112 STUPIDITY. 



that allow themselves to be caught and knocked on the head. 

 Though they see their comrades captured or slaughtered 

 before their eyes, the others do not profit by experience and 

 take to timely flight. 



The noddy receives its specific designation, stolidus, from 

 its alleged stupidity. Like, and frequently, indeed, along 

 with, the booby, it is a native of remote, barren, rocky islets, 

 such as St. Paul's Rocks. Its tameness is of the same cha- 

 racter as that of the booby, and is simply ascribable to the 

 bird's being unaccustomed to the presence or person of man 

 (Wild). 



This unfamiliarity and its results are better known, how- 

 ever have been more frequently observed and described as 

 they occur in other sea birds that inhabit lands, coasts, or 

 islands seldom or never visited by man. Thus the sheath 

 bills (chionis) of Kerguelen's Land, according to Dr. Kidder, 

 an American naturalist connected with the Transit of Yenus 

 Expedition of 1874-5, showed great curiosity instead of get- 

 ting out of his way, examined him carefully, staring at him in 

 astonishment ; and even when captured they showed no fear. 

 e They would scarcely get out of my way,' he says, ' and 

 seemed greatly interested in my movements. When I sat on 

 a stone, keeping perfectly still, the whole party .... came 

 up to examine the intruder .... and finally stopped almost 

 in a semi-circle for a good stare. , . . . The whole troop 

 started to follow me .... as if filled with curiosity .... 

 the birds not all flying out of range, even after the gun had 

 been fired Various members of the (ship's) party cap- 

 tured specimens by hand, all that was necessary to attract 

 them within reach being to remain perfectly still. After 

 one had been caught it served as a lure for others. When 

 taken home alive they still showed no fear. 9 



One of the guillemots bears the specific popular appella- 

 tion ( foolish ' from suffering itself, like so many other island- 

 inhabiting birds, to be taken by hand. ( Apparently there 

 never was stupidity equal to that of the birds of St. 

 Kilda,' says a correspondent of the 'Scotsman' (newspaper), 

 writing in August, 1875. They are easily snared by girls. 

 * A noose is put at the places where they congregate ; they 



