Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0250
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[Page 250]
South Sea
perfect tho they were enough so to propagate their species or copulate at least in examining the Phaetons found that what appeard to me a black uropytgium crissus as they flew was no other than their black feet on them was plenty of a very curious kind of acarus Phaetintis which either was or appeard to be viviparous.
Besides what was shot today there were seen Man of war birds pelecanus aquilus & a small bird of the Sterna? Kind Calld by the seamen egg birds which were white with red beaks about the size of sterna hirundo of these I saw several just at night fall who flew very high & followd one another all standing towards the NNW. probably there is land on that point as we were now not far from the Lat & Longitude in which Quiros saw his southermost Islands Incarnation & St Jno Baptist.
22. fresh breeze of wind today the ship layd no better than west so we were forcd to give over our hopes on the NNW. point many man of war birds were about the ship today & some egg birds I shot 3 of the first but none of them fell onboard