BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 205 



in the horizontal surface of the rock, as also at Water Key, one of 

 the Ragged Island keys. At Key Verde, which is situated about 

 thirty miles east of Great Ragged Island, in holes in the perpen- 

 dicular face of the cliffs, and also in the horizontal surface of the 

 rock. Before depositing their eggs, the male and female occupy 

 the same hole, but afterwards only one bird is found in the hole. 

 Both sexes incubate. On the 20th of April about half of the birds 

 had not commenced laying, and a few of the eggs had been sat on 

 for three or four days; most of them, however, were freshly laid. 

 They feed from near daylight to about nine o'clock, when they 

 return to their holes, in which they pass the hotter part of the day, 

 again leaving them toward sunset in search of food. They cannot, 

 of course, breed in communities like the Tern, as suitable holes are 

 not very abundant. At Water Key, where they were more abun- 

 dant than at any other place, in an extent of two miles, only eleven 

 birds were found. The holes chosen for, their abodes are seldom 

 shallow, and are often so winding that, though their harsh note can 

 be heard, they can only be procured by demolishing the rock. 



" In their habits, except that of diving, which I am ignorant 

 whether they practise or not, they closely resemble the Terns, as 

 they also do in their mode of flight and external appearance; and 

 with that family they should be associated. On their breeding- 

 places being approached, when they are out of their holes, they hover 

 over the intruder, screaming, and darting at him in precisely the 

 same manner that the Terns do. The long tail-feathers are never 

 separated when flying, and the French name, paille en queue, is very 



