FRIGATE BIRDS. 



towards the ship, and we felt confident that she 

 would come on board ; approaching the ship, her 

 flight became lower and more unsteady, until 

 she fell dead into the water, quite close to the 

 ship, near the mizen chains, just as we were in 

 expectation that she would have fallen upon the 

 poop. 



Numerous sea-swallows (^Sterna hirundo, Linn.) 

 and brown boobies flew about the ship as we 

 approached nearer the land ; the former fish- 

 ing in groups. After the toil of the day, they 

 return in small flocks to the island, usually about 

 the close of the evening, (as well as the gannets 

 and other birds that do not wander far from 

 the land,) reposing and breeding among the 

 ledges of the huge masses of sterile volcanic 

 rocks.* 



The frigate birds, or (sea-hawks, as they are also 

 named,) are seldom or never seen far distant from 

 land : the male birds are black, and have a red 

 pouch ; the females have a white breast, and 

 are destitute of the pouch. In procuring fish for 

 their food, these birds prefer seizing it from the 

 boobies and gannets, instead of catching it them- 



* Three lazy frigate-birds, too indolent to fish for them- 

 selves, were seen, pursuing an unfortunate sea-swallow, 

 which had probably succeeded in capturing a fish. It is 

 usual for these birds to pursue the gannets, and others, when 

 returning from their fishing excursions, compelling them to 

 disgorge their fish. 



