LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 207 



In a circle, just rising from tLe water, or swimming on tlie surface, tlie in- 

 stant it sees its prey it plunges after it. I have frequently seen one dive from 

 the wing, rise to the surface, and dive in rapid succession five or six times; 

 and on taking flight again, dive before it had risen more than two or three 

 feet from the surface, and perhaps catch a dozen fish in the space of a minute. 



There is nothing graceful in its style ; it is apparently work and not pleasure. 



On one of the keys I visited, called Booby Key, near Green Key, I saw a great 

 number of a species of Anolis of a dark, almost black color, entirely unlike any 

 seen elsewhere, but they were so timid and active in their movements that I 

 could not procure a specimen. The stomach contained a great many varieties 

 of fish; among them a cottus. a parrot fish, flatfish of two species, and some 

 large prawns; but their principal food seemed to be flying fish and a species 

 of hemirhamphus. 



Behavior.— Audubon (1840) describes its flight, as follows: 



The flight of the booby is graceful and extremely protracted. They pass 

 swiftly at a height of from twenty yards to a foot or two from the surface, 

 often following the troughs of the waves to a considerable distance, their 

 wings extended at right angles to the body ; then, without any apparent effort, 

 raising themselves and allowing the rolling waters to break beneath them, 

 when they tack about, and sweep along in a contrary direction in search of 

 food, much in the manner of the true petrels. Now, if you follow an individual, 

 you see that it suddenly stops short, plunges headlong into the water, pierces 

 with its powerful beak and secures a fish, emerges again with inconceivable 

 ease, after a short interval rises on wing, performs a few wide circlings. and 

 makes off toward some shore. At this time its flight is different, being per- 

 formed by flappings for twenty or thirty paces, with alternate sailings of 

 more than double that space. When overloaded with food they alight on the 

 water, where, if undisturbed, they appear to remain for hours at a time, 

 probably until digestion has afforded them relief. 



The booby is usually a silent bird, but when excited it is said to 

 utter loud and raucous cries which have been likened by various 

 observers to the croak of a raven, the honk of a goose, or the hoarse 

 quack of a duck. 



Undoubtedly the booby's worst enemy is the man-o-war bird, to 

 which it pays frequent and regular tribute, but Audubon (1840) 

 says : " Their principal enemies during the breeding season are the 

 American crow and the fish crow, both of which destroy their eggs, 

 and the turkev buzzard, which devours their young while vet un- 

 fledged." 



Winter. — After the young birds are able to fly the boobies leave 

 their breeding grounds and begin their fall and winter wanderings 

 up and down the coasts, following the schools of fish, on which they 

 feed. These wanderings, which can hardly be called migrations, 

 sometimes take them as far north as Massachusetts. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — The Bahama Islands (Cay Verde, San Domingo 

 Key, Berry Islands, etc.) ; some of the West Indies (Porto Rico, 



