410 The Frigate Bird 



Poor booby becomes conscious of the presence of 

 her aggressor, as hasteless, fateful, he nears her ; labours 

 hardly, frantically to escape, screams mournfully 

 and dodges. As well try to dodge a lightning flash. 

 The pirate is in no hurry, secure of his prey he draws 

 nearer, nearer, until with a wild scream of rage and 

 terror booby drops her fish and hurries to sea again 

 for more. On the instant, the wide wings, only 

 partially extended before, expand to their full spread, 

 there is a tremendous curve through the air, and the 

 falling fish is caught with ease and certainty, although 

 sometimes only just as it is touching the water, and 

 the graceful thief mounts again to his aerial point of 

 vantage. 



The pathos of the whole thing seems to me that 

 it is invariably the hen boobies who are robbed, the 

 male birds devouring their fish as soon as they secure 

 it. But the mother needs her catch for the unfledged 

 youngsters at home, and is consequently precluded 

 from swallowing by the power of her maternal instinct. 

 With such power of wing and ability to swoop upon 

 their prey it does seem a pity that the Frigate Birds 

 cannot confine themselves to the work of catching 

 their own fish first hand. But then man is always of 

 opinion that he is wiser and more merciful than God, 

 Who hath done all things well. It is another.instance 

 of human arrogance, which indeed cannot be trusted 

 to interfere in any of Nature's work without doing 

 harm that he cannot again undo. 



One peculiarity attaches to the Frigate Bird which 

 I found very pleasant. On the occasion of which I 

 spoke in the chapter on boobies, when the men made 

 a raid upon the boobies' nests (if their little hollows 

 in the sand could be thus designated), I, having no 

 boots, was compelled to stand aside or suffer grievous 



