A Season's Field Work 



257 



Cay Verde is an uninhabited islet of some forty acres area, situated on the 

 eastern edge of the Columbus Bank, between the Ragged Islands and Inaugua. 

 It is only 250 miles from Nassau, but, owing to adverse weather conditions, which 

 at times threatened us with serious disaster, ten days were required for the voyage. 



The absence of definite information, both as to the number of birds frequent- 

 ing Cay Verde and the time of their nesting, made the outcome of our trip more 

 or less uncertain, and the difficulties encountered in reaching this remote islet 

 added in no small degree to the pleasure with which we found it thickly populated 

 with Boobies and Man-o'-war Birds, whose nesting season was at its height. 



CAMP ON CAY VERDE 

 The birds in the air are Boobies 



There is no harbor at Cay Verde, and, fearing that we might be forced by 

 a"storm to leave, Mr. Shiras and I camped on the islet, while Dr. Mayer anchored 

 off shore, changing his position from one side of the Cay to the other, as the wind 

 required. 



We estimated that there were about three thousand Boobies and five hundred 

 Man-o'-war Birds on Cay Verde. The Boobies nested on the ground, the Man-o'- 

 war Birds in the dense thickets of sea-grape and cactus. Some nests contained 

 fresh eggs, but the larger number held young birds in various stages of develop- 

 ment, while a few young were already on the wing. The nesting conditions, there- 

 fore, presented an epitome of the whole nesting season. . 



The Boobies were remarkably tame, our intrusion occasioning surprise and 



