APPENDICES
A. THE FAUNA AND FLORA OF TRISTAN
There is nothing peculiar to Tristan in either its Fauna or Flora. Of the birds those we saw or heard most of were:—
1. The Gony, the Wandering Albatross (Diomedia exulans). A few lay on Inaccessible but none on Tristan. 2. The "Pe-o," the Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria fuliginosa). Comes to nest in August, leaves in April. 3. The Molly, Yellow-nosed Mollyhawk (Thalassogeron chlororhyncus). Comes to nest in August, leaves in April. 4. The Sea-hen, the Southern Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus). Is in all the year, begins to lay in August. 5. The Black Eaglet, the Long-winged Fulmar (Aestrelata Macroptera). Comes in to moult in May; lays first week in July. 6. The White-breasted Black Eaglet. Lays in November. 7. The King-bird, the Kerguelen Tern (Sterna Vittata). Comes in September, and lays in November. 8. The Wood-pigeon, the "Noddy" (Anous Stolidus). Comes in September and lays in November. 9. The Night-bird, the Broad-billed Blue Petrel (Prion Vittatus). Comes in July and lays in September. 10. The "Pediunker," lays in May and June; it is like a Petrel. We think it must be the Shearwater (Profinus Cinereus); of which we were told at the South African Museum, Cape Town, that it frequents Scotland, and that its nesting-place was unknown until Mr. Keytel brought a specimen of it and of its eggs from Tristan in 1909. 11. The Starchy, the Tristan Thrush (Nesocictela). A land bird. No song. 12. The Finch, the Tristan Finch (Nesospiza Acunhae). A land bird. 13. The Penguin, the Rock-hopper Penguin (Catarrhactes Chrysocome). Comes to moult in March; comes again in August and lays in September. Last year's young ones come to moult in December.
The first name is the island name. "Pe-o" and "Pediunker" are attempts at spelling.
The fish we saw at Tristan were:—-
1. Whale, Southern Right Whale (Balaena Australis). 2. Sea-elephant. 3. Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus). 4. Shark. 5. Blue-fish (Perca antarctica). 6. Snoek (Thyrsites atun). 7. Mackerel (Scomber Pneumatophorus). 8. Five-finger (Chilodactylus Fasciatus lac). 9. Soldier-fish. 10. Craw-fish. 11. Clip-fish.
Of the trees and plants those we most frequently met with were:—-
1. The Island Tree (Phylica nitida). Found also on the islands Gough,
Amsterdam, Bourbon, and Mauritius.
2. Tussock (Spartina Arundinacea); distinct from the real Tussock
(Poa Flabellater). "The geographical distribution of this grass is
remarkable, being confined to the Tristan group and Gough Island, and the
Islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam in the Indian Ocean, 3,000 miles
distant" (Blue-book).
3. Flax.
4. Willow, a few trees on the settlement only.
5. Ferns and Mosses.
6. Prickle-bush, Gorse. A few bushes only near the houses.
7. Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum).
8. Nertera, bearing scarlet berries.
9. Blackberry. Scanty.
10. Cape-gooseberry. Once plentiful, now scarce.
11. Tea-plant (Chenopodium Tomentosum).
12. Wild Celery.
13. Large Field-Daisy.
14. Geranium (Pelargonium Australe).
15. Convolvolus.
16. Sunflower (Oxalis).
17. Buttercup. One patch only near Betty's house.
B. THE WEATHER
From Feb. 15, 1908, to March 31, 1909, the lowest temperature as recorded in a Stevenson's screen was 37'9 degrees (Aug. 16, 1908), and the highest 77'8 (March 14, 1909).
The Rainfall and Sunshine records are as follows:—
Rainfall Sun, all Sun, part Sun day of the day unrecorded
1907 inches days days days
June 4-30 4'990 5 19 0
July 9'635 4 18 3
August 8'020 4 21 0
September 7'465 7 11 1
October 7'660 9 13 0
November 6'015 11 14 1
December 2'975 4 1 24
______
46'760
1908
January 4.565 11 12 0
February 6.105 10 12 0
March 4.360 7 17 2
April 7.605 14 8 1
May 4.305 9 21 0
June 5.775 0 25 0
July 4.800 5 21 0
August 6.325 8 18 0
September 6.630 3 21 0
October 6.675 11 9 0
November 2.440 11 8 0
December 5.255 10 10 0
______
64.840
1909
January 3.060 7 19 0
February 4.720 11 7 3
March 5.295 9 14 1
______
13.075
The following observations on the wind are derived from Andréa Repetto:—
The wind at Tristan generally changes from northward to westward or southward. The change begins with rain. A very light wind from the northward (NE. or N.) will spring up, and may last for a day or two; then it becomes unsettled and with rain changes to the westward. But this initial wind may come from the NW., W., SW., or S. This movement of the wind from the northward to westward or southward generally happens when the weather is settled and the wind is light, or in the warm season (spring, summer and autumn); but sometimes it happens in unsettled weather, in which case the rain pours down at once and the wind from the north lasts only a short time. When this northward wind begins in unsettled weather it changes to the south, as a rule, without staying at any of the intervening points, and does so with a heavy squall or shower. When the wind from the north is a light one it generally changes to a light one from the south; and when it is a heavy one from the north it generally changes to a heavy one from the south; this latter happens usually in the winter when the weather is for the most part unsettled.
In the warm season when the wind is very light it very often goes round the four cardinal points every twenty-four hours for a week together.
The wind hardly ever changes from the northward to the eastward. On the very rare occasions when it may do so, the wind being very variable, it never stands there but quickly returns to the northward.
The wind may instantly change (e.g. after one shower) from northward to south; and sometimes from here (the south) it goes to SE., where it may stay a week; if it gets as far as the east it will not stay for more than a day or two, but will go on to the NE.; but it does not get so far as the E. more than once in a year, and perhaps not for two years, and always without rain.
When the wind gradually changes from northward to the south it stays a short time in the west, then as the day advances in the SW., and gets to the S. in the evening, each of those three movements being preceded by squalls or showers. On reaching the S. it settles there for a day or two. If during this day or two there are showers a movement will begin. In the morning this movement will be without a shower from the S. to the W.; but in the evening it will be with a shower back from the W. (to which it had gone in the morning) to SW. or S. This movement may last for a week or two.
In fine weather when the wind springs from the northward the first day is generally fine and clear, then it becomes cloudy or dull for a day or even a fortnight; then it will change to the westward with a squall, or shower, or sometimes heavy rain.
The wind never changes from the S. to northward without first dying down either at once or gradually and without rain. But it may change from the SW. or W. to northward without dying down and without rain.
The wind from the E. which visits the Isle so seldom generally begins with rain, though in the lee it is clear and the sun is shining at the time. It lasts from two to six days at least.
When the SE. wind blows in unsettled weather, in the lee there will be sunshine and clear weather.
The winds from the W., SW., S. and SE. are dry winds. The other winds, especially N. and NE., are wet ones.
C. SOME TRISTAN WORDS
1. Allow, to say.
2. Bawling, lowing of a cow.
3. Bog, a root or clump of tussock.
4. Bread, ship's biscuits.
5. Cake, bread.
6. Duff-headed cow, a cow without horns.
7. Fancy, pretty.
8. Gallied, flustered.
9. Gutter, a narrow grass-covered ravine.
10. Hardy, a high rock in the sea at a little distance from the shore.
11. "I never," I never did it.
12. Mary, a chrysalis.
13. Ned, a lob (in cricket).
14. Paddle, to rake.
15. Quanking, the cackling of geese.
16. Red Harry, a red centipede.
17. Scouse, milk and the yolk of two or three eggs boiled in it.
18. The Stitch, lumbago.
19. Tissick, a cough.
* * * * *
Richard Clay & Sons Limited, London and Bungay.
End of Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Tristan da Cunha, by K. M. Barrow