484 ANNUAL REPORT SMITH>SONIAN INSTITUTION, 1917. 



cubates closely like the former. The Sandwich, the Cayenne, and the Roseate 

 Terns, drop their eggs on the sand or the bare rock, and seldom sit upon them 

 until evening, or during cloudy or I'ainy weather. The Cayenne, Sooty and 

 Noddy Terns differ greatly in their flight, their manner of feeding, and the 

 extent of their migrations. The tail of the Noddy is cuneate, instead of being 

 forked, in which respect it differs essentially from that of the other species. 

 Perhaps the naturalists who placed jt in the same genus with the Roseate 

 Tern may have been nodding over their books. 



The several years of study by Watson and Lashley have added 

 much to our knowledge of this species, and I shall take the liberty 

 to quote from them extensively in order to render the picture as 

 complete as possible. 



Of the mating, Watson states: 



My notes contain a rather full account of a striking series of reactions 

 between two noddies which I took to be a case of mating and choice of nest 

 site, but since it occurred late in the season and did not lead to a completed 

 nest, I advance it tentatively. 



One day I observed several noddies " sunning " upon the wire covering of 

 one of my large experimental cages. Suddenly, one of the birds (male) began 

 nodding and bowing to a bird standing near (female). This nodding reaction 

 is one of the most interesting and ludicrous acts of the Noddy Tern. It is quite 

 elaborate. Two birds will face each other, one vdll then bow the head almost 

 to the ground, raise it quickly almost to a vertical position, and then quickly 

 lower it. He will repeat this over and over again with great rapidity. The 

 other bird goes through a similar pantomime. If a stranger bird alights near 

 the group, he salutes those nearest, and is in turn saluted by them. During 

 the pantomime a sound is rarely made. The female gave immediate attention 

 and began efforts to extract fish from the throat of the male. The male would 

 first make efforts to disgorge, then put the tip of the beak almost to the ground 

 and incline it to the angle most suitable to admit her beak. She would then 

 thrust her beak into his (the ordinary feeding reaction). The feeding reac- 

 tion was alternated with the nodding. After this series of acts had been 

 repeated 20 times, the male flew off and brought a stick. He deposited this 

 near the female and then again offered to feed her. She again tried to feed, 

 then the male attempted sexual relations. She immediately flew away, but 

 almost immediately returned and alighted at a slightly different place. The 

 male again brought the stick and again bowed and offered to feed her. She 

 accepted the food, but again flew away when the male attempted to mount her. 

 At this juncture the island was disturbed and my observations could not 

 continue. 



The noddy constructs its nest from (1) loose dead branches of the bay 

 cedar bushes; (2) of seaweed; (3) of a combination of tliese; (4) of a com- 

 bination of either or both of these with various kinds of sea shells and coral. 

 When the shells and coral are employed, they are often placed as an inner 

 lining to the nest and the egg is deposited directly upon them. The nest itself 

 is a quite variable structure, and usually loosely put together. It is very shal- 

 low, and this is rather singular, since the wind often blows the egg or the 

 young to the ground. 



The nests remaining from year to year are utilized by the birds at succes- 

 sive nesting periods ; whether or not by the same pair can not with certainty 

 be answered at present. On account of this utilization of the old nest from 



