286 Ci^AKK, Habits of Certain Venezuelan Birds. \^^\^ 



was fully as deep as in the surrounding parts, and, from the land, 

 no difference whatever was discernible. I thought I had found a 

 possible clue to the mystery one day, while I was watching some 

 boys fishing off the end of the wharf. Every few minutes some 

 fish or other, most often a sea-catfish {Galeichthys) would rise to 

 the surface, feebly struggling, to be almost instantly gobbled by 

 some watchful gull or Frigate Bird. I obtained a couple of these 

 fish, but could find no marks whatever on them to indicate in 

 what manner they had been disabled. The inhabitants told me 

 that at certain times fish run ashore here by the cart-load, and 

 say it is due to the larger fish driving them in ; but the United 

 States vice-consul at Cartipano, Senor Orsini, believes that the 

 real cause is the escape of sulphurous fumes through some crevice 

 in the sea bottom, tainting the water so as to make it poisonous 

 for the fish, which, to escape death from suffocation, run ashore. 

 As the whole country about the town is very rich in sulphur, such 

 an explanation seems highly probable ; and it may well be that 

 under the spot where the sea-birds congregate, coming to it from 

 miles up and down the coast, there is some sulphur spring 

 or temporary opening slowly giving out some volcanic gas or 

 other which disables the fish. Unfortunately I could not visit the 

 spot to test the truth of my theory; but I took several catfish 

 which I found one day washing up on the beach, and carried them 

 to a salt lagoon, entirely cut off from the sea. When placed in 

 this, they immediately swam to the bottom, and I saw them no 

 more. 



Single boobies may often be seen fishing in company with 

 solitary pelicans, imitating in every way the Actions of their larger 

 companions, diving at the same time, and rising simultaneously, 

 Mr. Outram Bangs has suggested to me that perhaps the booby, 

 being smaller and more active, finds a good fare in the fish which 

 the uncouth pelican fails to catch. Just before dark, the gannets 

 retreat to the channel between Margarita and the mainland, and 

 fly about, uttering a peculiar note midway between a caw and a 

 quack. They are unsuspicious, and pay no attention whatever to 

 a b«at, resembling pelicans in this respect ; but they are not so 

 readily caught by means of a hook and line as the latter. Directly 

 east of Margarita there is a large rock, rising to a considerable 



