538 LARIDJE. 



seeks its food at some distance from land, but occasionally 

 pursues its prey into the estuaries of the larger Irish 

 rivers, or along the outer shores of the coast." 



M. Temminck, in the 4th Part of his Manual, pub- 

 lished in 1840, mentions that the Noddy has been seen on 

 the coast of France, and Dr. Latham says he was told that 

 they lay their eggs in vast numbers on certain small rocky 

 isles near St. Helena. 



Mr. Darwin found the Noddy breeding on St. Paul's 

 rocks, half way across the Atlantic, when sailing from the 

 Cape de Yerd Islands to South America, and observes 

 that " this Tern makes a very simple nest with sea- weed. 

 By the side of many of these nests a small flying-fish was 

 placed ; which, I suppose, had been brought by the male 

 bird for its partner. It was amusing to watch how quickly 

 a large and active crab (Grapsus), which inhabits the 

 crevices of the rocks, stole the fish from the side of the 

 nest, as soon as we had disturbed the birds." 



Mr. Audubon says, " about the beginning of May the 

 Noddies collect from all parts of the Gulf of Mexico and 

 the coasts of Florida, for the purpose of returning to their 

 breeding-places on one of the Tortugas called Noddy Key. 

 These birds form regular nests of twigs and dry grass, 

 which they place on the bushes or low trees, but never on 

 the ground. On visiting their island on the llth of May, 

 1832, I was surprised to see that many of them were 

 repairing and augmenting nests that had remained through 

 the winter, while others were employed in constructing 

 new ones, and some were already sitting on their eggs. 

 In a great many instances, the repaired nests formed 

 masses nearly two feet in height, and yet all of them had 

 only a slight hollow for the eggs, broken shells of which 

 were found among the entire ones, as if they had been 

 purposely placed there. The birds did not discontinue 



