570 LARIDyE. 



bites severely, with quickly-repeated movements of the bill, 

 which, on missing the object aimed at, closes with a snap. 

 Some which I kept several days refused all kinds of food, 

 became dull and languid, and at length died. While hover- 

 ing over us near their nests, these birds emitted a low quer- 

 ulous murmur, and, if unmolested, would attempt to alight 

 on our heads. After a few visits, however, they became 

 rather more careful of themselves, although the sitting birds 

 often suffered us to put a hat over them. This species incu- 

 bates both day and night." 



The following extract in reference to the habits of this bird 

 in Australia forms part of a letter from the late Mr. Gilbert, 

 who was collecting for Mr. Gould in Western Australia : 

 " The Noddy and its allied species are the most numerous 

 of all the inhabitants of the Houtmann's Abrolhos, breeding 

 in prodigious numbers ; the bird lays in November and 

 December, forming a nest of sea-weed about six inches in 

 diameter, and varying in height from four to eight inches, 

 but without anything like regularity of form ; the top is 

 nearly flat, there being but a very slight hollow to prevent 

 the egg rolling off. The nests are so completely plastered 

 with their excrement, that at first sight it appears to be 

 almost the only material; they are either placed on the 

 ground, in a clear open space, or on the tops of the thick 

 scrub, over the Sterna fuliginosa : these two species incubate 

 together in the utmost harmony, the bushes to an immense 

 extent wearing a mottled appearance, from the great mass of 

 birds of both species perched on the top, the male Sterna 

 fuliginosa sitting quite close to the nest of the Noddy, while 

 its mate is beneath, performing her arduous duties of incu- 

 bation. On walking among these birds' nests, I was surprised 

 to observe the extreme tenacity with which they kept their 

 post ; in fact they would not remove off the egg or young, 

 but suffered themselves to be fairly trod upon, or taken off 

 by the hand ; and so thickly were these nests placed, that 

 it was no easy matter to avoid crushing either birds or eggs 

 at every step. In the middle of January I found the eggs 

 very nearly ready to hatch, and but few young birds ; in 



