THE OSPREY. 



P?M^43 



BLUE-FACED BOOBIES. 



Other species, since while on San Benidicto we 

 noted but a few eggs, though pairs of birds were 

 everywhere seen defending the liollows in tlie 

 ground, in which they evidently intended to lay 

 at some future date. On May 19 we found some 

 colonies of Blue-faced Boobys on Clarion Island, 

 in which there were fresh eggs and young birds, 

 and even a few well-grown young were seen. 

 The nests were mere hollows in the coral sand, 

 anywhere from just above high tide to the top of 

 the island, at 500 feet altitude. 



The nests were all vigorously defended by the 

 birds, who greeted our approach with deafening 

 shrieks and threatening bills. Indeed, their bill 

 is not to be despised. It is as sharp as a bayonet, 

 and is wielded with no little force." as my shins 

 could testify after an hour's collecting among the 

 nests. If the Webster's Boobys required a kick 

 to drive them from their nests, the Blue-faced re- 

 quired a charge of dynamite. I have repeatedly 

 put my foot under a sitting bird — gently to save 

 the eggs — and thrown her as far as I cou'd — 

 with vigor to save my shins — but before I could 

 grab the eggs, was driven back by a shrieking 

 demon in snowv white that charged at me with 

 agility surprising in so large a bird. On one 

 occasion a bird came in from out at sea and with 

 a screum threw itself between me and a sitting' 

 bird I was approaching, constantly moving about 

 so as to interpose its body between its nest and 

 the threatening danger. The defense being so 

 spirited and gallant I concluded that the esgs 

 were far advanced in incubation. 



I several times found the present species siifng 

 on large sea shells, which in shape and size 

 somewhat resembled their eggs. The "boobies'." 

 seemed perfectly contented with the substitute, 

 and I often supplied them with the shells after 

 taking their eggs. These they immediately 

 tucked under their breasts with their bills, and 

 accepted the change as a matter of course. One 

 nest, from which I took one egg, was supplied 

 with two shells. Both were tucked away, but 

 next day I found that one had been discarded. 

 Others which were incubating two eggs accepted 

 two shells in exchange and were sitting on them 

 ten days later, when we left the island. 



PRIMITIVE NESTING SITES OF THE CLIFF SWALLOW. 



BY PAUL BARTSCH. 



I HAD often seen large colonies of Cliff Swal- 

 lows plastering their bulky nests under the 

 protecting eaves of barns and sheds, but not 

 until June 24, 1895, did I liave the opportunity to 

 observe their domiciles attached to rocky ledges, 

 whence they derived their name Cliff Swallow. 



I was at the time a member of a scientific ex- 

 pedition on the Oneota River, in Allamakee 

 County, Iowa. We made a long journey, 

 dragged our flat boat over many a shallow, en- 

 joyed some very beautiful scenery, and were 

 looking for a place where we might plant our 

 tent for the night. It so happened that our 

 abode was stationed south and at the side of a 

 steep ridge which receded from the river at this 

 point. The base of the ledge, a fine friable sand- 

 stone (St. Croix), had been eroded by the river 

 and left a low arched exposure, some twenty feet 

 in height. Under the shelter of this ledge a 

 colony of Cliflf Swallows had established its nests. 

 A very pretty site indeed, but not a wise selec- 

 tion. 



Soon after daybreak I set out to inspect the 

 colony, but found most of the nests inaccessible. 

 Those that could be reached from the boat con- 

 tained well-f1edged young. A little later a 

 peculiar splashing and a great commotion amou'^; 

 the swallows caused me to hasten to the bink. 

 Some nest, unable to bear the ever-increasing 

 burden, had parted from the ledse and carried 

 many others with it in its downward course to 

 the water. The sight of the swallows, flitting 

 about the floating young, which were trying to 



row ashore, and their cries of distress were piti- 

 ful. I set out to help them, gathered all I could 

 find, placing them in niches in the rocks, 

 which I lined with hay, expecting to see the 

 parents feeding them. In this I was disap- 

 pointed, for all the birds died a death of starva- 

 tion. Several times did I see old lunl-. r\p 



THE CLIFF SWALLOW NESTS, FROM A PHOTOGRAPH. 



proach to within a few feet of them, attracted 

 by their cries, but in no instance was food 

 lirought to them. The parents would fly again 

 and again to the place where the nest had been, 

 but seemed unable to recognize their offspring 

 under the changed conditions. 



