350 TEE FRIGATE BIRD AND THE BOOBY. 



attached to the chariot of the sun, to use a classical meta- 

 phor. From this climate they remove but little, and their 

 appearance indicates to seamen their approaching passage 

 under this zone, from whatever side they may arrive. Still, 

 they advance seaward many hundreds of miles. 



The Frigate-Bird is the representative of this species, 

 the swiftest ranger of the ocean, whose extended wings 

 measure a width of seven feet. How this bird treats the 

 unfortunate '* booby" (also a fish-hunter) is described by a 

 writer, who says: 



"Every one who has read the romantic naratives of the 

 old voyagers is familiar with the name of the booby, so 

 termed by seamen from its apparent stupidity and familiar- 

 ity, suffering itself to be knocked down by a stick, or taken 

 by the hand when it alights, as it often does, on the spars or 

 shrouds of a vessel. This habit seems quite unaccountable. 

 Many birds have manifested a similar fearlessness of man 

 when first discovered, but have soon learned the necessity 

 of precaution; but the booby will manifest the same unnat- 

 ural tameness after being long accustomed to the cruelty ol 

 man. It does not arise from helplessness, as it is a bird of 

 powerful wing, like its relative the common gannet; neither 

 is it a sufficient explanation to affirm, as is sometimes done, 

 that it arises from a peculiar difficulty in rising to flight 

 after alighting, because it is not unfrequently caught in the 

 air by the hand, so incautiously does it approach man. Not- 

 withstanding this apparent stupidity, the booby is a dexter- 

 ous fisher. Hovering over a shoal of fishes, he eagerly 

 watches their motions, turning his head from side to side in 

 a very ludricous manner. He presently sees one of the un- 

 wary group approach the surface : down he pounces like a 

 stone, plunging into the waves, which boil into foam with 

 the shock. Nor fails ho to seize the scaly victim, with 

 which he emerges into the air, and soon it is lodged whole 



