BIRD ROOKERIES OF TORTUGAS BARTSCH. 493 



As the Marion was nearing the curious Islets of the Tortugas, one of the birds 

 that more particularly attracted my notice was of this species. The nearer we 

 approached land, the more numerous did they become, and I felt delighted with 

 the hope that ere many days should elapse, I should have an opportunity of study- 

 ing their habits. As night drew her somber curtain over the face of nature, 

 some of these birds alighted on the top-yard of our bark, and I observed ever 

 afterwards that they manifested a propensity to roost at as great a height as 

 possible above the surrounding objects, making choice of the tops of bushes, or 

 even upright poles, and disputing with each other the privilege. The first that 

 was shot at, was approached with considerable difficulty ; it had alighted on the 

 prong of a tree which had floated and been fastened to the bottom of a rocky 

 shallow at some distance from shore ; the water was about four feet deep and 

 quite rough ; sharks we well knew were abundant around us ; but the desire to 

 procure the bird was too strong to be overcome by such obstacles. In an instant, 

 the pilot and myself were over the sides of the boat, and onward we proceeded 

 with our guns cocked and ready. The yawl was well manned, and its crew 

 awaiting the result. After we had struggled through the turbulent waters about 

 a hundred yards, my companion raised his gun and fired ; but away flew the 

 bird with a broken leg, and we saw no more of it that day. Next day, however, 

 at the same hour, the Booby was seen perched on the same prong, where, after 

 resting about three hours, it made off to the open sea, doubtless in search of food. 



About eight miles to the north-east of the Tortugas Lighthouse, lies a small 

 sand-bar a few acres in extent, called Booby Island, on account of the number of 

 birds of this species that resort to it during the breeding season, and to it we 

 accordingly went. We found it not more than a few feet above the surface of 

 the water, but covered with Boobies, which lay basking in the sunshine, and 

 pluming themselves. Our attempt to land on the island before the birds should 

 fly off, proved futile, for before we were within fifty yards of it, they had all 

 betaken themselves to flight, and were dispersing in various directions. We 

 landed, however, distributed ourselves in different parts and sent the boat to 

 some distance, the pilot assuring us that the birds would return. And so it 

 happened. As they approached, we laid ourselves as flat as possible in the sand, 

 and although none of them alighted, we attained our object, for in a couple of 

 hours we procured thirty individuals of both sexes and of different ages, finding 

 little difficulty in bringing them down as they flew over us at a moderate height. 

 The wounded birds that fell on the ground made immediately for the water, 

 moving with more ease than I had expected from the accounts usually given of 

 the awkward motions of these birds on the land. Those which reached the 

 water swam off with great buoyancy, and with such rapidity, that it took much 

 rowing to secure some of them while most of those that fell directly into the sea 

 with only a wing broken, escaped. The island was covered with dung, the odour 

 of which extended to a considerable distance leeward. In the evening of the 

 same day we landed on another island, named after the Noddy, and thickly 

 covered with bushes and low trees, to which thousands of that species of Tern 

 resort for the purpose of breeding. There also we found a great number of 

 Boobies. They were perched on the top-branches of the trees, on which they had 

 nests, and here again we obtained as many as we desired. They flew close over 

 our heads, eyeing us with dismay but in silence ; indeed, not one of these birds 

 ever emitted a cry, except at the moment when they rose from their perches or 

 from the sand. Their note is harsh and guttural, somewhat like that of a 

 strangled pig. and resembling the syllables, hork, hork. 



The nest of the Booby is placed on the top of a bush at a height of from 

 four to ten feet. It is large and flat, formed of a few dry sticks, covered and 



