242 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [JunC 



defy computation ; and as you pass through their haunts, in 

 some places they rise in such clouds as actually to darken the air 

 above you. The eggs of some of the birds are of fine quality, 

 and are much esteemed by the Americans, as well as by the 

 Hawaiians on the island, Those of a bird called the nu-e-ko are 

 the most valued. This name is an imitative word, derived from 

 the cry of this restless creature, and is applied to it by the 

 Hawaiians, who have quick intuitions in onomatopoetic matters. 

 In regard to moral character, the birds of Baker's Island may be 

 divided into two classes — those which make an honest living, and 

 those which are robbers. The gannet stands at the head of 

 the respectable birds, and is a thrifty and honest citizen of the air. 

 The representative of the thievish class is the frigate-pelican, 

 or man-of-war bird (^Tachypetes aquilus). This species has a 

 dense plumage of gloomy black, a light, wiry body, that 

 seems made for fleetness, and wings of even greater spread 

 than the gannet's. Its tail is deeply forked, its bill is long, 

 sharp, and viciously hooked. Audubon regards the frigate-bird as 

 superior, perhaps, in power of flight to any other. It never dives 

 into the ocean after fish, but will sometimes catch them 

 while they are leaping out of the water to escape pursuit. It is 

 often content to glut itself with the dead fish that float on 

 the water, but it depends mostly for a subsistence upon robbing 

 other birds. The smaller ones they easily overtake, and compel 

 them to disgorge their spoils ; but to waylay and levy blackmail 

 upon those powerful galleons, the gannets, is an achievement 

 requiring strategy and address. As the richly-laden gannet 

 approaches the coast of his island home, he lifts himself to a 

 great height, and steadily oars himself along with his mighty 

 pinions, until he sees his native sands extending to dazzling 

 whiteness below. Now sloping downward in his flight, he 

 descends with incredible velocity. In a moment more he will be 

 safe with his affectionate mate, who is awaiting his return to the 

 nest. But all this time he is watched by the keen eye of the 

 man-of-war bird, who has stationed himself so as to intercept the 

 gannet in his swift course. With the quickness of thought, the 

 frigjite-bird darts upon him, and, not daring to attack boldly 

 in front, he plucks him by the tail and threatens to upset him, or 

 he seizes him at the back of the neck and lashes him with 

 his long wings. When the poor gannet, who cannot manoeuvre 

 so quickly as his opponent, finds himself pursued, he tries to buy 



