THE NODDY. 



755 



Another rather celebrated species of Tern, though rare in England, is the Noddy. 



This bird is spread over many portions of the world, but is a very rare visitant to our 

 shores. It often alights on A'essels by night, and as it does not see well except in daylight, 

 suffers itself to be easily caught. This habit has sometimes had a most providential effect, 

 and saved the lives of sailors adrift in a boat without provisions. Audubon writes of the 

 Noddy : " The flight of this bird greatly resembles that of the night-hawk when passing 

 over meadows or rivers. "When about to alight on the water the Noddy keeps its wings 

 extended upwards, and touches it first with its feet. It swims with considerable buoyancy 

 and grace, and at times immerses its head to seize on a fish. "Wlien seized in the hand 

 it utters a rough cry. On such occasions it liites severely with quickly repeated move- 

 ments of the bill, which on missing the object aimed at, closes with a snap." The bird picks 

 up its food as it skims along the surface. 



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NODDY. — 'Anijiis st6lldus. 



The nesting of the Noddy is rather variable. Sometimes it places its nest upon a 

 ledge of rock overhanging the water, and at other times builds it among buslies or low trees. 

 The nest is always a clumsy-looking affair, and as the bird is in the habit of adhering to 

 the same spot for several successive seasons, and adding fresh material each time, the nests 

 soon acquire a very large size, some being masses of seaM'eed about two feet in tliickness, 

 with only a slight depression at the top. In any case, the nest is very du-ty and badly 

 kept, and the odour of a crowded nesting-place is anji^hing but pleasant. Mr. Gilbert 

 mentions that in Western Australia, where the Noddy breeds largely, its numbers are much 

 thinned by a kind of lizard, which eats the young and occasionally kills the old birds. 

 He is of opinion that not one in twenty lives long enough to take wing. 



The eggs of the Noddy are usually three in number, of a dark orange colour, splashed 

 and spotted with red and purple. They are very good eating, and sailors collect them 

 largely for the table. The Noddy is a dark-looking bird, the forehead and top of the head 

 being buff, the back of the head dusky grey, and the whole of the remaining plumage 

 chocolate-brown. Even the legs, feet, and bill are black. The average length of the 

 Noddy is about fourteen or fifteen inches. 



Several other species of Terns are found on our coasts, among which may be 

 mentioned the Sooty Teen (Sterna fultgmosa), sooty black above and white below ; the 

 Lesser Tern (Sterna minuta), a very small species, only eight or nine inches in length ; 



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