500 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



of age, individuals, in the moult, appear covered with patches of 

 white feathers among the remainder of the brown livery with its 

 white spots. 



BOOBY. 



(Sula fusca, Briss. Bonap, Synops. No. 360. Vieill. Gal. des Ois- 

 eaux, pi. 277. Pelecanus sula, Booby, Catesby, i. p. 87. tab. 87. 

 Linn. Buff. PI. Enlum. 973.) 



Sp. Charact. — Blackish-brown; beneath white; primaries black; 

 face red. — Young spotted with white and brown. 



The Booby is found to be an inhabitant of islands and 

 desolate sea coasts throughout all the warm and temperate 

 parts of the globe, and has acquired this degrading name 

 from its silly aspect, and peculiar stupidity; suffering it- 

 self to be taken not only at sea on the ship's yards, but 

 also on land, where they may be dispatched merely with 

 clubs and sticks, in great numbers one after the other, with- 

 out seeming to take any general alarm, or using any efficient 

 effort for escape. The only cause that can be assigned for 

 this want of conservative instinct, so general and prompt 

 among most of the feathered tribes, is probably the fact, of 

 the difficulty and almost impossibility of setting their long 

 wings into motion when they happen to be surprised on level 

 ground, or fatigued with undue exertion. 



The Boobies however have a domestic enemy more steady 

 though less sanguine in his persecutions than man ; this is 

 the Frigate Pelican or Man-of-War Bird, who, with a keen 

 eye descrying his humble vassal at a distance, pursues him 

 without intermission, and obliges him by blows with its 

 wings and bill to surrender his finny prey, which the pirate 

 instantly seizes and swallows. 



