78 



Bird -Lore 



they suffered very seriously, no measures being taken by the latter to 

 punish those who made raids on the birds' eggs. 



During the first week in May, some years at the end of April, the 

 Noddies {Anous stolidus) arrive. The first day will bring from a dozen to 

 a score of individuals, the next two or three times as many. On the 

 third and fourth days the number is beyond accurate count, and by the 

 end of the week it is probable that the entire colony has arrived. As 

 nearly as can be judged it contains about three thousand individuals. 



It is believed that all matrimonial matters have been arranged before 



YOUNG NODDY 



the birds arrive, for within a day after the arrival of the earliest birds 

 nest -building was begun. 



The Noddy's nest is a bulky, but fairly compactly constructed one, 

 made principally of twigs and dry seaweed, but they are prone to 

 incorporate almost anything of suitable size or shape, — rags, bits of 

 glass, old crab shells, etc. The top is only slightly concave, without 

 downy lining, but frequently has several dozen small shells strewn loosely 

 about. 



By preference, the nest is situated well toward the center of a bay 

 cedar bush, three to four feet from the ground, but before long all the 

 favorable building sites are taken and then the birds build almost at ran- 

 dom — some on tufts of grass only a few inches above the ground. 

 These nests are apparently very hastily constructed and the workmanship 



