376 Mr. 0. Salvia on the Sea-birds of British Honduras. 



solicitude was not exhibited.J In this Journal (Ibis, 1860, 

 p. 264) I gave a short note of the behaviour of a Humming- 

 bird {Thaumastura henicura) on this point, and now I was ob- 

 serving quite a parallel case amongst the Man-of-war Birds 

 and Boobies. The former of these birds are ready enough to 

 take wing at other times on approach of danger; and the in- 

 herent sluggishness of a Booby would hardly account for their 

 sitting so closely. Certain is it that, after incubation has made 

 some progress, the solicitude of the parent-bird, in both cases, 

 is exactly in proportion to the age of its offspring ; and I should 

 suppose that when the chick is just on the point of hatching 

 (the most critical period), heat, and not cold, would prove most 

 prejudicial to its chance of coming into existence*. With other 

 species this danger is in a measure avoided by covered nests and 

 the choice of shady situations. 



Cutting my meditations short (for with my head protruding 

 from the top of a tree and a terrific sun beating on me, I was 

 little disposed for a very long investigation), I gathered a few 

 eggs, and left the Man-of-war Birds to return to their young. 

 We then climbed along the matted mangrove roots to the north- 

 ern end of the Cay, to look for nests of the Shag. We had 

 not to search far, for on reaching the outer mangrove-bushes 

 we could see them on the outer boughs, some 12 feet from the 

 water. The nests were strongly built of sticks, hollowed con- 

 siderably inside, and partly lined with freshly picked mangrove- 

 leaves. The birds were laying their eggs, and some nests had 

 in them what appeared to be their full complement of four eggs ; 

 other nests had three, two, and one. The boat being now loaded, 

 we returned to the schooner and commenced securing the spoils, 

 skinning the birds and blowing the eggs while we were gradually 

 beating up to an opening in the eastern side of the reef, called 

 the Grand Boguef. Passing out at this channel we stood 

 across for Lighthouse Reef, and sighted Long Cay before dark. 



* When the embryo is still small, we might infer that the albumen with 

 which it is surrounded affords protection against extremes of temperature. 

 This decreases as the embryo increases, necessitating greater care and 

 protection on the part of the parent. 



t Evidently a corruptiou of Boca Grande. 



