36 



fipace, or on the tops of the thick scrub, over the Sterna fuUginosa : 

 these two species incubate together in the utmost harmony, the 

 bushes to an imiuense extent -vvearing a mottled appearance, from 

 the great mass of birds of both species perched on the top ; the malė 

 Sterna fuUginosa sitting quite close to the nešt of the Noddy, \vhile 

 its mate is beneath, performing her arduous duties of incubation. On 

 ■vvalking among these birds' nests, I ■was surprised to observe the ex- 

 treme tenacity vvith vvhich they kept their post ; in fact they -vpould 

 not remove off the egg or young, but suffered themselves to be fairly 

 trod upon, or taken ofF by the hand ; and so thickly were these nests 

 placed, that it was no easy matter to avoid crushing either birds or 

 eggs at every step. In the middle of January I found the eggs very 

 nearly ready to hatch, and but few young birds ; in numerous in- 

 stances the bird \vould suffer me to take it by the wing and thro-w it 

 ofF the nešt, but -vv'ould immediately return, although I \vas still 

 standing close to the spot. There vvould be an overwhelming increase 

 of this species yearly but for one check \vhich nature has provided 

 against it in the presence of a lizard, which is extremely abundant 

 about their breeding-places, and which finds an easy prey in this and 

 S. fuUginosa. I am satisfied, from constant observation, that on an 

 average, not more than one out of every twenty birds hatched ever 

 reach maturlty, or live long enough to take wing ; besides this, 

 great numbers of the old birds are constantly killed : these lizards 

 do not eat the whole bird, but merely extract the brains and ver- 

 tebral marrow ; the remainder how'ever is soon cleared ofF by the 

 Dermestes lardarliis, \vhich is here in amazing numbers, and gavę 

 me a great deal of uneasiness and constant trouble to preserve my 

 collection from their repeated attacks. I did not observe the Noddy 

 inhabiting any other but South Island ; they do not appear to go far 

 out to sea to feed, finding an abundance of food immediately outside 

 the outer reef ; nor did I in any one instance observe it feeding in 

 the smooth quiet water between the outer reef and the islands. Their 

 food consists of small fish, small mollusca, medusse, cuttle-fish, &c. 

 Irides bro\vn, bill and legs blackish grey ; flight somevvhat heavy and 

 very irregular." 



" Anous ? (Lesser Noddy). — This; although an allied species 



to the Noddy, is totally different in its habits of incubation, and is 

 even much more numerous than the former ; it builds a nešt of sea- 

 ■vveed on the branches of the mangrove, from four to ten feet above 

 the ground ; likę the Noddy, ho\vever, it is truly gregarious, arranging 

 their nests as closely as possible ; the sea-\veed is merely thrown 

 across the branch vvithout any regard to form, till they have a heap 

 varying from tvvo to four inches in height, the long pieces of sea- 

 ■weed in many instances hanging beneath the branch, ■vvhich makes 

 it appear a much larger structure : their nests and the branches 

 of the trees are completely white from their excrement, throwing 

 out a most disagreeable and sickly odour, Avhich is perceptible at a 

 considerable distance. Although there are large groves of man- 

 groves on other islands, this bird only inhabits those of South 

 Island. I have seen many vast flocks of birds, but I mušt con- 



