380 THE WORLD OF THE SEA. 
But it would seem that retributive justice exists in every 
part of the kingdom of Nature. Nowhere can a marauder enjoy 
his ill-gotten gains in peace. When an albatross or a frigate- 
bird has seized the fruit of a poor gull’s toil, he generally makes 
off with it to the upper regions of the air, but here he encounters 
many of his friends on the look out, who have been anxiously 
awaiting his arrival. They evidently consider it no robbery to 
rob a thief, and immediately the whole troop are upon him; 
the wretched fish, tossed from beak to beak, torn, and killed, 
THE PHAETON OR TROPIC-BIRD. 
(Phaeton phanicurius.) 
often ends by falling into the waves, while the robbers are 
fighting with each other. 
The Avetic Gull, the pirate of the air, chases birds smaller 
and weaker than himself, giving them a blow with his beak, 
he makes them disgorge at least part of their prey, and greedily 
eats the disgusting morsel. 
The flight of the 7vopic-bird, or Phaeton, is calm and peaceful, 
performed by frequent strokes of the wings, at times interrupted 
by a brusque movement or kind of swoop. These birds defy 
the fury of the storm; in the midst of the most horrible tempest, 
they retain their composure. Tranquil and serene, they rise 
with the wave, and descend again into the abyss. Phaetons 
