106 Catalogue of Birds. 



of twigs, though even these are frequently'capped by a few bits 

 of shell upon which tbe egg immediately lies. Tbe Noddies 

 are often thievish 'when building their ncs's ; where two pair 

 are thus engaged in close proximity, the one will often repeat- 

 edly carry off to their own nest from that, of the other in their 

 absence. On the return of the owners to their spoiled home, 

 and especially when the attempt is repeated in their presence, 

 an amusing altercation ensues, and sometimes a fight. The 

 Noddies especially, among the sea-birds, have always suffered 

 severely from the ravages of cats, of which a number have run 

 wild over the Key. These, and the neighborhood of man, have 

 been rapidly frightening them away. 



" It has been an amusing sight to see a large flock sometimes 

 settle down immediately around a Hast hole, after the laborers 

 had ignited the fuse and run away, and again rise, expressing 

 their noisy astonishment at the report. The surface of the Key 

 is very rough, and offers these birds an abundance of cavities 

 for building their nests ; they lay indiscriminately over the 

 surface, inland as much as near the cliff, but never on the cen- 

 tral tract of sand. Only one egg is laid in a nest." 



The egg of A. stolid us is of a pale cream color, with a belt 

 of reddish brown blotches around the larger end, and a very 

 few small spots on the other portions; it measures 21 by If 

 inches. 



3i. JSkma Antillarum, Less. 



