Vol. II, Pt. I] GIFFORD— BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 95 



The nest of this species was like that of the Peruvian Booby, 

 a mere depression in the earth in which two eggs were laid. 

 On Hood and Champion Islands Blue-footed Boobies nested 

 in the vicinity of the shore, sometimes along the tops of cliffs, 

 at other times close to the water. The birds at Hood Island 

 in September, 1905, were nesting beside white glazed rocks 

 and in the broiling sun, with no shelter whatsoever. Many 

 of them were sitting on their nests with mouth open, panting 

 with heat and thirst. On Daphne they nested on the sandy 

 floor of the crater, which is three or four hundred feet deep 

 and very hot, as it is protected on all sides from the wind. 

 Only one pair was seen nesting outside the crater. At Tagus 

 Cove they nested on the broad ledges and tops of the low 

 tufaceous cliffs. 



The following notes on the time and place of breeding of 

 the Blue-footed Booby, taken in conjunction with the observa- 

 tions of other expeditions, point to an almost continuous 

 breeding-season. We found eggs, young in the down, and 

 fully fledged young at Hood Island, in September and Octo- 

 ber; both naked young and young assuming juvenal plumage 

 at Hood in February ; eggs, birds in down, and well-feathered 

 young at Champion in October; young in the down at Cham- 

 pion in February; naked young at Brattle in October; eggs 

 and downy young at Daphne in November; large young of 

 various ages at Daphne in July; fresh eggs at Tagus Cove 

 in March ; and one large young one at Tower in September. 

 There are two young hatched ; but by the time they reach the 

 partially-feathered state, seldom more than one has survived. 



The half-fledged young exhibited considerable pugnacity. 

 When one was shoved into a neighbor's domain, a fight en- 

 sued, the birds seizing each other by the beak and then- having 

 a tug-of-war for perhaps a minute. 



An adult taken at Academy Bay, Indefatigable, had its 

 right foot deformed. At the junction of the toes with the 

 tarsus the foot was enlarged and immovable, the toes were 

 bent under and altogether rigid, and one claw was much 

 elongated. 



Breeding adults taken at Tagus Cove had the following 

 life-colors : Feet pale blue ; bill plumbeous ; gular sac china- 

 blue. 



