(327) Started the motor at 2 P.M. and the vessel proceeded along-side Carpenter's wharf for water.Mr.Scrymgour,the local manager,very kindly allows us access to two big tanks.Finished with 250 gals. on board by 5 P.M.Restarted motor after having had to fix two leaky joints in the circulating cylinder-jacket line.Anchored in mid-harbor at 5:30 ready to leave in the morning. Weather fine but very hot. January 6(Sunday) Hove up at 8:30 A.M.and proceeded out of the harbor under power.Outside we altered course for Buena Vista and pulled up the sails to catch a light southerly breeze which soon fell away.Used the motor all the way for this 20-mile run,averaging a little better than five knots. Found good shelter in a rather large curved bay on the southern side and anchored in 10 fathoms;quite convenient to shore where grassy slopes and knolls are interspersed with secondary bush and timber Three small settlements of Florida natives were seen in the vicinity of the bay. It was extremely hot to-day but cooled off nicely at sundown. January 7 Charlie,David,and I left the ship early.We were ashore all day and collected two birds of interest- the black-knobbed variety of the large fruit pigeon and a black cuckoo(Eudynamis).It is a new locality for both species.The pigeon was collected on Rennell Is.,and reported by David on Nissan Is.,T.N.G.It is the first time I have encountered the black cuckoo in this vicinity.Its distribution through the Solomon group is undoubtedly general. Buena Vista Is.,just 3mile N.of Florida is about 5 miles in extent ExW with a deep horseshoe bay on the southern side.Over half the terrane is tufty grassland with sparse ironwood trees,low saplings and bushes.This offered rather rough walking.Forest and secondary bush are found behind the foreshore in many places extending to the tops of the ridges.All the stream beds I saw were dried up except a few that seep into shaded lowland pools;in these I collected three species of freshwater shells.Saw two separate nests of hawks,probably the same species. Both were built in the tops of tall dead trees.I saw two large eagle hawks circling about and one perched close to a nest on occasion. Returned to the ship at 4:30 P.M. Very hot all day. January 8 Three hunters ashore at 7:30 A.M.I took one of the new boat's crew with me to investigate the nest I saw yesterday.We saw no hawks about and after a difficult climb found no eggs.The nest was built of sticks laid in the highest crotch of the central branch and measured about three feet across.It was littered with fish bones and showed no sign of recent occupation. I think it is the nest of Haliaster indus (white-headed fish hawk)rather than the big Aquila. I found no birds inhabiting the grass country.David returned another black cuckoo.I can secure a few more specimens of Mino dumontii (one Nov.Zool.by Dr.Hartert reported lack of specimens from Florida Is.) All on board by 1 P.M.when we hove up and proceeded under power out between Buena Vista and Florida Is.,and along the northeast coast of the latter using foresail and jib to advantage. No seabirds sighted.Anchored in Mboli Harbor at 5:45 (Sioto-headquarters of Anglican Mission).Rev.Tempest visited us in the evening. Weather fine and clear.Overcast at night.