on the Birds of St. Croix. 369 



t 55. Booby. Dysporus sula, 111. ; Pelecaniis fibet\ & P. sula, 

 L. ; Sula fusca, Vieill.; Aud, pi. 426. 



This species is met with occasionally in the island, but we are 

 pretty sure that it does not breed in the immediate vicinity, aud 

 it evinces too great a partiality for the deep-sea fishery to occur 

 often, 



" One was brought to me alive in September 1858 by a negro, 

 who said he had found it asleep. I tried to keep it, but could 

 not induce it to feed itself. Food was forced down its throat 

 for several days, but at last it died. It was of an extremely 

 fierce disposition, showing even in its reduced state no signs of 

 fear. 



" Between St. Croix and St. Thomas, on September 28th, one 

 came within five yards of the schooner in which I was ; and I 

 was told that one flew so close over the deck of one of the Royal 

 Mail Company's steamers that it was caught on the wing by a 

 passenger." — E. N. 



t 56. Frigate Bird. Tachypetes aquilus, Vieill.; PI. Enl. 

 961 ; Aud. pl. 421 ; Fregata aquila, Cuv. " Hurricane Bird." 



This species we have only seen, as far as St. Croix is con- 

 cerned, soaring at a very great height over the island or the 

 adjacent sea, and a most beautiful sight it is to watch one or 

 more of these birds hanging in the sky above. There is no 

 motion to be observed in their wings ; at one time the deeply 

 forked tail is seen to be open, at another it is brought into a 

 wedge-like shape, but the birds seem to rest immoveable. 

 Before a gale, however, they are said often to fly quite low, 

 or even to settle on the ground; and hence is derived their 

 name, as under these circumstances they are more generally 

 observed than at other times, and thus are said to be the fore- 

 runners of bad weather. This species is said to breed about 

 Tortola. 



"On February 18th, 1857, on my outward voyage, between 

 the islands of Antigua and Radonda, I saw a large flock of what 

 appeared to me to be Boobies (the last-mentioned species), 

 which with loud croaks and shrieks were plunging about; every 

 now and then the confusion amongst them being heightened by 

 a Frigate Bird descending from aloft and giving chase. Un- 



VOL. I. 2d 



