248 Dr. O. Finsch's Ornithological Letters. 



me, as it will be perhaps to most of my ornithological friends. 

 Here the Turnstone is used solely for fighting-purposes, just 

 as fighting-cocks used to be in England ! Still more aston- 

 ishing is what I observed of the Frigate-bird, or rather in 

 regard to its capture ; for " bird-lassooing,^' I suppose, has 

 never been yet recorded, and will be a novel sport to nearly 

 all readers of ' The Ibis.' This sport seems to be a privi- 

 leged amusement of the chiefs of Pleasant Island, and is 

 followed only during the month of July, apparently in ac- 

 cordance with a certain migration of this species during that 

 season. My attention was called first to a large bower or 

 shelter, about 7 to 8 feet high and 20 feet long, made of sticks 

 and some green trees, which were partially cut down, but 

 were still growing and covered with leaves. On this bower 

 were placed eight living Tachypetes, apparently perfectly 

 tame ; for I could not make out that they were fastened by a 

 cord. These tame specimens serve as decoys, and attract the 

 wild individuals who pass by the reef where the bower stands. 

 The bower is always erected near to the shore, so that it 

 may be seen at a great distance at sea. The bird-catchers 

 are ever on the watch to be ready in case a straggler should 

 make its appearance. These men are " tabooed " during the 

 time of their duties in this sport, and may do no other work. 

 They get their food separately cooked, and may not have 

 intercourse with women. The sole apparatus for catching the 

 Frigate-bird is, as I said before, a sort of lasso, consisting of 

 a fine cord of cocoanut-fibre, 70 to 80 feet long, on which a 

 " bola,^' of long conical form, about 3 inches long, made of 

 shell {Tridacna gigas) or iron, is fastened. As soon as a 

 wild bird approaches the stand where the decoys sit, the bird- 

 catcher watches it with the greatest care, endeavouring to hide 

 himself under the leaves of the trees. In wide revolvina: 

 lines of flight the Tachypetes (the best and most elegant flyer 

 of the Pacific) comes nearer and nearer, hovering by and 

 by above and near to its tame comrades, but without resting 

 in their company. Apparently it does not care for the dark- 

 skinned native, although it may see him. Anyhow the bird- 

 catcher is more careful than the bird, and taking a shot when* 



