COMMON NODDY. 675 



if this account be correct, differs from the other species, the 

 young of which keep by themselves until spring. 



" x\t the approach of a boat, the Noddies never flew off 

 their island, in the manner of the Sooty Terns. They ap- 

 peared to go farther out to sea than those birds, in search of 

 their food, which consists of fishes mostly caught amid the 

 floating sea-weeds, these Terns seizing them, not by plunging 

 perpendicularly downwards, as other species do, but by skim- 

 ming close over the surface, in the manner of Gulls, and also 

 by alighting and swimming around the edges of the weeds. 

 This I had abundant opportunities of seeing while on the 

 Gulf of Mexico. 



" The flight of this bird greatly resembles that of the Night 

 Hawk when passing over meadows or rivers. When about 

 to alight on the water, the Noddy keeps its wings extended 

 upwards, and touches it first with its feet. It swims with 

 considerable buoyancy and grace, and at times immerses its 

 head to seize on a fish. It does not see well by night, and it 

 is perhaps for this reason that it frequently alights on the 

 spars of vessels, where it sleeps so sound that the seamen often 

 catch them. When seized in the hand, it utters a rough cry, 

 not unlike that of a young American Crow taken from the 

 nest. Oa such occasions, it does not disgorge its food, like 

 the Cayenne Tern and other species, although it bites severely 

 with quickly repeated movements of the bill, which, on miss- 

 ing the object aimed at, snaps like that of our large Fly- 

 catchers. Some which I kept several days refused all kinds 

 of food, became dull, and languid, and at length died. 



" While hovering over or near their nests, these birds 

 emitted a low querulous murmiu", and, if unmolested, would 

 attempt to alight on our heads. After a few visits, however, 

 they became rather more careful of themselves, although the 

 sitting birds often suffered us to put a hat over them. Like 

 the Sooty Tern, this species incubates both day and night." 



Mr. Nuttall also gives an excellent description of its habits : 

 — " Familiar to mariners who navigate in tlie equatorial 

 regions, the Noddy, like the voyager, frequents the open seas 

 to the distance of some hundreds of leagues from the land, 

 and with many other birds of similar appetites and propeusi- 



