92 WILD WINGS 



The Sooties, naturally, occupied the greater part of the island, 

 but the Noddies had a separate reservation along the middle 

 and southern part of the west shore, from which one gazes 

 out upon Loggerhead Light, two miles away. To some extent 

 the species overlapped on their southern boundary, and the 

 Sooties were free to fly over Noddy-land, but there was no 

 interference or unfriendliness. I saw no fighting between 

 these two, though the Noddies would protest a bit when their 

 natural disturbers, the Man-o'-War Birds, desired to roost too 

 near their nests, and there were some little " scraps" between 

 some of a kind, especially when the wrong Noddy alighted 

 upon the wrong nest. 



Living, as we did, right among the birds, the opportunities 

 were splendid for observing all the details of their interesting 

 little lives. Both terns were continually alighting upon the 

 roofs of the buildings, especially appropriating the ridge- 

 poles, upon which there were nearly always lines of them, 

 both kinds peacefully intermingled. I watched the caressings 

 of the mates, their pretty home-life on and about the nests, 

 and even the dropping of the eggs. I was so busy photo- 

 graphing during my short stay that I could not take time to 

 watch protractedly any given nests and learn the full sequence 

 of events, but I should have enjoyed remaining there with 

 the warden throughout the season, watching the life and pro- 

 gress of the colony. 



The climate of these sea-girt, Southern keys is not uncom- 

 fortably hot, even in summer, just a delightful, equable con- 

 dition that makes living and sleeping outdoors a constant 

 delight. The rainy season was approaching, as occasional 

 sudden showers had begun to show. But who would mind 

 alternate showers and sunshine under such conditions ! How 

 a congenial company of lovers of nature could enjoy them- 

 selves upon such an island, studying the birds, watching at 



