242 Wells, Birds of the Island of Carriacon. I 



Auk 



July 



is thrust into the hole, though it can administer a severe peck with its 

 powerful beak, as I know from personal experience. 



The egg is a large one, of a dull purple brown thicklj scribbled and 

 spotted with dark purple and brown. 



11. Sula sula (Lr'tt?i.). Booby; Fou. — This bird is not numerous in 

 Carriacou, though large numbers of them inhabit Kik-en-jenny, a rock 

 about ten miles distant; a few of them are seen in the bays around the 

 coast. They are magnificent divers, plunging into the sea like a wedge 

 and emerging a short distance off like a flash, and it is seldom that they 

 miss their prey. They lay one egg onl^-, on the bare ground ; the Qgg is 

 white. 



12. Pelecanus fuscus Z,/««. Brown Pelican; Grand-gorge — Very 

 numerous all around the coast, in flocks of 5 to 50, sometimes sitting 

 quietly on the water, or hovering over a shoal of sprats and diving one 

 after the other with loud splashes. They turn right over when they dive, 

 and on emerging froiTi the water they elevate their bills and shake the 

 fish from the pouch down their throats. It is whilst doing this that the 

 Laughing Gull steals any little fish that shows from the pelican's bill, 

 often perching on the pelican's head to enable it to reach the fish 

 easier. I was under the impression that they nested on some of the out- 

 lying rocks, but have now determined that they resort to the coast of 

 Florida to breed, during the months of February, March, and April. In 

 May and June they begin to return in numbers, and the young of the 

 year are easily distinguished by the lighter gray color and yellow ' down ' 

 on the head. They are 'early birds' at their fishing; from about 5 a. m. 

 they may be seen diving, and some remain fishing until dusk. They 

 roost both on trees and on the rocks. The flesh of the young birds is not 

 to be despised as food, but the old birds are too fishy, though I have seen 

 them eaten with avidity, after being skinned, by the people in the small 

 islands. The skin of the breast is beautiful and makes elegant little mats 

 for the table, and I have seen them made into caps ; the pouch can be 

 made into bags for tobacco and has been used to cover a small drum or 

 tambourine. 



13. Fregata aquila (Linn.). Man-o'war Bird; Frigate. — This 

 remarkable bird is a familiar figure ; two or three may often be seen sail- 

 ing majestically over the land, sometimes so high as to appear like black 

 specks. They often hover over the sea and dart down to pick up fish 

 near the sui-face (as they do not dive), or watch the Boobys fishing, ready 

 to rob them of their prey. It is astonishing how quick this large bird is 

 in its movements ; it will pounce upon a booby that has secured a fish 

 and is flying off with it, cause it to disgorge, and the fish will fall, but 

 long before it can reach the water the Man-o'-war Bird has caught it. 

 They may frequently be seen fighting in the air, particularly the old 

 males, which are easily distinguished by the scarlet gular pouch ; they 

 fight desperately, opening and shutting the long forked tail like a pair of 

 shears and uttering a grating cry. 



