 acr es (60 ha) had been cl ear ed f or t h i s crop by 1901, a few
hundred coconuts had been pl ant ed, and tomatoes and pumpkins had been
cul t i vat ed. Five l abour er s were l e f t t her e, and Fryer (1908) found
gourds, pumpkins, water melons, maize and t obacco t o be cul t i vat ed.
No d e t a i l s have been t r aced of t he progress of t he guano mining
i ndust r y on t he a t o l l . According t o Baker (1963, 92-97), 72,162 t ons of
guano were export ed between 1927 and 1960, l eavi ng r eser ves (Baker 1963,
124) of l es s t han 5,000 t ons . Baker' s anal yses of t he guano gave a
phosphate ( t o t a l P205) cont ent of 25-29 per cent .
By 1960 (Pi ggot t 1961) 100 ha were pl ant ed t o coconut palms, but t he
yi el d (15 t ons per annum o r 7 nut s per t r e e per year) was very poor,
presumably as a r e s ul t of low r a i n f a l l , cycl ones, o r poor management.
Pi ggot t s t a t e s t h a t t he maximum ar ea pos s i bl e f o r coconut growing i s 240
ha. Si nce Pi ggot t ' s survey t he l eas e has changed hands, and t he present
l es s ee, Mr R. M. Veevers-Carter, i s vi gorousl y developing t he pl ant at i ons
wi t h t he ai d of a t r a c t o r and smal l l abour f or ce. Maize has long been
grown on t he low s t a bl e dunes i n t he wet season. Other crops i ncl ude
s i s a l , cot t on, sweet pot at oes . Baty i n 1895 had found numerous r a t s but
no goat s. Chickens and pi gs were i nt roduced a t an e a r l y s t age, and t he
pr esent l essee has i nt roduced t urkeys, ducks and c a t t l e . Giant Tor t oi ses
have been i nt roduced from Aldabra, and t he l es s ee hopes t o i nt roduce many
ot her animals, and t o e s t a bl i s h a t u r t l e hat chery. He i s a t pr esent
bui l di ng a l ar ge new house sout h of t he pr esent l andi ng poi nt .
Between 1814, when t he admi ni st r at i on of Mauri t i us passed from t he
French t o t he Engl i sh, and 1903, when t he new colony of Seychel l es was
formed, Astove was admi ni st ered from Mauri t i us. I t now forms par t of t he
Colony of Seychel l es, and was not i ncl uded i n t he Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean
Ter r i t or y i n 1965.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mr and Mrs R. M. Veevers-Carter* f or t h e i r hos pi t a l i t y and
kindness duri ng our two v i s i t s t o t he a t o l l , and Miss T. Ridgway f o r her
* We r egr et t o announce t h e untimely deat h of Mr . Mark Veevers-Carter
i n Mombasa on March 11, 1970 [Eds. ].
as s i s t ance. Also M r Basi l Bel l , Di r ect or , East African Marine Fi s her i es
Research Organi zat i on, Zanzibar, and Captain M. Williams and Captain T.
Phipps, M.F.R.V. Manihine, f o r t h e oppor t uni t i es f o r Royal Soci et y
pa r t i e s t o v i s i t Astove i n March and September 1968; and t he Frank M.
Chapman Fund, a gr ant from which t o C. W. Benson made t he fi rst v i s i t
pos s i bl e. We thank Lady Joan Fryer f o r t h e l oan of t he l a t e S i r John
Fr yer ' s manuscript di ar y of h i s v i s i t t o Astove i n 1908, and ot her
mat er i al , and M r J. A' C. Bergne, f or t he l oan of h i s f a t h e r ' s j ournal of
a v i s i t t o Astove i n 1901, and ot her papers, and both Lady Fryer and M r
Bergne f o r permission t o quote from t hes e documents.
References
-
Archipelago. Geol. Surv. Kenya Mem. 3: 1-140.
Benson, C. W. 1970. Land (i ncl udi ng shore) bi r ds of Astove. At ol l Res.
Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Manuscript.
---------- 1901.
Rough not es of a voyage t o t he Aldabra Group.
Manuscript.
Bol i var, I. 1912. Ort hopt era: Acrydi i dae, Phasgonuridae, Gr yl l i dae.
Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool., 15: 263-292.
---------- 1924. Ort hopt era Di ct yopt era ( Bl at t i dae and Mantidae), and
supplement t o Gryl l i dae, of t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l a nds .
Boulenger, G. A. 1911. List of t h e Bat rachi ans and Rept i l es obt ai ned by
Prof. St anl ey Gardiner on h i s second expedi t i on t o t he Seychel l es
and Aldabra. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 14: 375-378.
Bourne, W. R. P. 1966. Observations on i s l ands i n t he Indi an Ocean. Sea
Swallow, 18: 40-43.
Burr, M. 1910. Dermaptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 14:
435-446.
London, s e r . 2 , Zool. , 16: 393-497.
Di st ant , W. L. 1913. Rhynchota. Part I: suborder Het eropt era. Trans.
Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 16: 139-190.
FAO. 1967. Report t o t he Governments of t he Peopl e' s Republic of South-
ern Yemen and t he Seychel l es I s l ands on t he Green Tur t l e resource i n
South Arabia, and t he s t a t u s of t he Green Tur t l e i n t he Seychel l es
I s l ands . Based on t he work of D r H. Hi r t h, FAO/TA Marine Tur t l e
Bi ol ogi s t . Rept.FAO/UNDP(TA) 2467: 1-59.
Fosberg, F. R. and Renvoize, S. A. 1970. Pl ant s of Astove. At ol l Res.
Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue .
Fryer, J. C. F. 1908. Di ary. Manuscript.
---------- 1911. The s t r u c t u r e and formation of Aldabra and nei ghbouri ng
i sl ands- - wi t h not es on t h e i r f l o r a and fauna. Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 14: 397-442.
---------- 1912. The Lepi dopt era of Seychel l es and Aldabra, excl usi ve
of t he Orneodidae and Pt erophori dae and of t h e Tor t r i c i na and
Ti nei na. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 15: 1-28.
Gardi ner, J. S. 1936. The r e e f s of t he western Indial? Ocean. I. Chagos
Archipelago. 11. The Mascarene Region. Trans. Li.nn. Soc. London, s e r .
2, Zool., 19: 393-436.
Gebien, H. 1922. Col eopt era, Heteromera: fenebri oni dae. Trans. Linn.
Green, E. E . 1907. Notes on t h e Coccidae col l ect ed by t he Percy Sladen
Trust Expedi t i on t o t h e Indi an Ocean, supplemented by a col l ect i on
recei ved from & R. Dupont, Di r ect or of Agr i cul t ur e, Seychel l es.
Gwynne, M. D. , and Wood, D. 1969. Pl ant s col l ect ed on i s l ands i n t he
west ern Indi an Ocean dur i ng a cr ui s e of t he M.F.R.V."Manihinet',
-,
Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 14: 379-395.
Honegger, R. 1966. Beobachtungen an de r Herpetofauna de r Seychel l en.
Salamandra, Zei t schr . f . Herpet . u. Terrari enkunde, 2(1-2): 20-36.
Lamb, C. G. 1912. Di pt era: Lonchaeidae, Sapromyzidae, Ephydridae,
Chloropidae, Agromyzidae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
15: 303-348.
Legrand, H. 1965. ~e' pi dopt 2r es des ?l es Seychel l es e t dl Al dabra. ~6m.
Mus. Nat. H i s t . Nat ur. , S&. A, Zool. , 37: 1-210.
Lionnet, J . F. G. 1970. Note on t he Lepi dopt era of Astove At ol l . At ol l
Mamet, R. 1943. A r evi sed l i s t of t he Coccoidea of t h e i s l ands of t h e
western Indi an Ocean, sout h of t he equat or . Mauri t i us I ns t . Bul l . 2:
137- 170.
Pi ggot t , C. J. 1961a. A r epor t on a v i s i t t o t he Outer I sl ands between
Resources Di vi si on, t ypes cr i pt , 1-71; Chapter 4, Astove, 17-23.
---------- 1961b. Notes on some of t he Seychel l es I sl ands, Indi an Ocean.
At ol l Res. Bul l . 83: 1-10.
Surveys, Land Resources Di vi si on, Tech. Bul l . 2 : 1-89.
Rothschild, W. 1915. On t he gi gant i c l and- t or t oi s es of t h e Seychel l es and
Aldabra-Madagascar group, wi t h some not es on c e r t a i n forms of t h e
Mascarene group. Novi t at es Zool., 22: 418-442.
Schenkling, S. 1922. Col eopt era: Cl er i dae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r .
2, Zool., 18: 325-329.
Scot t , H. 1912. Coleoptera, Lamel l i corni a and Adephaga. Trans. Linn.
Smith, J. L. B. 1955. The f i s he s of t he fami l y Pomacanthidae i n t he
west ern Indi an Ocean. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hi s t . , s e r . 12, 8: 377-384.
---------- 1955b.
The f i s hes of t he fami l y Ant hi i dae of t he west ern
Indi an Ocean. Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 12, 8: 337-350.
---------- 1956. The f i s hes of Aldabra, Par t V I . Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . ,
s e r . 12, 9: 817-829.
Travi s. W. 1959. Beyond t he r e e f s . New York: E. P. h t t o n (London:
Allen and Unwin) , 1-221.
Turner, R. E. 1911. Fossori al Hymenoptera from t he Seychel l es and ot her
i s l ands i n t he Indi an Ocean. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
14: 367-374.
Vesey-FitzGerald, L. D. E. F. 1940. The bi r ds of t he Seychel l es. I. The
endemic bi r ds . I b i s . , s e r . 14, 4: 480-489.
---------- 1941. Furt her cont r i but i ons t o t he orni t hol ogy of t he
Seychel l es I s l ands . I bi s , s e r . 14, 5: 518-531.
---------- 1942.
Furt her s t udi es of t he veget at i on on i s l ands i n t he
Watson, G . E. , Zusi, R. L . , and St or er , R. E. 1963. Prel i mi nary f i e l d
guide t o t he bi r ds of t he Indi an Ocean. Washington: Smithsonian
I n s t i t u t i o n , 1-214.
9. PLANTS OF ASTOVE ISLAND
CYMODOCEA [CILI ATA]
Seen by Grubb (1968).
CENCHRUS ECHINATUS L.
S. I . , Ridgway 8 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 8 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
P
St oddar t & Poore 1286 (K); West s i d e , St oddar t & Poore 1279 (K);
P
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49704 (US, K); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1212
(US, K).
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM f L . 1 Wi l l d
.- , - - - -
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1320 (K, EA); Ridgway 31 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 31
(EA); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1287 (K); East s i de ,
St oddar t & Poore 1312 (K); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49691 (US, K);
Set t l ement , Renvoize 1188 (US, K).
S. 1. , Ridgway 90 (Fo) ; Veevers-Cart er 90 (EA)
DAKNOPHOLIS BOIVINII ICamus) Cl avt
S. l . , ~ e e v e r s - c a r t e r i 9 ( ~ k ) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg 49696 (US, K);
nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1192 (US, K).
DIGITARIA HORIZONTALIS Wi l l d.
North of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1290 (K); Grand Anse, Fosberg
49693 (US, K), - 49703 (US, K).
DIGITARIA TIMORENSIS (Kunth) Bal .
S. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1323 (EA); Ridgway 29 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 39
(EA); Set t l ement , Renvoize 1191 (US, K).
ENTEROPOGON SECHELLENSIS (Baker) Dur. & Schinz
S. l . , Ridgway 30 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 30 (EA); i n coconut pl ant at i on,
~ o s b e r g - 6 Fr azi er 49747 (US, K); West s i de, St oddar t & Poore 1278
( K , n v o i z e 1193 (US, K) .
ERAGROSTIS s o.
S. l . , Fryer 4 (K), Fryer i n 1908 (K) ; Ridgway 14 (Fo) ; Veevers-
-
Car t er 14 (EA); East s l de, St oddar t & Poore 1313 (K); Set t l ement ,
ERIOCHLOA SUBULIFERA Sta~f
Grand Anse, ~osberi49735 (US, K); north of Settlement, Renvoize 1211
(K) .
LEPTURUS REPENS R. Br.
S. I., Ridgway 98 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 98 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg
49694 (US, K); Settlement, Renvoize 1179 (US, K).
-
PANICUM MAXIMUM Jacq.
S. I., Ridgway 28 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 28 (EA); north of Settlement,
Renvoize 1195 (US, K); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49689 (US).
PANICUM VOELTZKOWII Mez?
S. 1. , Ridgway 115 (Fo) .
PENNISETUM POLYSTACHION (L.) Schultes
S. l., Ridgway 54 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 54 (EA).
SPOROBOLUS VIRGINICUS Kunth
S. I., Ridgway 2 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 2 (EA) ; Gwynne & Wood 1310 (EA) ;
north of island, Stoddart & Poore 1288 (K); lagoon shore, back of
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49743 (US, K); north of Settlement, Renvoize 1216
(US, K).
STENOTAPHRUM MICRANTHUM (Desv.) Huhb.
S. I., Ridgway 89 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 89 (EA); Settlement, Renvoize
1208 (US, K).
-
S. l., Ridgway 78 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 78 (EA); East side, Stoddart
& Poore 1307 (K).
FIMBRISTYLIS CYMOSA R. Br.
S. l., Vesey-FitzGerald 5963d (K); Ridgway 33 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 33
(EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49695 (US, K); north of Settlement,
Stoddart & Poore 1282 (K); Renvoize 1190 (US, K); lagoon beach,
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
Seen by Stoddart, 1968, Fosberg, 1968.
ASPARAGUS UMBELLULATUS Sieh .
S. l., Ridgway 112 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 112 (EA)
DRACAENA REFLEXA Lam.
Dupont records this from Astove acc. Hemsley (1919).
LOMATOPHYLLUM BORBONICUM Willd.
". . .On the authority of Dupont, also [on] Astove.. ." Hemsley (1919).
S. l . , Ridgway 60 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 60 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg
49726 (US, K); West side, Stoddart & Poore 1270 (K); Gwynne &, Wood
1295 (K, EA).
-
DIOSCOREA NESIOTIS Hemsl.
S. l . , Ridgway 100 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 100 (EA) ; Grand Arise,
Fosberg 49723 (US, K).
"Dupont records t h i s from al l t he i s l ands i n h i s t a bl e ..." Hemsley
(1919); s. I . , Ridgway 50 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 50 (EA).
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s s peci es from a l l t he i s l ands i n h i s t a bul a r
view" Hemsley (1919).
FICUS THONNINGII B1.
"Dupont r ecor ds t h i s s peci es from Astove. . . I 1 ( as F. al dabr ensi s)
Hemsley (1919); s. l . , Ridgway 117 (Fo), - 97a ( F O ) ~ Veevers-Carter
58 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49733 (US, K).
-
FICUS sp. ( a f f . F. avi - avi )
S. l . , Ridgway 97b (Fo); Veevers-Carter 97 (EA).
S. l . , Veevers-Carter 21 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t &
Poore 1300 (K, US); Renvoize 1187 (US, K).
BOERHAVIA REPENS L.
"Dupont a l s o records t h i s on Astove" Hemsley (1919); s. I . , Fryer 9
(K); Gwynne & Wood 1314 ( K, EA); Ridgway 21 (Fo); Grand Anse,
Fosberg 49702 (US), 49677 (US, K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t &
Poore 1294 ( K, US). -
PISONIA GRANDIS R. B r .
S. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1300 (EA); (Fo); Veevers-Carter 86
(EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49683
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1317 (EA); Ridgway 41 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 41
(EA); nor t h of Set t l ement , - St oddart & Poore 1284 (K); Renvoize 1198
(US, K); Grand Anse, Fosberg & Fr azi er 49748 (US, K); Fosberg 49707
(US, K), - 49727 (US, K).
AMARANTHUS DUBIUS Mart. ex The1 1.
S. I . , Ridgway 73 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 73 (EA).
SESWIUM PORTULACASTRUM I L. 1 L.
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1318 (EA) ; Ridgway 77 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 77
(EA); lagoon shore back of Grand Anse, Fosberg 49745 (US); East
s i de, St oddar t & Poore 1308 (K, US).
S. l . , Thomasset 214 (K)
(EA); lagoon shore back of Grand Anse, Fosberg 49744 (US); i n
coconut pl ant at i on, Fosberg & Fr azi er 49756 (US); East s i d e ,
St oddart & Poore 1317 (K) .
CASSYTHA FILIFORMIS L .
49706 (US, K); nor t h of g f t l e me n t , St oddar t & Poore 1289 (K);
HERNANDIA SONORA L.
49686 (US, K) .
-
CAPPARIS CARTILAGINEA Decne.
S. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1291b (K, EA); Fryer 5 (K); Ridgway 53 (Fo);
Veevers-Carter 53 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49718 (US, K); West
s i de , St oddart & Poore 1272 ( K, US).
CLEOME STRIGOSA (Boj .) Ol i v.
. .
"Also Astove ..." Hemsley (1919); s . l . , Gwynne & Wood 1303 (EA);
Fryer 10 (K); Ridgway 19a (Fo), 19b (Fo); Veevers-Carter 19a, b
-
(EA); East s i de , St oddar t & Poore 1310 ( K) ; Grand Anse, Fosberz
49676 (US, K); n o r t h n v o i z e - 1181 (US, K) .
MAERUA TRIPHYLLA var . PUBESCENS (K1.1 DeWolf
S. I . , Ridgway 23a (Fo), 23b (Fb), 23c (Fo), 113 (Fo); Veevers-
- - -
Car t er 23 (EA).
S. I . , Ridgway 75 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 75 (EA)
CAESALPINIA BONDUC (L.) Roxb.
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49678 (US).
CAESALPINIA W O R (Medic.) Dandy & Exel l
S. I . , Ridgway 44 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 44 (EA) .
CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS L. ~~~ - ~
S. l . , Ridgway 42 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 42 (EA); i n coconut pl ant a-
t i on, Fosberg & Fr azi er 49752 (US, K); West s i de , St oddar t & Poore
1274 (K, US); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1205 (US, K).
-
GAGNEBINA PTEROCARPA (Lam.) Ba i l l .
S. l . , Ridgway 12 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 12 (EA) ; West s i de , St oddart
& Poore 1268 (K).
SOPHORA TOMENTOSA L.
S. l . , Ridgway 95 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 95 (EA).
TAMARINDUS INDICA L.
TEPHROSIA PUMILA var . ALDABRENSIS (Drumm. & Hemsl.) Brumrn.
S. I . , Ridgway 99a (Fo) , - 99b (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 99a, b - (EA) .
VIGNA UNGUICULATA subsp. DEKINDTIANA (Harms) Verdc.
S. I . , Ridgway 46 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 46 (EA).
TRIBULUS CISTOIDES L .
S. I., Ridgway 51 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 51 (EA) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg
49690 (US, K).
-
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
S. I . , Ridgway 76 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 76 (EA); lagoon shore back of
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49741 (US, K); East s i d e , St oddar t & Poore 1315
-
(K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1292 (K, US); Set t l ement ,
ACALYPHA CLAOXYLOIDES Hutch.
S. l . , Thomasset 243 (K); Ridgway 111 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 111 (EA);
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49730 (US).
ACALYPHA INDICA L.
S. I . , Ridgway 94 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 94 (EA).
EUPHORBIA ABBOT'TII Baker
"Dupont records t h i s from a l l t h e i s l ands of t h e Seychel l es regi on
except Gl ori osa. . ." Hemsley (1919) .
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
S. I . , Ridgway 26 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 26 (EA); West s i de , St oddar t
-
& Poore 1267 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1197 (US, K).
EUPHORBIA sp. ( near E. PROSTRATA Ai t . )
S. l . , Thomasset 232 (K); Ridgway 4 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 4, 17 (EA);
East s i de, St oddar t & Poore 1306, 1311, 1319 ( K ) ; on coast al -
--
windswept sand, Vesey-FitzGerald 5963 ( K) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg
49681 (US, K) ; nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1182 (US, K) .
-
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L. ) Poi t .
PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS Schum. & Thonn
S. l . , Ridgway 27 (FO); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49712 (US) ; nor t h of
PHYLLANTHUS CHELONIPHORBE Hutchinson
S. l . , Ridgway 58 (Fo); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49715 (US, K).
PHYLLANTHUS s p .
S. l., Veevers-Carter 27 (EA)
PHYLLANTHUS MADERASPATENS IS L .
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1325 (EA); Ridgway 25 (Fo); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
Renvoize 1196 (US, K); Grand Ms e , Fosberg 49734 (US), 49701 (US, K),
--
49716 (US, K).
RICINUS COMMUNIS L.
S. I . , Ridgway 81a (Fo), 81b (Fo); Veevers-Carter 81a, b (EA); West
-
s i de, St oddart & Poore 1275 (K); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49r98 (US, K,
Fo, Mo, NY); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1199 (US, K).
MAYTENUS SENEGALENSIS (Lam.) Exel l
S. l., Gwynne & Wood 1302 (K, EA); Ridgway 32 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
32 (EA); lagoon shore back of Grand Anse, Fosberg 49740 (US, K);
-
sout h of Grand Anse, Fosberg & McKenzie 49762 (US, K).
MYSTROXYLON AETHIOPICUM (Thunb.) Loes.
S. I . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5963d (K); Ridgway 105 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
105 (EA).
-
ALLOPHYLUS AI.DABRTCIJS R~ndl k -. - - - - - . . - - -. . .
S. I . , Ridgway 93 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 25a, b, 93 (EA); nor t h of
-
Set t l ement , Renvoize 1206 (US, K); Grand Anse, Fosberg & Grubb 49729
(US, K), Fosberg & McKenzie 49761 (US).
COLUBRINA ASIATICA f L. ' I Rronvn.
.--, - - - - ~ 0.-
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1308 (K, EA); Ridgway 22 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
22 (EA); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1215 (US, K); Grand Anse,
-
Fosberg 49684 (US, K); West s i de , St oddart & Poore 1273 (K, US).
SCUTIA MYRTINA ( ~u r m. f .) Kurz
S. l . , Gwn e & Wood 1294 (EA); Vesey-FitzGerald 5963c ( ) Ridgway
16 (Fo), 106 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 106, 16 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg
-
49708 US^
-
CORCHORUS AESTUANS L.
S. I . , Ridgway 36 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 36 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg
49692 (US), - 49728 (US); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1202 (US, K).
GREWIA SALICIFOLIA Schinz
49751 (US, K ) .
--
TRIUMFETTA PROCUMBENS For st .
S. I . , Ridgway 7 (Fo) ; Veevers-Cart er 7 (EA) .
ABUTILON ANGULATUM (G. ' P. ) Mast.
S. l . , Thomasset 2 6 (K) "Thomasset' s specimens a r e l abel l ed
Astove. . ." ~e ms l e ~- T1 9 1 9 ) ; s . I . , Ridgway 56 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
56 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49737 (K, US).
-
GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L.
S. I . , Gwynne fr Wood 1328 (K, EA); Ridgway 1 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 1
(EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49679 (US); West s i de, St oddar t & Poore
1277 (K, US); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1189 (US, K).
-
HIBISCUS ABELMOSCHUS L.
S. l . , Ridgway 64 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 64 (EA)
HIBISCUS TILIACEUS L .
49687 (US, K).
-
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
(EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49682 (US, K); East s i d e , St oddart & Poore
1320 (K).
-
SIDA "VESCOANA Bai l l on"
S. I . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5962 (K) (probabl y onl y a var i ant of - S.
par vi f ol i a) .
THESPESIA POPULNEOIDES (Roxb . I Kost el .
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1297 (EA); Ridgway 74 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 74
(EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49717 (US, K); West s i d e , St oddar t & Poore
1269 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1201 (US, K).
-
FLACOURTIA RAMONTCHII L' Her i t .
S. I . , Ridgway 114 (Fo) .
S. I . , Ridgway 61 (Fo) .
49714 (US).
-
CUCUMIS PROPHETARUM s s p. DISSECTUS (Naud.) J e f f r e y
PEMPHIS ACIDULA For s t .
"Thomasset not es t h a t t h i s i s a l s o common i n Astove. . . I t Hemsley
(1919); s. l . , Ridgway 68 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 68 (EA); lagoon
shore back of Grand Anse, Fosberg 49738 (US, K); East s i de, St oddar t
& Poore 1316 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1283 (K).
BRUGUIERA GYMNORHIZA (L.) Lam.
108
RHIZOPHORA MUCRONATA Lam.
S. I . , Ridgway 101 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 102 (EA); East s i de ,
St oddar t & Poore 1302 (K) .
LUMNITZERA RACEMOSA Wi l l d.
S. I . , Ridgway 103 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 103 (EA); East s i de ,
S. l . , Ridgway 87 (Fo); Veevers-Cart er 87 (EA)
TERMINALIA BOI VI NI I Tul .
AZI MA TETRACANTHA Lam.
S. l . , Ridgway 80 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 80 (EA); West s i de , St oddar t
& Paore 1266 (K).
PLUMBAGO APHYLLA Boj. ex Boiss.
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1290 (K, EA); Fryer 2 (K) ; Ridgway 18 (Fo) ;
Veevers-Carter 18 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49710 (US, K); nor t h of
-
Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1298 ( K Y
SIDEROXYLON INERME L. subsp. CRYPTOPHLEBIUM (Baker) J. H. Hemsley
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1309 (EA) ; Ridgway 109 (Fo) ; Veevers-Cart er 109
-
(EA) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg 49722 (US).
CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS (L. ) Don
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1327 (EA); Ridgway 52a (Fo), 52b (Fo); Veevers-
Car t er 52a, b (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49680 (US,K), West z d e ,
St oddar t & core 1263 (K, US).
SARCOSTEWA VIMINALE R. B r .
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1293 (EA); Fryer 1 (K) ; Ridgway 13 (Fo) ;
Veevers-Carter 13 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49709 (US, K); nor t h of
- ar t - & Poore 1295 (KY
SECAMONE FRYER1 Hemsl.
S. I . , Gwynne 6 Wood 1296 (K, EA); Ridgway 70 (Fo), 116 (Fo);
Veevers-Carter 70 (EA) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg 49721 ( UTK) .
S. l . , -- Fryer 8 (K) ; Ridgway 3 (Fo) ;. Veevers-Carter 3 (EA) ; Grand
Anse, Fosberg 49731 (US, K) .
IPOMOEA BATATAS (L.) La m.
S. l . , Ridgway 65 (Fo) ; Veevers-Cart er 65 (EA)
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE [L.) R. Br . (sens. l a t . )
S. I. , Fryer li (K) ; ~ i d ~ w a ~ 71A (Fo); Veevers-Carter 71A (EA) ;
lagoon shore back of Fosberg 49739 (US, K); nor t h of
Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1291 (K); Set t l ement , Renvoize 1178
(US, K).
IPOMOEA TUBA (Schl echt .) Don ~ ~~
S. l . , Ridgway 71b (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 71b (EA) ; lagoon shore back
of Grand Anse, Fosberg 49742 (US, K); lagoon coas t , Gwynne & Wood
1307 (EA); East s i de , St oddar t & Poore 1304 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
-
St oddar t & Poore 1285 (K, US); Renvoize 1203 (K).
S. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1301 (K, EA); Ridgway 66 ( Fo) . Veevers-Carter
66 (EA); West s i de, St oddar t & Poore 1281 (K, US); nor t h of
- -
49688 (US, K); East s i de , St oddar t & Poore 1314 (K).
AVI CENNI A MARINA [Forsk. ) Vi erh.
"Dupont records t h i s from Ast ove. . ." Hemsley (1919) ; s. l . , Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d 5960 (K) ; Ridgway 67 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 67 (EA) ; i n
coconut pl ant at i on, Fosberg & Fr azi er 49758 (US, K) .
CLERODENDRUM GLABRUM E. Mey. (C. minutiflorum Bak .)
S. l . , Ridgway 110 (Fo); Veevers-cart er 110 (EA) .
NESOGENES DUPONTII Hemsl.
S. I . , Ridgway 104 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 104, - 5, - 113 (EA).
STACHYTARPHETA JAMAICENSIS L Vahl
S. I. , Ridgway 38a ( ~ 0 ) ' ; ~ e e v e r s - c a r t e r 38 (EA) ; Grand Anse, Fosberg
49697 (E, K); nor t h of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1293 (K);
P
Renvoize 1184 (US, K); East s i de , St oddar t & Poore 1309 ( K) .
---
STACHYTARPHETA URTICIFOLIA Sims
S. l . , Ridgway 38b (Fo); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49700 (US, K) .
PREMNA OBTUSIFOLIA R. Br .
Southern pa r t of coconut grove, Fosberg & Graham 49746 (US)
DATURA METEL L.
49699 (US, K).
-
SOLANUM ALDABRENSE C. H. Wright
"Dupont records t h i s from. . .Astove.. ." Hemsley (1919).
SOLANUM NI GRUM L.
S. I . , Ridgway 49 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 49 (EA).
OCIMUM AMERICANUM L.
S. l . , Dupont 291 (K); Ridgway 43 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 43 (EA).
TABEBUIA PALLIDA (Li ndl . ) Miers
S. I., Ridgway 63 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 63 (EA); West s i de, St oddar t
& Poore 1280 (K, US).
ASYSTASIA BOJERIANA Nees
S. I., Ridgway 5 (Fo), 24 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 24 (EA); Fryer 6
(K, 2 s heet s ) ; Gwynne &Tood 1315 (EA), 1324 (EA); nor t h of
Set t l ement , St oddart 6 Poore 1296 (K, ~S);envoize 1183 (K, US);
Grand Anse, Fosberg 49705 (US, K) .
BARLERIA sp. (near B. DECAISNIANA Nees)
Reported from Astove by Hemsley on t he bas i s of a Fryer specimen
t h a t cannot now be found a t Kew (1919); s . l . , Ridgway 57 (Fo);
Veevers-Carter 57 (EA); West s i de, St oddart & Poore 1264 (K).
HYPOESTES ALDABRENSIS Baker
S. I . , Fryer 7 (K); Ridgway 91, 20 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 59, 91, 20
- -
(EA); G r a n d s e , Fosberg 49713 mS ) .
S. l., Gwynne & Wood 1321 (K, EA); Ridgway 85 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
85 (EA); Grand Anse, Fosberg 49685 (US, K); West s i de, St oddar t &
-
Poore 1265 (K).
HEDYOTIS LANCIFOLIA Schum.
49724 (US, K).
-
HEDYOTIS sp.
S. l . , Ridgway 6 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 6 (EA); G~iynne & Wood 1326
(EA); rand, Fosberg 49753 (US, K); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
Renvoize 1209 ( u S , K ) ; e s , St oddar t 6 Poore 1318 (US, K).
POLYSPHAERIA MULTIFLORA Hiern
49725 (US, K); sout h of Grand Anse, Fosberg & McKenzie 49760 (US).
-
TARENNA TRICWANTHA (Bak.) Brem.
S. l., Ridgway 92 (Fo) ; Veevers-Carter 92, 35 (EA) ; Grand Anse,
-
Fosberg 49720 (US, K); nor t h of Set t l ement , Renvoize 1204 (US, K).
-
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaertn . ) Roxb .
S. I . , Ridgway 84 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 84 (EA); i n coconut pl ant at i on,
Fosberg & Fr azi er 49757 (US).
BIDENS PILOSA L.
S. I . , Ridgiay 96 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 96 (EA); i n coconut pl ant at i on,
Fosberg & Fr azi er 49750 (US, K).
LAUNAEA INTYBACEA (Jaca . > P. Beauv.
S. I . , Gwynne '& wdod 1316 ( K, EA); Ridgway 47 (Fo); Veevers-Carter
47 (EA); i n coconut pl ant at i on, Fosberg & Fr azi er 49749 (US); nor t h
-
of Set t l ement , St oddar t & Poore 1299 (K); Renvoize 1213 (US, K).
LAUNAEA SARMENTOSA (Wi l l d. ) Alst.
VERNONIA ALDABRENSIS Hemsl.
S. I . , Vesey-FitzGerald 5963b (K); Gwynne & Wood 1292 (K, EA);
Ridgway 9 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 9 ( ~- sber ~ 49719
(US, K) ; West s i d e , o o r e 1271 (K); nor t h of Set t l ement ,
St oddart & Poore 1297 (K); Renvoize 1185 (US, K); East s i de,
St oddart & Poore 1305 ( K) .
VERNONIA CI NEREA ( L. ) Less.
S. l . , Ridgway 10 (Fo); Veevers-Carter 10 (EA); i n coconut pl ant at i on,
Fosberg & Fr azi er 49754 (US, K); sout h of Grand Anse, Fosberg &
McKenzie 49759 (US) ; West s i d e , St oddart & Poore i276 (K, US) ; nor t h
of Set t l ement , St oddart & Poore 1301; Renvoize 1210 (US, K).
10. NOTE ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ASTOVE ATOLL
J. F. G. Lionnet
Wri t i ng i n 1911, J. C. F. Fryer, who had v i s i t e d Astove as a member
of t he 1908 Percy Sladen Tr ust Expedi t i on t o t he Indi an Ocean, s t a t e d :
"The t i me I spent on Astove was i ns uf f i c i e nt t o pr oper l y i nves t i gat e i t s
s t r uc t ur e and t her ef or e t he f l o r a and fauna were qui t e negl ect ed"; and
"i ns ect s were very numerous and it was a mat t er of gr eat r e gr e t t h a t
few coul d be taken: b u t t e r f l i e s were more common t han on any ot he r i s l and
and comprised one s peci es , t he be a ut i f ul Pr eci s rhadama, not not ed
elsewhere".
On 8 March 1967 t he wr i t e r spent f i v e hours on t he west coas t of
Astove, a t Grand Anse, which he devoted t o col l ect i ng b u t t e r f l i e s . These
appeared t o be a s numerous a s a t t he time of Fr yer ' s v i s i t . As , with t he
except i on of Fryer and t he wr i t e r , none of t he c ol l e c t or s who have
v i s i t e d t he Aldabra group of i s l ands (Assumption, Cosmoledo and Ast ove),
i ncl udi ng W. L. Abbott i n 1892, A. Voeltzkow i n 1902, E. G. B . Meade-
Waldo i n 1905, C. Pr ol a i n 1953, G. Cherbonnier i n 1959 and H. Legrand i n
1956 and 1959, v i s i t e d Astove, it i s thought des i r abl e t o publ i sh a l i st
of t he speci es al r eady recorded on t he a t o l l . I t i s, however, har dl y
necessary t o poi nt out t h a t t h i s l i s t coul d c e r t a i nl y be improved by a
more thorough i nves t i gat i on. Thus t he Royal Soci et y par t y which v i s i t e d
Astove i n 1968 col l ect ed Acraea ranaval ona, Acraea t eEpsi chore l egr andi ,
Junoni a c l e l i a e p i c l e l i a , Col ot i s evant hi des, Syntarucus pi r i t hous
(= t el i canus ) and t he hes per i i d Pel opi das mat hi as Fabr. , which i s a new
record f o r t he a t o l l ( per s. comm., D r T. G. Howarth, Br i t i s h Museum
(Nat ural Hi st ory) and t he account i n Bayne and ot her s (1970)).
NOCTUIDAE
Bryophi l ops i s nes t a (Bai nbri gge Fl et cher ) Col l ect ed by Lionnet
Tarache mal gassi ca (Mabi l l e ) Col l ect ed by Fryer
PIERIDAE
Bel enoi s al dabr ensi s (Holland) Col l ect ed by Fryer
Bel enoi s gr andi di er i form voel t zkowi (Karsch) Col l ect ed by Lionnet
( see Bernardi 1954)
Col ot i s evant hi des (Holland) Col l ect ed by Lionnet
DANA1 DAE
Danaus chrysi ppus (Linnaeus) Col l ect ed by Lionnet
ACRAEIDAE
Acraea ranaval ona Boisduval Col l ect ed by Lionnet
Acraea t er ps i chor e l egrandi Carcasson Col l ect ed by Lionnet
NYMPI-1ALIDAE
Junoni a rhadama (Boisduval) Col l ect ed by Fryer and
noted by Lionnet
Junoni a c l e l i a e p i c l e l i a (Boisduval) c o l l e c t i d by Fryer and
Lionnet
Phal ant a phal ant ha aet hi opi ca (Rot hschi l d
and Jordan) Col l ect ed by Lionnet
Fryer a l s o r epor t ed t h a t he had not i ced Col ot i s (Teracol us)
per not at us ( But l er ) , a synonym of C. e t r i d a (Boi sduval ), on Astove.
However, s i nce accordi ng t o ~ e ~ r a n z Fryer mistook Col ot i s evant hi des
(Holland) on Aldabra f o r t he former s peci es , t h i s record i s doubt f ul .
Acknowledgements
I am gr e a t l y i ndebt ed t o Mx Henry Legrand, Charg& de Mission and
Correspondent of t he Par i s Museum, f o r ki ndl y undert aki ng t h e i d e n t i f i c a -
t i o n of t he specimens capt ured i n 1967, and t o Mr Tony Beamish, who
a s s i s t e d i n t he capt ur e of some of them.
References
Bayne, C. J . , Cogan, B. H. , Diamond, A. W. , Fr azi er , J . , Grubb, P. , Poore,
M. E. D. , St oddar t , D. R., and Tayl or, J. D. 1970. Geography and
ecology of Astove. Ar ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Bernardi , G. 1954. R&ision des Pi er i nae de $a faune Malgache (Lep.
Pi er i dae) . M&. I ns t . Sci . Madagascar, s e r . E, 5: 239-375.
Fryer, J. C. F. 1911. The s t r uc t ur e and format i on of Aldabra and
nei ghbouri ng i sl ands--wi t h not es on t h e i r f l o r a and fauna. Trans.
---------- 1912. The Lepidoptera of Seychel l es and Aldabra, excl usi ve of
t he Orneodidae and Pt erophori dae and of t h e Tor t r i c i na and Ti nei na.
Le Cerf, F. 1916. Note s ur deux pi gr i des (Lep. Rhopal.) de 1 ' I l e Maurice
e t de 1 ' I l o t dt Ast ove. Bul l . Soc. Entom. France, 1916: 112-113.
Legrand, H. 1965. LJpidoptBres des Clles Seychel l es e t dfAl dabra. ~ 6 m . Mus
Nat. H i s t . Nat ur. , s 8r . A, Zool. , 37: 1-210.
11. LAND (INCLUDING SHORE) BIRDS OF ASTOVE
C. W. Benson
I nt r oduct i on
Much d e t a i l concerning t he bi r ds of Astove, es peci al l y on t h e
syst emat i cs of Ci s t i col a cher i na and Nect ar i ni a sovimanga, has al r eady
been given i n t he paper on land bi r ds of Cosmoledo (Benson 1970), and
need not be repeat ed. The same acknowledgements and ot her i nt r oduct or y
remarks a l s o appl y. Excepting a b r i e f r ef er ence by Abbott t o a r a i l
( see below), t he f i r s t mention of bi r ds t r aced i s by Dupont (1907), who
drew up a l i s t of speci es as a whole. Fryer (1911, 428) makes a b r i e f
r ef er ence, remarking t hat bi r ds seemed s car ce. Vesey-FitzGerald (1940,
486-488) i ncl udes Astove i n h i s account of land bi r ds of t he Aldabra
archi pel ago, as does Hartman (1958), who spent 9 December 1957 t her e.
H. M. S. Owen cal l ed a t Astove on 16 March 1964, and a few obser vat i ons
ar e given by Bourne (1966). I . S. C. Parker col l ect ed specimens f o r t he
Nat i onal Museum of Kenya on 7 October 1967, t he day a f t e r h i s v i s i t t o
Menai I sl and, Cosmoledo. I have had t he loan of h i s specimens, as f o r
Menai. A. W. Diamond, P. Grubb and I were on t he west ern arm of Astove
from about 1100 hours u n t i l a f t e r sunset on 5 March 1968. Thei r
observat i ons, and a few from J. Fr azi er , have consi derabl y augmented my
own. Some f ur t her observat i ons were made by M. E. D . Poore and D. R.
St oddar t on both t he eas t and west s i des of Astove on 15 September 1968.
Resident t r ue l and bi r ds
As f o r Cosmoledo, recorded a t second-hand bv Abbott ( i n Ridewav 1895.
529), and l i s t e d by ~ " ~ o n t (1907). Fryer (1911,. 428, under D. apDot t i ?)
a l s o records i t . There i s no subsequent record. Due t o hum& a c t i v i t y ,
it is unl i kel y t h a t it could s t i l l e x i s t t he r e .
St r ept opel i a pi ct ur at a Malagasy Turt l edove
This speci es i s l i s t e d by Du~ont 119071. but no ot her r ef er ence t o
i t s occurrence has been t r aced. ks on'cosmbiedo (with t he pos s i bl e
except i on of South I s l and) , it has evi dent l y been ext i r pat ed, assuming
t h a t it r e a l l y di d formerly occur.
Ci s t i c ol a cher i na
Ma1 agasy Grass -Warbler
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488) found it "abundant", Hartman (1958)
"common". Diamond and I a l s o found it common, more s o even t han t he
sunbi rd. Diamond and St oddart not ed t he same c a l l as on Cosmoledo.
As al ready recorded i n t he Cosmoledo account , a female col l ect ed cont ai ned
a much enl arged egg. Also, as di scussed t he r e i n, - C. cher i na appears t o
be of r ecent or i gi n on both Cosmoledo and Astove, and except f o r some
tendency t o smal l er s i z e on Wizard, i s s t i l l undi f f er ent i at ed from t he
Malagasy par ent s t ock.
Corvus al bus Pied Crow
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, a s C. s capul at us ) , though Vesey-FitzGerald
(1940, 488) t hought it was onl y 'E; v i s i t o r . Hartman (1958) saw one p a i r .
I saw one couple and one s i ngl e bi r d. As on Cosmoledo, t he popul at i on i s
evi dent l y ext remel y smal l .
Zosterops maderaspat ana Malagasy White-eye
Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 488') r ecor ds it as common, though Hartman
(1958) di d not s ee it. Diamond saw 15 i n a l l , and I saw a few ot her s .
I t would appear t o be l e s s common t han bot h t he grass-warbl er and t h e
sunbi rd. Diamond not ed t h a t t h e c a l l was t he same a s on Aldabra, though
s t r onger . Thi s i s perhaps t o be expect ed, s i nce Astove bi r ds a r e l a r ge r
(Benson 1969). A male col l ect ed on 5 March 1968 had t e s t e s measuring
6 x 4, 7 x 5 mm, a female t he same day had a yol ki ng egg of di amet er 6 mm.
I n or der of predominance (numbers of i ndi vi dual specimens i n each group),
t he stomach cont ent s of t hese specimens were:
Lepi dopt era: l ar vae
Hemiptera: Homoptera
Col eopt era: Curcul i oni dae
Psocopt era
Hymenoptera: winged a nt s
I n one specimen t he r e were i n addi t i on t he apparent remains of a seed and
some pe t a l s .
Astove bi r ds a r e consi dered by Benson (1969) i nsepar abl e from t hos e
of Z . m. maderaspatana from t he moi st er pa r t s of Malagasy, and l ack t he
yeliow-tone above of Gl ori osa b i r d s . The l a t t e r can be matched wi t h
mat er i al of Z. m. maderaspatana from t he d r i e r pa r t s of Malagasy, i n t he
southwest an2 t Ee extreme nor t h. Aldabra (though not Cosmoledo) bi r ds
al s o t end t o be yel l owi sh above.
Nect ar i ni a sovimanga Souimanga Sunbi rd
This s peci es i s l i s t e d by Dupont (1907, as Ci nnyri s a bbot t i ) , whi l e
Fryer (1911, 428) noted a Ci nnyr i s. I t i s a l s o recorded by Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d (1940, 488) and by Hartman (1958, a s Ci nnyri s comorensis), t h e
l a t t e r gi vi ng it as "common". Bourne (1966) r ecor ds "Anjouan Sunbi rds"
( s i c) - as "common". We a l s o found it t o be common. As al r eady expl ai ned
i n t he Cosmoledo account , t he popul at i on of Astove i s i nsepar abl e from
N. S. buchenorwn. The misconception t h a t i t might be r ef er abl e t o N.
- -
comorensis, of Anjouan, i n t he Comoros, ar ose from t h e male and female
col l ect ed by Vesey-FitzGerald (1940) and i de nt i f i e d i n t he Br i t i s h Museum
as "near Ci nnyri s comorensis Pet ers". These specimens cannot now be
found, but ar e v i r t u a l l y c e r t a i nl y - N. - s. buchenorwn. As expl ai ned by
Benson (1967, 86), N. comorensis i s a d i s t i n c t speci es, a l b e i t deri ved
from sovimanga. Noreasonabl e doubt whatever can now remain but t h a t
comorensis i s endemic t o Anjouan.
Vesey-FitzGerald descr i bes a ne s t , apparent l y unoccupied, pl aced 1. 3
m above t he ground i n a bush of Pemphis aci dul a. I found a s i mi l a r ol d
nes t i n a bush of Suri ana mari t i ma. I t was col l ect ed, and i s i n t he
Br i t i s h Museum (Natural Hi st or y) . S. A. Renvoize has poi nt ed out t h a t
both t hes e pl ant s ar e spray-zone s peci es . On Aldabra t her e a r e some
cas ual t i es among sunbi rds' ne s t s due t o spray. There was c e r t a i n l y some
breedi ng on Astove a t t he time of our v i s i t , s i nce a female col l ect ed
cont ai ned a yol ki ng egg measuring 7 x 8 mm, while t hr ee males had enl ar g-
ed t e s t e s , i n one case both measuring 7 x 5 mm. A female col l ect ed by
Parker a l s o had enl arged gonads. One of two females col l ect ed by myself,
with wing 49, t a i l 33, culmen from base 16.5 mm, cannot be f u l l y grown
(see measurements i n t he Cosmoledo account , Benson 1970), and i s probabl y
only about s i x weeks ol d (from dat e of hat chi ng) . It may t hus be
presumed t o have been from an egg l a i d i n January. The stomach-contents
of two males and two females col l ect ed by Parker were i ns ect fragments,
i ncl udi ng Col eopt era. I n or der of predominance (numbers of i ndi vi dual
specimens i n each group), t hose of t hr ee males and four females col l ect ed
by myself were:
Hemiptera: Homoptera
Psocopt era
Hymenoptera: a nt s
Hymenoptera: Pa r a s i t i c a
Diamond heard t he same c a t - l i ke "miaaw" c a l l as can be heard on
Aldabra. Fr azi er thought t h a t , although t he bi r ds were tame, t hey were
l e s s s o t han on Aldabra. On Astove, i n gener al , they would be more
l i a b l e t o human di st urbance.
Possi bl y r es i dent shor e bi r ds
Ardea ci ner ea Grey Heron
L i s t e b 6 y Dupont (1907). We saw a t l e a s t two i n t he lagoon i n
March 1968. Adults and young were seen i n June 1969 by Diamond and
Fr azi er , s o t h i s bi r d is probabl y r e s i de nt .
Egr et t a gar zet t a Li t t l e Egret
A t l e a s t two white and t hr e e dark phase bi r ds were seen. Diamond
recorded a di sused nes t i n a Bruguiera bush on an i s l and i n t h e ent r ance
t o t he lagoon. As f or Cosmoledo, t her e i s no evidence o f t h e "l ar ge
fl ocks" recorded by Dawson (1966, 7) .
According t o Loustau-Lalanne (1963, 22) , "Demiegretta s acr a =( asha) "
- -
. . . "occurs and breeds only on Astove i sl and". On page 13 he a l s o
mentions Egr et t a gar zet t a a s occur r i ng on Astove, s t a t i n g t h a t it i s
snow-white.
No mention of any col our phase i s made, though he s t a t e s
(page 14) t h a t D. asha i s "a dimorphic bi r d, whi t e o r grey i n col our".
Dawson (1966, 7T g z s t i l l f ur t he r , and apparent l y consi der s t h a t t h e r e
a r e no fewer t han t hr e e s peci es of egr et on Astove, i . e . - E. dimorpha, - E.
gar zet t a and D. asha. According t o Watson e t a l . (1963, 101, 106), D.
- -
s acr a occurs no near er t o Astove t han t he Cocos-Keeling I s l ands , and%.
a s h a t h e Laccadives (merely one r ecor d) . The l a t t e r i s pl aced by ~ r a F t
and Mackworth-Praed (1933, 194) as a synonym of D. s chi s t acea. Thi s name
i s a pos s i bl e source of s t i l l f u r t h e r complicatiCn. Forbes-Watson (1966)
s t a t e s t h a t he has seen Reef Herons E. s chi s t acea breedi ng al ongsi de L i t t l e
Egret s E. ga r z e t t a at Tananarive, ~ a i a ~ a s ~ , and gi ves s i g h t r ecor ds from
t he Afrycan coast t o a s f a r sout h a s Pemba I s l and. However, White (1965,
25) may be cor r ect i n r egar di ng s chi s t acea as a yel l ow- bi l l ed subspeci es
of E, ga r z e t t a , and i t s breedi ng range may not ext end sout h of t he
equyt or, accordi ngl y excl udi ng any l i kel i hood of i t breedi ng i n Malagasy.
E. g. s chi s t acea i s not mentioned i n t h e comprehensive account of a
-
heronry a t Tananarive by Malzy (1967).
Apart from t h e t hr ee s peci es of Ardeidae t r e a t e d under t he headi ngs
above and below, t her e i s a t pr esent no s a t i s f a c t o r y evidence of t he
occurrence of any s peci es anywhere i n t he Aldabra archi pel ago i n
addi t i on t o Egr et t a gar zet t a, t he subspeci es accordi ng t o Benson (1967,
68) being E. g. dimorpha. Two specimens of t h i s subspeci es were r ecent l y
col l ect ed on ~os mol edo. Contrary t o Loustau-Lalanne, t her e a r e two
col our phases. Benson (1967, 96) suggest s t h a t E. al ba, which breeds i n
- -
t he Comoros, might occasi onal l y occur. But t he r e i s s t i l l no evidence
of t h i s .
Bubulcus i b i s
- Cat t l e- Egr et
Bourne (1966) r ecor ds s i x around t he s et t l ement , and s i x were seen
i n t he set t l ement i t s e l f by St oddart and Poore i n September 1968.
Diamond, Fr azi er and I each saw one bi r d i n March 1968. Fr a z i e r ' s b i r d
was i n a coconut t r e e .
Li t t l e Green Heron
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, as 8 . a t r i c a p i l l u s ) . Diamond saw two i n
t he lagoon, and one i n a pl ant at Fon. On Aldabra, t oo, t h i s s peci es i s
not s t r i c t l y confi ned t o c oa s t s .
On Astove a s w e l l a s on ~o s h o l e d o t he
subspeci es i s most l i k e l y B. s . crawfordi .
- -
Migrants
Dupont (1907) l i st s t he same ei ght s peci es from Astove a s f o r
Cosmoledo. The onl y f ur t he r r ecor ds a r e t he fol l owi ng, from Diamond,
Grubb o r myself, from t he shore of t he lagoon unl ess ot herwi se s t a t e d
(t hose as t er i s ked a r e not l i s t e d by Dupont):
*Squat arol a s quat ar ol a,
t hr ee; Charadri us l es chenaul t i i , a t l e a s t t hr ee; Numenics phaeopus,
about t en; Arenari a i nt e r pr e s , about 100; *Crocet hi a al ba, xwo; *Er ol i a
-
t es t acea, about 100; Dromas ar deol a, a t l e a s t 30. I n addi t i on, Grubb
saw what is thought t o have been a Charadri us mongolus (Penny, i n pr e s s ) .
No t r u e l and b i r d migrants have as ye t been recorded from Astove,
but as f o r Cosmoledo t her e must be occasi onal occurrences.
Summary
1. An account i s given of t he l and ( i ncl udi ng shore) b i r d s of Astove.
2 . The t r u e l and bi r ds ar e very s i mi l a r t o t hose of Cosmoledo
(Benson 1970), and t her e is t he same pauci t y of speci es i n comparison t o
Aldabra. The r a i l Dryolimnas cuvi er i and t ur t l edove St r ept opel i a
pi c t ur a t a , which a t one time a r e s a i d t o have occurred, a r e probabl y
e xt i nc t . The warbl er Ci s t i col a cher i na and sunbi rd Nect ar i ni a sovimanga,
s i mi l a r t o t hose of Cosmoledo, a r e p l e n t i f u l . The white-eye Zost erops
maderaspatana, specimens of which ar e t he same as t hose from t he more
humid pa r t s of Malagasy, i s not s o p l e n t i f u l .
3. Unlike Cosmoledo, t her e i s no evi dence t h a t any s peci es has been
i nt roduced by man.
4. There a r e f our pos s i bl y r es i dent herons o r e gr e t s (fami l y
Ardeidae), though t he s t a t u s o f t he Ca t t l e Egret Bubulcus i b i s i n
p a r t i c u l a r r equi r es f ur t he r i nves t i gat i on. I t has been claimed t h a t t h e
t hr ee s peci es Egr et t a dimorpha, E. ga r z e t t a and Demiegretta asha a l l
occur. But p r v t h e r e i s oni y t h e one, E. gar zet t a (subspeci es
dimorpha), pr esent i n a white phase and a daFk phase.
5. O f mi grant s, twelve s peci es of shore bi r ds which breed i n t he
Pal aear ct i c Region have been recorded; a l s o t he Crab-Plover Dromas
ar deol a. No land b i r d migrants have as ye t been recorded.
References
Benson, C. W. 1967. The bi r ds of Aldabra and t h e i r s t a t u s . At ol l Res.
Bul l . 118: 63-111.
---------- 1969. The white-eye Zost erops maderaspatana (Li nn. ) of Menai
I sl and, Cosmoledo At ol l . Bul l . B r i t . Or ni t hol . Club, 89: 24-27.
---------- 1970. Land ( i ncl udi ng shore) b i r d s of Cosmoledo. At ol l . Res.
Bul l . : t h i s i s s ue.
Bourne, W. R. P. 1966. Observat i ons on i s l ands i.n t he Indi an Ocean. Sea
Swallow, 18: 40-43.
Dawson, P. 1966. A survey of t h e s e a b i r d s of t he Seychel l es I s l ands .
001. Rec. 40: 1-11.
Dupont, R. 1907. Report on a v i s i t of i nves t i gat i on t o St Pi er r e, Astove,
Cosmoledo, Assumption and t he Aldabra Group. Mah6: Seychel l es
Government, 1-51.
Forbes-Watson, A. D. 1966. A f u r t h e r not e on Reef Herons i n East Af r i ca.
J. East Afr. Nat. H i s t . Soc. 112: 233.
Fryer, J . C. F. 1911. The s t r uc t ur e and format i on of Aldabra and
nei ghbouri ng i sl ands- - wi t h not es on t h e i r f l o r a and fauna. Trans.
Grant. C. H. B. and Mackworth-Praed. C. W. 1933. On t he r el at i ons hi o.
A -
s t a t u s and range of Egr et t a gar zet t a, Demigretta gul ar i s , D.
s chi s t acea, D. asha and D. dimorpha, a new subspeci es, a n d t h e
cor r ect t y p e T 1 o x t y o f - ~ ~ r e t t a gar zet t a. Bul l . B r i t . Or ni t hol .
Club, 53: 189-196.
21.
Loustau-Lalanne, P. 1963. Sea and shore b i r d s of t he Seychel l es
Seychel l es Soc. Occas. Pub. 2: 1-26.
Malzy, P . 1967. La hgronni&-e dt Al ar obi a (Tananarive) . Oiseau e t Rev.
f r anqai s e Or ni t hol . 37(1-2): 122-142.
Penny, M. J. In pr es s . Migrant waders a t Aldabra, September 1967-March
1968. Phi l . Trans. Roy. Soc. B.
i s l ands , wi t h not es on ha bi t s , e t c . , by t he c o l l e c t o r . Proc. U.S.
guide t o t he bi r ds of t he Indi an Ocean. Washington.
White, C. M. N. 1965. A r evi s ed check l i st of Afri can non-passeri ne
bi r ds . Lusaka.
12. ECOLOGICAL CHANGE AND EFFECTS OF PHOSPHATE
MINING ON ASSUMPTION ISLAND
D. R. St oddar t , C. W. Benson, and J. F. Peake
I nt r oduct i on
Because of t h e i r rugged t e r r a i n and l ack of s ur f ace wat er, el evat ed
reef-l i mest one i s l ands ar e of t e n uns ui t abl e f o r human s et t l ement . As a
r e s u l t of gr e a t e r environmental di ve r s i t y and pos s i bl e gr eat er age t han
t he sand cays of s ea- l evel cor al a t o l l s , such i s l ands f r equent l y possess
l ar ger and more di ver s e faunas and f l o r a s . Yet because many possess
l ar ge resources of phosphate der i ved from b i r d guano, t hey have of t en
been subj ect ed t o a degree of human i nt er f er ence uncommon on i s ol a t e d
i s l ands bef or e t he development of a i r f i e l d s and s i mi l ar i n s t a l l a t i o n s .
Examples of el evat ed r eef i s l ands where such major modi f i cat i on has t aken
pl ace i ncl ude Makatea i n t he e a s t Paci f i c, Nauru, Niue and Ocean i n t he
c e nt r a l Paci f i c, and Christmas i n t he eas t er n Indi an Ocean.
The r e s u l t s of massive mining di st ur bance on i s l and ecology a r e of
i n t e r e s t , s i nce t hey may provi de a gui de t o t he r e s u l t s of ot her ki nds
of major ha bi t a t di st ur bance, i ncl udi ng t he const r uct i on of a i r f i e l d s
and mi l i t a r y bases. Such cons t r uct i on work i nvol ves t he cl ear i ng of
nat i ve veget at i on and des t r uct i on of ha bi t a t s , and a l s o t he pr epar at i on
of new ha bi t a t s f o r col oni s at i on by i nt roduced pl ant s and ani mal s. We
know l i t t l e of t he long-term r e s i l i e n c e of i ndi genous bi ot a s on i s l ands ,
i ncl udi ng t hos e s ubj ect t o such major i nt er f er ence, except t h a t changes
i nvol vi ng ext i nct i on a r e i r r e v e r s i b l e (St oddart 1968a, 1968b, MacArthur
and Wilson 1967, Mayr 1965).
Assumption I s l and, 27 km sout heast of Aldabra, provi des an example
of t he ecol ogi cal e f f e c t s of s ur f ace phosphat e mining over t h e l a s t
s i xt y year s (Baker 1963). With a fauna and f l o r a s i mi l a r t o t hos e o f
Aldabra, though s mal l er , bef or e mining began, i t provi des dat a on t he
capaci t y of pl a nt s and animals t o sur vi ve veget at i on cl ear ance and human
set t l ement , and on t h e i nvasi ons and col oni s at i ons which have taken pl ace
s i nce set t l ement began. Assumption was v i s i t e d by a par t y from t he Royal
Soci et y Expedi t i on t o Aldabra on 15-16 September 1967, and t h i s paper
records t he obser vat i ons made and compares them wi t h previ ous account s,
mostly from pre-mining t i mes. Fami l i ar i t y wi t h t he fauna and f l o r a of
Aldabra meant t h a t maximum advantage coul d be t aken of t h i s s hor t v i s i t .
Apart from hydrographi c surveys i n 1823 and 1878, Assumption was
f i r s t v i s i t e d by W. L. Abbott, who col l ect ed bi r ds , pl a nt s and i n s e c t s
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 121 - 145, 1970
I Wi ndwar d per ched sand beach
Chompi gnon I . . .
0 mi l e
I L..d____] I
Fi g. 6. Assumption
i n September 1892. The or ni t hol ogi s t M. J. Ni col l spent 12-13 March
t her e, and was followed by R. Dupont ( bi r ds , i ns ect s , p l a n t s ) , 19-21
September 1906, and by J. C. F. Fryer (geology, general observat i ons,
i ns e c t s ) , 6-13 September 1908. The i s l a nd was uni nhabi t ed u n t i l June
1908, when a guano-mining set t l ement was es t abl i s hed on t he nort hwest
coas t : t he obser vat i ons of t hes e e a r l i e r workers t hus recorded t he pr e-
mining s t a t e of t he i s l and bi ot a . Table 12 l i st s t hes e and l a t e r
Table 12. Sc i e n t i f i c St udi es a t Assumption I s l and
Date
-
Study Reference
-
1756 Aug. 15 Nicholas de Morphey, general Horsburgh (1809)
1823 Richard Owen, hydrographi c survey Adm.Ch.718(1878)
1878 W. J. L. Wharton, hydrographi c Adm.Ch.718(1879)
survey
1892 Sept . W. L. Abbott, bi r ds Abbott (1893),
Ridgway (1895)
1901 Oct. 13 H. A' C. Bergne, general Bergne (1901)
1906 March 12-13 M. J. Ni col l , bi r ds Ni col l (1906, 1908)
1906 Sept . 19-21 R. Dupont, bi r ds , i ns e c t s , pl a nt s Dupont (1907)
1908 Sept . 6-13 J. C. F. Fryer, geology, i ns e c t s Fryer (1911)
1910 R. Dupont, i ns e c t s , pl a nt s
1916 R. Dupont, pl a nt s Hemsley (1919)
1937 L. D. E. F. Vesey-FitzGerald Vesey-FitzGerald
veget at i on, bi r ds (1941, 1942)
1956 H. Legrand, Lepi dopt era Legrand (1965)
1956 W. Travi s, underwater obser vat i ons Travi s (1959)
1959 H. Legrand, M. Gerber, Lepi dopt era Legrand (1965)
1960 Oct. 13-16 B. H. Baker (geology) and C. J . Baker (1963),
Pi ggot t ( s o i l s ) Pi ggot t (1961, 1968)
1964 H.M.S. Owen, Cdr D. W. Haslam: Bourne (1966)
-
survey, b i r d s
1964 R. E. Honegger, bi r ds , r e p t i l e s Honegger (1966)
1964 Nov. 10 Br i s t ol Seychel l es Expedi t i on: Thi s r epor t
M. J. Penny, M. Penny, R. Gaymer
and ot her s , bi r ds
1965 Oct. 3 R. Ga p e r , bi r ds This r epor t
1967 March J. F. G. Li onnet , H. A. Beamish,
i ns ect s ; H. A. Hi r t h, t u r t l e s
1967 Sept . 15-16 Royal Soci et y par t y: D. R. St oddar t Thi s r epor t
(geomorphology, p l a n t s ) , C. W.
Benson ( bi r ds ) , J . F. Peake ( l and
i nver t ebr at es ) , J . H. Pr i ce (marine
al gae) , J. M. Boyd, E. N. Wright
( bi r ds )
1967 Oct. 8 M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I . S. C. Fosberg and Renvoize
Parker, pl ant s and bi r ds (1970), Parker (1970)
1968 J ul y 31 Royal Soci et y par t y: J. Fr azi er
R. Hughes, J. Gamble, R. Lowery
s c i e n t i f i c i nves t i gat i ons . The Royal Soci et y par t y i n September 1967
consi st ed of D. R. St oddar t (geomorphology, pl a nt s ) , C. W. Benson ( bi r ds ) ,
J. F. Peake (l and i nver t ebr at es ) , J . H. Pr i ce (marine al gae) , J . Morton
Boyd, and E. N. Wright ( bi r ds ) . A f ur t he r Royal Soci et y par t y, comprising
R. Lowery, J . Gamble, 3 . Fr azi er and R. Hughes, made a b r i e f v i s i t on
31 J ul y 1968.
Topography
Assunlption (Fi gure 6) i s a r ai s ed reef-l i mest one i s l and, probabl y
s i mi l a r i n or i gi n t o Aldabra but without a c e nt r a l lagoon. I t i s 6 km
long, nor t heas t t o sout hwest , and 0. 6 t o 1. 6 km wide, wi t h an ar ea of
10. 5 sq km (compare t he l and a r e a of Aldabra, 155 s q km). The l i mest one
r i s e s t o a maximum hei ght of about 6 m above s ea- l evel , and forms c l i f f s
al ong t he nort hern h a l f of t he e a s t coas t . As on t he sout h coas t of
Aldabra, t he c l i f f s a r e topped by a perched beach up t o 1 . 8 m t hi ck and
18 m wide, which a t t he head of smal l coves devel ops i n t o low dunes
3-4. 5 m t hi ck. The perched beach approaches cl os e t o t he c l i f f - t o p al ong
t he c e nt r a l pa r t of t h e coas t , but moves i nl and towards t h e nor t h, r e-
veal i ng a c l i f f - t o p pl at form of pi nnacl ed l i mest one. The c l i f f s a r e
undercut onl y i n coves, and when f aci ng seaward a r e more ramp-like; t hey
overlook a rock-cut abrasi on pl at f or m 90-200 m wide ( Pl at es 20 and 21).
Thi s pl at form l acks growing cor al s , and towards i t s out er edge has i n
pl aces mushroom r es i dual s of a s ur f ace a t l e a s t 0. 6 m hi gher ( Pl at e 22).
Several high dunes, t h e i r s t e e pe r sl ope f aci ng i nl and, a r e found al ong
t he sout heast coas t ; t h e i r hei ght s range from 14-28 m above s ea- l evel .
The smal l er hi gh dunes have a si mpl e out l i ne, but t he l a r ge r ones ar e
cut by val l eys on t h e i r seaward s i de and may be erodi ng. Most of t h e
west coast cons i s t s of a narrow s and- f l at with low dunes, banked agai ns t
a pr evi ousl y eroded c l i f f - l i n e . The coas t below bot h t he hi gh dunes and
t he west ern s and- f l at i s formed by a wide sand beach.
The main body of t he i s l a nd cons i s t s of a deepl y- pi t t ed and eroded
champignon, with t i d a l s ol ut i on hol es up t o 6 m deep and gener al l y s t eep-
si ded. Round t he margins of t he i s l and t her e i s a hi gher r i m wi t h a l e s s
di s s ect ed and much smoother s ur f ace st andi ng 1. 2-1. 8 m above t h e
champignon. Thi s s ur f ace may be compared t o t he pav; of Astove, and t o
t he s ur f ace of t he Aldabra 8 m r i dge, where undi ssect ed, r a t h e r t han t o
t ypi c a l Aldabra p l a t i n . Baker (1963, 101) suggest s t h a t t he sl abby lime-
s t one as s oci at ed wi t h t h i s smoother s ur f ace i s formed from l i t h i f i e d
carbonat e sands. Phosphates have accumulated bot h on t he s ur f ace, where
l ar ge qua nt i t i e s have now been scraped away, and i n t he s ol ut i on hol es,
many of which a r e l a r ge r below ground t han a t t he s ur f ace. More
i nformat i on on mining a c t i v i t i e s would be needed bef or e at t empt i ng an
expl anat i on of t he pr esent s ur f ace topography on Assumption.
Pi ggot t (1961, 1968) di vi des t he s o i l s of Assumption i n t o t hr ee t ypes :
phosphat i c Desnoeufs Ser i es on t he l i mest ones, now l ar gel y dug f o r
phosphate; Farquhar Ser i es on t he dunes; and var i abl e Shioya Ser i es
es peci al l y on t he leeward sand f l a t .
Climate
Rai nf al l r ecor ds have been maintained a t t he Set t l ement s i nce
November 1964. The t o t a l f a l l f o r 1965 was 813 mm, f o r 1966 920.5 mm,
and f o r 1967 ( t o 16 September only) 724.1 mm (Table 13) . Rai nf al l i s
concent rat ed from December t o March, but i s r a t he r var i abl e from year t o
year. September and October a r e almost r a i n l e s s . Several heavy f a l l s
have occurred duri ng t he per i od of record: 51.3 mm on 15 Apr i l 1965,
105.9 mm on 17 January 1966, 102.6 mm on 5 March 1966, 59.2 mm on 29
Apr i l 1966, 113. 8 mm on 30 Apr i l 1966, and 81. 3 mm on 14 December 1966.
I n 1966 t he heavy f a l l s on t he f our days mentioned accounted f o r 42 per
cent of t he t o t a l annual r a i n f a l l . As a t Aldabra t he per i od of t he
Sout heast Trades (June-November) i s t he dry season, t h a t of t he nor t h-
wes t er l i es and calms (December-May) t he wet season. No t emperat ure
records have been kept .
Veget at i on
The veget at i on of Assumption can be descr i bed, based on b r i e f
reconnai ssance onl y, i n terms of ei ght communities:
1. perched beach community
2. hi gh dune community
3. Pemphis community of t h e c l i f f s
4. west coast sand beach community
5 . mixed scrub community of t he champignon
6 . herbs and gr as s es community of t he pave' o r p l a t i n
7. sol ut i on- hol e community
8. set t l ement veget at i on
Perched beach community ( Pl at e 23)
The narrow zone of sand perched on t op of t he seaward c l i f f s al ong
t he eas t coas t cl os el y resembl es t h a t on t he sout h coas t of Aldabra,
except t ha t t he c l i f f - l i n e i s more i r r e gul a r . The beach i s s ubj ect t o
const ant spr ay duri ng t he Trades and t o wave-swash a t except i onal t i d e s .
As a r e s u l t ar eas on t h e seaward s i de of t he perched beach l ack
veget at i on cover. The veget at i on cons i s t s of a mosaic of di s c r e t e ar eas
of Sporobolus vi r gi ni cus and Scl erodact yl on macrostachyum, bounded
shar pl y i nl and by a t r a n s i t i o n t o t he r ock- sur f ace cover of Sarcostemma
vi mi nal e and Plumbago aphyl l a. The dominant Sporobolus turf-
denser and l oneer (uu t o 230 mml than a t Aldabra. where it is cl os e-
- . A
cropped by t o r t o i s e s . Few ot he r pl ant s a r e pr es ent : smal l pat ches of
Stenotaphrum clavigerum, inconspicuous i ndi vi dual s of Launaea sarmentosa
and Si da p a r v i f o l i a , and i nf r equent shrubs onl y where smal l dunes have
developed
Tabl e 13. Monthly r a i n f a l l at ~ s s u m ~ t i o n '
Jan Feb Mar APT May June J u l y Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Tot a l
1964 26. 67 47.75
1965 151. 64 44. 96 92. 71 170. 94 46. 48 60. 71 31. 50 47. 50 3. 81 6. 35 70. 61 86. 36 813. 56
1966 204. 72 59. 18 192. 28 198. 88 32. 77 20. 07 18. 29 9. 91 13. 46 - 19. 81 151. 13 920.50
1967 136. 40 184. 91 93. 98 136. 91 14. 61 11. 94 46. 74 59. 20 1. 272
Sour ce: Se t t l e me nt Manager, Assumption
1. Fi gur es i n nun conver t ed from i nc he s and t e n t h s
2. To 16 September onl y
High dune community ( Pl at es 24-27)
The hi gh dunes of t he sout heast coast have a comparat i vel y gent l e but
i r r e g u l a r seaward sl ope and a s t eep landward s l ope. Veget at i on on t he
seaward sl ope i s var i abl e, some ar eas bei ng dominated by gr asses
(Sporobolus . vi r gi ni zus - - - - - - and Scl erodact yl on macrostachyum), ot her s with
shr ubs, but t he char act er i s ' t i c f ~ a t u r s s of t h i s comn~unitv a r e t h e l ar ge
ar eas bf bare and sometimes mobile sand. I n t he ar eas dominated by
-
gr ass speci es t he dens i t y of t h e veget at i on i s f r equent l y s o low t h a t
l ar ge ar eas of bare sand a r e v i s i b l e . The dominant shrubs a r e low wind-
trimmed Scaevola t accada and bushy Sur i ana mari t i ma, wi t h occasi onal
Tour nef or t i a argent ea. The ground under t he shrubs, and t he wal l s and
f l oor s of t he t r ans ver s e val l eys , ar e l ar gel y bar e, wi t h clumps of
Fi mbr i s t yl i s cymosa and s c a t t e r e d Euphorbia i ndi ca 30-60 cm t a l l . On t he
c r e s t and backslope of t he dunes, Tour nef or t i a i s t he dominant shrub,
wi t h Fi mbr i s t yl i s and pat ches of Por t ul aca s p . and - Si da pa r vi f ol i a . A t
t he f oot of t he hi gh dunes on t he seaward s i de t her e is a narrow sand
f l a t with Suri ana and Tour nef or t i a, and a ground cover of Ipomoea
pes-caprae ext endi ng ont o t he beach. In t he s hel t er ed ar ea immediately
-
landward of t he high dunes t he r e i s a f l es hy mat of Por t ul aca ol er acea
and a narrow b e l t of s t unt ed Thespesi a populneoides woodland. Some of
t he shrubs on t he dunes a r e overgrown with Cassytha f i l i f o r mi s , and on
i s ol a t e d lower dunes t o t he nor t h Tour nef or t i a and Scaevol a bushes a r e s o
heavi l y overgrown t h a t t hey a r e almost i nvi s i bl e .
Cl i f f s
-
Cl i f f s l acki ng a perched o r s ea- l evel sand beach occur a t t he
nor t her n end of t he i s l and, where t her e i s a smal l clump of Pemphis
aci dul a. Thomasset ( i n Hemsley 1919) not ed Pemphis a s "common", but
-1911, 433) found onl y "a few t r e e s . . . near t he west c oa s t . . .(which)
do not uni t e t o form bush". Dupont (1907) mapped Pemphis near i t s
pr esent pos i t i on. The pr esent di s t r i but i on is c l e a r l y a smal l r e l i c of
a more ext ensi ve cover, though wi t h t he absence of s ui t a bl e ha bi t a t
probably l e s s ext ensi ve t han on Aldabra.
West coast sand beach community ( Pl at es 28 and 29)
This has c e r t a i nl y been much a l t e r e d by man, e s pe c i a l l y on t he s i t e s
of t he pr esent and former s et t l ement s . Shrubs a r e common al ong t h i s sand
s t r i p , speci es i ncl udi ng Scaevol a t accada, Suri ana mari t i ma and
Tour nef or t i a argent ea al ong t he shore, and Clerodendron glabrum 3-5 m
t a l l a s hor t di s t ance i nl and. Sophora tomentosa i s or es ent but not
common. I n t he nor t h, near t he oi d s et t l ement , t her e a r e some r a t he r
bushy t r e e s of ~o r d i a - s u b c o r d a t a , which were i n fl ower i n September 1967.
The ground cover between t he shrubs l ar gel y cons i s t s of a t hi ck car pet of
Cassytha f i l i f o mi s , with Pennisetwn pol yst achi on, Amaranthus v i r i d i s and
Melanthera b i f l o r a . Canaval i a r os ea i s an escape from c ul t i va t i on near
t he former s et t l ement . The s and- s t r i p veget at i on t hus cons i s t s of a
-
mi xt ure of nat i ve and i nt roduced s peci es .
Mixed scrub community
The mixed scrub on t he el evat ed l i mest one has c l e a r l y been much
a l t e r e d by man, and now pr es ent s such a di ver s e form t h a t any gener al i -
s at i ons a r e d i f f i c u l t t o make. Before mining began it was probabl y
comparable t o t he more open mixed scrub ar eas of Aldabra. Abbott (1893,
763) not ed t h a t t he sur f ace was "not s o densel y covered wi t h scr ub a s
Aldabra", while Ni col l (1908, 107) found it " l es s t hi ckl y covered t han
Gl ori osa. The cent r al par t i s almost bar e of veget at i on, t he onl y
growth bei ng a few low bushes ( hi bi s cus [Thespesi a?]), and a t h i n wiry
gr ass which spr i ngs from t he cr acks and f i s s ur e s i n t he cor al ". Fryer
(1911,433) s t a t e d t h a t "the veget at i on over t he maj or i t y of t he i s l a nd
cons i s t s of a t angl ed network of Plumbago (P. aphyl l a s p. ? ) , Astephanus
(A. ar enar i us s p. ? ) and numerous low bushes-not i de nt i f i e d. Small t r e e s
such as Euphorbia Abbot t i , banyan (Fi cus s p. ?) were not uncommon, whi l e
Dracaena (D. - r e f l e xa s p. ?) o c ~ u r r e d ~ ~ a n o - f i l l e d pi t s " .
From t he f l o r i s t i c records of Dupont (1907) and Hemsley (1919), it
appears t h a t t he scrub consi st ed of Thespesi a popul neoi des, Guet t arda
speci osa, Pi soni a gr andi s, Euphorbia a b b o t t i i , Ficus nautarum, Fi cus
P
al dabr ensi s and Dracaena r ef l exa, wi t h a ground cover of Col ubri na
a s i a t i c a , Lomatophyllum borbonicum, Solanum al dabrense, Capparis
c a r t i l a gi ne a , gr asses, sedges and her bs . A number of common
c ha r a c t e r i s t i c t r e e s o r shrubs of t he Aldabra mixed scrub have, however,
not been recorded on Assumption, and were not seen i n 1967: t hes e
i ncl ude t he t r e e s Grewia s a l i c i f o l i a , Ochna c i l i a t a , Vernonia
al dabr ensi s, Termi nal i a boi vi ni i , and Tr i c a l ys i a cunei f ol i a, and t he
shrubs Mystroxylon aethiopicum, Si deroxyl on inerme, Maytenus
---
senegal ensi s, Tarenna s upr a - a xi l l a r i s , Apodytes di mi di at a and Ehr et i a
cymosa. Some may have been pr es ent i n former t i mes but were not c ol l e c t -
ed and ar e perhaps now ext i nct on Assumption.
Guano-mining l ed t o l ar ge- s cal e veget at i on cl ear ance. Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d r epor t ed i n 1937 t h a t "t he c e nt r a l ar ea . . . has been l a r ge l y
cl ear ed of veget at i on. . . . A t h i c k secondary mat of Plumbago now covers
t he whole of t h i s country" (Vesey-FitzGerald 1942, 12) . There a r e now
very few t r e e s or t a l l shrubs on t he champignon. In t he sout h t he r e
ar e small t r e e s of Euphorbia a b b o t t i i , and i n hol es some bushy Fi cus
nautarum, but few ot her shrubs a r e t a l l e r t han 2 m, and t hen on-wards
t he sout h. Between t he set t l ement and t he high dunes t he c e nt r a l p a r t
of t he i s l and i s dominated by Gossypium hi rsut um wi t h a t hi ck ground
cover of Plumbago aphyl l a and Sarcostemma vi mi nal e. Shrubs col l ect ed i n
t h i s s e c t or i ncl ude Clerodenrum glabrum (1. 6 m), Acalypha cl aoxyl oi des
(1-1. 3 m), Abutilon frut i cosum ( m e c a m o n e f r y e r i (0. 6-1 m), and
Capparis car t i l agi nea. Ficus al dabr ens i s and Guet t arda speci osa, not ed
by Dupont, were not seen i n 1967. and t he l a t t e r mav be e xt i nc t on t he ~ -~
i sl anh; onl y one almost l e a f l e s s - ~ i s o n i a grandi s w a s seen near t he
northwest coast ( Pl at e 30) .
I n cont r as t t o t he povert y of t he shrub l ayer , t he ground veget at i on
i s di ver s e, but pat chy. ^Apart . from Plumbago, Sarcostemma and ~ a s s ~ t l h a ,
--
~d t he i nt roduced gr ass Panicum maximum were not seen i n 1967, an
-- -
Capparis and Lomatophyllum a r e uncommon. Close t o t he s et t l ement t he
mixed scrub i s being invaded by such common weeds as St achyt ar phet a
j amai censi s and Catharanthus r oseus. Dried Nostoc commune was t aken
from bar e rock pavement i n t he cent r e of t he i s l and. I n gener al t he
veget at i on i s so low over t he sout hern pa r t of Assumption t h a t v i s i b i l i t y
i s l i mi t ed more by t he i r r e g u l a r i t y of t he ground t han by t he hei ght of
shrubs and t r e e s .
The pat chi ness of t he veget at i on needs t o be s t r e s s e d, as a r e s u l t
of t he col oni sat i on of workings of di f f er ent ages. There i s a mosaic of
pl a nt communities varyi ng i n t h e i r s t r uct ur e, age and speci es composition;
t hese di f f er ences can pos s i bl y be associ at ed wi t h peri ods of human
a c t i v i t y . Shrubs ar e us ual l y found on t he smal l ar eas t h a t have escaped
such a c t i v i t y , on i n ar eas of ol der workings.
~ a v & o r p l a t i n community ( Pl at e 31)
The nort hern p a r t of t he i s l a nd has a much l e s s di s s ect ed s ur f ace
and l acks shrubby growth. Along t he seaward s i de it i s covered wi t h a
dense mat of Plumbago and Sarcostemma, but f ur t her i nl and and towards
t he nor t h l ar ge ar eas of ground ar e bare, except f or s c a t t e r e d gr asses
and sedges (Dactyloctenium, Fi mbr i s t yl i s ) , weeds such as Achyranthes, and
long t r a i l e r s of orange vi ne Cassyt ha f i l i f or mi s . I n cr evi ces and hol es
it i s pos s i bl e t o f i nd a few fl oweri ng Hedyotis s p. and Si da pa r vi f ol i a ,
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c on Aldabra of t he most exposed and almost unveget at ed
champignon of t he sout heast coas t . This ar ea has probably been worked
over f o r phosphate, and t he veget at i on may be a pi oneer one of t he bar e
rock pavement which has r es ul t ed.
Sol ut i on- hol e community
Sol ut i on hol es i n t he champignon now cont ai n t he largest: t r e e s on
Assumption, apar t from coconut s and Casuari na. I n t he c e nt r e and south
of t he i s l and Ficus nautarum i s c ha r a c t e r i s t i c of s ol ut i on hol es, as on
Aldabra: Dracaena r ef l exa, s a i d t o occur i n hol es by Fryer, was not seen
by us . No f er ns have pr evi ousl y been recorded from Assumption, though
Acrostichum aureum is common i n shallow hol es a t t he e a s t end of Aldabra.
Shr i vel l ed Acrostichum was found i n s ever al hol es a t t he nor t h end of
Assumption i n 1967, t oget her wi t h, i n one case, a f er n not t hen recorded
but s i nce found on Aldabra, Nephrolepis b i s e r r a t a ( Pl at e 3 2 ) .
One hol e near t he nor t h poi nt a l s o cont ai ns s ever al t a l l t r e e s
of Ceriops t agal , though no mangroves have been previ ousl y recorded from
Assumption -hey do not occur on t he coas t . Local i nformant s s t a t e d
t h a t t h i s was t he onl y s ol ut i on hol e wi t h mangroves. I n Fr yer ' s
manuscript j our nal (Fryer 1908), however, he records s ever al such p i t s
wi t h mature mangroves up t o 12 m t a l l , most l y Bruguiera though i n one
case wi t h Ceri ops. He was unabl e t o underst and how mangroves came t o
col oni se such i nl and hol es , a t l e a s t h a l f a mi l e from t he s ea, and
thought t hey were formerl y more ext ens i ve. Most of t hese i nl and
mangroves have probably di sappeared through bei ng cut f o r t i mber s i nce
1908. One hol e nor t h of t he s et t l ement i s now used as a pool f o r keepi ng
capt i ve t u r t l e s .
Set t l ement veget at i on
Before permanent set t l ement t her e were "a few casuar i na t r e e s , and
i n one spot on t he shore t hr ee coconut palms" on t he west coast ( Ni col l
1908, 107); Seber t Baty i n 1895 had found a t o t a l of s i x coconut palms
[Berene 19001 . A t t he s i t e of t he f i r s t set t l ement ( Pl at e 33) . nor t her n
. - , .
par t of t he west shore, t her e i s a clump of t a l l Casuari na, a coconut,
two massive t r e e s of Termi nal i a cat appa, a pat ch of Caesal pi ni a bonduc,
and spreadi nn out over t he bare p l a t i n behind t he beach a conspicuous
ar ea bf ~ ~ a v e . A t t he present set t l ement t her e i s a woodland bf mature
Casuari na near t he manager' s house, wi t h, t o t he sout h, a coconut
pl ant at i on of s ever al hundred t r e e s . A t t he set t l ement i t s e l f t her e a r e
cul t i vat ed t r e e s (Moringa ol e i f e r a , Car i ca papaya) and ot her pl ant s
(Catharanthus roseus, Datura met el , Gossypium hi rsut um, Ipomoea b a t a t a s ,
Leonotis ne pe t i f ol i a , Momordica char ant i a, Pedi l ant hus t i t hymal oi des,
Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum nigrum), t oget her with weeds
(Achyranthes aspera, Boerhavia el egans, Cleome s t r i gos a , Dactyloctenium
aegyptiwn, Enteropogon s echel l ens i s , Hypoestes al dabr ensi s,
St achyt ar phet a j amai censi s, Vernonia ci ner ea) . Between t he set t l ement
and t he s ea t her e is a narrow hedge of Scaevol a t accada, with some
Tour nef or t i a ar gent ea and Suri ana mari t i ma, and a ground cover of
Canaval i a r osea. Two i nt r oduct i ons mentioned by Dupont i n 1907 were not
seen i n 1967: Abrus pr ecat or i us and Al bi zi a f a s t i g i a t a .
Fl ora
-
The f l o r a of Assumption has never been pr oper l y worked up from t he
e a r l i e r col l ect i ons , though Dupont (1907) publ i shed a l i st of s peci es i n
hi s t a bl e of i s l and pl ant s , and Hemsley (1919) i ncl uded s peci es col l ect ed
by Fryer, Fox, Dupont and Thomasset i n h i s "Flora of Aldabra". Gwynne
and Wood (1969) record 8 speci es, f our of them s i ght r ecor ds. A l i s t of
pl ant s col l ect ed i n 1967 i s given i n a l a t e r paper by Fosberg and
Renvoize (1970), and t h e f l o r a is bei ng i ncl uded i n t he r evi s i on of t he
Aldabra f l o r a now being undert aken.
The publ i cat i ons of Dupont and Hemsley l i s t about 63 s peci es from
Assumption; with t he col l ect i ons made i n 1967, t h i s i s i ncr eased t o
about 100, o r roughly h a l f t he number of speci es found on Aldabra.
Among t he speci es conspicuously absent from t he e a r l i e r r ecor ds a r e t he
mangroves ( speci es of Avicennia, Brugui era, Rhizophora, Lumnitzera,
Sonner at i a, Ceriops and Xylocarpus, a l l found on Al dabra), Pandanus, and
t he f er ns ; one mangrove and two f er ns have s i nce been col l ect ed.
Of t he
addi t i onal speci es col l ect ed i n 1967, perhaps 16 r epr es ent i ndi genous
s peci es pr esent but uncol l ect ed a t t he time of t he e a r l i e r v i s i t s (e. g.
s peci es of Acalypha, Acrostichum, Boerhavia, Ceri ops, Dactyloctenium,
Euphorbia, Ipomoea, Launaea, Nephrol epi s, Nostoc, Pennisetum, Por t ul aca,
Si da. Soohora. Scl er odact vl on~. A t l e a s t 19 speci es col l ect ed i n 1967,
' /,
o r one- f i f t h of t he known f l o r a , r epr es ent del i ber at e i nt r oduct i ons o r
weeds which have probably ar r i ved s i nce set t l ement began i n 1908; s i x
of t hes e have a l s b appeared a t Aldabra. These i nt roduced pl ant s i ncl ude
s peci es of Agave, ~ a r i c a , Cat harant hus, Datura, Ipomoea, Leonot i s,
Momordica, Moringa, Solanum and Termi nal i a.
Some i dea of t he cont r as t between t he f l or a s of Aldabra and
Assumption, and t he gr eat er changes i n t he l a t t e r , can be obt ai ned by
comparing t he col l ect i ons made s i x t y year s ago on each wi t h t hose made
i n 1966-67 ( t h i s comparison i ncl udes onl y St oddar t ' s col l ect i ons and not
t he more ext ensi ve col l ect i ons made on Aldabra by Fosberg and Renvoize):
Aldabra Assumption
Per cent t o t a l f l o r a recorded
by Hemsley and e a r l i e r workers 46 2 8
Per cent recorded by bot h Hemsley
and i n pr esent c ol l e c t i on 3 8 35
Per cent recorded onl y i n pr esent
col l ect i on (new r ecor ds) 16 36
Tot al number of s peci es c.200 c.100
The comparison i s onl y approximate, f o r t he Assumption f l o r a i s s t i l l t o
be pr oper l y col l ect ed and t he Al dabra col l ect i ons of 1966-67 were smal l
and prel i mi nary, but it i s c l e a r t h a t consi derabl e changes have t aken
pl ace i n t he f l o r a a s wel l a s i n t he veget at i on of Assumption s i nce
set t l ement began.
Of t he speci es l i s t e d by Hemsley (1919), t hr ee have been descri bed
a s endemic (Panicum assumpt i oni s St apf , Eri ochl oa s ubul i f e r a St apf ,
Stenotaphrum clavigerum St apf ) , and twenty coul d be cl assed a s "regi onal
endemics". Si nce t he new r ecor ds ar e mainly cosinopolitan weeds and
cul t i vat ed pl ant s , t he f l o r a is changing from one t ypi c a l of t he el evat ed
r e e f i s l ands of t he southwest Indi an Ocean t o one dominated by common
t r o p i c a l speci es of no p a r t i c u l a r r egi onal a f f i n i t y .
Marine fauna
The Green Tur t l e Chelonia mydas was formerl y abundant on Assumption.
Baty ( i n Bergne 1900) and Ni col l (1908) r epor t ed them i n gr eat numbers
cl os e t o t he shore, and al s o nes t i ng. Fryer found them p l e n t i f u l , but
s ai d t h a t it was no longer pos s i bl e t o t ake up t o two hundred i n a ni ght
as had once been t he pr act i ce (Fryer 1910, 263). Numbers have decl i ned
cat as t r ophi cal l y, and though t u r t l e s t i l l come ashore a t one o r two
pl aces on t he e a s t coast t o l ay, f o r s ever al year s i t has had t o be
pr ohi bi t ed t o t ake them or t h e i r eggs anywhere on Assumption. There has,
however, been no means of enforci ng t h i s pr ohi bi t i on among t he i s l a n d ' s
l abour er s. Li t t l e e l s e i s known of t he marine fauna; J . L. B. Smith
col l ect ed f i s h a t Assumption i n 1954, and a few records have appeared i n
h i s r evi s i ons of t he Indi an Ocean f i s h fauna (Smith 1955a, 1955b, 1956a,
1956b).
Land fauna ot her t han bi r ds
The onl y indigenous mammal a t Assumption i s an i nsect i vor ous ba t
Taphozous mauri t i anus col l ect ed by Fryer i n October 1908 ( Scot t 1914,
163). The f r u i t - b a t Pt eropus, found on Aldabra, i s absent . The
indigenous land r e p t i l e s formerl y i ncl uded t he Giant Land Tor t oi s e
Geochelone s p. , which, however, became ext i nct bef or e ever bei ng recorded
a l i ve , as f a r as can be as cer t ai ned. Fryer found t he remains of two i n
a s ol ut i on hol e i n 1.908, and Honegger found eggs i n a guano p i t on 1964.
The geckos Phelsuma abbot t i abbot t i and Hemidactylus n~er cat or i us , and
t he ski nk Ablepharus bout oni i , a r e a l s o indigenous (Boulenger 1911);
both Hemidactylus and Ablepharus were col l ect ed on t h e hi gh dunes i n
1967. A l l t hr ee s peci es a r e found on Aldabra. The l and Crust acea
i ncl ude Birgus l a t r o , very common i n 1906 ( Ni col l 1908, 112) and s t i l l
exi s t i ng. 65 s peci es of i ns ect s have been recorded, mainly col l ect ed
by Fryer and Dupont, and t he l i t e r a t u r e on t he s e e a r l i e r col l ect i ons i s
keyed i n Table 14. There was no opport uni t y t o c ol l e c t i ns ect s i n 1967,
though members of t he Odonata were conspicuous. Blackman and Pinhey
(1967) review t h i s group on west ern Indi an Ocean i s l ands , wi t h mention
of Assumption.
Land ( i ncl udi ng shore) bi r ds
Birds form t he bes t known element i n t he Assumption land fauna, and
ar e al s o t h e group apparent l y most af f ect ed by guano mining. I n
connection with t he fol l owi ng account , we a r e gr a t e f ul t o Pr of essor
Charles G. Si bl ey and Mrs Eleanor H. St i ckney f o r t h e l oan from t he
Peabody Museum of Nat ural Hi st ory, Yale Uni versi t y, of mat er i al col l ect ed
by Hartman i n 1957.
Group
Ort hopt era
Dermaptera
Hemipt e r a
Lepi dopt era
Table 14. I ns ect s recorded from Assumption
by t he Percy Sladen Expedition
Col eopt era
Hymenoptera
Di pt era
Odonata
Number of s peci es
10
Reference
Bol i var (1912, 1924)
Burr (1910)
Di st ant (1913, 1917)
Fl et cher (1910), Fryer
(1912), Mampson (1908)
Aur i vi l l i us (1922),
1922, Scot t (1912, 1926)
Cockerel1 119121.
, .
Morley (1912), Turner
(1911)
Lamb (1922, 1914),
Scot t (1914)
Campion (1913)
Resi dent s
There a r e f i ve l and bi r ds which breed l or di d s o formerl y) on
Assumption, with four more which may do s o. These a r e :
St r ept opel i a pi c t ur a t a Malagasy Turt l edove
Centropus t oul ou Malagasy Coucal
Nect ar i ni a sovimanga Souimanga Sunbird
Corvus al bus Pi ed Crow
pl us
Ardea ci ner ea
Egr et t a ga r z e t t a
Bubulcus i b i s
Grey Heron
L i t t l e Egret
Ca t t l e Egret
Li t t l e Green Heron
A l l of t hes e speci es a l s o breed on Aldabra, which has a t l e a s t
sevent een breedi ng land b i r d s . The fol l owi ng breedi ng Aldabra l and
bi r ds have never been recorded on Assumution:
Thr eski or ni s aet hi opi ca s acr ed I bi s
Falco newtoni Malagasy Kest rel
Al ect roenas sganzi ni Comoro Blue Pigeon
Caprimulgus madagascari ensi s Malagasy Ni ght j ar
Hvusi oet es mada~as car i ens i s Mal a~as v Bulbul
" "
i e ' s i l i a s aldabranus Aldabra Ts i k i r i t y
Di crurus aldabranus Aldabra Drongo
Zosterops maderaspatana Malagasy White-eye
Foudia eminentissima Red-headed Forest Fody
Nor has t he Barn Owl Tyto al ba been recorded from Assumption. I t
--
c e r t a i nl y occurred (and probabl y bred) i n t he pa s t on Aldabra, but
appears no l onger t o e x i s t t he r e . The Malagasy Ci s t i c ol a cher i na, which
Benson found p l e n t i f u l on Menai and Wizard I s l ands (Cosmoledo At ol l ) and
on Astove i n March 1968, i s unkown on Assumption o r Aldabra.
The Assumption subspeci es of t he Whi t e-t hroat ed Rai l was di scovered
by Abbott i n 1892 and named Dryolimnas abbot t i by Ridgway (1894a, 74).
Fryer ( i n MS) i n 1908 found "pl ent y of t he Rai l D. abbot t i which was
very tame and very common". Both Abbott i n 1892and Ni col l i n 1906
found it abundant. "They were found on a l l p a r t s of t he i s l and, except
on t he swnmit of t he sandy h i l l on t he windward s i de" ( Ni col l 1908, 109).
I n s p i t e of t he l ar ge numbers, Ni col l feared t h a t i nt roduced r a t s might
l ead t o i t s ext i nct i on by pr edat i on of eggs (1908, 111). I t di d dul y
become e xt i nc t some t i me between t he est abl i shment of t he set t l ement i n
1908 and Vesey-Fi t zGeral d' s v i s i t i n 1937, undoubtedly as a r e s u l t of
cat chi ng f o r food, des t r uct i on of h a b i t a t , and pr edat i on by i nt roduced
c a t s and r a t s . I t was conspeci f i c wi t h Dryolimnas c. cuvi er i , of
Malagasy, as is t he Aldabra form. I t a me a r s not to have l o s t t he power
A
of f i i g h t s o compl et el y as - D. - c. al dabranus: s ee t he wing-lengths i n
Benson (1967, 74) .
The t ur t l edove St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a was not d e f i n i t e l y recorded
by Abbott i n 1892 (see Ridgway 1895, 522, under Tur t ur al dabr anus) , but
was s o by Ni col l (1906, 693; 1908, 109, under T. assumpt i oni s). I t was
"qui t e common" and "ext r aor di nar i l y tame" a t t Fe t i me of Ni col l ' s
v i s i t , when it nest ed i n t he branches of Hi bi scus (?) bushes. I t was
mentioned by Fryer i n 1908, but not by Vesey-FitzGerald i n 1937, and has
not been seen s i nce. I t was probabl y ext i r pat ed by t he l abour er s, agai n
f o r food. I t seems t o have onl y di f f e r e d from t h e Aldabra popul at i on i n
bei ng a l i t t l e l a r ge r (Benson 1967, .75-79). Thi s i s support ed by wing-
l engt hs of r ecent Aldabra mat er i al , f our males measuring 166, 167, 169,
170, and s i x females 155, 157, 158, 160, 160, 163 nun.
The coucal Centropus t oul ou was col l ect ed by Abbott (C. i n s u l a r i s
i n Ridgway 1895, 522-523), and was not ed as common and t a n g by Ni col l
(1906, 494, as C . assumpt i oni s) and by Fryer ( i n MS). Vesey-FitzGerald
(1940, 487) s awone i n 1937. But it is not mentioned by Hartman (1958),
nei t her di d Ga p e r s ee it i n 1964 o r 1965, nor Benson i n 1967, nor
Fr azi er i n 1968. Wright i n 1967 t hought he saw one but was not s ur e.
I t may a l s o be e xt i nc t , ext i r pat ed by t h e l abour er s f o r food. According
t o Benson (1967, 80-81), it is ( or was) onl y pos s i bl y di s t i ngui s habl e
from - C . - t . i ns ul a r i s of Aldabra by i t s s l i g h t l y s hor t e r t a i l . The
fol l owi ng ar e measurements i n mm of f ur t he r adul t Aldabra specimens:
Wing Tai 1
dd 149 150 2 3 2 3
9 165 250
The smal l er male t a i l - l e n g t h i ndi cat es an over l ap i n f i gur es f o r
i ns ul a r i s and assumpt i oni s, and t he l a t t e r name i s r e a l l y no l onger
worth mai nt ai ni ng.
The sunbi rd Nect ari ni a sovimanga i s s t i l l r e l a t i ve l y f l our i s hi ng,
i n no apparent immediate danger of ext i nct i on, even though i t s numbers
have probably been gr eat l y reduced by des t r uct i on of t he or i gi na l
habi t at . On t he morning of 16 September Benson counted ei ght males,
f our females and s i x unsexed bi r ds on t he sout h-east s i de of t h e i s l and,
i n t he mixed scrub community, and i n t he aft ernoon 43 males and 26
females i n t he west coast sand beach community, a l s o a few i n Casuarina
t r e e s a t t h e s i t e of t he ol d set t l ement near t he northwest corner of t he
i s l and. Fr azi er found sunbi rds s i ngi ng i n t he t r e e s a t t h e pr esent
set t l ement . A l l males observed amear ed t o be i n f u l l breedi ne dr es s .
A -
Feeding was not i ced a t flowers of Agave and Tournefort i a argent ea.
Although Vesey-FitzGerald (1940, 487) r epor t ed it as r a r e , Hartman (1958)
found it common, and it i s t he most p l e n t i f u l t r ue l and bi r d on Aldabra.
I t i s pos s i bl e t h a t competition from Nect ar i ni a has excluded t he whi t e-
eye Zosterops maderaspatana from Assumption, which, unl i ke Aldabra, may
not be l ar ge enough f or both (Serventy 1951). Nevert hel ess bot h have
been recorded from ot her small i sl ands- - Gl or i osa, Astove, and Menai
I sl and i n Cosmoledo. N. s . abbot t i i s a val i d subspeci es, endemic t o
Assumption (Benson 1967, g4-86). This i s confirmed by f ur t he r mat er i al
from Aldabra, Assumption, Cosmoledo and Astove, t he subspeci es on bot h
t he l a t t e r two i s l ands bei ng N. s. buchenorum.
- -
The crow Corvus al bus was col l ect ed by Abbott i n 1892 (Ridgway 1895,
532, under C. scapul at us) . Ni col l (1906, 693; 1908, 109) recorded smal l
numbers, ana found s ever al empty ne s t s " bui l t a t t he t ops of t h e t a l l e s t
t r e e s on t he i sl and". He a l s o not ed it a s "extremely wild". Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d (1940, 588), however, consi dered it was only a v i s i t o r .
"About 25" were seen i n 1964 (Bourne 1966); and Gaymer recorded about
"two dozen" i n t he same year. Benson saw 10 on 15 September 1967 and
Morton Boyd a t o t a l of 15 on t he same day: it was seen a t t he s et t l ement ,
i n Casuarina t r e e s a t t he ol d set t l ement s i t e , and over t h e sout heast
dunes. Fr azi er saw none i n 1968. Probably it does s t i l l breed on
Assumption, as r ecent l y de f i ni t e l y es t abl i s hed f or Aldabra. Breeding may
t ake pl ace only a t i nfrequent i nt e r va l s , and so can be e a s i l y overlooked.
Of t he possi bl y breedi ng shore bi r ds , Ardea ci ner ea and Egr et t a
gar zet t a, both col l ect ed by Ni col l (1906, 695-696, t h e l a t t e r under
Demiegretta s acr a) , have not ot herwi se been recorded, except t h a t Dupont
(1907) l i st s t he former. Possi bl y t hey no l onger e x i s t on Assumption,
though it i s unl i kel y t ha t t hey have been molested t o t he same ext ent
(except a t pos s i bl e breedi ng s i t e s ) as t h e t ur t l edove and coucal
di scussed above. Bubulcus i b i s was seen by Gaymer i n 1964, and t he r e
was a fl ock of about 60 i nl and, j us t sout h of t he set t l ement , i n 1967.
I t s s t a t u s on Assumption is qui t e uncer t ai n.
But ori des s t r i a t u s , recorded by Ni col l (1906, 696, under B.
crawfordi ), and l i s t e d by Dupont (1907, under B. at r i capi l l us ) , was seen
by Gaymer i n 1964, by Benson on t he sout heast Fhore a t low wat er ( t hr ee
adul t s , one immature) and i nl and ( t hr ee adul t s ) i n 1967, and by Fr azi er
on t he southwest coast i n 1968.
Assumption i s t he t ype- l ocal i t y of
Ni col l ' s - B. - s . crawfordi , only ot herwi se recorded from Aldabra (Benson
(1967, 67). Addi t i onal mat er i al , now i n t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural
l i i s t or y) , i s avai l abl e from Aldabra, and A. D. Forbes-Watson has ki ndl y
donated on behal f of t he Nat i onal Museum of Kenya, Nai r obi , a specimen
col l ect ed by I . S. C. Parker i n t he Amirante I s l ands , on t he r eef
between Darros and St Joseph (S025' S, 5 3 ' 1 8 ' ~) , on 23 September 1967.
Wing-lengths i n mm of t h i s mat er i al a r e :
Aldabra dd 159 165
99 156 158 162
Amirante I s l ands 9 169
One male and one female from Aldabra have t h e s i de s of t he neck, ches t
and abdomen washed with brown, but t he ot her specimens l ack t h i s wash.
It may be t h a t onl y t he l a t t e r a r e completely a dul t , t h e di f f er ence t hus
bei ng due t o age r a t he r t han sex, cont r a Benson (1967, 68) . I t i s
i mpossi bl e t o s epar at e t he Amirante specimen from t hos e from Aldabra on
col our, and on pr es ent evidence crawfordi must be regarded as ext endi ng
nor t h t o t he Amirantes. Possi bl y Amirante bi r ds a r e a l i t t l e l ar ger ,
see al s o f ur t he r f i gur es i n Benson (1967). Thi s i s a l s o suggest ed by
weights, t he Amirante specimen bei ng t h e heavi es t . Those whose wing-
l engt hs were given above weighed r es pect i vel y 164, 158, 168, 163, 177,
180 g. Thi s r ecent Aldabra mat er i al , col l ect ed i n 1968, i s not markedly
pa l e r grey below t han i n any specimen of B. s . rhi zophorae, whether
col l ect ed a decade o r a cent ury ago, and Thet wo subspeci es may onl y be
di s t i ngui s habl e on s i z e . It would seem t h a t t he t ype of crawfordi and
t he adul t male from Aldabra examined by Benson (1967, 67) , s o pal e
grey below, ar e except i onal i ndi vi dual s .
Migrants
The fol l owi ng a r e recorded from Assumption:
Ardeola i dae
-
One seen by Benson t o f l y ont o t he i s l and, from t h e di r ect i on
of Aldabra, a t 0800 hours on 16 ~eLt ember 1967. I t was thought t o be
-
t h i s speci es, now known t o occur on Aldabra, whereas A. r a l l oi de s i s not .
-
Squat arol a s quat ar ol a
Two seen on t he sout heast coast i n 1967.
Charadri us l es chenaul t i i
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, under Ae gi a l i t i s geof f r oyi ) ; t hr ee
seen i n 1967.
Numenius phaeopus
Li st ed by Dupont (1907) ; two seen i n 1967.
Numenius ar quat a
Li st ed by Dupont (1907).
Tri nga nebul ar i a
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, under Totanus g l o t t i s ) ; two seen i n
1967.
Ac t i t i s hrpol eucos
Li st ed by Dupont (1907)
Li st ed by Dupont (1907); 100 seen i n March 1964 (Bourne 1966);
f i ve seen i n 1967.
Crocet hi a al ba
One seen i n 1967.
Er ol i a minuta
Li s t ed by Dupont (1907).
Dromas ar deol a
Li st ed by Dupont 11907); 40 seen i n March 1964 (Bourne 1966);
one seen on t h e s obt hei s t shore i n 1967.
Hirundo r u s t i c a
On 13 December 1957 Hartman (1958) saw "an uni dent i f i ed swallow,
bl ack above, whi t e below, and wi t h a l ong, forked t a i l " , "i n f l i g h t over
t he sand dunes". I t was very probabl y t h i s s peci es , f o r which Benson
(1967, 95) quot es one s i ght i ng f o r Malagasy i n January, while a number
were seen on Aldabra i n March 1968.
Other mi grant s must occur occasi onal l y on Assumption. Thus among
shore bi r ds , Er ol i a t es t acea i s p l e n t i f u l on Aldabra, and some 14
speci es of pa l a e a r c t i c t r u e land bi r ds have by now been found t he r e .
Sea bi r ds
Sea bi r ds were not common i n 1967, and have c e r t a i nl y gr e a t l y
decreased i n numbers duri ng t h e l a s t s i xt y year s . I t i s probabl e t h a t
few now nes t on Assumption. The fol l owi ng s peci es have been recorded:
-
Phaethon r ubr i c&da
Col l ect ed bv Abbott (Ridewav 1895. 5221. who found it br eedi ne
. - -
i n dense t hi c ke t s o r knder a bush, anh by ~ I c o i i ' i i 9 0 6 , 693). Not seen
i n 1967. Loustau-Lalanne (1963, 21, 23) consi ders i t confi ned t o
Assumption, but t h i s i s not c or r e c t . Thus Benson (1967, 99) quot es
records from Aldabra, where i t br eeds.
- P.
l ept ur us has never been
recorded from Assumption.
Sul a abbot t i
Col l ect ed by Abbott (Ridgway 1893, 599; 1895, 520-522), who
s t at ed t h a t "a few" breed. According t o Fryer (1911, 433) it "i nhabi t s
t he l ar ge dune, never descending t o low p a r t s of t he i s l and. " I t has
not been recorded s i nce, and Vesey-FitzGerald (1941, 52) says it was
ext i r pat ed i n 1926; t he speci es now onl y breeds on Christmas I s l and
(Indi an Ocean). Gibson-Hill (1950) has very f u l l y di scussed uncer t ai n-
t i e s i n t he e a r l i e r r ecor ds. The two specimens col l ect ed by Fryer on
Assumption, and examined by Gi bson-Hi l l , a r e s t i l l ext ant i n t he
Uni versi t y Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. The st at ement by Loustau-
Lalanne (.1963, 23) i n regard t o t h e Red-footed Booby Sul a s u l a i s pr e-
--
sumed t o be r e a l l y i nt ended t o appl y t o S . a bbot t i , though unf or t unat el y
it i s more t han "very near ext i nct i on" on Assumption.
Sul a dact yl at r a. (syn. S. cyanops)
Noted by Abbott ( Ki dpay 1895, 520) t o breed on bare ground on
t he sand dunes; col l ect ed by Ni col l (1906, 697). Probably no l onger
breedi ng i n 1937 (Vesey-FitzGerald 1941, 521) but "a few" seen in-1964
(Bourne 1966). Not seen i n 1967. Sebert Baty i n 1895 found a "camp of
boobies", speci es not s peci f i ed, on guano 600 yards nor t heas t of t he bi g
dune, and boobies i n t r e e s (Sul a s u l a ?) a l l over t he i s l and (Bergne
--
1900).
Sul a s u l a
--
Recorded breedi ng by Ni col l (1906, 697). Four seen i n 1967
Fregat a minor (syn. F. aqui l a)
~ e c o r d e d by Ni ccl l (1906, 692) and l i s t e d by Dupont (1907).
Not seen i n 1967, but R. Hughes saw a female i n March 1968.
Fregat a a r i e l
A group of f our males and seven females, a l l apparent l y adul t ,
seen soar i ng over t he sout heast coast i n 1967.
St er na f us cat a
15-20 seen by J. Fr azi er of f t he west coast i n March 1968.
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, under both S. minuta and S. balaenarum).
About t h i r t y probably t h i s s peci es seen i n arch 1964 ( ~ o u r n e 1966).
St er na sumatrana
Three recorded i n March 1964 (Bourne 1966), and one f l ock of
t en, anot her of four, on t he sout heast coast i n 1967
Thalasseus be r gi i
Li st ed by Dupont (1907, under bot h "St erna Ber s t ei ni " and
"Sterna Bergi").
Anous s t ol i dus
Li st ed by Dupont (1907).
Gygis al ba
--
Col l ect ed by Ni col l (1906, 696), l i s t e d by Dupont (1907). One
seen i n March 1964 (Bourne 1966). On 16.September 1967 Benson saw one
l o t of t en, f our each of two, and one s i ngl e bi r d, and E. Wright a
t o t a l of about 20. J. F. Peake found t hr ee probably br eedi ng- i n a
s ol ut i on hol e. Fr azi er saw 4-5 of f t he west coast on 31 J ul y 1968.
Int roduced animals
Rats were abundant by t he t i me of Ni col l ' s v i s i t (before set t l ement
began), and were al r eady des t r oyi ng bi r ds ' eggs. Goats were i nt roduced
"many years" before Abbot t ' s v i s i t i n 1893, accordi ng t o him from Europa
I sl and i n t he Mozambique Channel (Abbott 1893, 763). According t o Bergne
(1901) goat s were i nt roduced by H.M.S. - Wasp, Captain Bi denfi el d, i n 1867,
a crew member on t h a t occasi on l i vi ng on Astove when Bergne v i s i t e d it i n
1901. Sebert Baty gave t he number of goat s as 300-400 i n 1895 (Bergne
1900). Dupont (1907, 12) gave t h e dat e of i nt r oduct i on a s c. 1887 and
t he number i n 1906 as "several thousands". Ni col l (1908, 112) found
twenty, very wi l d, near t he f oot of t he dunes. Vesey-FitzGerald (1942)
di d not mention them and Ga p e r thought t hey were ext i nct i n 1964. We
saw none i n 1967, though we were t o l d t h a t some s t i l l exi s t ed i n t he
nor t h. Dupont was s o impressed by t he goat s a s a food resource t h a t he
suggest ed t he i nt r oduct i on of r a bbi t s and har es (Dupont 1907, 13). Dogs,
c a t s and chickens were seen i n 1967.
Set t l ement and Expl oi t at i on
Set t l ement began i n June 1908, and by Fr yer ' s a r r i v a l i n September
t r acks had been cut through t he bush i n s ever al di r ect i ons .
The f i r st
set t l ement was i n t he nort hern p a r t of t he west bay, and l ar ge r ai nwat er
t anks were const ruct ed t her e i n 1910. Both cont ai ned excel l ent wat er i n
1967. A t a dat e unknown t he set t l ement was t r ans f er r ed t o t he sout h end
of t he bay, where t her e i s now a manager's house and garden, and a l i n e
of l abour er s' hut s ( Pl at e 34). There i s a s hor t j e t t y , a boat house, and
t o t he nor t h a small cemetery. On t he e a s t coast t her e ar e two smal l
f i s hi ng shacks on t he dunes.
Between 1926 and 1945, 161,000 t ons of guano were export ed, t oget her
wi t h an unknown amount before 1926. Af t er 1945 t he l eas e l apsed and
expl oi t at i on ceased i n 1948; but wi t h t he renewal of t he l eas e i n 1955
mining began agai n. A mechanical crusher and l i g h t rai l way ( Pl at e 35)
have been i ns t a l l e d. Baker (1963) est i mat ed r eser ves a t 160,000 t ons
fol l owi ng h i s survey i n 1960, mostly i n s ol ut i on hol es . Because of t he
sharp decl i ne i n t he pr i ce of guano, product i on was a t a s t a n d s t i l l i n
1967, and mounds of guano st ood a t t he set t l ement unabl e t o be shi pped.
Assumption i s l eased j oi nt l y wi t h Aldabra and Cosmoledo by Mr H. Savy
of ~a h; , f or t h i r t y years from 1955 (St oddart and Wright 1967, 48-50).
Unlike Aldabra, it s t i l l forms p a r t of t he Colony of Seychel l es, and has
not been i ncorporat ed i n t he Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean Ter r i t or y.
Summary and Conclusions
Aft er s i x t y years of i nt ens i ve expl oi t at i on and a previ ous cent ury
of more casual i nt er f er ence, Assumption has now l o s t many of t he f aunal
and f l o r a l elements which formerly char act er i s ed t he el evat ed r eef
i s l ands of t he southwest Indi an Ocean. There i s no doubt t h a t at t he
time of set t l ement i n 1908 a number of i r r e ve r s i bl e changes had taken
pl ace, pa r t i c ul a r l y t he di sappearance of t he Giant Land Tor t oi se. The
Tort oi se popul at i on on s o small an i s l and must c l e a r l y have been more
vul nerabl e t o cropping f or food duri ng t he l a t e ei ght eent h and e a r l y
ni net eent h cent ur i es t han on t h e much l ar ger i s l and of Aldabra. The
presence of i nt roduced goat s must have i n i t i a t e d veget at i on changes, and
ear l y r epor t s mention t he wide di st r i bu' i i on of Plumbago.
Major veget at i on and f l o r i s t i c changes, however, followed t he
beginning of phosphate mining, i n which veget at i on was removed and t h e
phosphate scraped from t he s ur f ace of t he ground, l eavi ng a s t e r i l e
rock sur f ace f o r new col oni s at i on. Many of t he speci es common i n Mixed
Scrub on Aldabra and possi bl y formerly pr esent on Assumption appear now
t o be absent on t he l a t t e r , and t h e i r pl ace has been taken by weeds
such as Plumbago, Sarcostemma and Cassy.tha, and escapes such as Gossypi m.
A l l of t hese speci es ar e r a r e on Aldabra except cl ose t o t he set t l ement
where man has act i vel y i nt e r f e r e d with indigenous veget at i on. The onl y
ar eas apparent l y unaffect ed by t hes e changes on Assumption a r e t he hi gh
dunes and t he windward perched beach, wi t h t h e i r t ypi cal veget at i on of
.
Sporobolus, Scl erodact yl on, Scaevol a, Suri ana and Tour nef or t i a, a l l
c ha r a c t e r i s t i c of similar ha bi t a t s on Aldabra. Lack of a c t i ve
di st ur bance and t he extreme environmental condi t i ons have probabl y
r e s t r i c t e d i nvasi ons i n t hes e h a b i t a t s . I n t he f l o r a as a whole,
indigenous elements ar e possi bl y bei ng repl aced by common weeds, many of
pan- t r opi cal di s t r i but i on, and cul t i vat ed pl ant s , but f ur t he r da t a on
t hes e processes ar e r equi r ed.
With major veget at i on changes and probabl e continuous pr edat i on,
t he bi r d fauna has changed consi derabl y s i nce 1908. The endemic r a i l
Dryolimnas cuvi er i abbot t i has c e r t a i nl y become e xt i nc t , t he l oc a l
popul at i on of t he t ur t l edove St r ept opel i a pi c t ur a t a possi bl y s o t oo. Of
t he shore bi r ds , Ardea ci ner ea and Egr et t a gar zet t a may no l onger occur.
Changes i n t he s ea bi r d popul at i on have been consi derabl e. Though a few
Sul a s u l a and S. dact yl at r a have been seen i n r ecent years, t he booby
--
breedi ng colonyes over t he nor t her n ha l f of t he i s l and have di sappeared.
Abbot t ' s Booby Sul a abbot t i i s now ext i nct on Assumption, and breeds only
-
on faraway Christmas I sl and. None of t he ot her ei ght recorded s peci es
of s ea bi r d i s now de f i ni t e l y known t o breed, though -- Gygis al ba probabl y
does so. On t he ot her hand, t he endemic sunbi rd Nect ar i ni a sovimanga
abbot t i , t he crow Corvus al bus, and mi grant s gener al l y, a r e probabl y
l i t t l e af f ect ed by changes on t he i s l and.
Si nce set t l ement began t he l ar ge breedi ng grounds on Assumption of
t he Green Tur t l e have been l ar gel y abandoned, and though t h i s decl i ne
appears t o be common throughout t h e southwest Indi an Ocean it has been
es peci al l y cat as t r ophi c on Assumption.
Assumption t hus provi des an extreme example of ecol ogi cal change
brought about by human set t l ement and expl oi t at i on. Si nce expl oi t at i on
depends on t he maintenance of an economic pr i ce f o r phosphate, it i s
pos s i bl e t ha t t he vent ure w i l l become uneconomic and t he set t l ement could
be abandoned. I f t h i s occurs it w i l l be us ef ul t o observe t he pr ogr ess
of ecol ogi cal change i n t he f ut ur e, a s p a r t of t he Royal Soci et y' s
cont i nui ng programme a t Aldabra.
References
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10: 421-443.
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---------- 1901.
Rough not es of a voyage t o t he Aldabra group.
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Blackman, R. A. A. and Pinhey, E. C. G . 1967. Odonata of t h e Seychel l es
and ot her Indi an Ocean i s l ands groups, based pr i mar i l y on t he
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---------- 1924. Ort hopt era Di ct yopt era ( Bl at t i dae and Mantidae) , and
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s e r . 2, Zool., 15: 29-41.
Di s t ant , W. L. 1913. Rhynchota. Par t I : suborder Het er opt er a. Trans.
- - - - - - - - - - 1917. Rhynchota. Par t 11: suborder Homoptera. Trans. Linn.
Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool. , 17: 273-322.
Dupont, R. P. 1907. Report on a v i s i t of i nves t i gat i on t o St Pi er r e,
Astove, Cosmoledo, Assumption and t he Aldabra group. Mahe':
Government Pr i nt i ng Of f i ce, 1-51.
Fl et cher , T. B. 1910. Lepidoptera, excl usi ve of t he Tor t r i ci dae and
Fosberg, F. R. and Renvoize, S. A. 1970. Pl ant s of Assumption I s l and.
At ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue .
Fryer, J. C. F. 1908. Diary. Manuscript.
---------- 1910. The South-west Indi an Ocean (bei ng an account of
Aldabra and cer t ai n nei ghbouri ng i s l a nds , which were not expl ored
by Prof. J . St anl ey Gardi ner i n H.M.S. "Sealark"). Geog. 3 . 37:
249-268.
---------- 1911. The s t r uc t ur e and format i on of Aldabra and nei ghbouri ng
i sl ands- - wi t h not es on t h e i r fauna and f l o r a . Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, s e r . 2, Zool. , 14: 397-442.
---------- 1912. The Lepidoptera of Seychel l es and Aldabra, excl usi ve
of t he Orneodidae and Pt erophori dae and of t he Tor t r i ci na and
Ti nei na. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 15: 1-28.
Gibson-Hill, C. A. 1950. Notes on Abbot t ' s Booby. Bul l . Raf f l es Mus.
23: 65-76.
west ern Indi an Ocean dur i ng a c r ui s e of t he M.P.R.V. "Manihine",
Hampson, G. F. 1908. On t he moths col l ect ed duri ng t he cr ui s e of t he
"Valhalla" duri ng t he wi.nter 1905-6 by Mr E. G . B. Meade~.Waldo.
Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . s e r . 8, 1: 474-492.
Astove, Cosmoledo, Assumption and Aldabra. Seychel l es Govt. Bul l . 21.
Hemsley, W. B. 1919. Fl ora of Al dabra: wi t h not es on t he f l o r a of t he
nei ghbouri ng i s l ands . Bul l . Misc. Inform. Roy. Bot ani c Gards.
Kew, 1919: 108-153.
Honegger, R. 1966. Beobachtungen an der Herpetofauna der Seychel l en.
Salamandra, Zei t schr . f . Her pet ol . u. Terrari enkunde, 2(1-2): 20-36.
---------- Unpublished. Some not es and observat i ons on Giant Tor t oi s es
Testudo gi gant ea Schweigger l i vi ng and ext i nct of t he Indi an Ocean
i s l ands . World Wi l dl i f e Fund Pr oj ect No. 28. Typescri pt .
Horsburgh, J. 1809. Di rect i ons f o r s a i l i n g t o and from t he East I ndi es,
China, New Holland, Cape o f Good Hope, and t he i nt e r j a c e nt poi nt s .
Par t fi rst . London: Black, Parry and Kingsbury, 1-397.
Lamb, C. G. 1914. Di pt era: Het eroneuri dae, Or t al i dae, Trypet i dae,
Sepsi dae, Micropezidae, Drosophi l i dae, Geomyzidae, Mi l i chi dae.
---------- 1922. Di pt era: As i l i dae, Scenopinidae, Dolichopodidae,
Pi puncul i dae, Syrphidae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . ,
18: 361-416.
Legrand, H. 1965. ~6pi dopt 6r e s des i' les Seychel l es e t d' Al dabra. ~ 6 m .
Mus. Nat. H i s t . Nat ur. A, Zool., 37: 1-210.
Loustau-Lalanne, P. 1963. Sea and shore bi r ds of t he Seychel l es.
Seychel l es Soc. Occas. Papers, 2: 1-26.
MacArthur, R. H. and Wilson, E. 0. 1967. The t heory of i s l and
biogeography. Pri ncet on: Uni ver si t y Pr ess, 1-203.
Mamet, R. 1943. A r evi sed l i s t of t he Coccoidea of t he i s l ands of t he
west ern Indi an Ocean, sout h of t he equat or . Mauri t i us I n s t . Bul l .
2 : 137-170.
Mayr, E. 1965. Avifauna: t ur nover i n i s l ands . Sci ence, 150: 1587-1588.
Morley, C. 1912. Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2, Zool., 15: 169-179.
Ni col l , M. J. 1906. On t he b i r d s col l ect ed and observed duri ng t he
voyage of t he "Valhalla", R.Y.S., from November 1905 t o May 1906
I bi s , s e r . 8, 6: 666-712.
---------- 1908.
Three voyages of a n a t u r a l i s t , bei ng an account of
many l i t t l e-known i s l ands i n t hr ee oceans v i s i t e d by t he "Valhalla",
R.Y.S. London: Witherby, 1-246.
Parker, I . S. C. 1970. Some or ni t hol ogi cal observat i ons from t he west ern
Indi an Ocean. At ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Pi ggot t , C . J . 1968. A s o i l survey of Seychel l es. Di r ect or at e of
Overseas Surveys, Land Resources Di vi si on, Tech. Bul l . 2: 1-89.
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i s l ands of Aldabra and Assunption, nort hwest of Madagascar, by
D r W. L. Abbott. Proc. U.S. Nat. h s . 16: 597-600.
- - - - - - - - - - 1894a. Note on Rougetius al dabranus. Auk, 11: 74.
---------- 18941,. Descri pt i ons of some new b i r d s from Aldabra,
Assumption and Gl ori osa I sl ands, col l ect ed by D r W. L. Abbott.
Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 17: 371-373.
---------- 1895. On bi r ds col l ect ed by Doctor W. L. Abbott on t h e
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---------- 1914. Mallophaga, Aphaniptera, and Di pt er a Pupi para. Trans.
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Lymexylonidae, Rhi pi ceri dae, Sphi ndi dae, Throsci dae, Brent hi dae.
Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . s e r . 9, 18: 50-76.
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---------- 1955b. The f i s hes of t he fami l y Pomacanthidae i n t he west ern
Indi an Ocean. Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 12, 8: 337-384.
- - - - - - - - - - 1956a. The f i s hes o f Aldabra, Par t V. Ann. Mag. Nat. N i s t
s e r . 12, 9 : 721-729.
---------- 1956b. The f i s hes of Aldabra, Par t VI . Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t .
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---------- 19681,. I s ol at ed i s l a nd communities. Sci ence J. 4( 4) : 32-38.
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Turner, R. E. 1911. Fossor i al Hymenoptera from t he Seychel l es and ot her
i s l ands i n t he Indi an Ocean. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. ,
14: 367-374.
Vesey-FitzGerald, L. D. E. F. 1941. Furt her cont r i but i ons t o t h e
or ni t hol ogy of t he Seychel l es I s l ands . I bi s , s e r . 14, 5: 518-521.
---------- 1942. Furt her s t udi e s of t he veget at i on on i s l ands i n t he
ASSUMPTION ISLAND
18. Low champignon c l i f f s and perched beach, e a s t coas t , view towards
t he sout h
19.
Pocket beach i.11 t he chanl~):igrlon c l i f f s , cont i nuous with t he hi gher
perched beach; nor t h of t he hi gh clvnes, c a s t coast
20. Eroded i nner edge of t he r e e f f l a t where it passes beneath t he
beach a t t he f oot of t he high dunes, e a s t coast
21. Transverse er os i onal grooves i n t he r e e f f l a t , backed by a rocky
er osi on ramp, beach, and hi gh dunes; e a s t coast
2 2 . Outer edge of t he r e e f f l a t near t he hi gh dunes, e a s t coast
23. Small dunes on t he perched beach, which is densel y covered with
gr as s es ; e a s t coas t , l ooki ng nor t h
24. Clumps of Suri ana maritima and s c a t t e r e d Fi mbr i s t yl i s on t he
erodi ng seaward f ace of t he hi ghest dune
25. Scaevola and Fi . mbri st yl i s on t he high dunes
2 6 . View from t he summit of t he hi ghes t dune, with ~ o u r n e f o r t i a scr ub,
acr oss t he low ni xed scrub of t he cent r e of ~ s s w n ~ t i o n . The
l i n e of Casuari na t r e e s on t h e west shore marks t he Set t l ement
27.
The l ee sl ope of t he hi ghes t dune, with Tour nef or t i a - and Scaevol a
28. Tournefortia and Suriana forming the littoral hedge on the
prograding west coast, view north from Settlement
29, Suriana and Pemphis fonning the littoral hedge near the northern
---
end o f the west coast
30. Leaf l ess Pi soni a i n t he low rr.ixed scrub i n t he cent r e of t he
i s l a nd
31.
Fl at p l a t i n almost devoid of s o i l and veget at i on, nor t her n end of
t he i s l and; - Ficus i n t he foreground
32. Nephrolepis biserrata in a solution hole, north end
33. Agave, massive Terminalia, and - Cocos at the site of the old
settlement; note the water tank behind the coconut
34. Labourers' hut s a t Set t l ement ; cornpare wi t h t he i l l u s t r a t i o n
given of s i mi l ar quar t er s i n Fryer (1910)
35. Guano'railway and sheds a t Set t l ement
13. PLANTS OF ASSUMPTION ISLAND
NOSTOC COMNUNE L.
Seen by St oddar t , 1907
ACROSTICHUM AUREUM L.
S. I . , St oddart 1096 (K) .
Near North Poi nt , St oddar t 1097 (K).
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM (L.) Wi l l d.
S. I . , St oddart 1042 (K) .
S. l . , - Fox [=Dupont] - 254 (K) (not s een) ; St oddar t 1072 (K).
ENTEROPOGON SECHELLENSIS (Bak.) Dur. 6 Schinz
S. I . , St oddart 1065 (K), - 1109 (K), - 1073 (K); - Pr i ce i n 1967 (BM) ;
Dupont 238 (K), - 257 (K); Set t l ement , St oddar t 1043 (K); West s i de,
Fr azi er 17 (K) .
ERAGROSTIS s p.
S. l . , Dupont 109 (K), - 237 (K), - 252 (K).
ERIOCHLOA MEYERIANA (Nees) Pi l g .
S. l . , St oddar t 1063 ( K) ; Dupont 75 (K).
ERIOCHLOA SUBULIFERA St apf
S. l . , Fox [Dupont] 258, 261 (K).
PANICUM ASSUMPTIONIS St apf
S. l . , Dupont 110 ( K, t ype) .
PENNISETUM POLYSTACHION (L.) Schul t .
Southern pa r t of West shor e, St oddar t 1100 (K)
SCLERODACTYLON MACROSTACHYUM (Benth .) Camus
S. l . , Gwynne & il'ood 1335 (EA) ; Pa r t s of e a s t dunes, St oddar t 1088
(K).
148
SPOROBOLUS VIRGINICUS L.
Along N. E. Coast, St oddar t 1093 (K).
STENOTAPHRUM CLAVIGERUM St apf
East dune 3 m i . from nor t h poi nt , St oddar t 1090 (K) .
FIMBRIS'NLIS CYMOSA R. Br .
East dunes, St oddart 1084 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 21 (K, US).
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
Seen by St oddar t , 1967.
COMMELINA BENGHALENSIS L.
S. l . , Dupont 253 (K) .
ASPARAGUS UMBELLULATUS Lieb.
Reported by Hemsley (1919) on aut hor i t y of Dupont.
LOMATOPHYLLUM BORBONICUM Wi l l d.
Set t l ement , St oddar t 1041 (K, US) .
DIOSCOREA NESIOTIS Hemsl.
S. l . , Dupont 118 (K), 274 (K).
FICUS NAUTARUM Bak.
S. I . , St oddar t 1078 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 10 (K).
S. I . , St oddart 1081 (K); Set t l ement , St oddar t 1062 (K).
BOERHAVIA REPENS L.
S. I . , Gwynne & Wood 1330 (EA) .
PISONIA GRANDIS R. Br .
Seen and photographed by St oddar t .
S. I . , St oddar t 1048 ( K) ; West s i de , Fr azi er 20 (K) .
AMARANTHUS DUBIUS Mart. ex Thel .
East shore N. of Set t l ement , St oddar t 1106 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er
1 (K, US).
-
AMARANTHUS VIRIDIS L.
Set t l ement , St oddart 1056bis (K) .
LAGREZIA MADAGASCARIENSIS ( Poi r . ) Moq.
S. l . , Dupont 248 (K); sout h of i s l and, Dupont 113 (K)
S. l . , Dupont 216 (K), - 114 (K) ; St oddar t 1092 (K); Thomasset 214
(K); we-razier 3 (K). Thi s i s t he pl ant commonly r e f e r r e d
t o - P. quadr i f i da, which it does not resemble.
S. l . , St oddart 1083 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 27 (K, US).
CISSAMPELOS PAREIRA var . HIRSUTA (Buch . ex DC.) Forman
Guano p i t s , Dupont 104 ( K, 2 s heet s ) , - 104 (K); Dupont 263 (K)
S. l . , St oddart 1074 (K) .
CAPPARIS CARTILAGINEA Decne.
Seen and photographed by St oddar t , 1967.
CLEOME STRIGOSA (Boj . ) Ol i v.
Set t l ement , St oddart 1059 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 23 (K).
MAERUA TRIPHY LLA var . PUBESCENS (K1 . ) De Wolf
S. I . , St oddart 1085 (K); ~ u ~ o n t 270 (K), - 260 (K); West s i de ,
Fr azi er 11 (K, US).
Vi l l age, St oddart 1107 (K).
CAESALPINIA BONDUC (L.) Roxb.
S. l . , St oddart 1101 (K) .
CANAVALIA ROSEA (Sw.) DC.
S. l., Fr azi er 33 (K); Set t l ement , St oddar t 1046 (K); Dupont 29 (K);
West s i de, Fr azi er 25 (K).
SOPHORA TOMENTOSA L.
S. l . , St oddart 1104 (K); Dupont 262 (K)
S. l . , St oddar t 1080 (K) .
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
S. l . , Dupont 107 (K); Set t l ement , St oddar t 1057 (K).
150
ACALYPHA CLAOXYLOIDES Hutch.
West s i de, Fr azi er 29 (K, US).
ACALYPHA I NDI CA L.
West s i de , Fr azi er 30 (K).
EUPHORBIA ABBOTTII Baker
"Dupont records t h i s from a l l t he i s l ands of t he Seychel l es r egi on
except Gl ori osa ..." Hemsley (1919). S. l . , Fryer 52 (K); West
s i de, Fr azi er 32 (K).
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
EUPHORBIA INDICA Lam.
S. I . , St oddar t 1089 (K); Dupont 292 (K) .
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L.) Poi t .
Set t l ement , St oddart 1038 (K) .
PHYLLANTHUS AHARUS Sch. fi Thonn.
ABUTILON FRUTICOSUM Gui l l .
S. l . , St oddar t 1068 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 26 (K, US).
Set t l ement , St oddar t 1058 (K); West s i d e , Fr azi er 19 (K, US).
SIDA "DIFFUSA" HBK.
S. l . , Dupont 111 (K).
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
S. l . , St oddar t 1094 (K); Dupont 264 (K).
THESPESIA POPULNEOIDES (Roxb .) Kostel .
S. I . , St oddar t 1082 (K) .
PASSIFLORA FOETIDA var . HISPIDA (DC.) Ki l l i p
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1332 (EA); St oddar t 1076 ( K ) .
S. I., St oddart 1067 (K).
CARI CA PAPAYA L.
MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L.
S. l . , St oddart 1077 (K); Manager' s garden, St oddar t 1108 (K)
PEMPHIS ACIDULA For st .
S. l . , St oddart 1091 (K) .
CERIOPS TAGAL ( Per r . ) C. B. Rob.
I n deep hol e i nl and, St oddar t 1098 (K).
TERMINALIA CATAPPA L .
Northern p a r t of West shor e, abandoned Set t l ement , St oddar t 1102
(K, US).
TERMINALIA BOI VI NI I Tul.
S. I . , Dupont 272 (K).
AZIMA TETRACANTHA Lam.
West s i de, Fr azi er 1 2 (K); Set t l ement , St oddar t 1055 (K)
PLUMBAGO APHYLLA Boj. ex Boi ss.
S. l . , Vesey-FitzGerald 6008 (K); Gwynne & Wood 1334 (EA);
Set t l ement , St oddart 1061 (K); West s i de , h a z i e r 9 (K).
PLEUROSTELMA CERNUUM (Decne) Bullock
S. I . , Dupont 249 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er 16 (K).
SARCOSTEWfA VIMINALE R. B r .
S. I . , St oddart 1075 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er 14 (K).
SECAMONE FRYER1 Hemsl.
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1333 (EA); St oddar t 1066 (K); Dupont 115 (K)
Uni dent i fi ed Asclepiadaceae
S. 1 ., Fr azi er 34 (K) .
S. l . , Gwynne & Wood 1331 (EA); West s i de , Fr azi er 28 (K).
IPOMOEA BATATAS (L. ) Lam.
S. I . , St oddart 1079 (K), - 1047 (K); West s i d e , Fr azi er 8 (K)
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE (L.) R. Br .
East ern windward beach c r e s t , St oddar t 1087 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er
18 ( K) .
-
IPOMOEA TUBA (Schl echt ) G. Don
S. I . , St oddart 1079 ( K) .
Northern p a r t of west shor e, St oddar t 1099 (K)
Set t l ement , St oddar t 1050 (K).
CLERODENDRUM GLABRLIM E. Mey. ( C. mi nut i fl orum Baker).
S. l . , St oddar t 1069 (K);-West sandy shor e, St oddart 1103 (K); i n
guano p i t s , Dupont 105 (K) .
NESOGENES DUPONTII Hemsl.
S. l . , Dupont 250 (K), - 106 (K, t ype?) ; St oddar t 1064 (K)
PREMNA OBTUSIFOLIA R. B r .
S. I . , Dupont 247 (K).
STACHYTARPHETA JAMAICENSIS (L. ) Vah 1
S. I . , St oddar t 1054 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 5 (K)
DATURA METEL L.
Set t l ement , St oddar t 1045 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er 13 (K)
SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L .
SOLANUM NI GRUM L.
Set t l ement , St oddart 1053 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er 22 (K).
LEONOTIS NEPETIFOLIA (L.) R. B r .
HYPOESTES ALDABRENSIS Bak.
S. l . , Dupont 101 (K), - 251 (K); Gwynne 6 Wood 1329; Set t l ement ,
St oddar t 1049 (K); West s i de, Fr azi er 6 (K).
HEDYOTIS sp.
S. I . , Dupont 108 (K), 108bi s (K); near South Poi nt , St oddar t
1095 (US, K).
-
TARENNA TRICHANTHA (Bak .) Brem.
S. l . , Dupont 116 (K).
TRIAINOLEPIS FRYER1 (Hemsl.) Brem.
S. l . , Dupont 259 (K).
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaert n. ) Roxb.
S. l . , St oddar t 1051 (K) .
LAUNAEA SARMENTOSA (Willd. ) A l s t .
S. l . , St oddar t 1086 (K); Dupont 112 (K).
MELANTHERA BIFLORA ( L. ) H. Wild (Wedelia b i f l o r a ( L. ) DC. )
S. l . , St oddart 1105 (K); Set t l ement , St oddart 1060 (K)
VERNONIA CINEREA (L. ) Less.
S. l. , St oddar t 1040 (K); West s i de , Fr azi er 24 (K, US, EA).
14. GEOGRAPMY AND ECOLOGY OF DESROCHES
I nt r oduct i on
Desroches i s a sand i s l and on t he windward r i m of a s l i g h t l y
submerged a t o l l l ocat ed 16 km e a s t of t he main Amirante Ridge. The
a t o l l i s 19-21 km i n di amet er; i t s r i m has dept hs of 2-9 m on t he nor t h,
eas t and sout h s i des , and of 15-18 m on t he west s i d e . The lagoon i s
18-31 m deep. There i s a sounding of 1598 m between t he a t o l l and t he
Amirante Ridge. Desroches i s l a nd, which has been descri bed by Baker
(1963, 60-63), i s el ongat e, 5. 25 km long and 0. 4- 1. 1 km wide, wi t h an
approximate ar ea of 324 ha. Fi gure 7 i s based on a e r i a l photographs
flown i n 1960; t her e i s no de t a i l e d land survey. Nothing i s known of
t he condi t i on of t he per i pher al r e e f of t h e a t o l l r i m , and whether
cor al i s act i ve on i t . Gardiner (1936, 435) drew at t ent i on t o t he
absence of pat ch r eef s and knol l s wi t hi n t h e lagoon.
The i s l and i s formed mainly of sand, and has a main el evat i on of
2-3 m. There i s very l i t t l e s ur f ace r e l i e f . The sout h coast es peci al l y
i s i r r e gul a r , with deep bays surrounded by s t eep beaches of sand wi t h
cobbles ( Pl at e 37 and 38). Beachrock out crops pat chi l y on t he sout h
coast ( Pl at e 39) . Beach er osi on i s t aki ng pl ace a t t he e a s t and
es peci al l y t he western poi nt s; a t t h e l a t t e r t her e i s a smal l peni nsul a
formed by l ayer s of massive beachrock ( Pl at e 40) . No el evat ed r e e f -
rock was seen. Pi ggot t (1968) maps most of t he i s l and as Shi oya Sand
and Loamy Sand, with s cat t er ed pat ches of Jemo Ser i es s o i l s . The
l a t t e r occur as rounded lumps of phosphate-cemented sand s c a t t e r e d
over t he s ur f ace.
Table 15 l i s t s previ ous s c i e n t i f i c work on Desroches. Coppinger
(1883) cont r i but ed an i mport ant des cr i pt i ve account fol l owi ng t he v i s i t
of t he Al er t ; Gardiner spent two days t he r e duri ng t he Percy Sladen
Expedition (Gardiner and Cooper 1907); but ot herwi se t h e most i mport ant
syst emat i c accounts ar e t he r ecent ones by Baker (1963) and Pi ggot t
(1961, 43-47; 1968, 56).
Veget at i on
. By t h e time of Coppinger' s v i s i t i n 1882, t h e veget at i on was
dominated by "several l ar ge groves of t a l l Casuari na t r e e s , many.. . one
hundred and eleven f e e t [34 m] i n hei ght ". Coconuts had been pl ant ed
Fig. 7 . Desroches
Table 15. Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Desroches
Date - Study Reference
1770 M. du Roslan: f i r s t recorded Fi ndl ay (1882)
v i s i t
c. 1837 H. Dufo: mol l usca Dufo (1840)
1882 March 25-29 H.M.S. - Al er t , D r R. Coppinger: Coppinger (1883);
Col l ect i ons of bi r ds and Coppinger e t a l .
marine fauna. Hydrographic (1884) ; Admiralty
survey by Capt . J . P . Maclear Chart 724
1892 Aug. 26 W. L. Abbott: bi r ds Ridgway (1895)
1905 Oct. 14-15 H.M.S. Seal ar k: J . S. Gardiner Gardiner and Cooper
and Percy Sladen Expedi t i on (1907), Gardiner
Par t y
(1936)
1960 Nov. 2-4 B. H. Baker, C . J. Pi ggot t : Pi ggot t (1961, 43-
geology, s o i l s 47; 1968, 56) Baker
(1963)
1965 March 5 W.H.T. Tams and I . W. B . Nye:
i ns ect s
1967 Sept . 24 M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I . S. C. Parker (1970);
Parker: pl a nt s , bi r ds Gwynne and Wood (1969)
1968 Sept . 21 M. E . D. Poore, D. R. St oddar t Thi s r epor t ; Fosberg
General obser vat i ons; and Renvoize (1970)
col l ect i on of pl a nt s
ext ensi vel y, though few were ol d enough t o bear , and a t t h e t i me of t h i s
v i s i t v a n i l l a was bei ng pl ant ed round t he bases of t he Casuari na t r e e s .
Coppinger not ed t h a t t he f l o r a was "more ext ensi ve t han t h a t of t he ot he r
i sl ands"; he recorded Scaevola t accada, a Ficus ( possi bl y i nt r oduced) ,
t he onl y f er n he saw i n i r a n t e s (Nephrol epi s), and "herbaceous
pl ant s of t he f ami l i es Malvaceae, Sol anaceae, Cinchonaceae, and
Convolvulaceae" (Coppinger 1883, 223) .
Gardiner and Cooper (1907, 155) s t a t e t h a t t he Casuari na was pl ant ed
about 1835, and though t he i s l and was abandoned t h e t r e e r api dl y spr ead
over it. A new set t l ement was es t abl i s hed about 1880, when coconuts were
pl ant ed. A t t he time of t he Percy Sladen v i s i t i n 1905 t he Casuari na was
bei ng cut and coconuts were bei ng encouraged. A t t h a t time t her e was an
enormous clump of Casuarina a t t h e west end, more al ong t he sout h s i d e t o
t he vi l l a ge , and clumps a t t he e a s t end. Gardiner commented on t he l ack
of ground veget at i on beneath t he s e t r e e s .
Thus t h e veget at i on of Desroches, which has been cont i nuousl y
managed s i nce 1905, has a long h i s t o r y of human i nt er f er ence. I t i s now
act i vel y managed as a copra i s l and, wi t h l abour er s cl ear i ng undergrowth
and prevent i ng t he est abl i shment of shrubs, as wel l a s pl ant i ng coconut s.
With t he except i on of l i t t o r a l Scaevol a, Pi ggot t (1961, 45) found "no
evidence of t h e or i gi nal veget at i on. In ot her ways t he f l o r a i s very
poor; t he number of speci es i s extremely l i mi t ed and i s di mi ni shi ng under
t he exi s t i ng system of near l y cl ean cul t i vat i on".
Thi s i s somewhat
exaggerat ed, f o r though veget at i on growth i s cont r ol l ed t her e i s a f a i r l y
complete ground cover, and our col l ect i ons i n 1968 t o t a l l e d some 60
speci es (Fosberg and Renvoize 1970). There a r e no r a i n f a l l records f o r
Desroches, but dat a f o r Darros and Alphonse i n t he Amirantes suggest an
annual t o t a l of about 1500 mm, s ubs t a nt i a l l y more t han occurs on t h e
i s l ands immediately nor t h of Madagascar.
Undisturbed veget at i on i s now l i mi t ed t o nearshore ar eas . On t h e
sout h coast Scaevol a t accada is dominant, forming a t a l l hedge, wi t h
occasi onal Suri ana maritima and Tour nef or t i a ar gent ea ( Pl at es 37 and 38).
Guettarda speci osa i s commonly found f r i ngi ng t he Scaevol a hedge on i t s
landward s i de . On t he nor t h coast Scaevola i s agai n dominant ( Pl at e 41),
forming t a l l e r and more open shrubs, with s cat t er ed t a l l t r e e s of
Ochrosia oppos i t i f ol i a , Guet t arda speci osa, Pi pt ur us argent eus and
Cordia subcordat a. These speci es a r e presumably i ndi cat i ve of t he
or i gi nal t r e e f l o r a of t he i s l and. Elsewhere t he veget at i on i s completely
" -
dominated by t a l l Casuari na e q u i s e t i f o l i a and pl ant ed coconuts ( Pl at e 42) .
A few ot her t r e e s a r e occasi onal l y found i n t he cent r e of t he i s l and,
es peci al l y at t he southwest end (Guet t arda speci osa, Morinda c i t r i f o l i a ,
l ar ge Fi cus, Termi nal i a cat appa), but ot herwi se t he onl y t r e e s on t he
i s l and a r e huge specimens of Hernandia sonora forming an avenue a t t he
s et t l ement . Gardiner and Coooer 11907. 1551 recorded t hes e, t oget her
-
with Barri ngt oni a a s i a t i c a . We di d no; s ee' t he l a t t e r , but di d record
Calophyllum inophyllum, a l s o a t t he s et t l ement . Decorat i ve t r e e s such
as Delonix r m a m a r i n d u s i ndi cus and economic t r e e s such as
Cari ca papaya a r e found a t t he main set t l ement and a t smal l er s et t l ement s
around t he i s l and. A s i ngl e bryophyte, Calymperes sanct ae-mari ae Besch.
( det . C. C. Townsend), was t aken on a r ot t e n Casuari na t runk; t h i s
speci es has al s o been col l ect ed a t Aldabra and Diego Garci a.
A shrub o r t a l l herb l ayer i s almost absent under t he coconut s,
apar t from some Gossypium hi rsut um and t a l l Al ocasi a near t he main
set t l ement . The t a l l e s t pl a nt s of t he ground l ayer a r e Kalanchoe
pi nnat a, St achyt ar phet a j amai censi s and Turnera ul mi f ol i a, but es peci al l y
near t he set t l ement t h e veget at i on is kept cl os el y cropped and t he s e
pl ant s a r e not i mport ant . Grasses col l ect ed i ncl ude s peci es of
Er agr os t i s , Stenotaphrum micranthum, Cynodon dact yl on, Dactyloctenium
aegyptium, El eusi ne i ndi ca, and t a l l e r Di gi t ar i a hor i zont al i s and
Enteropogon s echel l ens i s ; t he sedges Cyperus dubi us, Cyperus l i g u l a r i s
and Fi mbr i st yl i s cymosa a r e a l l common. The f er n Nephrolepis b i s e r r a t a
i s widespread, es peci al l y towards t he nor t heas t end of t he i s l and. The
remaining speci es of t h e ground l ayer form a di ver s e assemblage of
fl oweri ng pl ant s , comprising:
Bidens pi l os a Phyl l ant hus amarus
Euphorbia h i r t a Phyl l ant hus maderaspat ensi s
Euphorbia p r o s t r a t a Si da p a r v i f o l i a
Gynandropsis gynandra St r i g a a s i a t i c a
Li ppi a nodi f l or a Tri dax procumbens
Pas s i f l o r a suberosa Vernonia ci ner ea
Cassytha f i l i f or mi s i s very widespread, es peci al l y on open ground
between t he seaward Scaevola hedge and t h e coconut woodland.
Ipomoea
i s very uncommon: I . pes-caprae was onl y found i n one pl ace on t he
lagoon beach crest: A i n g l e specimen of Euphorbia cyathophora was
found a t t he set t l ement cemetery.
The set t l ement i t s e l f ( Pl at es 43 and 44) has t he usual assemblage
of decor at i ve and economic pl ant s , apar t from t he t r e e s al r eady mentioned.
The decor at i ves i ncl ude speci es of Gai l l ar di a, Cat harant hus -- r oseus,
Taget es pat ul a, Pedi l ant hus tithyma- Mi r abi l i s j al apa; t h e
economic pl a nt s Moringai- communis, -- Agave, Musa, and
maize. Caesal pi ni a s p. i s a l s o pr es ent .
The combination of Casuari na and Cocos forms a most a t t r a c t i v e
woodland, and Pi ggot t (1961, 44) n o t e d t h a t "palm yi e l ds t end t o be much
hi gher when next t o a l ar ge Casuari na and t h e i r l eaves a r e r i c h dark
green". Nevert hel ess he l a t e r (1968, 56) s t a t e d t h a t Casuari na "is
not or i ous f o r t he way it reduces f e r t i l i t y . Nothing grows underneat h.
Some s t i l l remain and, ot her t han t hos e necessary as windbreaks, shoul d
be cut down as soon as possi bl e". We f e e l t h a t more consi der at i on
should be given t o t h i s quest i on bef or e t he t r e e s a r e c ut .
Apart from t he bi r ds very l i t t l e indeed i s known of t he fauna of
Desroches. Small col l ect i ons of marine fauna were made by t he Al er t
expedi t i on: t hey i ncl ude 8 s peci es of marine Mollusca (Smith 1884), one
echinoderm ( Bel l 1884), and e i t h e r 4 o r 8 speci es ( l ocat i ons a r e
doubt ful ) of Crust acea (Miers 1884). The Percy Sladen par t y appar ent l y
completely negl ect ed t he marine fauna and f l o r a duri ng t h e i r v i s i t .
O f t he t e r r e s t r i a l fauna, a s i ngl e r e p t i l e Hemidactylus br ooki i
was recorded by Boulenger (1909), two s pi der s by Hirst (1911), and t h r e e
s peci es of t e r r e s t r i a l isopods by Budde-Lund (1912). About f o r t y s peci es
of i ns ect s were col l ect ed by t h e Percy Sladen par t y, and t he r ef er ences
t o t he det ermi nat i ons a r e given i n Table 16.
Bi rds
-
Land bi r ds
The fol l owi ng a r e recorded from Desroches:
St r ept opel i a s p.
According t o Coppinger: "I saw onl y once. But one of t he Creol es
l i vi ng on t he i z a n ; t o l d me t h a t i t was an indigenous s peci es ,
and was qui t e d i s t i n c t from t he domestic pigeons which r oos t about
and r e s t r i c t t h e i r range t o t he houses and t r e e s about t h e
set t l ement " (1884, 225). There i s no l a t e r record of e i t h e r ;
Benson (1970) di scusses St r ept opel i a i n t he Amirantes.
Group
-
Ort hopt era
Dermaptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Col eopt era
Hymenoptera
Di pt era
Table 16. I ns ect s recorded from Desroches
by t h e Percy Sladen Expedi t i on
Number of s peci es
10
Reference
Bol i var (1912, 1924)
Burr (1910)
Green (1907), Di st ant
(1909)
Fl et cher (1910)
Champion (1914), Scot t
(1912, 1926), Arrow
(1922)
Cameron (1907), Fore1
(1907, 1912), Meade-
Waldo (1912)
Theobald (1912)
Passer domesticus
Reported ( as P. i ndi cus) by Abbott i n Ridgway (1895), and i ncl uded
by Watson e t zl. (1963). Common a t t h e Set t l ement i n 1968.
Foudia madagascari ensi s
Col l ect ed bv Abbott on 26 August 1892 (Ridgway 1895), and "with
- - .
gr eat d i f f i c u l t y u by Coppinger (1884, 224) "i n t he l ar ge Casuari na
grove, near t he west ern end of t he i sl and"; "t he females were
nest i ng". Fai r l y common a t t he set t l ement i n 1968 but onl y
i nf r equent l y seen el sewhere. St at us unknown accordi ng t o Watson
e t a l . (1963).
Francol i nus pondi ceri anus
Coppinger (1884, 224) not ed a "red-legged par t r i dge", Abbott i n
Ridgway (1895) a par t r i dge, and Gardiner and Cooper (1907, 156)
a wi l d par t r i dge. Seen i n 1968 on t he seaward s i de near t he
cemetery.
Es t r i l da a s t r i l d
Coppinger (1884, 224) not ed "a very small b i r d which was t o be
seen every now and t hen f l i t t i n g i n l ar ge f l ocks among t he maize
pl ant s and low bushes". He thought i t a waxbi l l and it may have
been t h i s s peci es . There is no l a t e r r ecor d.
Seri nus mozambicus
Col l ect ed by Coppinger, recorded as Cr i t hagr a chrysopyga i n
Sharpe (1884). Coppinger s t a t e s : "The yel l ow-breast ed f i nch i s
gregari ous, and mostly f r equent s t he t ops of t he cocoa-nut t r e e s
and t he upper branches of t he t a l l Casuarinas" (1884, 224). One
specimen col l ect ed on 26 August 1892 by Abbott (Ridgway 1895, as
Ser i nus i c t e r u s ) . Int roduced, accordi ng t o Gardiner and Cooper
(1907, 106).
I n addi t i on t o t hes e r ecor ds, Coppinger a l s o not ed a brown f i nch
"not abundant", which "seemed t o confi ne i t s range t o t he pl ant at i ons of
young coconuts, where it was cont i nual l y s h i f t i n g i t s perch" (1884, 224)
Shore bi r ds
Bubulcus i b i s
Recorded as Bubulcus bubulcus by Abbott i n Ridgway (1895) and i n
Watson e t a l . (1963). Not seen i n 1968.
Recorded as But ori des a t r i c a p i l l a by Abbott i n Ridgway (1895) and
i n Watson e t a l . (1963). Seen i nl and i n 1968.
Migrants
Numenius phaeopus
Recorded by Abbott i n Ridgway (1895). Qui t e common and vocal i n
woodland i n 1968.
Ac t i t i s hypoleucos
Si ght r ecor d, September 1968
Li st ed gener al l y by Parker (1970) a f t e r h i s v i s i t i n 1967.
Sea bi r ds
-
Puffi nus paci f i cus
Seen a t s e a between Desroches and ~ a h 6 by Parker (1970).
Puffi nus l ' her mi ni er i
Seen a t s ea between Desroches and Mahk by Parker (1970).
St er na f us cat a
Seen by Parker i n September 1967 and by Poore and St oddar t i n
September 1968.
Anous s t ol i dus
Seen by Parker i n September 1967 and by Poore and St oddar t i n
September 1968.
Gygis al ba
--
"Very common" accordi ng t o Parker i n 1967, but not seen by Poore
and St oddar t i n September 1968.
Other s peci es of shore bi r ds , mi grant s and s ea bi r ds a r e l i k e l y t o
occur on Desroches i n view of t he l i s t f o r t he Amirantes i n Watson e t a1
(1963, 179-182).
Hi st or y and Set t l ement
Desroches was di scovered by Europeans l a t e r t han most of t he i s l ands
immediately nor t h of Madagascar. The i s l and i s s ai d t o be i de nt i c a l
wi t h t he " I l e du Berger" di scovered by Du Roslan i n 1770, when "good
water" was found. But Du Roslan descri bed t he I l e du Berger as cons i s t -
i ng of two separ at e i s l ands wi t h a channel passabl e a t low wat er between
them (Findlay 1882, 128). Such a des cr i pt i on would f i t Poi vre r a t he r
t han Desroches, but Du Rosl an' s navi gat i on t hen becomes d i f f i c u l t t o
fol l ow. I l e du Berger was named a f t e r h i s s hi p I-Ieure du Berger, and
--
Desroches a f t e r t he Cheval i er Desroches, Governor General of t he I l e de
France and Bourbon.
Casuari na t r e e s were pl ant ed duri ng a b r i e f set t l ement i n 1835. A
new s e t t l e n ~ e z was es t abl i s hed i n 1875-1880, and coconut pl ant i ng was
begun. Si nce t h a t time t he i s l a nd has been cont i nuousl y i nhabi t ed, and
Casuari nas have been cut and coconuts pl ant ed a t i n t e r v a l s . The manager' s
house, of f i ces and pl ant at i on works were l a i d out between 1910 and 1920
( Pl at es 43 and 44) . By 1882 t he r e were al r eady pi gs and poul t r y on
t he i s l and, and f r u i t and veget abl es were grown (Coppinger 1884, 223).
Cats and r a bbi t s were not ed i.n 1905 (Gardiner and Cooper 1907, 156), but
t her e i s no f ur t her r ef er ence t o r a bbi t s and t he r ef er ence may be
mistaken. There a r e now pi gs and poul t r y on Desroches, t oget her with
about sevent y semi -feral donkeys formerl y used i n t he coconut mi l l s .
The manager has a l or r y and t he r e i s a network of motorable r oads. I n
1967 copra product i on was 179 t ons .
Desroches has c l e a r l y changed so much i n t he l a s t hundred year s
t h a t l i t t l e evidence of i t s or i gi na l bi ot a remai ns. The veget at i on i s
dominated by a man-induced woodland, w2th a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c assemblage of
wide-ranging speci es beneat h t he coconuts and Casuari na. There a r e no
cer t ai n r ef er ences t o breedi ng l and biirds, and t he onl y common speci es
i n 1968 ( t he house sparrow and t he Madagascar Fody) a r e bot h i nt roduced.
The ext ent of human di st ur bance may l i kewi se account f o r t he pauci t y of
records of shore bi r ds and s ea b i r d s : it i s unl i kel y t h a t any of t he
s peci es not ed now nes t s oil Desroches. No col l ect i ons o:F t he t e r r e s t r i a l
i . nvert ebrat es have been made s i nc e Gardi ner' s i n 1905, but i t i s
proha.ble, .t;fiat l i ke t he pl . ant s, many of tile speci es now t her e represeri t
;icl.i.be-rr;;ie o r acci derrt al i nt rot l uct l ori s .
I?cs'.o(:hes ivas admin:istercii a s a ciependency of Seychel:les between
0 3 : !9h5, iihen it iras irictir.~?o~:c:i'ied i n t he Drj.tj.sli Indi an Ocean
' / . . . '
.! $ .,,... ::l't,.Xcy
.? ..,.. ~
. I !:l:i~,, C : . .,, 192%. i:ol.coi;i:era, Er ot yl i dae and E:fldornycliida.e, fro111 t he
!-.:,:l':i..i:i:les, (:hr3gos, aiii!. P~!~i:ra;ntc?s I sl ands . (ton , Mag, Nat . f.1j.s.t
scr, 9, 10: ' 73-$:3,
Baker, B. H. 1963. Geology and mi neral resources of t h e Seychel l es
Bel l , F. J. 1884. Echinodermata. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Al ert "
1881-2 (London: Br i t i s h Museum), 509-512.
Benson, C. W. 1970. An i nt r oduct i on of St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a i n t o t he
Amirantes. At ol l Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Bol i var, I . 1912. Ort hopt era: Acrydi i dae, Phasgonuridae, Gr yl l i dae.
supplement t o Gr yl l i dae, of t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l ands .
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hi st . , s e r . 9, 13: 313-359.
Boulenger, G. A. 1909. A l i s t of t he f r eshwat er f i s he s , bat r achi ans and
r e p t i l e s obt ai ned by M r J. St anl ey Gardi ner' s expedi t i on t o t h e
Indi an Ocean. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 12: 291-300.
Budde-Lund, G . 1912. Te r r e s t r i a l Isopoda, p a r t i c u l a r l y consi dered i n
r e l a t i on t o t he di s t r i but i on of t he sout hern Indo-Paci fi c s peci es .
Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool . , 15: 367-394.
Burr, M. 1910. rermapt era. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool. ,
14: 123-133.
Cameron, P. 1907. Hymenoptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
1 2 : 69-86.
London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 16: 393-497.
Coppinger, R. W. 1883. Crui se of t he "Alert". Four year s i n Patagonian,
Pol ynesi an, and Mascarene wat er (1878-82). London: W. Swan
Sonnenschein.
[Coppinger, R. W. , and ot her s . ] 1884. Report on t he zool ogi cal
col l ect i ons made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of
H.M.S. "Al ert " 1881-2. London: Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) .
Di st ant , W. L. 1909. "Sealark" Rhynchota. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2 , Zool. , 13: 29-48.
Dufo, H. 1840. Observat i ons s ur l e s Mollusques marins, t e r r e s t r e s e t
f j u v i a t i l e s des ?l es ~ i c h e l l e s e t des Amirantes. Ann. Sc i . Nat . ,
s e r . 2, Zool. , 14: 45-80, 166-221.
Fi ndl ay, A. G. 1882. A di r ect or y f o r t he navi gat i on of t h e Indi an Ocean,
wi t h des cr i pt i ons of i t s coas t s , i s l ands , e t c . London: R. H. Lauri e,
4t h edi t i on, 1-1304.
Fl et cher , T. B. 1910. Lepi dopt era, excl usi ve of t he Tor t r i ci dae and
Ti nei dae, with some remarks on t h e i r di s t r i but i on and means of
Forel , A. 1907. Fourmis des Seychel l es, Amirantes, Farquhar e t Chagos
Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 12: 91-94.
---------- 1912.
Fourmis des Seychel l es, e t des Aldabras, r es ues de
M. Hugh Scot t . Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . , 15: 159-167.
Fosberg, F. R. and Renvoize, S. A. 1970. Pl ant s of Desroches. At ol l
Gardi ner, J . S. 1936. The r e e f s of t he west ern Indi an Ocean. I . Chagos
Archipelago. 11. The Mascarene Region. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2, zool . , 19: 393-436.
Gardiner, J. S. and Cooper, C. F. 1907. Descri pt i on of t he Expedi t i on,
11. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool . , 12: 111-175.
Gebien, H. 1922. Col eopt era, Heteromera: Tenebri oni dae. Trans. Li nn.
Green, E. E. 1907. Notes on t he Coccidae col l ect ed by t he Percy Sladen
Tms t Expedition t o t he Indi an Ocean, supplemented by a col l ect i on
r ecei ved from Mr R. Dupont, Di r ect or of Agr i cul t ur e, Seychel l es.
west ern Indi an Ocean duri ng a c r ui s e of t he M.F.R.V. "Manihine",
Lamb, C. G . 1922. Di pt er a: Asj. lidae, Scenopi ni dae, Dolichopodidae,
Pi puncul i dae, Syrphi dae. Trans, Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool . ,
18: 361-416.
Meade-Waldo, G. 19l 2. Hymenopl;cra., I l i pl opt er a. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2 , Zooi . , 15: 43-44.
Miers, E. J. 1884, Crustacea.. Rel?ort on t h e zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of t he I-I.M.S.
"Al ert " 1881-2 (London: Br i t i s h Museum), 513-575.
Parker, I. S. C. 1970. Some or ni t hol ogi cal observat i ons from t he
Western I3di an Ocean. At ol l . Res. Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue.
Pi ggot t , C. J. 1961. A r epor t on a v i s i t t o t he Outer I s l ands between
Ridgway, R. 1895. On bi r ds col l ect ed by Doctor W. L. Abbott on t he
Seychel l es, Amirantes, Gl ori osa, Assumption, Aldabra and adj acent
i s l ands , wi t h not es on ha bi t s , e t c . , by t he c ol l e c t or . Proc. U.S.
Nat. Mus., 18: 509-546 ( act ual dat e of publ i cat i on June 24, 1896)
---------- 1926. Col eopt era from t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l ands :
Lymexylonidae, Rhi pi ceri dae, Sphi ndi dae, Throsci dae, Brent hi dae.
Ann. Mag. Nat. t l i s t . , s e r . 9, 18: 50-76.
Smith, E. A. 1884. Molluscs. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons made
i n t he I ndo- Paci f i c Ocean dur i ng t he voyage of t he H.M.S. "Alert"
Theobald, F. V. 1912. Di pt era, Cul i ci dae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r .
2, Zool., 15: 81-94.
Watson, G. E. , Zusi, R. L . , and St or er , R. E. 1963. Prel i mi nary f i e l d
I ns t i t ut i on.
36. Scaevola and Casuarina on t h e sout h coast near Poi nt e Helene
37. Suri ana on t he sout h coast near Murai l l e Bon Dieu
38. Massive beachrock near the centre of the south coast
39. Massive beachrock at the southwest point
40. Scaevola and Cocos on t he lagoon shore a t Set t l ement
-
41. Mixed Cocos and Casuari na woodland near La Guigui
-
42. Labourers' quarters at Settlement, the path flanked by Cocos
and Hymenocallis
-
43. Labourer's quarters at Settlement
15. PLANTS OF DESROCHES ISLAND
CALYMPERES SANCTAE-MARIAE Besch .
St oddart & Poore s. n. (Det. C. C. Townsend)
St oddart & Poore 1419 (K, US).
CYMODOCEA CILIATA Ehrenb. ex Aschers.
Gwynne & Wood 1031a (K, EA) .
CYNODON DACTYLON (L.) Pers.
St oddart & Poore 1390 (K, US)
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM fL.1 Wi l l d.
Gwynne & Wood 1039 (GA)' (small pl ant wi t h 1-2 spi kes about 1 cm
long, possi bl y not t h i s s peci es ) ; St oddart & Poore 1413 (K).
DIGITARIA HORIZONTALIS Willd.
Gwynne & Wood 1034 (K, EA); St oddart & Poore 1414 (K, US).
ELEUSINE I NDI CA (L.) Gaertn.
Gwynne & Wood 1045 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1405 (K).
ENTEROPOGON SECHELLENSIS (Baker) Dur. & Schinz
St oddart & Poore 1417 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 1044 (EA).
ERAGROSTIS TENELLA (L.) Beauv.
Gwynne & Wood 1033 (EA); St oddart & Poore 1404 ( K) , - 1423 (K, US)
ERAGROSTIS sp.
St oddart & Poore 1393 (K); Gwynne & Wood 1043 (EA).
STENOTAPHRUM MICRANTNW (Desv. ) Hubb .
ZEA MAYS L.
Seen by St oddart (1968).
CYPERUS DUBIUS Rottb .
Gwynne & Wood 1048 (EA), 1036 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1428 (K)
-
At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 167 - 170, 1970
St oddar t 4 Poore 1412 ( K, US)
FIMBRISTYLIS CYMOSA R. Br .
Gwynne & Wood 1032 (EA); St oddar t 4 Poore 1410 (K).
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
Seen by St oddart (1968)
ALOCASIA?
AGAVE SISALANA Per r . ?
MUSA SAPIENTUM L.
FICUS sp.
PIPTURUS ARGENTEUS Gaud. ex Wedd.
St oddar t & Poore 1399 (K, P, EA, US)
MIRABILIS JALAPA L.
HERNANDIA SONORA L.
Gwynne 4 Wood 1041 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1388 (K, US).
GYNANDROPSIS GYNANDRA (L .) Briq .
KALANMOE PINNATA (Lam.) Per s.
St oddar t & Poore 1408 ( K, US).
CAESALPINIA sp.
DELONI X REGIA (Boj .) Raf.
TAMARINDUS I NDI CA L.
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
Gwynne & Wood 1037 (K, EA); St oddart & Poore 1420 (K, US).
EUPHORBIA CYATHOPHORA Murr.
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
Gwynne & Wood 1046 (EA) (no f r u i t ) ; St oddar t 4 Poore 1415 (K, US).
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L.) Poi t
PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS Schum. & Thonn.
St oddart & Poore 1406 (K) .
PHYLLANTHUS MADERASPATENSIS L .
Gwynne & Wood 1050 (EA), - 1040 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1416 (K, US).
RICINUS COMMUNIS L.
Seen by St oddar t (1968).
Seen by St oddar t (1968)
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM L.
Coppinger i n 1822, l abel mounted "specimen not l a i d i n" (K). Seen
by St oddart (1968).
TURNERA ULMIFOLIA L .
CARICA PAPAYA L.
BARRINGTONIA ASIATICA (L.) Kurz
Reported by Gardiner & Cooper (1907), not seen duri ng pr es ent
survey.
OCHROSIA OPPOSITIFOLIA (Lam.) K. Schum.
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE (L. ) R. Br .
LIPPIA NODIFLORA L.
STACHYTARPHETA JAMAICENSIS (L. ) Vahl
STRIGA ASIATICA (L.) 0. Ktze.
Gwynne & Wood 1038 (K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1421 (K).
MORINDA CITRIFOLIA L.
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaertn . ) Roxb .
BIDENS PILOSA L.
GAILLARDIA LANCEOLATA Michx?
TAGETES PATULA L.
St oddar t & Poore 1397 (K)
TRIDAX PROCUMBENS L.
VERNONIA CINEREA (L.) Less.
Coppinger, l abel mounted "specimen not l a i d i n" (K) ; Gwynne & Wood
1047 (EA); St oddar t 4 Poore 1411 (K) .
-
16. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF REMIRE
I nt r oduct i on
Remire or Eagle I sl and i s a smal l oval-shaped i s l and, 0. 8 km i n
di amet er and with an ar ea of 80 hect ar es . I t st ands a t t he sout h end
of a long nort h-sout h t rendi ng r e e f , but is detached from i t . Remire
i t s e l f st ands on a small r eef f l a t which extends from t he shore f o r
140-370 m on t he northwest and sout heast s i des (Fi gure 8 ) . Surrounding
wat er dept hs ar e general l y l e s s t han 35 m (Baker 1963, 51-54).
The i s l and i s mainly sandy, wi t h l i t t o r a l beachrock on t h e sout h
and eas t shores. Much of t he i n t e r i o r , however, has been convert ed i n t o
a phosphat i c rock, with hor i zont al p i t t e d and i r r e gul a r s ur f ace, covered
with l oose cobbl e-si ze fragment s. Thi s p l a t e of phosphate rock, a t
l e a s t 1. 5 m t hi ck, outcrops a t t he sout heast corner t o form a s t eep
c l i f f 3-4 m high on t he shor e. The phosphate s ur f ace i s r at her
hi gher t han t ha t of unconsol i dat ed sand, but i t has been much modified
by mining. Brai t hwai t e (1968) has di scussed t he formation of t h e
phosphate rock. Pi ggot t (1968, 60-61) di s t i ngui s hes t h e s o i l of t h e
phosphate areas as Jemo Ser i es .
As i n t he case of Desroches, Remire was b r i e f l y v i s i t e d by t h e
Al er t and Percy Sladen Expedi t i ons i n 1882 and 1905. Table 17 l i st s
-
ot her s c i e n t i f i c v i s i t o r s . The fol l owi ng account i s based on a s hor t
v i s i t on 26 September 1968.
Vegetation
The veget at i on of Remire has changed consi derabl y s i nce it was
f i r s t di scovered. Horsburgh (1852, 182) r ef er r ed t o it as "covered
wi t h shrubs" and Coppinger (1883, 220) a s "covered wi t h a t hi ck growth
of st unt ed bushes". Gardiner and Cooper (1907, 157) s t a t e d t h a t "t her e
ar e a s yet no hi gh t r e e s and t h e shrubs ar e as small and s t unt ed a s a t
Cargados. A few coconuts have been pl ant ed t o t he nor t h i n t h e l a s t
t en year s. But it i s only r ecent l y t h a t t h e l a s t of t h e guano has been
removed and t he i s l and l e t f o r c ul t i va t i on. A clump of screw-pines
(Pandanus Bal fouri ) i n t h e cent r e of t h e i s l and was an unusual f eat ur e".
The i s l and i s now covered wi t h a dense coconut-dominated woodland
on t he sand ar eas, and a more open veget at i on, wi t h t r e e s but wi t hout
----
REEF EDGE
0 PHOSPHATIC SANDSTONE
BEACH ROCK "\
\
0 met r es 200
\
\
u \ ,
-
\
0 yar ds 200 -.
I I
F i g . 8. Remire ( a f t e r Baker 1963, F i g . 10)
'Table 17. Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi e s a t Remire
Date Study Reference
- -
1882 March 19-20
1901
1905 Oct. 17
1955 J ul y 5,
Aug. 16
1960 Nov. 2
1967 Sept . 21-22
1968 Sept . 26
Explored by Du Roslan
Explored by M. de l a Bi ol l i Gr e, Horsburgh (1852)
i n t he Eagle
-
H.M.S. Al e r t , R . W. Coppinger:
-
general obser vat i ons, b i r d
-
col l ect i ng; Hydrographic survey
by Capt. J. P. Maclear
Visit by G. Naylor f o r Baty,
Bergne and Co.
Percy Sladen Expedi t i on, H.M.S.
Seal ar k: J . S. Gardi ner, l and
col l ect i ons , mainly i ns e c t s
Viscount Ri dl ey, Lord Richard
Percy: bi r ds
B. H. Baker, C . J. Pi ggot t :
geology, s o i l s
C. J. R. Br ai t hwai t e, B. R.
Rosen: geology of phosphate
deposi t s, modern c or a l s
M. D. Gwynne, D. Wood, I . S. C .
Parker: pl a nt s , bi. rds
M. E. D. Poore, D. R. St oddar t :
pl ant s , gener al obser vat i ons
Coppinger (1883),
Coppinger e t a l .
(1884), Admiralty
Chart 724
Bergne (1900)
Gardiner and Cooper
(1907), Gardi ner
119361
Ri dl ei and Percy
(1958)
Baker (1963), Pi ggot t
(1961, 66-67; 1968,
60-61)
Brai t hwai t e (1968)
Parker (1970), Gwynne
and Wood (1969)
This r epor t ; Fosberg
and Renvoize (1970)
coconuts. on t he ~h o s o h a t e a r e a s . A t h i r d veeet at i on t vue c ons i s t s of
- , .
a l i t t o r a l hedge surroundirig t he i s l a nd, dominated by Scaevol a t accada,
with Sur i ana maritima and Tour nef or t i a ar gent ea, wi t h t r e e s on i t s i nner
edge of Cordia subcordat a and Guet t arda s peci os a.
The coconut woodland i ncl udes much Casuari na e qui s e t i f ol i a , and
occasi onal Ficus nautarum, Thespesi a popul neoi des, Termi nal i a cat appa
and ot her t r e e s . The set t l ement ar ea on t he west coast i s surrounded
by a row, c l e a r l y pl ant ed, of t a l l Ochrosi a oppos i t i f ol i a , and a t t he
set t l ement t h e r e a r e t a l l t r e e s of Hernandia sonora and Calophyllum
inophyllum. The ground l ayer i n t he coconut woodland cons i s t s of t he
fol l owi ng common s peci es : t oget her wi t h gr as s es (Cenchrus echi nat us ,
Stenotaphrum micranthum) and sedges (Cyperus dub&),
Acalypha i ndi ca Euphorbia h i r t a
Achyranthes aspera Li ppi a nodi f l or a
Boerhavia repens Phyl l ant hus maderaspat ensi s
Bidens pi l os a Si da p a r v i f o l i a
Cassi a occi dent al i s Solanum nigrum
Cassytha f i l i f or mi s St achyt ar phet a j amai censi s
Cleome vi s cos a Turnera ul mi f ol i a
The veget at i on of t he phosphat e ar ea i s hi ghl y va r i a bl e . Two
tree-dominated communities can be di s t i ngui s hed: one wi t h a dense growth
of Leucaena l eucocephal a about 5 m t a l l , t he ot her a more open community
of Cari ca papaya with a ground cover on a very i r r e gul a r s ur f ace of
Ipomoea - pes-caprae and s ubs i di ar y Boerhavia repens, Bidens pi l os a and
Stenotaphrum micranthum. On t h e e a s t s i de of t he i s l and, t r e e s on t he
phosphate a r e r ar e, and much of t h e i r r e gul a r s ur f ace i s agai n covered
wi t h a t hi ck mat of Ipomoea pes-caprae. Where t he s ur f ace i s smooth,
probabl y because of s upe r f i c i a l quarryi ng, t he dominance of Ipomoea is
reduced and ot her s peci es , such a s Tridax procumbens and Cyperus
l i g u l a r i s , appear. Weeds on t h i s t r e e l e s s phosphate a r e common along
pat hs, where t hey i ncl ude Er agr os t i s s p. , Dactyloctenium aegyptium,
St achyt ar phet a j amai censi s, Cassyt ha f i l i f or mi s and Por t ul aca ol er acea.
The set t l ement has a number of decor at i ves (Cat harant hus r oseus,
Dat ura metel) and ot her c ul t i va t e d pl ant s (Moringa o l e i f e r a , Capsicum
f r ut es cens , Agave, Cari ca papaya, a l ar ge cucur bi t ) .
The cont r as t between t he pr es ent wooded i s l and and t h a t descri bed
bef or e 1905 i s s t r i ki ng. Remire i s a t pr esent uni nhabi t ed, no cl ear i ng
of ground veget at i on t akes pl ace, and t he growth i n many pl aces i s very
dense.
Fauna ot he r t han Birds
The - Al er t expedi t i on made small col l ect i ons , mostly of marine fauna,
i ncl udi ng 9 speci es of marine mol l uscs (Smith 1884), one sponge (Ridley
1884), and e i t h e r 1 o r 6 ( l ocat i on uncer t ai n) crabs (Miers 1884).
Coppinger (1883) recorded a Coenobita as bei ng p a r t i c u l a r l y common. The
Percy Sladen Expedition made almost no col l ect i ons of marine fauna and
f l o r a i n 1905. Both t he Al er t and t he Percy Sladen col l ect ed a s i ngl e
gecko Hemidactylus frenat-unther 1884, Boulenger 1909). Ridley and
Percy (1958, 43) record i n addi t i on Mabuia s echel l ens i s . No l i z a r d s
were seen i n 1968. Some 35 s peci es of i ns ect s were recorded by t he
Percy Sladen team, i n addi t i on t o t hr ee beet l es col l ect ed by Coppinger
(Waterhouse 1884): t he r ef er ences t o t he Percy Sladen i ns e c t s a r e
t abul at ed i n Table 18.
Birds
The b i r d fauna of Remire shows i nt e r e s t i ng cont r as t s wi t h t h a t of
t he nei ghbouri ng l a r ge r i s l a nd of Desroches. Nei t her has any na t i ve
land bi r ds , though more have been i nt roduced t o t he l a r ge r i s l and. Few
mi grant s have been recorded on e i t h e r i s l and, though t h i s l a r ge l y
r e f l e c t s l ack of obser vat i on. Remire has a much more di ver s e s e a b i r d
fauna, dominated by t e r ns , e s pe c i a l l y St er na f us cat a, -- Gygis al ba and
Anous t e n u i r o s t r i s . The i s l a nd was probably a more i mport ant s e a b i r d
breedi ng ground i n t he pa s t , bef or e mining began, and s ea b i r d popul at i ons
Group
-
Ort hopt era
Dermaptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Col eopt era
Hymenoptera
Di pt era
Table 18. I ns ect s recorded from Remire
by t he Percy Sladen Expedi t i on
Number of s peci es Reference
5 Bol i var (1912, 1924)
1 Burr (1910)
2 Green (1907), Di s t ant
(1909)
8 Fl et cher (1910)
15 Aur i vi l l i us (1922),
(1922), Schenkling
(1922), Scot t (1912,
1917, 1926), Fl eut i aux
(1923)
3 Cameron (1907), Fore1
(1907), Meade-Waldo
(1912)
3 Lamb (1912, 1914, 1922)
may have af f ect ed t he veget at i on and r e s t r i c t e d it t o shrubs. Ridley
and Percy (1958) consi dered t he Sooty Tern popul at i on t o be i n danger
of ext i nct i on, and poi nt ed out t h a t t he export of eggs had decl i ned from
300 cases (210 000 eggs) i n 1931 t o 105 cases (73 500 eggs) i n 1954. A t
t he time of our v i s i t t her e were no more t han a few hundred t er ns , mainly
i n t a l l Casuari na on t he southwest coas t . The absence of boobies i s
s t r i ki ng.
Land bi r ds
There ar e no na t i ve land b i r d s on Remire. Four s peci es of
i nt roduced l and bi r ds have been recorded from time t o t i me:
Francol i nus pondi ceri anus
Coppinger (1883, 220) found "a smal l red-l egged par t r i dge, which
was very abundant, and af f or ded us some good shoot i ng"; a specimen
was col l ect ed (Bowdler-Sharpe 1884). Not recorded s i nce.
Gallus gal l us
Coppinger (1883, 220) not ed domestic fowl gone wi l d, wi t h chi ckens
which "on bei ng di s t ur bed, rose and took t o f l i g h t l i k e pheasant s".
Not recorded s i nce.
Ci s t i c ol a cher i na
A small act i ve war bl er . vos s i bl v t h i s s veci es . was seen i n coas t al
Scaevol a by Poore and ~ t b d d a r t i n 1968.' I t had t h e same me t a l l i c
t i c - t i c - t i c c a l l a s t he Astove and Cosmoledo Ci s t i col a. Not
pr evi ousl y recorded.
Foudia madagascariensis
Fi r s t recorded, d col l ect ed, by Parker, 22 September 1967
Shore bi r ds
Ardea ci ner ea
Three seen by Parker, 22 September 1967
Migrants
Squat ar ol a squat ar ol a
Seen by Parker, 22 September 1967
Charadrius l es chenaul t i i
9 col l ect ed by Parker, 22 September 1967.
Numenius phaeopus
Seen and recorded a s common by Parker i n 1967, seen by Poore and
St oddart i n September 1968.
Arenari a i nt er pr es
Seen by Parker 22 September 1967.
Crocet hi a al ba
-
Seen by Parker 22 September 1967
Sea bi r ds
Puffi nus sp.
Coppinger (1883) recorded a "night pe t r e l i n burrows". There i s no
ot her record.
Four seen by Parker, 1967.
Fregat a minor
"Fri gat e bi r ds" common, r oos t i ng i n coconuts (Ridley and Percy 1958,
18). Seen by Parker, 1967, and by Poore and St oddart (probably
t h i s speci es) i n September 1968.
Fregat a a r i e l
Seen by Parker, September 1967.
St er na anaet het us
cf 909 col l ect ed by Parker, 22 September 1967.
St er na f us cat a
Reported by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) t o breed, but popul at i on reduced
and spasmodic. Ridley and Percy (1958) found 3200 p a i r s i n two
s epar at e col oni es and consi dered t h a t t he popul at i on could be i n
danger of ext i nct i on because of excessi ve egg- col l ect i ng. d
col l ect ed by Parker, 22 September 1967. A few hundred seen by
Poore and St oddart , September 1968.
Thalasseus b e r y i i
map col l ect ed by Parker, 22 September 1967, who saw about 200.
seen a l s o by Poore and St oddart i n September 1968.
Anous s t ol i dus
d 99 col l ect ed by Parker, 22 September 1967, and seen by Poore
and St oddart i n September 1968.
Anous t e nui r os t r i s
8 QQ col l ect ed by Parker on 22 September 1967. Parker r epor t ed
i t ' t o be by f a r t he most common bi r d & Remire, though he di d not
see it on t he ot her i s l ands he v i s i t e d ( t hese di d not i ncl ude
African Banks). Seen a l s o by Poore and St oddart i n September 1968.
Gygis al ba
--
Found nes t i ng by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941). Noted a s "very common"
by Parker, who col l ect ed d 99 on 22 September 1967. Seen by Poore
and St oddart i n September 1968.
More speci es of shore bi r ds , mi grant s and s ea bi r ds will probably
be recorded, i n view of t he l i st f or t he Amirantes i n Watson e t a l .
(1963, 179-182).
Hi st ory and Set t l ement
Remire was s t i l l apparent l y uni nhabi t ed i n 1882, though di scovered
i n 1770. Coppinger (1883), however, r epor t s f i ndi ng t he r ui ns of a
s ol i dl y b u i l t st one house i n t he cent r e of t he i s l and. Guano-mining
was car r i ed on f or some years a f t e r Coppinger' s v i s i t , and was ext ensi ve
i n 1900 when v i s i t e d by H. A' C. Bergne. Huts and a shed were b u i l t
duri ng t h i s peri od (Bergne 1900). Mining was r epor t ed t o be complete
by 1905, according t o Gardiner and Cooper (1907). The i s l and has been
vi s i t e d r egul ar l y duri ng t h i s cent ury f or bi r ds ' eggs, but it i s not
known how continuous human set t l ement has been. In 1898 about one t h i r d
of t he i s l and had been pl ant ed wi t h about 1750 coconuts, which were
doing wel l , t oget her wi t h maize and pumpkins (Bergne 1900). Messrs
Baty, Bergne and Co. hel d t he l eas e of Remire u n t i l 1926. In 1901 t her e
were guano sheds and a tramway f o r t he export of guano, and ot her
i n s t a l l a t i o n s i ncl uded an i r on house, a boat house, a s t or e and ot her
sheds. Of t hes e t her e i s now no t r a c e . In t he l a s t few years, whi l e
t he l ease was hel d f o r a peri od by R. M. Veevers-Carter, s ever al new
bui l di ngs were er ect ed, i ncl udi ng a l ar ge house i n Moorish s t y l e ,
r es er voi r , copra d r i e r , and t u r t l e pen; but when M r Veevers-Carter moved
t o Astove t he Seychel l es Development Corporat i on employed only a car e-
t aker on Remire, which was uni nhabi t ed i n September 1968.
Rats have been i nt roduced, but apar t from t he bi r ds we saw no ot her
exot i c animals i n 1968.
Remire has been admi ni st ered as a dependency of Seychel l es s i nce
1903, and was not i ncl uded i n t h e Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean Ter r i t or y i n 1965.
References
Aur i vi l l i us , C. 1922. Col eopt era (Cerambycidae) from t he Seychel l es
I sl ands, Aldabra, and Rodriguez. Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 9,
10: 421-443.
Manuscript .
Bol i var, I . 1912. Ort hopt era: Acrydiidae, Phasgonuridae, Gr yl l i dae.
supplement t o Gryl l i dae, of t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l ands .
Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s er . 9, 13: 313-359.
Boulenger, G. A. 1909. A l i st of t h e freshwat er f i s hes , bat r achi ans Bnd
r e p t i l e s obt ai ned by Mr J . St anl ey Gardi ner' s expedi t i on t o t he
Indi an Ocean. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 12: 291-
300.
Bowdler-Shape, R. 1884. Bi rds. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Alert"
Brai t hwai t e, C. J. R. 1968. Di agenesi s of phosphat i c carbonat e rocks on
Remire, Ani rant es, Indi an Ocean. J. Sedimen. Pet r ol . 38: 1194~1212.
Budde-Lund, G. 1912. Te r r e s t r i a l Isopoda, pa r t i c ul a r l y consi dered i n
r e l a t i on t o t he di s t r i but i on of t he sout hern Indo-Paci fi c s peci es .
Burr, M. 1910. Dermaptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
14: 123-133.
Cameron, P. 1907. Hymenoptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
12: 69-86.
London, s e r . 2 , Zool., 16: 393-497.
Coppinger, R. W. 1883. Crui se of t he "Alert". Four year s i n Patagonian,
Polynesian and Mascarene wat ers (1878-82). London: W. Swan
Sonnenschein.
Di st ant , W. L. 1909. "Sealark" Rhynchota. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r .
2, Zool., 13: 29-48.
Fl et cher , T. B. 1910. Lepi dopt era, excl usi ve of t he Tor t r i ci dae and
Soc. London, s er . 2, Zool . , 13: 265-323.
Fl eut i aux, E. 1923. Col eopt era: Melasidae e t El at er i dae des ~ 6 c h e l l e s
e t des Pl es voi s i nes . Trans. Entom. Soc. London, 1922: 398-436.
Forel , A. 1907. Fourmis des Seychel l es, Amirantes, Farquhar e t Chagos.
Gardiner, 3 . S. and Cooper, C. F. 1907. Descri pt i on of t he Expedi t i on,
11. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool. , 12: 111-175.
Gebien, H. 1922. Col eopt era, Heteromera: Tenebrionidae. Trans. Linn.
Green, E. E. 1907. Notes on t h e Coccidae col l ect ed by t h e Percy Sladen
Trust Expedition t o t he Indi an Ocean, supplemented by a col l ect i on
recei ved from M r R. Dupont, Di rect or of Agr i cul t ur e, Seychel l es.
Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool:, 12: 197-207.
Giinther, A. 1884. Rept i l i a. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons made
i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Alert"
1881-2 (London: Br i t i s h Museum), 486.
western Indi an Ocean duri ng a cr ui s e of t he M.F.R.V. "Manihine",
Sept. -Oct. 1967. At ol l Res. Bul l . 134: 1-15.
Horsburgh, J. 1852. The I ndi a Di rect ory, or , Di rect i ons of s a i l i n g
t o and from t he East I ndi es, China, Aus t r al i a, and t he i nt er j acent
por t s of Af r i ca and South America: or i gi na l l y compiled from j ournal s
of t he Honourable Company's Shi ps, and from observat i ons and
remarks, r e s ul t i ng from t h e experi ence of twentyone years i n t he
navi gat i on of t hese s eas . London: W. H. Allen, 6t h edi t i on, 2 vol s . :
1-650, 1-890.
Lamb, C. G. 1912. Di pt era: Lonchaeidae, Sapromyzidae, Ephydridae,
Chloropidae, Agromyzidae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool.,
15: 303-348.
Lamb, C. G. 1914. Di pt era: Het eroneuri dae, Or t al i dae, Trypet i dae,
Sepsi dae, Micropezidae, Drosophi l i dae, Geomyzidae, Mi l i chi dae
Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2 , Zool. , 16: 307-372.
---------- 1922. Di pt era: As i l i dae, Scenopinidae, Dolichopodidae,
Pi puncul i dae, Syrphidae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool . ,
18: 361-416.
Meade-Waldo, G. 1912. Hymenoptera, Di pl opt er a. Trans. Linn. Soc. London,
s e r . 2, Zool. , 15: 43-44.
Miers, E. J. 1884. Crust acea. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean dur i ng t he voyage of H.M.S.
"Al ert " 1881-2 (London: Br i t i s h Museum), 513-575.
- - - - - - - - - 1968. A s o i l survey of Seychel l es. Di r ect or at e of Overseas
Ridley, S. 0. 1884. Spongiida. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean dur i ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Al ert "
Ridley, M. W. and Percy, R. 1958. The expl oi t at i on of s ea bi r ds i n t he
Seychel l es. Col oni al Res. St udi es , 25.
Schenkling, S. 1922. Col eopt era: Cl er i dae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r .
2, Zool. , 18: 325-329.
---------- 1917. Corylophidae (Col eopt era) from t he Seychel l es and
Rangoon. Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s e r . 8 , 19: 1-33.
---------- 1926. Col eopt era from t he Seychel l es and adj acent i s l ands :
Lymexylonidae, Rhi pi ceri dae, Sphi ndi dae, Throscidae, Brent hi dae.
Ann. Mag. Nat. H i s t . , s er . 9, 18: 50-76.
Smith, E. A. 1884. Mollusca. Report on t he zool ogi cal c ol l e c t i ons made
i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean dur i ng t h e voyage of H.M.S. "Alert"
Vesey-FitzGerald, L. D. E. F. 1941. Furt her cont r i but i ons t o t h e
orni t hol ogy of t he Seychel l es I s l ands . I bi s , s e r . 14, 5: 518-531.
Waterhouse, C. 0. 1884. Col eopt era. Report on t he zool ogi cal
col l ect i ons made i n t he I ndo- Paci f i c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of
H.M.S. "Alert" 1881-2 (London: Br i t i s h Museum), 576.
Watson, G. E. , Zusi , R. L . , and St or er , R. E . 1963. Prel i mi nary f i e l d
I ns t i t ut i on.
17. PLANTS OF REMIRE (EAGLE) ISLAND, AMIRANTES
Gwynne & Wood 890 (EA) .
CYMODOCEA CILIATA Ehrenb . ex Aschers
"4 m. s . w. of i sl and" Gwynne & Wood 918 (EA); Gwynne & Wood 898
(K, EA).
CENCHRUS EMINATUS L.
St oddar t 6 Poore 1453 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 872 (EA, K).
DACTYLOCTENIUM AEGYPTIUM ( L. ) Wi l l d.
St oddar t & Poore 1458 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 884 (EA)
ERAGROSTIS sp .
St oddar t & Poore 1448 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 883 (K, EA), - 858 (EA)
LEPTURUS REPENS R. B r .
Gwynne & Wood 888 (EA).
STENOTAPHRUM MICRANTHUM (Desv.) C. E. Hubbard
St oddar t & Poore 1454 (K, US); - 1470 (K); Gwynne & Wood 871 (K, EA)
CYPERUS AROMATICUS (Rid1 .) Mat t f . e t Kiik.
Gwynne & Wood 879 (EA), - 892 (EA) .
CYPERUS DUBIUS Rottb.
Gwynne 6 Wood 900, 885 (EA); St oddar t & Poore 1456 (K).
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
COMMELINA c f . DIFFUSA Burm. f .
Gwynne & Wood 891 (K, EA).
LAPORTEA AESTUANS (Gaud.) Chew
Gwynne & Wood 906 (K, EA) .
BOERHAVIA DIFFUSA L .
Gwynne & Wood 877 (K, EA), - 886 (EA) (bot h very young).
BOERHAVIA REPENS L.
St oddar t & Poore 1452, 1474 (K)
-
AMARANTHUS DUBIUS Mart. ex. Thel l .
Gwynne & Wood 860 (K, EA) .
HERNANDIA SONORA L.
CLEOME VISCOSA L.
Gwynne & Wood 859 (K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1442 (K, US).
CAESALPINIA BONDUC (L.) Roxb.?
Gwynne & Wood 864 (EA) (onl y d i s t a l p a r t of l e a f ) .
CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS L.
LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA (Lam.) de W i t
St oddar t & Poore 1446, - 1457 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 888 (K, EA).
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
ACALYPHA INDICA L.
St oddar t & Poore 1459 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 874 (K, EA).
EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.
Gwynne & Wood 856 ( K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1463 (K).
PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L. ) Poi t .
Gwynne & Wood 905 (EA) (hedge p l a n t ) .
PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS Sch. & Thonn.
PHYLLANTHUS MADERASPATENSIS L.
Gwynne & Wood 881 (K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1468 (K, US)
ABUTILON MAURITIANUM IJaca . l Medic.
Gwynne & Wood 870 (EL)' (so d e t . but s t e r i l e , could as wel l be
A. indicum) .
-
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
Gwynne & Wood 855 (K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1451 (K)
THESPESIA POPULNEA (L.) Sol . ex Correa
St oddar t 4 Poore 1437 (K, US EA); Gwynne & Wood 868 (K, EA).
CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM L.
St oddar t & Poore 1444 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 866 (K, EA).
Gwynne & Wood 876 ( K, EA)
CARICA PAPAYA L.
Uni dent i fi ed Cucurbitaceae
CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS (L.) Don
Gwynne & Wood 857 ( K, EA); St oddar t & Poore 1467 (K).
186
OCHROSIA OPPOSITIFOLIA (Lam.) K . Schum.
Gwynne & Wood 893 (K, EA); St odda r t & Poor e 1472 (K, US).
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE (L.) R. Br .
Gwynne & Wood 894 (K, EA); St odda r t & Poor e 1450 (K, US).
Gwynne & Wood 867 ( K, EA), - 904 (EA).
LIPPIA NODIFLORA (L.) Michx.
Gwynne 6 Wood 878 (K, EA); St odda r t & Poor e 1469 (K, US).
STACHYTARPHETA JAMAICENSIS ( L. ) Vahl
St odda r t & Poore 1461 (K, US); Gwynne & Wood 862 (K, EA).
CAPSICUM FRUTESCENS L.
St odda r t & Poore 1466 (K).
DATURA METEL L.
Gwynne & Wood 882 (EA); St o d d a r t & Poore 1441 (K, US).
SOLANUM NIGRUM L.
Gwynne & Wood 879 (EA), - 875 (K, EA); St odda r t & Poore 1443 (K, US)
Gwynne & Wood 869 ( K, EA).
SCAEVOLA TACCADA ( Gaer t n . ) Roxb .
Gwynne & Wood 865 (EA, K) ( gl abr ous ) .
BIDENS PILOSA L.
St odda r t & Poore 1449 (K, US).
TRIDAX PROCUMBENS L.
Gwynne & Wood 889 (K, EA); St odda r t & Poore 1473 (K, US)
18. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF AFRICAN BANKS
I nt r oduct i on
The two small i s l ands of Afri can Banks a r e t he most nor t her l y of
t he Amirantes, and a r e s i t ua t e d on t h e eas t er n s i de of t h e Amirante
Ridge (Baker 1963, 48-51). The r i dge s ur f ace t o t he west c a r r i e s 18-
37 m of wat er. North I sl and, t he l a r ge r of t he two Afri can Banks, i s
275 m long and 45-90 m wide; South I sl and is 230 m long and 70 m wide.
The i s l ands ar e 2.9 km apar t , and only South I sl and could be v i s i t e d
i n 1968. The r eef edge l i e s 450-800 m e a s t of t he cays; t o t he sout h
and west t her e is a wide ar ea of shoal wat er with r eef pat ches.
The i s l ands ar e much smal l er, and presumably l e s s s t abl e, t han
ot her s i n t he western Indi an Ocean t h a t have been consi dered i n t hes e
r epor t s . Horsburgh (1809, 127) r epor t ed t h a t "they a r e almost over-
flowed a t hi gh water spr i ng t i des ", and Coppinger (1883, 219) descri bed
one of them (?North I sl and) a s a low f l a t e l l i p t i c a l cay, b u i l t of
forami ni fera1 sand, wi t h "uprai sed cor al sandstone" a t i t s nor t her n
end, "grooved and honeycombed i n t o var i ous f a n t a s t i c shapes". Baker
(1963, 50) mentions r e l i c t beachrock ext endi ng up t o 1.1 km nor t h of
South I sl and, i ndi cat i ng consi derabl e s h i f t i n g of pos i t i on.
Table 19 l i s t s s c i e n t i f i c v i s i t o r s t o t he cays. Apart from H.M.S.
Al er t , a l l have been concerned wi t h t he b i r d fauna. The Percy Sl aden
Expedition di d not c a l l t her e.
Vegetation
The veget at i on of South I sl and cons i s t s of s cat t er ed bushes of
Tour nef or t i a argent ea, Suri ana maritima and Scaevola t accada, a l l l e s s
t han 2 m t a l l , wi t h a s i ngl e coconut and some gnarl ed t r e e s of
Tour nef or t i a and a spar se and pat chy ground cover of gr asses, sedges,
herbs and vi nes. Large ar eas of t he ground ar e qui t e bar e. On t he
seaward beach c r e s t , which i s s ubj ect t o overt oppi ng by waves, t he r e is
a pat ch of Paspalwn di st i chum. The ground cover over t he r e s t of t h e
i s l and cons i s t s of pat ches of two speci es of Port ul aca ( a small form,
P. c f . a u s t r a l i s , and a much l a r ge r f l es hy form), Boerhavia repens,
-
Tri bul us ci s t oi des , Achyranthes aspera, Si da par vi f ol i a, t he sedge
Cyperus l i g u l a r i s , and t he gr asses Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Lepturus
Date
-
Table 19. Sc i e n t i f i c s t udi es a t Afri can Banks
1937 Sept . 8, Nov.
1955 J ul y 5,
Aug. 17
1968 Sept . 26
Study Reference
-
Survev bv M. de l a ~ i o l l i k r e *
, ,
Wreck of H.M.S. Sp i t f i r e
Vi s i t by H.M.S. Menai, L t .
Hay, t o North I s l and
H. M. S. - Al er t , R. Coppinger, Coppinger (1883);
North I s l and: bi r ds , gener al Coppinger and ot her s
observat i ons (1884)
D. Vesey-FitzGerald: s ea Vesey-FitzGerald (1941)
bi r ds
Viscount Ridley and Lord Ri dl ey and Percy (1958)
Richard Percy: s ea bi r ds
M. E . D. Poore and D. R. Thi s r epor t
St oddart general
obser vat i ons, pl ant col l ect i on
on South I s l and
*Lionnet ( t h i s i s s ue, Appendix) dat es t h e i r di scovery a s 1797.
repens. Cassytha f i l i f or mi s i s widespread, and completely smothers some
moribund Scaevol a bushes a t t he sout hern end. The absence of St achyt ar phet a
may be remarked.
Coppinger (1883, 219), on t he i s l and he v i s i t e d , mentions "scrubby
gr ass and low bushes of t he same char act er a s t hos e a t Bird I s l and
i . e . Tournefort i a", with some j uveni l e Bar r i ngt oni a but no ot her t r e e
s peci es .
The fauna of Afri can Banks i s dominated by bi r ds and marine l i f e ;
t he i s l ands a r e t oo small and ephemeral f o r any l ar ge l and fauna t o have
es t abl i s hed i t s e l f . The Al er t col l ect ed 11 s peci es of marine Mollusca
(Smith 1884), two speci es of sponge (Ridley 1884), and two cr abs,
i ncl udi ng Coenobita (Miers 1884). Horsburgh (1809, 127) s ai d t h a t
Afri can Banks "abound wi t h t u r t l e and aquat i c bi r ds , but a r e d e s t i t u t e
of f r es h water". Coppinger (1883, 219) found t u r t l e nes t s but saw no
t u r t l e . He a l s o mentions Ocypode. Rot hschi l d (1915) s t a t e d t h a t t he
Giant Land Tor t oi s e was found on Afri can Banks i n t he sevent eent h and
ei ght eent h cent ur i es , but t h i s i s c e r t a i nl y an e r r o r , unl ess it r e f e r s
t o an occasi onal specimen landed from a passi ng s hi p.
Bi rds
-
The bi r d fauna i s dominated by breedi ng col oni es of t e r ns ,
pa r t i c ul a r l y Sooty Terns and Noddies.
Shore bi r ds
Ardea ci ner ea
Two ne s t s i n coconuts recorded on North I s l and by Ridley and Percy
(1958, 17) .
Migrants
-
Seen on South I sl and by Poore and St oddar t , September 1968
Dromas ar deol a
Seen on South I sl and by Poore and St oddar t , September 1968
Sea bi r ds
Phaethon aet hereus
Si ght ed from s hi p o f f South I s l and by Poore and St oddar t , September
1968.
Sul a s u l a
--
Unfledged gannets recorded by Coppinger (1883) and immature
wanderers by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941) on 8 September 1937. Booby
popul at i on s ai d t o be negl i gi bl e by Ridley and Percy (1958).
St er na dougal l i i
Breeds on North Isl and (Ri dl ey and Percy 1958)
St er na sumatrana
Col l ect ed by Coppinger i n 1882 (Bowdler-Sharpe 1884, as S.
melanauchen) . Recorded a s ne s t i ng on South I s l and (Vesey-
Fi t zGeral d 1941), and a s breedi ng on North I sl and wi t h a few
pa i r s on South Isl and by Ri dl ey and Percy (1958). Seen on South
I s l and by Poore and St oddar t i n 1968.
St er na f us cat a
Recorded as breedi ng by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941), and a s breedi ng
on North but no l onger on South I s l and by Ridley and Percy (1958),
who r epor t ed a t o t a l popul at i on of 43,300 i n 1955. Breeding on
South I s l and i n l ar ge numbers i n September 1968.
Recorded by Vesey-FitzGerald (1941).
Thal asseus be r gi i
Breeding i n November on North I s l and (Vesey-FitzGerald 1941), and
agai n recorded as breedi ng on North I s l and by Ridley and Percy
(1958). Present on South I s l and i n September 1968.
Anous s t ol i dus
Breeds on t he eround wi t h t he Sootv Tern (Vesev-FitzGerald 1941).
-
Breeds mainly on North I s l and, accbrdi ng t o ~ i h l e ~ and Percy (19581,
but 70 pa i r s of noddi es nes t i ng i n bushes on South I s l and, t o t a l
popul at i on 5900 i n 1955. Present i n l ar ge numbers on South I s l a nd
- -
i n September 1968, mainly i n t r e e s and bi shes, i n cont r as t t o t he
Sooty Tern which was mainly on t he ground.
Anous t e n u i r o s t r i s
Breeding on South I s l and i n September 1968, i de nt i f i e d by head
col our and by egg pat t er n, though d i f f i c u l t t o di s t i ngui s h
when on t he wing from A. s t ol i dus . Nesting i n a Scaevol a bush.
-
Gygis al ba
--
Seen a t s e a near South I sl and, probabl y a s t r a y from Remire.
The s e a bi r d col oni es have been much af f ect ed by t h e i r proxi mi t y t o
Mah;, and t he popul at i on has s er i ous l y decl i ned i n r ecent year s . Ri dl ey
and Percy (1958) s t a t e t h a t t he egg export i n 1931 was 2000 cases (1. 4
mi l l i on eggs) , but t h a t it had f a l l e n by 1954 t o 108 cases (75, 600 eggs).
The egg i ndus t r y i s now cont r ol l ed by l e g i s l a t i o n i n t he Seychel l es.
Hi st or y and Set t l ement
The nor t her n i s l ands of t he Amirantes were f i r s t surveyed i n 1771
by M. de l a ~ i o l l i s r e . H.M.S. Sp i t f i r e was wrecked on South I s l and on
2 1 Aumst 1801. and Li eut . Campbell went i n a smal l boat t o Mah6 t o
seek i e l p . ~ e - a r r i v e d t her e on 2 September, and t he S p i t f i r e ' s crew
was rescued by H.M.S. Sybi l l e.
I t i s unl i kel y t h a t t her e has been any permanent set t l ement on
e i t h e r i s l and. There i s a smal l hut on South I s l and, used by fi shermen
and egg col l ect or s , but no-one was l i v i n g t her e i n September 1968.
Afri can Banks have formed pa r t of t he Colony of Seychel l es s i nc e
1903, and were pr evi ousl y under t he admi ni st r at i on of Mar i t i us.
References
Bowdler-Sharpe, R. 1884. Bi r ds. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean dur i ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Al ert "
Coppinger, R. W. 1883. Crui se of t he "Alert". Four years i n Patagonian,
Pol ynesi an, and Mascarene wat ers (1878-82). London: W. Swan
Sonnenschein.
[Coppinger, R. W. , and ot her s . ] 1884. Report on t he zool ogi cal
col l ect i ons made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage
of H.M.S. "Alert" 1881-2. London: Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi st ory)
Horsburgh, J. 1809. Di rect i ons f o r s a i l i n g t o and from t he East I ndi es,
China, New Holland, Cape o f Good Hope, and t he i nt er j acent poi nt s .
Par t first. London: Black, Parry and Kingsbury, 1-397.
Miers, E. J. 1884. Cmst acea. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t h e Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Alert"
Ridley, S. 0. 1884. Spongiida. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons
made i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean duri ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Al ert "
Ridley, M. W. and Percy, R. 1958. The expl oi t at i on of s ea bi r ds i n t he
Seychel l es. Col oni al Res. St udi es, 25.
Rot hschi l d, W. 1915. On t he gi gant i c l and- t or t oi s es of t he Seychel l es
and Aldabra-Madagascar group, wi t h some not es on c e r t a i n forms of
t h e Mascarene group. Novi t at es Zoo1 . 22 : 418-442.
Smith, E. A. 1884. Mollusca. Report on t he zool ogi cal col l ect i ons made
i n t he Indo-Paci fi c Ocean dur i ng t he voyage of H.M.S. "Alert"
1881-2 (Lonion: Br i t i s h Museum), 487-508.
Vesey-FitzGerald, L. D. E. F. 1941. Fur t her cont r i but i ons t o t he
orni t hol ogy of t he Seychel l es I s l ands . I bi s , s e r . 14, 5: 518-531.
19. PLANTS OF AFRICAN BANKS (ILES AFRICAINES)
DACTYLOCTENILIM AEGYPTIUM (L.) Wi l l d.
Southern I . , St oddart & Poore 1434 (K, US).
LEPTURUS REPENS R. Br .
Southern I . , St oddar t 6 Poore 1438 (K).
PASPALUM DISTICHLIM L.
Southern I . , St oddar t 6 Poore 1435 (K).
Southern I . , St oddar t & Poore 1432 (K).
COCOS NUCIFERA L.
Seen by St oddart , 1968.
BOERHAVIA REPENS L.
Southern I . , St oddart & Poore 1431 (K, US).
ACHYRANTHES ASPEPJ. L.
Southern I . , St oddar t & Poore 1437 ( K, US).
Sout hern I . , St oddart & Poore 1439 (K).
PORTULACA cf. OLERACEA L.
Sout hern I . , St oddart & Poore 1436 (K, US).
SURIANA MARITIMA L.
Sout hern I . , St oddart & Poore 1433 (K, US).
SIDA PARVIFOLIA DC.
Southern I . , St oddar t & Poore 1440 (K).
SCAEVOLA TACCADA (Gaertn. ) Roxb.
Seen by St oddart , 1968.
20. AN INTRODUCTION OF STREPTOPELIA PICTURATA
INTO THE AMIRANTES
C. W. Benson
On 23 September 1967 I. S. C. Parker col l ect ed f o r t he National
Museum of Kenya, Nai robi , two specimens of t he Malagasy Turt l edove
St r ept opel i a pi c t ur a t a on St ~ o s e ~ h At ol l , i n t he Gi r i n t e s ( see map
i n Watson e t a l . 1963. 1792. Thanks t o R. H. Carcasson and A. D.
Forbes-Watson, I have.had t he l oan of them, and t hey have been donated
t o t he Br i t i s h Museum (Nat ural Hi s t or y) .
Both a r e sexed as femal es. They have been compared. wi t h mat er i al
of t he grey-headed S. p. p i c t u r a t a (Temminck), of Malagasy, i n t he
Br i t i s h Museum ( Nat ur ai Hi s t or y) , from which i n col our t hey do not
d i f f e r . But i n wing-length (144, 154 mm) t hey a r e smal l er , Benson
(1967, 79) gi vi ng a range of 158-170 (mean 166.7) mm f o r 14 Malagasy
females, 165-177 (mean 172.5)mm f o r 12 Malagasy males. They appear t o
r epr esent a r ecent i nt roduct i on--more l i k e l y a r t i f i c a l t han nat ur al - -
from t he Seychel l es. S. p. p i c t u r a t a was a r t i f i c i a l l y i nt roduced i n t o
t he Seychel l es i n t he zi ngt eent h cent ury, as r ecent l y di scussed by
Penny (1968, 271). I t has t he r e hybr i di sed ext ensi vel y wi t h t he endemic
S. p r o s t r a t a (Bonaparte), which i n addi t i on t o col our - di f f er ences,
-
i nci udi ng a vinous head, i s s mal l er . Thus Benson (1967, 79) gi ves t he
wing-length of two females as 146, 147 mm onl y. Those of Par ker ' s two
specimens suggest t h a t t hey do not r epr esent t r u e S. p. p i c t u r a t a but
- -
a r e t he r e s u l t of some hybr i di s at i on wi t h r o s t r a t a . Some f ur t he r
pa r t i c ul a r s of them a r e as f ol l ows:
Larger specimen
(wing 154 mm)
Weight 135 g
I r i d e s pa l e brown
Skin around eye maroon
B i l l horn-grey, base
deep maroon
Feet d u l l maroon
Smal l er specimen
(wing 144 mm)
110 g
pal e brown
-
pa l e horn-grey, s o f t
p a r t s t i nged maroon
dul l maroon
Informat i on i s very de s i r a bl e on t he ext ent of t h i s i nt r oduct i on
i n t o t he Amirantes, where t her e i s an endemic, vinous-headed, subspeci es,
S. p. s a t u r a t a (Ridgway), di scussed by Benson (1967, 76) . Parker had
-
i n f h e d me t h a t one of t he specimens he col l ect ed was wi t h a vi nous-
headed bi r d. He was on St Joseph At ol l f o r l e s s t han a day, and s o
cannot provi de any i nformat i on on t h e ext ent of t he i nt r oduct i on of
S. p. pi c t ur a t a . There i s no i nformat i on about s a t u r a t a beyond t h a t
-
provided from specimens. W. L. Abbott col l ect ed it i n 1892 on I l e
Poi vre, s l i g h t l y t o t he sout h of St Joseph, and on Alphonse, 47 mi l es
(76 km) sout h of t he Amirantes proper (Ridgway 1895, 517).
References
Bul l . 118: 63-111.
Penny, M. 1968. Endemic bi r ds of t he Seychel l es. Oryx, 9: 267-275.
i s l ands , with not es on habi t s , e t c . , by t he c ol l e c t or . Proc. U.S.
gui de t o t he bi r ds of t he Indi an Ocean. Washington: Smithsonian
I n s t i t u t i o n .
21. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF TROMELIN ISLAND
France Staub
I nt r oduct i on
Location
Tromelin I sl and, a dependency of ~6 u n i o n I s l and, i s l ocat ed a t
1S052' South and 54'25' East , 390 km eas t of Antongil Bay, Madagascar,
and 480 km north-northwest of Maur i t i us. Cargados Caraj os shoal s a r e
about 480 km due e a s t .
Topography
The pear-shaped i s l and measures 1750 meters i n l engt h and about
t hr ee quar t er s of t h i s di s t ance a t i t s gr eat es t width (Paul i an 1955).
I t cons i s t s of cor al sand p i l e d up on a cor al r eef subst rat um r i s i n g
t o an approximate hei ght of s i x met res above t he hi gh wat er mark i n t he
nort hwest ern r egi on. The whole s t r uc t ur e crowns an abr upt l y r i s i n g
submarine cone towering from abyssal depths of about 2500 fathoms. The
i s l and p r o f i l e sl opes gent l y from t he hi ghest poi nt i n t he north-west t o
t he sout h- east . To t he west , a band of r ai s ed r eef of t he "pl at i n"
t ype, met with i n some of t he Cargados Carajos i s l e t s , f r i nges t he beach,
passi ng t o t h e sout h-east i n t o a b e l t of cor al bl ocks pi l e d up by t he
act i on of heavy swel l and br eaker s dri ven by t he t r ade winds. On t he
l e e s i de, sandy beaches occur wi t h formation of smal l sand dunes. Reefs
gi r dl e t he i s l and a t about 150 met res from t he coast and ar e i nt er r upt ed
by a pass opposi t e t he nort h-west ern coas t . Access however t o t he i s l e t
i s r a t h e r d i f f i c u l t and t he l andi ng o f mat er i al f o r t he const r uct i on of t he
met eorol ogi cal s t a t i o n proved a hazardous oper at i on. The a i r s t r i p runs
al ong t he long axi s of t he i s l a nd.
Hi st or y
Tromelin I sl and was f i r s t s i ght ed by Captain Briand de l a ~ e u i l l e ' e
on board t he Diane i n 1722 and was cal l ed Sandy I sl and (Bourde 1934).
-
On t he 21st of November, 1776, t h e Cheval i er de Tromelin s a i l i n g i n
La Dau hi ne and r et ur ni ng from a voyage of expl or at i on t o Madagascar
--Tf-E- re i scovered t he i s l and t o which he gave h i s name. He managed t o pi ck
up t he seven women sur vi vor s from t he s hi p Lt Ut i l e, wrecked i n t he
v i c i n i t y f i f t e e n years bef or e and brought them s af el y back t o Mauri t i us
(Gardiner and Cooper 1907).
. % At ol l Research Bul l et i n No. 136: pp. 197 - 209, 1970.
TROMELI N I SLAND
RED-FOOTED BOOBY
ISSC+I BLUE-FACED BOOBY
FRI GATE BI RD
SCALE
Fig. 10. Tromelin, showing distribution
of breeding bird colonies
0
w
2 0 0 4 0 0 METRZS
-
Climate
I n May 1954, a met eorol ogi cal s t a t i o n was b u i l t on Tromelin I sl and
(Pl at on 1956, Pr e t c e i l l e 1955). I t was enl arged l a t e r . I t i s important
f o r t he a i r and s ea t r a f f i c i n t h i s sout hern pa r t of t he Indi an Ocean
because it i s s i t ua t e d i n t h e cycl one zone of t he Agalega-Cargados
Caraj os regi on where t he t r acks of cyclones of t en assume t h e i r sout hern
cur vat ur e.
The fol l owi ng weather da t a f o r t he peri od 1955-1968, obt ai ned from
t he Met eorol ogi cal Department, ~ &n i o n , through t h e ki ndness of M r .
E. Davy, Di rect or of t he Met eorol ogi cal Department, Mauri t i us, i s given
i n Tabl e 20. An ombrothermic diagram (Fi g. 9) i s al s o i ncl uded
i nt e r pr e t i ng t hese f i gur es fol l owi ng t he method advocated by Bagnouls
and Gaussen (1953). A dry cool season ext endi ng from J ul y t o mid-November
pr e va i l s , followed by unst abl e weather with high pr e c i pi t a t i on duri ng
t he cycl oni c season when t he r a i n f a l l may exceed 190 mm.
Obj ect i ves and des cr i pt i on of v i s i t
The aims of t he v i s i t were mainly t o st udy, wi t hi n t he l i mi t s of
t he very s hor t time avai l abl e, t he avi fauna and veget at i on of t he i s l e t
and t o obt ai n pl ant mat er i al f o r t he Mauri t i us Herbarium.
We landed from t he mi l i t a r y pl ane, which l i nks up Tromelin once every
two months with R6union I sl and, on t he 29th of August 1968 a t about
9.30 a.m. and l e f t t he next day a t 2.15 p.m. having enjoyed t he
h o s p i t a l i t y and comfort abl e quar t er s of t he met eorol ogi cal s t a t i o n . In
s p i t e of occasi onal showers pas s i ng over wi t h t he sout heast t r a de winds,
about f i f t e e n hours f i e l d work were accomplished. A s hor t 8 mm f i l m
on Kodachrome I 1 was made of t h e nes t i ng bi r d col oni es and a f a i r amount
of photographs both i n col our and i n black and whi t e were obt ai ned.
Or ni t hol ogi cal observat i ons and col l ect i on of pl ant specimens were made,
wi t h s peci al r ef er ence t o s t udi es by previ ous v i s i t o r s .
Previ ous s t udi es a t Tromelin I s l and
I n November 1953, R. Paul i an v i s i t e d t he i s l and, t oget her with a
par t y from Madagascar who came t o st udy t he p o s s i b i l i t i e s of bui l di ng
a weather s t a t i o n t her e. During h i s two-day v i s i t , he s t udi ed t he
ent omol ogi cal fauna and l i s t e d 28 i ns ect speci es (Paul i an 1955).
Following t he er ect i on of t he pr es ent s t a t i o n i n May 1954, E. Brygoo
accompanied t he f i r s t r e l i e vi ng par t y i n November of t he same year . He
r i nged a hundred Red-footed Boobies and l a t e r publ i shed h i s observat i ons
on t h e avi fauna (Brygoo 1955). On t he 23rd February, 1962, R. 0. Morris
on board H.M.S. Owen pai d a b r i e f v i s i t t o t he i s l and and subsequent l y
-
publ i shed a r epor t about i t s avi f auna (Morris 1964).
Tabl e 20. Met eor ol ogi cal d a t a , mean mont hl y f i g u r e s 1955-1968, Tromel i n
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY J UN. J U L . AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.
Ra i n f a l l , mm 175. 8 146. 0 193. 3 109. 3 68. 0 53. 3 61. 8 46. 8 33. 2 29.2 50. 3 78. 1
Number of r a i n y
days p e r month 12 14 15 12 10 11 12 12 9 7 6 10
Maximum
t emper at ur e "C 30. 0 30. 0 29. 9 29. 3 28.2 26. 9 25. 9 25. 8 26.4 27. 3 28. 3 29. 7
Minimum
t emper at ur e O C 25. 0 25. 3 25. 1 24. 7 23. 5 22. 1 21. 1 20. 8 21. 3 22.2 23. 6 24. 8
Pr e s s ur e at s e a
l e v e l ( mi l l i b a r s ) 1010. 4 1009. 5 1010. 7 1012. 0 1014. 5 1016. 8 1017. 7 1018. 1 1017. 6 1016. 7 1014. 4 1012. 3
Humidity % 8 2 82 83 82 80 82 82 82 82 8 1 82 81
I n s o l a t i o n
( hour s) ( pe r i od
1960-1968) 254. 5 235. 6 244. 2 244. 4 247.2 234. 4 228. 7 233. 6 250. 1 268.5 272.2 292. 0
Vegetation
The veget at i on cons i s t s mainly of two communities as shown i n Pl at e
45. These ar e: (1) A Tour nef or t i a argent ea L. f . shrubbery, one ha l f t o
one metre hi gh, ext endi ng around t he i s l and but becoming more s cat t er ed
towards t he cent r e, t ha t i s, al ong both s i des of t he a i r s t r i p . Towards
t he nort h-west ern end, some Tournefort i a t r e e s may reach two and a hal f
met res, (2) an herb-mat cons i s t i ng mostly of Boerhavia di f f us a L. along
wi t h s cat t er ed col oni es of Si da c f . grewioides Cui l l . e t . Per r . , wi t h
occasi onal clumps of ~ o r t u l a c a o l e r a c e a L. The f i r s t pl ant t o col oni se
t he a i r s t r i p a f t e r weeding i s us ual l y t he speci es of - Si da mentioned above.
R. Paul i an not ed t h e r a r e occurrence of Achyranthes aspera L. and
Ipomoea pes-caprae L. but we di d not f i nd t he two pl ant s duri ng our s hor t
v i s i t . The presence of r a bbi t s r ecent l y i nt roduced and now f e r a l , may
account f o r t he absence o r r a r i t y of t hes e speci es which a r e very common
on Cargados Carajos 480 km due East , from where bi r ds , wind, and cur r ent s
could probably t r ans por t t o Tromelin a suppl y of seeds o r t or n s t r ands .
About a dozen coconut t r e e s have been i nt roduced and pl ant ed al ong t he
t r ack t o t h e met eorol ogi cal s t a t i o n .
Marine fauna
In t he s hor t time avai l abl e, it was not pos s i bl e t o st udy i n any
d e t a i l t he marine fauna. However, t r acks l e f t by t u r t l e s coming t o l ay
t h e i r eggs were qui t e f r equent on t he nort hern beaches and t hes e were
s a i d t o be mostly green t u r t l e s (Chelonia mydas L.) by t he s t a f f members.
The Hawksbill or Caret (Eretmochelys i mbri cat a L.) was r epor t ed t o be
s car cer . The capt ure of a J ackf i s h (Caranx sp. ) on hook and l i n e was
wi t nessed on t he e a s t coast of t he i s l and. The smal l ext ent of t he
lagoon and t he r api d deepening of t he wat ers out si de t h e r eef would
possi bl y not s us t ai n a r i c h l y var i ed marine l i f e . Pel agi c f i s h would
probably be more of t en encount ered.
Fauna ot her t han bi r ds
A few rats were seen hi di ng i n t he shade of t he Tour nef or t i a bushes
duri ng t he day. R. Paul i an not es t h a t r a t s (Rat t us norvegi cus L. ) and
mice (Mus musculatus L. ) were swarming i n t he sout hern pa r t of t he i s l and
i n 1953. We found t h a t t h e i r number seemed t o have been very much
reduced, probably due t o pes t cont r ol . There were however qui t e a number
of r a bbi t s a l l over t h e i s l and, congregat i ng on t h e more pr ot ect ed
nor t her n s i de.
Great numbers of hermi t -crabs, housed mostly i n t he s h e l l s of - Turbo
argyrostomus L. were observed at dusk climbing t he Tour nef or t i a shrubs.
They preyed upon t he c a t e r p i l l a r s of an i ns e c t , Ut et hei sa pul chel l oi des
Hampson (sensu Jordan 1938), which were themselves act i vel y feedi ng
on l eaves of t he l a t t e r pl ant s .
I ns ect s of Tromelin
The fol l owi ng l i s t r ecor ds t he i ns ect s known from t he i s l e t and was
ki ndl y compiled by Mr. Raymond Mamet, Sugar I ndust r y Research I n s t i t u t e ,
Mauri t i us :
Collembola
One undetermined s peci es .
Thysanura
One undetermined speci es
Per i pl anet a americana L. (cosmopolitan)
Bl a t t a o r i e n t a l i s L. ( t r opi copol i t an)
Symploie sp.
Embioptera
Oligotoma saundersi Westw. under bark of Tour nef or t i a (cosmopolitan)
I s opt er a
Cryptotermes domesticus Hav. (Ceylon, East ern Indi an Ocean and
Pa c i f i c Ocean up t o Panama)
Psocopt era
One undetermined s peci es .
Hemivtera
Creont i ades pal l i dus Ramb. (Cont i nent al Af r i ca, Arabia, Madagascar,
Mediterranean regi on)
St enarus l eucochi l us Reut er on Tour nef or t i a (East Af r i ca, Pemba
I s l ands , Madagascar, Mauri t i us)
Geocoris i ns ul a r i s China (endemic)
Pi ct i nus paul i ani China on Tour nef or t i a (endemic)
Homopt e r a
Igerna bi macul i col l i s St 21 on Tour nef or t i a (South Af r i ca,
Kilimandi ar o . Madanascar1
-
Pul vi nar i a t r omel i ni Mamet on Achyranthes asper a (endemic)
Col eopt era
Cratopus adspersus Wat. on Tour nef or t i a (Amirantes, Chagos, Coetivy,
Seychel l es, Farquhar, Cargados Caraj os, Aldabra, Astove, Cosmoledo,
Assumvtion. Maldives)
Dryot ri bus mimeticus Horn on dead wood of Tour nef or t i a ( Fl or i da,
West I ndi es, Galapagos, Hawaii, Adkle and Nyew Tyew I s l ands , North
Western ~ u s t r a l i a , ~ h e k i a n ~ )
Stephanoderes vul gar i s Schauf. on dead wood of Tour nef or t i a
(Madagascar)
Hymenoptera
Pheidole mevaceohala F. (wide di s t r i but i on1
a A
Apanteles sp. near - sphi ngi vorus Granger. A p a r a s i t e of Ut et hei sa
(Lepid .) (Madagascar)
Lepidoptera
Ut et hei sa pul chel l oi des Hampson (sensu Jordan 1938) on Tour nef or t i a
(Afri ca, throughout Indi an Ocean up t o Gi l ber t I s l s . )
Loxostege c o e l a t a l i s Walk. (Ceylon)
Di pt era
Sichopogon r egi nal di ~ Lg u y (endemic)
Orni t hoct ona p l i c a l i l i s van Ol f er s . Host: probabl y f r i g a t e bi r ds
(Mauri t i us, Phi l i ppi nes , New Hebrides, Samoa, Comoros, Madagascar)
Sarcophaga spi nosa Vi l l n. (Mediterranean regi on)
Sarcophaga sp .
Acant honot i phi l a s c o t t i S6guy on i nf l or escences of Tour nef or t i a
(endemic)
Hi ppel at es l ongi s et a Lamb. on i nf l or escences of Tour nef or t i a
(Seychel l es, Amirantes, Cargados Carajos)
Si phuncul i na s i gnat a Woll. (Madeira, Cargados Caraj os) .
Bi rds
-
A t our time of v i s i t , t he bi r d popul at i on of Tromelin I s l and
comprised t he fol l owi ng ne s t i ng speci es: t he Red-footed Booby, t he Masked
or Blue-faced Booby and t h e Great Fr i gat e Bi rd.
Sul a s u l a r ubr i pes
--
Red-footed Booby
In 1954, E. Brygoo not ed about 200 nes t i ng p a i r s s cat t er ed on t he
Tour nef or t i a bushes, some ne s t i ng al ongsi de t h e Fr i gat es . O f 100 nes t s
i nspect ed, two t h i r d s were occupied by t he "white" form, t h e r e s t by t he
"brown and white" form. R. 0. Morris i n February counted from 150 t o
300 i ndi vi dual s . In August 1968, our est i mat es f o r t he nor t her n h a l f
of t h e i s l and as assessed by t he census of occupied ne s t s al ong 100 x 5
metres of t he Tour nef or t i a b e l t were about 300 p a i r s , compared wi t h 200
pa i r s f o r t he sout hern h a l f ( Fi g. 10). About one t h i r d of t h e observed
bi r ds were of t he "brown and white" form. I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o not e
t h a t R. Newton (1958) found about 4 per cent nes t i ng "brown" forms on
I l e Al bat ros a t Cargados Caraj os i n January 1956, i n an over al l popul at i on
of t hr ee hundred. I t i s a p i t y he di d not descr i be t h i s form, as Red-
f oot ed Boobies have now di sappeared t her e probabl y through t h e depredat i ons
of f e r a l c a t s . Our di scovery of a pa i r of t he "white" form r oos t i ng on
South I s l and of t he Cargados Caraj os, i n Apri l 1968 might suggest t he
p o s s i b i l i t y of r ecol oni s at i on from Tromelin I s l and.
As t o t h e i r nes t i ng ha bi t s , t he Red-footed Boobies of Tromelin
bui l d on t op t he Tour nef or t i a bushes. Nests a r e two t h i r d s t o one
metre apar t and made up of Boerhavia st r ands wi t h a l i n i n g of Tour nef or t i a
l eaves on which t he egg i s deposi t ed. Brygoo i n 1954 found t he l i ni ng
t o have been of Ipomoea pes-caprae l eaves. A few egg measurements were
t aken. In s p i t e of t he meagre da t a obt ai ned, t he eggs from t he "brown
and white" form do appear more sl ender as shown by t he f i gur es given below:
Eggs under "white"
form
-
cm
Colour var i at i on
A l l t he forms of t he v e r s a t i l e Red-footed Booby were observed, from
naked o r f l u f f y chi ck t ha t looked a s bi g a s i t s par ent , t o t he two adul t
forms. I t might prove us ef ul t o descr i be i t s morphology i n t he l i g h t
of previ ous s t udi es made on t h i s same speci es by Nelson (1968) a s
occur r i ng i n t he Galapagos on Tower I s l and. There t hey ne s t , about two
met res di s t a nt from one anot her, on t he Cryptocarpus shrubs.
A t Tromelin t he fol l owi ng var i at i ons i n plumage occur a s f ol l ows:
Chick: naked, l a t e r covered wi t h f l u f f y white down.
Juveni l e: has fl edged t o chocol at e brown form. B i l l bl ack, f e e t dark
khaki, eyes c l e a r yel l ow.
Fi r s t adul t form: Golden brown above, l i ght brown beneath, back st r eaked
wi t h white t o a l l degrees. Rump, t a i l and underpart o f t a i l pure
whi t e. B i l l now t urned bl ue. The f l eshy pa r t of t he head deep
pi nk. Eyes dark brown. The head i s t i nt e d a golden hue. The
f e e t now br i ght r ed. The gul ar spot i s bl ack.
Second adul t form: A l l white plumage wi t h bl ack pr i mar i es. Head suffused
wi t h yellow. Fleshy p a r t o f t he head, b i l l and f e e t a s of first
adul t form. The gul ar s pot i s vel vet y bl ack.
The speci es a t Tromelin a s descri bed above seems very much l i k e
i t s Galapagos count er par t . I t i s onl y i n t he f i r s t adul t form t h a t
di f f er ences occur as t o plumage col our at i on, t he Tower I sl and fi rst
adul t form bei ng bas i cal l y brown sometimes with white scapul ar markings
(Nelson 1968). The quest i on whether t he fi rst "brown" adul t form
completes i t s change t o t he second "white" adul t form i s s t i l l uncer t ai n.
Thi s would r equi r e continuous observat i on of ri nged bi r ds i n t he f i e l d f or
a number of year s ( Pl at e 44).
Ski ns from a "j uveni l e brown" and a "brown and white" form were
prepared and l a t e r present ed t o t he Mauri t i us I n s t i t u t e , Por t Louis.
Thei r measurements ar e given below:
Culmen
Tai 1
Wing
Tarsus
Weight (g)
' 2 "j uveni l e brownf' 9 "brown and white"
cm cm
Feeding
We not ed t h a t t he chi cks and j uveni l es r egur gi t at ed mainly f l yi ng
f i s h when di st ur bed j us t as t hey di d a t t he Galapagos a s not ed by Nelson.
Rich f i s hi ng grounds i n t he v i c i n i t y of Tromelin I s l and e x i s t f or t hese
bi r ds and R. 0 . Morris not i ced t ha t they were very a c t i ve onl y twenty
mi l es away.
Sul a da c t yl a t r a melanops "Blue-faced Booby"
This speci es occupied about f i f t y nes t s i t e s s cat t er ed along bot h
t he nort h and sout h of t he a i r s t r i p near t he c e nt r a l p a r t of t he i s l and
a s shown i n Fig. 10. Few eggs were seen, two i n a nes t bei ng more
common than one. About f i f t e e n chi cks, j us t hat ched o r wi t h down, were
bei ng at t ended by a par ent . They were obvi ousl y h a l f way through t he
of f peri od season when breedi ng i s a t i t s l owest . No j uveni l es were
observed and t he maj or i t y of t he colony was apparent l y keeping t o t he
hi gh seas feedi ng. As a t t he Cargados Carajos t he peak per i od of
reproduct i on i s probabl y from November t o March as r epor t ed by previ ous
v i s i t o r s .
The "meeting ceremony" o f t he male r el i evi ng a female wi t h chi ck
was fi l med while t hey jabbed a t each ot her bef or e assuming t he " par al l el
st andi ng" i l l u s t r a t e d and descri bed by Nelson a t t he Galapagos. Like t he
Red-footed Boobies, t hey were at t acked and robbed of t h e i r food bol us by
t he Fr i gat e Bi rds.
Fregat a minor "Great Fr i gat e Bird"
Although both s peci es of t he of t en associ at ed Fr i gat e bi r ds , F.
minor and F. a r i e l i r e d a l e i , have been noted f l yi ng over Tromelin El a n d
by 0. MTrris i n February 1962, only one speci es, F. minor was not i ced
j us t s t a r t i n g i t s nes t i ng season. On t h i s l a t e ~ u ~ u s t visit i n 1968,
t he males had an extended gul ar pouch, a few eggs had al r eady been l a i d.
In t he Cargados Caraj os F. a r i e l i r e da l e i was observed s t a r t i n g i t s
nes t i ng i n l a t e Apr i l (Staub acd Gu6ho 1968) a t t he onset of t he dry cool
season. F. minor s t a r t s probabl y l a t e r t her e. The j uveni l es of bot h
- -
speci es were near l y a l l gone from t he breedi ng grounds by April-May t he
fol l owi ng year . I t i s s ur pr i s i ng t ha t l i vi ng i n i de nt i c a l cl i mat es,
t he F. a r i e l i r e d a l e i of Tromelin I sl and had not s e t t o breedi ng. by l a t e
- -
Table 22. Breeding b i r d s and occasi onal v i s i t o r s , Tromelin
E. Brygoo R.O.Morris F. St aub
Nov. 1954 Feb. 1962 Aug.1968
Breeding Birds
Fr egat i dae
Fr egat a a r i e l i r e d a l e i Lesser
Fr i gat e b i r d
~ r e g a t a minor Great Fr i gat e
b i r d
Sul i dae
Sul a da c t yl a t r a melanops
Blue-faced Booby
Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes Red-footed
--
Booby
Migrants and occasi onal v i s i t o r s
Lari dae
St er na dougal l i Roseate Tern X ?
Er ol i a t e s t a c e a Curlew Sand-Pi per X ?
Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel
Phoeni copt eri dae
Phoeni copt eros sp . Flamingo X
N. B. X i d e n t i f i e d speci es
X ? uni dent i f i ed s peci es
Acknowledgments
We a r e gr at ef ul t o M r . Edwin Davy, di r e c t or of t he Met eorol ogi cal
Ser vi ces , Mauri t i us, whose hel p made t he v i s i t pos s i bl e, t o Mr . Trendel ,
Di r ect or of t h e t gun ion Met eorol ogi cal Servi ces and t o Mr. Malik,
a s s i s t a nt - di r e c t or , who made arrangements f o r t he j ourney. Our t hanks
a r e due t o D r . R. E. Vaughan, Curat or of t he Mauri t i us Herbarium f o r
hel pf ul suggest i ons, t o M r . R. Mamet from t he Mauri t i us Sugar Research
I n s t i t u t e who compiled t he l i s t of i ns e c t s and t o Mr. J . ~ u 6 h o who has
ki ndl y pl ot t ed t he ombrothermic curve from t he met eorol ogi cal dat a and
drawn t he sket ch map.
References
Alexander, W. B. 1928. Bi rds of t he ocean. A handbook f o r voyagers.
London.
Bagnouls, F. and Gaussen, H. 1953. Sai son s&he e t i ndi ce xerothermique
Bul l . Soc. Hi s t . Nat. Toulouse 88: 193-239.
Bourde de l a Rogerie, H. 1934. Les,Bretons aux I l e s de France e t de
Bourbon au xvl'Ieme e t au X V I I I ~ ~ ~ s i e c l e s . Rennes, Imp. Obert hur.
Brygoo, E. 1955. Observat i ons s ur l e s oi seaux de Tromelin. Le
Nat ur al i s t e Malgache, 7 ( 2) : 209-214.
China, W. E. 1955. Hemiptera of t he I sl and of Tromelin. Le Nat ur al i s t e
Malgache, 7: 13-18.
Gardiner, J. S. and Cooper, C. F. 1907. Descri pt i on of t he Expedi t i on,
11. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, s e r . 2, Zool., 1 2 : 111-175 (foot -not e
p. 127, by ~ b b 6 Rochon) .
Mamet, J. R. 1956. Mi scel l aneous Coccid s t udi e s (Homoptera). 3. A new
speci es of Coccoidea from Tromelin I s l and. Le Nat ur al i s t e Malgache,
8: 138-140.
Morris, R. 0. 1964. Sea Swallow 16: 76-77.
Nelson, B. 1968. Galapagos, i s l ands of bi r ds . Lon@.~ans, London.
Newton, R. 1958. Or ni t hol ogi cal not es on Mauri t i us and t he Cargados
Carajos Archi pel ago. Proc. R . Soc. Arts. Sc i . Mauri t . 2: 39-71
Paul i an, R. 1955. Observat i ons s ur l a faune t e r r e s t r e de l ' l l e Tromelin.
Le Nat ur al i s t e Malgache, 7 (1): 1-18.
Pl at on, P . 1956. A 1 ' I l e Tromelin. Rev. Madagascar, 26: 46-58.
Pocklington, R. 1965. Bi rds seen on Coco I s l and, Cargados Caraj os
Shoals, Indi an Ocean. The I bi s , 107: 387.
Pr e t c e i l l e , M. 1955. Pe t i t e s Ties qui deviennent grandes. Geographia,
48: 33-36.
&guy, E. 1955. ~ i ~ t k r e s de 1 ' I l e Tromelin. Le Nat ur al i s t e Malgache, 7:
8-12.
Staub, F. and G U ~ ~ O , J. 1968. The Cargados Caraj os Shoal s o r St . Brandon:
Resources, avi fauna and veget at i on. Proc. R. Soc. A r t s . Sci . Maurit.
3( 1) : 7-46.
44. -- Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes: chi ck wi t h "brown and white" par ent s
45. -- Sul a s u l a r ubr i pes : chi ck near l y fl edged t o "brown" j uveni l e form
46. Sul a s u l a r ubr i pes : "brown" j uveni l e
--
47. Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes: adul t "brown and white" form wi t h few whi t e
--
scapul ar markings.
48. Sula sula rubripes: adult "brown and white" form with back nearly
--
white
49. Sula sula rubripes: adult "white" form
--
52.
Male and f our females of Fregat a minor wi t h Red-footed Booby i n
f l i g h t
53. Nesting colony of Fregat a minor and Sul a s ul a r ubr i pes near
--
a i r s t r i p , wi t h Tour nef or t i a t hi c ke t s and herb-mat veget at i on
22. SOME ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
FROM THE WESTERN I NDI AN OCEAN
I . S. C. Parker
I nt r oduct i on
These records were obt ai ned whi l e making a col l ect i on of oceani c
bi r ds f o r t he Nat i onal Museum of Kenya (formerl y t he Coryndon Museum).
They were made i n September and October 1967 when I accompanied t he
East Afri can Marine Fi s her i es Research Organi zat i on' s ves s el Manihine
on r out i ne cr ui s e no. 270. Thi s proceeded more o r l e s s d i r e c t l y between
t he poi nt s l i s t e d below:
Depart Arri ve
September 14
22
23
24
26
28
2 9
October 3
6
8
9
Mombas a September 21 Remire (Amirantes)
Remire 22 D' Arros (Amirantes)
D' Arros t o S t Joseph (Amirantes) t o D' Arros (Amirantes)
D' Arros September 24 Desroches
Desroches 26 Mahk (Seychel l es)
Mahe 28 Coetivy
Coetivy October 2 Farquhar
Farquha: 5 Cosmoledo
Cosmoledo 7 Astove
Astove 8 Assumption and Aldabra
Aldabra 12 Latham I s l and, o f f t he
East Afri can coast 97
km sout h of Zanzibar
Methods
While a t s ea a di scont i nuous watch was kept f o r bi r ds and t h i s
covered most dayl i ght hours. Where pos s i bl e, specimens t h a t came cl os e
t o t he s hi p were col l ect ed. The oppor t uni t y was a l s o t aken t o c o l l e c t
bi r ds on t he i s l ands v i s i t e d , though t he t i me spent was t oo s hor t t o
permi t more t han cursory r ecor ds t o be made. Once a b i r d had been
col l ect ed, it was l abel l ed, s eal ed i n a polythene t ube, and deep-frozen
The col l ect i on was kept i n t h i s s t a t e u n t i l a r r i v a l a t Nai robi , where
specimens were thawed and ski nned.
Nomenclature fol l ows Watson e t a l . (1963).
Li s t of s peci es seen and/ or col l ect ed
Oceani t es oceani cus (Kuhl)
Two s i ght i ngs , one a t l a t . OSOO'S, l ong. 4S030'E on 19 September
1967, and t he ot her a t 04' 40' S, 54' 20tE, were bel i eved t o be t h i s
s peci es .
Puffinus paci f i cus Gmel .
A t o t a l of 13 were seen a t s e a between 4' 02' 5, 47'40'E and OSOO'S,
52"50tE, but none were seen i n t he immediate v i c i n i t y of Remire I s l and.
They were numerous around D' Arros and St Joseph At ol l and breedi ng on
Fouquet I s l and of t he l a t t e r group. They were seen f r equent l y a t s e a
between Desroches and Mahg and between ~ a h 6 and Coetivy. They became
pr ogr essi vel y l e s s numerous en r out e from Coetivy t o Farquhar, and t he
l a s t was seen a t approximately 09"501S, 5135' E. Three specimens were
obt ai ned a t St Joseph, comprising one male and two femal es. Both females
were t aken from nes t i ng burrows. Of t hese, one had r ecent l y l a i d , t he
egg bei ng col l ect ed, but t he ot her di d not appear t o be i n breedi ng
condi t i on, t he ovar i es bei ng very smal l . Thi s suggest s t h a t non-breeding
bi r ds a l s o frequent t he nes t i ng grounds. The male col l ect ed had enl arged
gonads. The nes t i ng ground v i s i t e d on Fouquet was s i t ua t e d i n t he midst
of a coconut pl ant at i on and covered t he gr e a t e r p a r t of t he i s l and.
Burrows were seldom more t han 4 f t ( 1. 3 m) i n l engt h or 1 f t ( 0. 3 m) i n
depth a t t he deepest poi nt . They were s o cl os e t oget her t h a t walking
across t he colony was rendered d i f f i c u l t . For t he gr eat er p a r t , burrow
ent r ances were i n t h e open, but some were conceal ed under f a l l e n palm
fronds o r p i l e s of coconut husks. The i s l a n d ' s human i nhabi t ant s s t a t e d
t ha t t he breedi ng season was October t o December and t h a t annual l y a t
l e a s t 600 ne s t l i ngs were t aken a s r a t i ons . They a l s o s t a t e d t h a t t he
continued exi st ence of t he nes t i ng colony was e n t i r e l y due t o t he complete
absence of r a t s on t h i s p a r t i c u l a r i s l and. When caught t he two specimens
taken from burrows made a goat l i ke b l e a t . Stomach cont ent s of one
comprised a few cephalopod beaks, t he second cont ai ned a few f i s h bones,
while t he t h i r d was empty.
Puffi nus l her mi ni er i Less.
Sever al were seen on 23 Seotember 1. 6 km nor t h of D' Arros. and a
few we;e seen a t s ea between ~ e s r o c h e s and Mah;. Some 24 were. seen sout h
of Mahe wi t hi n 65 km of t he i s l and.
Phaethon l ept ur us LacBp . and Daudin
A mature male i n non-breedinn condi t i on was t aken a t 4"O'S. 44'40'E.
-
Another was seen a t 4'25'5, 4S00' E, and two were seen a t 4'3S1E, 500' E.
A l l t hese bi r ds seen a t s e a were f l yi ng i n an e a s t e r l y di r ect i on. On
land f our were recorded on Remire i s l a nd, and s i x on Resource I s l and of
St Joseph At ol l on 23 September. Several were seen a t Aldabra. The
stomach cont ent s of t he one col l ect ed were bot h f i s h and cephalopod
remains.
Sul a l eucogast er Bodd.
One specimen was secured on Cosmoledo and anot her on Latham I s l and.
Small numbkrs were seen of f Farquhar, Cosmoledo and Aldabra a t o l l s and
around Astove. They were numerous a t Latham I sl and where a smal l number
were nes t i ng. Young were pr es ent i n a l l s t ages from newly hat ched t o
f u l l y f l edged. Some bi r ds were broodi ng. Both specimens t aken were
females i n nonbreeding condi t i on. The stomach of one was f u l l of
gast ropods.
Sul a s ul a (Li nn. )
--
Thi s s peci es was common around Cosmoledo, Astove, Assumption and
Aldabra where it was by f a r t he most numerous booby. I t was a l s o
recorded a t s e a a t approximately 4' 25' S, 4g00' E, i n company wi t h Sooty
Terns St er na f us cat a. One immature was col l ect ed a t t he l a t t e r pos i t i on,
two more a t s ea of f Farquhar At ol l , and two mature males were t aken
a t Cosmoledo. One of t he l a t t e r was i n breedi ng condi t i on. Both mature
bi r ds had empty stomachs, but a l l t h r e e immatures cont ai ned f i s h remai ns.
Sul a da c t yl a t r a Less.
Sever al immatures were seen a t s e a a t approximately 04'25'S,
5020' E, of which one was col l ect ed. Several mature bi r ds were a l s o
seen at s e a at 4'40'5, 5130' E, of which one was a l s o col l ect ed. On
bot h occasi ons t hey were accompanied by many St er na f us cat a. Off
Astove I s l and t hr e e matures were seen and t hey were very numerous around
and on Latham I s l and. As with Sul a l eucogast er t hey were breedi ng, and
i n a l l s t ages from newly l a i d eggs t o f u l l y fl edged young. Thi s was
t he most numerous of t he two boobi es. Nests of bot h s peci es were
i nt ermi xed. The mature male t aken a t Latham I s l and had enl arged gonads,
anot her two col l ect ed a t s ea were not i n breedi ng condi t i on. The
stomach of t he Latham I sl and specimen cont ai ned some twenty cephalopod
beaks, one of t he ot her had cephalopod beaks and f i s h bones, whi l e t he
t h i r d was empty.
Fregat a minor Gmel.
Thi s s peci es was seen on a l l i s l ands v i s i t e d except Mah;. Si ngl e
bi r ds were occasi onal l y seen a t s e a between 4"01S, 44"401E and Remire
I s l and. A mature male i n f u l l br eedi ng condi t i on was t aken 320 km
-
west of Remire. An immature was t aken on St Joseph. Stomachs of bot h
were empty.
Fregat a a r i e l (Gray)
Seen on a l l i s l ands except Mah6 wi t h F. minor. None were seen a t
sea, but t h i s might be due t o mi s i d e n t i f i c Z t i o n t h t h e l a t t e r .
Ardea ci ner ea Linn.
A t o t a l of t hr ee were seen a t Remire I s l and, 15 on St Joseph At ol l ,
one on Goel et t e I s l and, Farquhar At ol l , t hr e e a t Astove, of which two
were r ecent l y fl edged, and t hey were numerous a t Cosmoledo and Aldabra.
(1968) makes a s i mi l a r observat i on on Desnoeufs I s l and, An~i rant es.
There were fewer immature noddi es on t he ground, but t hey outnumbered
St er na f us cat a i n t he a i r . Goth speci es were very tame. The Farquhar
i s l ander s t ake a t l e a s t 1000 eggs annual l y from t h i s t er ner y and
probably many more. Another l ar ge colony was recorded on Wizard I s l and,
Cosmoledo At ol l . Here a l l had f l edged, and t he r e wcre very few young
about . There was l i t t l e evidence of t he massive mor t al i t y recorded
from Farquhar. A t o t a l of f our specimens were t aken, one from Remire
and t hr ee from Farquhar. None were i n breedi ng condi t i on. A l l stomach
cont ent s were f i s h remains.
St er na anaet het us Scop.
-.
This speci es was very numerous on Remire I s l and, hmi rant es, and was
seen on D7&ros and St ~ o i e ~ h , hmi rant es. I t was not recorded el sewhere.
A t o t a l of four was obt ai ned on Remire. Of t hes e one had s l i g h t l y
enl arged t e s t e s , t he ot her s were i nact i ve. Stomach cont ent s were
e n t i r e l y f i s h remains.
St er na sumatrana Raf f l es
One specimen was seen on Resource I s l and, S t Joseph At ol l , and 50
were seen on Goel et t e, Farquhar At ol l . Two specimens were col l ect ed on
Goel et t e, one of which, a female, was i n breedi ng condi t i on. Stomach
cont ent s were e n t i r e l y f i s h remains.
Gygis al ba (Sparrm.)
--
Recorded as verv common on Remire. D' Arros. St Josoeh and Desroches
(Amirantes) as wel l as on Cosmoledo, Astove and Al dabra. A number were
seen 65 km out t o s e a between blah& and Coet i vy. A l l f our specimens
were taken on Remire. A l l were i n breedi ng condi t i on. Stomach cont ent s
of a l l were f i s h remains i n which a Sar di nel l a s p. was recogni sed.
Anous s t ol i dus (Li nn. )
This speci es was recorded from every i s l and v i s i t e d , and was of t en
seen up t o 65 km from l and. I t was pa r t i c ul a r l y numerous around t he
Amirantes and was breedi ng on Goel et t e I s l and, Farquhar, as descri bed
i n t he s ect i on on St er na f us cat a above. A l l t hr ee specimens were t aken
a t Remire. One was a male and two were femal es, none obvi ousl y i n breed-
i ng condi t i on. I n two t he stomachs were empty and one cont ai ned smal l
f i s h .
Anous t e nui r os t r i s (Temm.)
Only recorded from Remire I s l and, where it was by f a r t h e most
common bi r d. On t h e west ern s i d e of t he i s l and it was pr esent i n such
numbers t h a t t he ei ght specimens were t aken wi t h a shot i nt ended f o r one.
I t is of i n t e r e s t t h a t a l l ei ght were females wi t h very smal l ovar i es .
Though more l i ke l y coi nci dence, it i s pos s i bl e t h a t t he speci es exhi bi t s
some segregat i on of sexes when not breedi ng. The stomachs of a l l but one
cont ai ned smal l f i s h .
St r ept opel i a p i c t u r a t a (Temm.)
Some were seen on D'Arros and St Joseph (Amirantes) but were nowhere
numerous. The maj or i t y of t hose seen were as s oci at ed with t he smal l
pat ches of nat i ve veget at i on. Two femal es were t aken. These a r e
di scussed by Benson (1970a).
Geopelia s t r i a t a (Linn. )
Thi s s peci es i s common on North I s l and, Farquhar At ol l . One male
was col l ect ed i n breedi ng condi t i on.
Foudia madagascari ensi s (Linn. )
This s peci es was t he only pas s er i ne seen on Remire I sl and, and was
numerous on D' Arros, Resource and St Joseph At ol l . One t aken on Remire
was i n non-breeding dr es s wi t h onl y a few red f eat her s on t h e head, and
one from St Joseph was i n breedi ng plumage wi t h a l i t t l e ol i ve on t h e
nape.
Passer domesticus (Linn. )
This i nt roduced speci es i s very common on D' Arros, Resource and St
Joseph At ol l . A female was col l ect ed a t t he l a t t e r l o c a l i t y .
Ci s t i c ol a cher i na (Smith)
This speci es was numerous on Menai I s l and, Cosmoledo At ol l , and on
Astove. ~ h r e e males were col l ect ed on Menai I s l and, and two males on
Astove. For a f u l l di scussi on of specimens of t h i s and t h e next two
s peci es , see Benson (1970b).
Nect ar i ni a sovimanga (Gmel .)
The one s peci es was recorded on Menai I s l and of Cosmoledo At ol l ,
Astove, ~ s s u m~ i i o n and Aldabra, and appeared t o be t he only Nect ar i ni a
speci es on t he s e i s l ands . Ten specimens of N. s. buchenorum (Williams)
- -
were col l ect ed on Menai I sl and and Astove.
Zosterops maderaspatana (Linn .)
Thi s s peci es was observed on Astove (onl y s i x specimens seen) and
on ~l da br a , - whe r e it appeared numerous. The two specimens col l ect ed
were obt ai ned on Astove.
Corvus al bus Muller
No at t empt was made t o secur e specimens of t h i s s peci es . However
a p a i r was recorded on Menai ~ s l a n d , ~ ~ o s mo l e d o , anothe; on Astove, s i x
i ndi vi dual s were seen on Assumption, and a t l e a s t 24 duri ng t he s hor t
s t a y on Aldabra.
Weights
When i t di d not i n t e r f e r e wi t h ot her s c i e n t i s t s ' a c t i v i t i e s
specimens were weighed before f r eezi ng. I t was not pos s i bl e t o weigh
every specimen, but t he fol l owi ng t a b l e gi ves t he r ecor ds made; wei ght s
Ref er ences
Bai l ey, R. S. 1968. The pe l a gi c d i s t r i b u t i o n of s e a - b i r d s i n t he
west er n Indi an Ocean. I b i s , 110: 493-519.
Benson, C. W. 1970a. An i nt r oduc t i on of St r e pt ope l i a p i c t u r a t g i n t o
t he Amirantes. At ol l Res. Bu l l . , t h i s i s s ue .
- - - - - - - - - - 1970b. Land ( i nc l udi ng shor e) b i r d s of Cosmoledo. At ol l Res.
Bul l . , t h i s i s s ue .
Moreau, R. E. 1940. Cont r i but i on t o t he or ni t hol ogy o f t he East Af r i can
i s l a nds . I b i s , s e r . 14, 4: 48-91.
Watson, G. E . , Zusi , R . L . , and St or e r , R. E. 1963. Pr el i mi nar y f i e l d
gui de t o t he b i r d s of t he I ndi an Ocean. Washington: Smi t hsoni an
I n s t i t u t i o n .
APPENDIX: NAMES OF THE ISLANDS
J . F. G. Lionnet
The cor al i s l ands of t he west ern Indi an Ocean a r e near l y a l l
dependencies of t he Seychel l es. Among t he except i ons a r e Agalega, which
belongs t o Mauri t i us, t he Gl ori osa I sl ands, which bel ong t o t he
Malagasy Republic, and t he i s l ands of t he Br i t i s h Indi an Ocean Ter r i t or y.
Of t hese l a t t e r , Desroches, Farquhar and Aldabra were u n t i l 1965 pa r t
of t he Seychel l es, and t he Chagos Archipelago was formerl y admi ni st ered
by Mauri t i us. As t he i s l ands have gener al l y been named a f t e r t h e i r
di scover er s or ear l y expl or er s , t h e i r names r e c a l l t he ear l y hi s t or y
of t he Indi an Ocean.
Denis and Bird I sl ands
Denis I s l and bear s t he name of Denis de Trobri and, who took
possessi on of it i n t h e name of t he King of France i n 1777, while i n
command of t he f l u t e Lt Et oi l e . Bird I s l and, b e t t e r known i n t he
Seychel l es as I l e aux-vaches, has been named a f t e r t he numerous s ea
bi r ds , mainly Sooty Terns, which breed upon i t . It s a l t e r na t i ve name
r e f e r s t o t he vaches marines, o r dugongs, which were formerl y found
t her e.
Pl a t t e , Coetivy and Agalega
Pl a t t e ( t he cor r ect orthography should be Pl at e) owes i t s French
name t o i t s topography. It i s indeed s o f l a t and low t h a t it i s
d i f f i c u l t t o l ocat e, es peci al l y duri ng rough weat her. I t was di scovered
and named by Li eut enant de Lamperiere, of t he goel et t e - La Curi euse, i n
1769.
Coetivy bear s t he name of t he Cheval i er de Cogtivy, who s i ght ed it
on 3 J ul y 1771, whi l e i n command of t he f l u t e I l e de France. Agalega
--
or Galega der i ves , accordi ng t o E. de Fr ober vi l l e, from Portuguese
words meaning "the Gal i ci an". Thi s i s l and i s t her ef or e r epor t ed t o have
been named a f t e r t he Gal i ci an navi gat or JoZo de Nova, who i s bel i eved
t o have di scovered it i n 1501.
The Amirantes
The Amirantes, which f i gur ed on ear l y Portuguese char t s a s t he
I l has do Almirante, or Admiral' s I sl ands, a r e bel i eved t o have been
named a f t e r Vasco da Gama, t he cel ebr at ed Portuguese navi gat or , who is
bel i eved t o have si ght ed them i n 1502, soon a f t e r accedi ng t o t he rank
of Admiral, duri ng h i s second voyage i n t he Indi an Ocean. They were
expl ored i n 1771, t he sout hern i s l ands i n January of t h a t year by t he
Cheval i er du Roslan of t he cor vet t e L' lleure du Berger, and by t he
Cheval i er d' Herce' of t he cor vet t e LI Et oi l e -- du Matin; t he nor t her n
i s l ands by t he Cheval i er de l a ~ i o i l i k r e , a l s o of t he cor vet t e L' Et oi l e
du Matin, i n November of t he same year . They were formal l y t aken
--
possessi on of, i n t he name of France, on 7 September and' 5 October 1802,
by t he Si eur Bl i n, who s a i l e d from t he Seychel l es on t he goel et t e - La
Rosal i e f o r t h a t purpose.
The or i gi n of t he name of t h e Afri can Banks o r Bancs Af r i cai ns i s
not known. They were di scovered and named I l o t s Af r i cai ns i n 1797 by
Admiral Willaumez, t hen a Capi t ai ne de Vaisseau i n command of t he
f r i g a t e - La Re'gdndrde .
Eagle I sl and, known i n Seychel l es as Rdmire, bear s t he name of
an Engl i sh s hi p which v i s i t e d it i n 1771. The or i gi n of i t s French
name i s not known. Eagle was v i s i t e d by t he Cheval i er de l a ~ i o l l i ' e r e
i n 1771.
Daros bear s t he name of t he Baron dl Arros, Marine Commandant a t
t he I l e de France (Mauri t i us) from 1770 t o 1771.
Poi vre bears t he name of Pi e r r e Poi vre, t he famous " P e t e ~ Pepper"
and Int endant of t he I l e de France (Mauri t i us) and Bourbon (Reunion)
from 1769 t o 1772. I t was v i s i t e d by t h e Cheval i er du Roslan, but was
named by t he Cheval i er de l a ~ i o l l i ; r e , i n 1771.
Boudeuse and Et oi l e ar e bel i eved- t o have been named a f t e r t he two
s hi ps of Bougai nvi l l e' s famous voyage round t he world, from 1766 t o 1769.
They were explored and named by t h e Cheval i er du Roslan i n 1771.
Marie Louise was v i s i t e d and named by t he Cheval i er du Roslan i n
1771. It was t he f our t h i s l and l ocat ed by t h a t expl or er i n t h e course
of h i s voyage i n t he Amirantes. The or i gi n of t he name i s not known.
Desnoeufs, or Desneuf, which means "one of t he nine", i s bel i eved
t o owe i t s name t o t he f a c t t h a t i t i s one of t he ni ne main i s l ands
of t he Amirantes. I t was, however, onl y t he f i f t h i s l and l ocat ed by
t he Cheval i er du Roslan, dur i ng h i s voyage i n t he Amirantes, i n 1771,
and who named i t I l e des Neufs. On t he ot her hand, accordi ng t o E .
de Fr ober vi l l e, t he name should be "des Noeuds"; t he or i gi n of t h i s
l a t t e r name i s not known.
Desroches has been named a f t e r t he Cheval i er des Roches, t he
Governor of t he I l e de France (now Mauri t i us) and Bourbon (now guni ion)
from 1767 t o 1772. I t was expl ored by t he Cheval i er de l a ~ i o l l i h r e i n
1771.
Alphonse, St Franfoi s and Bi j out i e r
Alphonse bear s t he name of i t s di s cover er , t he Cheval i er Alphonse
de Pontevez, of t he f r i g a t e Le Lys, who v i s i t e d it on 28 January 1730.
--
St Frangois, which was di scovered on t he same occasi on, was named
presumably a f t e r t he r e l i gi ous f e a s t of 29 January, which i s t ha t of
St F r a n ~ o i s de Sal es .
The or i gi n of t he name of t he t h i r d i s l and of t he group, Bi j out i er ,
is not known.
St Pi er r e, Providence and Farquhar
St Pi er r e bear s t he name of a shi p, t h a t of Capt ai n Dechemin, who
v i s i t e d t he i s l and on 6 June 1732.
Providence was named "La Providence" by t he crew of a French
f r i g a t e , LtHeureuse, which was wrecked on a nei ghbouri ng bank i n 1769,
and who managed t o reach t he i s l a nd.
The Farquhar I s l ands were formerl y cal l ed Juan de Nova ( or Jean
de Nova), a f t e r Jo"a de Nova, t he Gal i ci an navi gat or . Thei r names
were changed i n o r about 1810, when t hey were renamed a f t e r t he f i r s t
Br i t i s h Governor of Mauri t i us, S i r Robert Townsend Farquhar. The
i s l ands were v i s i t e d by t he Cheval i er de Pontevez i n 1730.
The Aldabra Group
Cosmoledo, accordi ng t o d' Avezac, bear s t h e name of an unknown
Portuguese navi gat or . The two main i s l ands of t he group, Menai and
Wizard, have been named a f t e r two s hi ps of Captain Moresby, who v i s i t e d
them i n 1822. The group was s i ght ed by Capt ai n Ni col as Morphey, of t he
f r i g a t e Le Cerf, on 13 August 1756.
--
The name Astove, accordi ng t o d' Avezac, der i ves from t he Portuguese
words "As Doze I l has", meaning t he twelve i s l ands , which he cl ai ms was
or i gi na l l y t he name of t he Farquhar i s l ands but which was t r anf er r ed
i n e r r o r t o Astove. Astove was v i s i t e d by Capt ai n Lazare Pi caul t , of
t he t ar t ane LI El i sabet h, and Capt ai n Jean Grossi n, of t he boat - Le
Charl es, i n 7742, duri ng t h e i r expl or at i on of t he Seychel l es.
Assumption I s l and (Assomption i n French) was di scovered by Capt ai n
Ni col as Morphey on 14 August 1756, and named presumably a f t e r t he
r e l i gi ous f e a s t of t he next day.
The or i gi n of t he name Aldabra i s uncer t ai n. I t has been s a i d
t o der i ve from t he Arabi c "al-Kadhra", meaning "t he green", and a l s o
from "Aldaraba", a t ype of door knocker t he same shape a s t he a t o l l .
According t o dtAvezac t he a t o l l shoul d be named I l ha da Area, meaning
Sand I sl and, though t h i s har dl y seems appr opr i at e. C . Elgood (Seychel l es
Bul l et i n, 6 Apri l 1967) claimed t h a t Aldabra could der i ve from t he Arabi c
"al-Dabaran", which means t he f i v e s t a r s i n Taurus, more p a r t i c u l a r l y t he
br i ght es t of t h e group. I f t he f i r s t of t hes e der i vat i ons i s accept ed,
it could be a t t r i but e d t o t he f a c t t h a t t h e l ar ge lagoon on Aldabra
produces a green r e f l e c t i on i n t he sky above t he a t o l l , which can be seen
f o r mi l es out a t sea. Aldabra was s i ght ed by Capt ai n Lazare Pi caul t and
Captain Jean Grossin i n 1742.
References
Bradley, J. T. 1940. Ri st or y of Seychel l es. Vol. 1. ~a h e ' , Seychel l es.
Bulpin, T. V. 1960. I sl ands i n t he f or got t en s ea. Cape Town.
Coppinger, R. W. 1883. Crui se of t he Al er t . London.
Fauvel, A. A. 1909. Unpublished documents on t he hi s t or y of t he
Seychel l es pr i or t o 1810. ~ a h 6 , Seychel l es.
Fr ober vi l l e, E . de. 1848. I l e s de l l Af r i que. I n L' Univers (ed. M.
dl Avezac), Vol. 6, pa r t 3 . Par i s .
McEwen, A. C. 1961. Fragments of e a r l y Seychel l es hi s t or y. J. Seychel l es
SOC. 1: 22-31.

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