The Behavior of Xoddy and Sooly Tents. 203 



At night the two birds usually remain in branches near the nest, but if 

 disturbed, both fly a\va>- for a short distance and circle back almost imme- 

 diately to the nest. In flying at night Iioth the noddy and the sooty break their 

 graceful flight into short, ungraceful, and ill-directed choppy swoops, very 

 similar to the way the night-hawk breaks its flight when flying after dusk. 



During the egg-laying period, which is at the same time the nest-build- 

 ing period, we may summarize the chief points in the lives of the noddies 

 by saying (i) that there is common activity in the building of the nest; (2) 

 that the female guards the nest wdiile (3) the male procures food for both. 

 Both birds are quite wild during this period. If the nest is approached they 

 fly away and make no elTort to defend it. For this reason it is difficult to 

 capture and to mark the birds. They fly away at night at the first approach 

 of a lantern or torch. Their behavior at this time, in this respect, is quite 

 different from that observed later on during the brooding period. 



ACTIVITIES OF THE SOOTY BEFORE THE EGG IS LAID. 



I can say little concerning the separate daily activities of the male and 

 female sooties during the corresponding period. My time was centralized 

 around the nests of the noddies for the first two weeks of my stay, and 

 consequently I lost my best opportunit) to study this period of the life of the 

 sooties. The birds are so numerous and the confusion so great at this time 

 that detailed and sustained observations of habits are well-nigh impossible. 

 That feeding of the female occurs I am sure, but I am not sure that the 

 female never fishes for herself. I spent several continuous hours, at dif- 

 ferent times, observing the nests of the sooties, and the only feeding reaction 

 I saw took place late in the afternoon. The details of the feeding process 

 are very similar to those described above for the noddies, except that when 

 feeding between two sooties begins it is the signal for the approach of dozens 

 of other birds, which precipitates many fights. The noise of the colony as a 

 whole is so deafening at all times that it is impossible to say whether 

 a special sound or series of sounds is made while the female is feeding. 



During the period before the egg is laid the sooty, like the noddy, will 

 leave the nest if one approaches, and unless one is quite a distance away the 

 bird will not approach the nest locality. It will circle in the air again and 

 again, giving out the shrill nasal alarm cry of " eah, eah, eah." It is the 

 most restless and noisy bird I know, and almost as much so at night as dur- 

 ing the day. Sleep apparently is taken during both day and night by dozing 

 momentarily at intervals. How the bird maintains its vigor with no more 

 continuous rest than it takes is a mystery. This peculiarity of the sooty has 

 led to the popular nickname of " wideawake tern." 



ACTIVITIES OF THE NODDY AFTER THE EGG IS LAID. 

 The noddy lays one tgg. It may be laid almost as soon as enough straws 

 are placed together to support the egg or it may not be laid until after sev- 



