58 THE BOOBY GANNET. 



shore; the water was about four feet deep and quite rough; sharks we well 

 knew were abundant around us; but the desire to procure the bird was too 

 strong to be overcome by such obstacles. In an instant, the pilot and myself 

 were over the sides of the boat, and onward we proceeded with our guns 

 cocked and ready. The yawl was well manned, and its crew awaiting the 

 result. After we had struggled through the turbulent waters about a hun- 

 dred yards, my companion raised his gun and fired; but away flew the bird 

 with a broken leg, and we saw no more of it that day. Next day, however, 

 at the same hour, the Booby was seen perched on the same prong, where, 

 after resting about three hours, it made off to the open sea, doubtless in search 

 of food. 



About eight miles to the north-east of the Tortugas lighthouse, lies a 

 small sand-bar a few acres in extent, called Booby Island, on account of the 

 number of birds of this species that resort to it during the breeding-season, 

 and to it we accordingly went. We found it not more than a few feet above 

 the surface of the water, but covered with Boobies, which lay basking in the 

 sunshine, and pluming themselves. Our attempt to land on the island before 

 the birds should fly off, proved futile, for before we were within fifty yards 

 of it, they had all betaken themselves to flight, and were dispersing in 

 various directions. We landed, however, distributed ourselves in different 

 parts, and sent the boat to some distance, the pilot assuring us that the birds 

 would return. And so it happened. As they approached, we laid ourselves 

 as flat as possible in the sand, and although none of them alighted, we 

 attained our object, for in a couple of hours we procured thirty individuals 

 of both sexes and of different ages, finding little difficulty in bringing them 

 down as they flew over us at a moderate height. The wounded birds that 

 fell on the ground made immediately for the water, moving with more ease 

 than I had expected from the accounts usually given of the awkward 

 motions of these birds on the land. Those which reached the water swam 

 off with great buoyancy, and with such rapidity, that it took much rowing 

 to secure some of them, while most of those that fell directly into the sea 

 with only a wing broken, escaped. The island was covered with their dung, 

 the odour of which extended to a considerable distance leeward. In the 

 evening of the same day we landed on another island, named after the 

 Noddy, and thickly covered with bushes and low trees, to which thousands 

 of that species of Tern resort for the purpose of breeding. There also we 

 found a great number of Boobies. They were perched on the top branches 

 of the trees, on which they had nests, and here again we obtained as many 

 as we desired. They flew close over our heads, eyeing us with dismay but 

 in silence; indeed, not one of these birds ever emitted a cry, except at the 

 moment when they rose from their perches or from the sand. Their note 



