42 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



greater advantage over them, for he is bigger, 

 and no bird in the world is such a wonderful 

 flyer. But when there are no other birds 

 handy to work for him, the frigate-bird is not 

 so well off as the skua, for the skua can swim 

 or run about and pick up plenty for himself 

 like any other gull, but the frigate-bird must 

 depend on what he can snatch up while he is 

 on the wing. He is so helpless when he is not 

 flying that the boobies sit side by side with 

 him on the trees for in the tropics the sea- 

 birds often perch in trees and a photograph 

 has even been taken of a frigate-bird and 

 booby having a rough-and-tumble fight on 

 the ground. So the frigate-bird is often hard 

 up for food ; he is glad to pick up scraps 

 about a harbour, and even devours his own 

 neighbours' young ones if he gets the chance. 

 He catches some fish, of course, and also young 

 turtles ; flying-fish are his especial favourites, 

 and the frigate-bird seems to be almost the 

 only sea-bird which catches them. Of course 

 it is particularly convenient for a bird which 

 does not care about swimming to have the fish 

 come out of the water and fly ! 



In the islands of the Pacific the natives 



