268 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



then its specific gravity miglit bear such relation to the 

 atmosphere as does the body of the fish to the water. None 

 who has seen the man-of-war hawk swoop from its lofty 

 flight on to its flying prey, can have failed to observe its 

 instant diminution in bulk by the close packing of its feath- 

 ers, and the seeming contraction of its body, with the wings 

 half shut to its sides. It descends with an arrow-like rapidi- 

 ty, utterly different from its buoyant flight of the preceding 

 instant, and both motions are performed without a move- 

 ment of the wings. When it has seized the flying-fish in 

 its talons, it again ascends into the air to devour its prey. 



At the fastest speed of a ship this bird will for hours sail 

 around the man at the mast-head, with a rare stroke of the 

 wings. At other times sweeping great spirals, it will soar 

 until it is lost to the eye of the observer. Sailors aver that 

 •it is, sleeping and waking, on the wing for nine months of 

 the year. It can not alight on the water, or rise from it if 

 it should happen to fall. Here I leave it, with the remark 

 that books in the libraries will show you what savants think' 

 on the points I have touched. I only write of what the sailor 

 sees, thinks, and believes. I may add, however, the follow- 

 ing description of the bird's power of inflation, given by 

 Captain Wilkes, in his visit to one of the Coral Islands: 

 "The number of birds was incredible, and they were so 

 tame as to require to be pushed from their nests to get their 

 eggs. The most conspicuous among them was the fingate- 

 bird ; many of the trees were covered with their nests, con- 

 structed of a few sticks. The old birds were seen, as they 

 flew off, inflating their. blood-red pouches to the size of a 

 child's head' and looking as if a large bladder were attached 

 to their necks." 



J'an. 31 (Sunday). Something in the air and the calm 

 beauty of this day led many to remark upon it as the 

 most delicious since we left home. Toward evening the lit- 



