170 WORCESTER. 



Both brown and red-legged boobies rose readily from the ground, and 

 flew among the trees with greater skill than one would have expected 

 them to display, but if caught in grass or brush they were very helpless. 



Only a single frigate bird was observed, and this individual promptly 

 left the island on our arrival. 



The eggs of the two species were indistinguishable. Each, had a white, 

 chalky outer layer, with a harder underlying layer which was very light 

 blue in color. The female brown boobies were most reluctant to leave 

 nests which contained eggs, and in some instances would not do so until 

 actually pushed off. Upon the near approach of any member of our 

 party, females which were sitting upon eggs manifested their uneasiness 

 and nervousness by croaking and by picking up and laying down bits 

 of nesting material. In a number of instances they displayed great 

 courage, staying by their eggs and i^ecking vigorously at the hands 

 of those who attempted to dislodge them. Wlicn taking photographs 

 with a Graflex camera I had no difficulty in getting within four feet of 

 nesting birds. 



In the course of the morning a fresh breeze sprang up and the tide 

 which had been low when we landed rose so that we could not reembark 

 on the windward side of the island but had to send the boat around 

 to the leeward side. We returned to the steamer at a quarter past 

 twelve and I requested the captain to sail for Tub-bataha, thinking 

 we might find sea birds on one or another of the several small islands 

 which rise from this extensive shoal. The captain, however, objected, 

 as we should necessarily have arrived at night. The position of Tub- 

 bataha is not definitely known, and there are a number of bad outlying 

 shoals, so that he did not deem it prudent to stand on and off in the 

 dark. As an alternative he suggested that we visit Maeander Eeef, 

 where, according to the sailing directions, sea birds liad been 'seen in 

 large numbers. 



At 4.30 in the afternoon the steamer changed course sharply to the 

 south. Maeander Eeef had been sighted from the masthead considerably 

 to the south of the point where it is shown on the chart. We reached it 

 in half an hour and found it to be a mere sandbar about 200 meters 

 long by 150 wide, rising not more than two meters above the water. 

 It is surrounded by an extensive shoal over which we were forced to 

 wade and is absolutely devoid of vegetation. Drift wood lodged at 

 its highest point showed that the waves break clean over it in very 

 heavy storms, in spite of the shoal which one would suppose would prevent 

 any such result. 



While still at a considerable distance, we saw through our glasses 

 flocks of birds flying over the reef, and regiments of brown boobies 

 sitting in long lines upon the shore. As we drew nearer we made out 

 groups of northern Bergius's terns, Sterna boreotis Bangs, with young 



