3;") I 



siderable distance, their win,c;s extended at rii^ht an.i^'les to the body ; then, without any apparent 

 effort, raising themselves, and allowing the rolHng waters to break beneath them, when they tack 

 about and sweep along in a contrary direction in search of food, more in the manner of true Petrels. 

 Now, if you follow an individual, you see that it suddenly stops short, plunges headlong into the 

 water, pierces witli its powerful beak and secures a lish, emerges again with inconceivable ease, 

 alter a short interval rises on wing, performs a few wide circlings, and makes off towards some 

 shore. At this time its flight is different, being performed by Mappings for twenty or thirty 

 paces, with alternate sailings of more than double that space. When overloaded with food, 

 they alight on the water, where, if undisturbed, they appear to remain for hours at a time, 

 probably until digestion has afforded them relief. The expansibility of the gullet of this species 

 enables it to swallow fish of considerable size, and on such occasions their mouth seems to spread 

 to an unusual width. In the throats of several individuals that were shot as they were returning 

 to their nests, 1 found mullet measuring seven or eight inches that must have weighed fully half 

 a pound." 



" When procured alive they feed freely, and may be kept any length of time, provided they 

 are supplied with fish. No other food, however, could I tempt them to swallow, excepting 



strips of turtle, which after 

 all they did not seem to 

 relish. Some authors have 

 stated that the Frigate 

 Pelican and the Lestris 

 force the Booby to disgorge 

 its food that they may 

 obtain it, but this I have 

 never witnessed. Like the 

 common Gannet (Sii/ii 

 Iniisana) they may be 

 secured by fastening a lish 

 to a soft plank, and sinking 

 it a few feet beneath the 

 surface of the water, for 

 if they perceive the bait, 

 which they are likely to do 

 if they pass over it, they 



liROWN CANXKT AND YOUNfJ. 



plunge headlong upon it and drive their bill into the wood." 



Dr. W. Macgilli\ray wrote as follows from Broken Hill, South-western New South Wales : — 

 " Odd birds of Sida IcnconaitiV were met with as we sailed up the coast of North-eastern 

 Queensland in icjio. but not in any numbers until we approached the Ashmore Banks, three 

 in number, lying about half way between the Sir Charles Hardy Islands and the opening to 

 Raine Islet in the Great Barrier Reef. On approaching these sandbanks numbers of the birds 

 came off to inspect us, and k'ept flying closely round the boat, giving us every opportunity to 

 admire the rich brown colouring of the upper surface, and the pure white of the under parts, 

 which latter was often a pale green reflecting the colouring of the sea. The nearer we got to 

 the banks the greater the numbers of our feathered escort; they hovered ox'er our stern, had a 

 good look, then flew ahead and settled on the water, waited till we passed them, and flew after 

 us again to repeat the performance. On nearing the bank it was seen to be covered with birds, 

 mostly Brown Gannets, with Gulls, Lesser-crested Terns and Sandpipers. On landing most 

 of the birds rose in a cloud, leaving about thirty sitting birds ; these allowed us to approach to 

 within about ten feet, but no closer. There were about fifty nests containing eggs, thirty of 



