T R O P I C B I R D. 6iy 



great diftances therefrom. The flight of this bird is often to a 

 prodigious height; but at other times feen, along with the Fri- 

 gate Pelican, Booby, and other birds, attending the Flying Fijhes 

 at their rife from the water, driven from their native element 

 into the air by their watery enemies, the Shark * a , Porpoife b , Al~ 

 bicore c , Bonito d , and Dolphin", which purfue them beneath, and 

 prey upon them. Thefe birds are fometimes obferved to reft on 

 the furface of the water ; and have been now and then feen, in 

 calm weather, upon the backs of the drowfy Tortoifes, fupinely 

 floating in the fea, fo that they have been eafily taken by the 

 long boat manned f. On Ihore they will perch on trees ; and 

 are faid to breed in the woods, on the ground beneath them. 

 They have been met with in plenty on the iflands of St. Helena, 

 Afcenfion, Mauritius, New Holland, and various places in the 

 South Seas ; but in no place fo numerous as at Palmer/ion IJland, 

 where thefe birds, as well as the Frigates, were in fuch plenty, that 

 the trees were abfolutely loaded with them, and fo tame that 

 they fuffered themfelves to be taken off the boughs with the 

 hand %. At Otaheite, and in the Friendly JJles, the natives give 

 them the names of Haingoo, and Toolaiee. 



As the Tropic Bird fheds the long tail feathers every year, the 

 inhabitants of fuch ifles as they frequent, colled and make ufe of 



• a Squalus conduilor, b Delphinus Phocizna, c Scomber Thynms, d Scomber Pe- 

 lamis, e Delphinus Coryfhcena. — See Phil. Tranf. vol. lxviii. p. 800. It is there 

 obferved, that the Flying Fi/h is able to fly fixty or more yards at one ftretch, 

 and repeat it a fecond or even a third time, only the flighted momentary touch 

 of the furface that can be conceived intervening ; and it is common in thefe 

 flights for them to fly againft />?//, or fall on the deck. 



t Fryer's Trav. p. 219. J Ellis Narr. p. 53. 



Vol. III. 4 K thera 



