THE BOOBY GANNET. Q\ 



and a species of Tern, Sterna stolida, and spend their hours of daily rest on 

 the sand-banks. Our pilot, who was a man of great observation, assured me 

 that while at Vera Cruz, he saw the fishermen there go to sea, and return 

 from considerable distances, simply by following the course of the Boobies. 



The bills and legs of those which I procured in the brown plumage, and 

 which were from one to two years of age, were dusky-blue. These were 

 undergoing moult on the 14th of May. At a more advanced age, the parts 

 mentioned become paler, and when the bird has arrived at maturity, are as 

 represented in my plate. I observed no external difference between the 

 sexes in the adult birds. The stomach is a long dilatable pouch, thin, and of 

 a yellow colour. The body is muscular, and the flesh, which is of a dark 

 colour, tough, and having a disagreeable smell, is scarcely fit for food. 



I am unable to find a good reason for those who have chosen to call these 

 birds boobies. Authors, it is true, generally represent them as extremely 

 stupid; but to me the word is utterly inapplicable to any bird with which 

 I am acquainted. The Woodcock, too, is said to be stupid, as are many 

 other birds; but my opinion, founded on pretty extensive observation, is, 

 that it is only when birds of any species are unacquainted with man, that 

 they manifest that kind of ignorance or innocence which he calls stupidity, 

 and by which they suffer themselves to be imposed upon. A little acquaint- 

 ance with him soon enables them to perceive enough of his character to 

 induce them to keep aloof. This I observed in the Booby Gannet, as well 

 as in the Noddy Tern, and in certain species of land birds of which I have 

 already spoken. After my first visit to Booby Island in the Tortugas, the 

 Gannets had already become very shy and wary, and before the Marion 

 sailed away from those peaceful retreats of the wandering sea-birds, the 

 Boobies had become so knowing, that the most expert of our party could 

 not get within shot of them. 



Scla fdsca, Bonap. Syn., p. 408. 



Booby, Sulci fusca, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 500. 



Booby Gannet, Sulci fusca, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 63. 



Male, 31, 49*. 



Gulf of Mexico, and as far east as the coast of Georgia. Breeds on the 

 Tortugas Keys, south of Florida. Abundant. Migratory. 



Adult Male. 



Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elongated- 

 conical, broader above than beneath at the base, compressed. Upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal line convex at the base, then a little concave, and 

 towards the tip slightly arched, ridge very broad, convex, separated by a 

 seam on each side from the sides, which are nearly perpendicular, edges 



