THE BOOBY THE FRIGATE-PELICAN. 355 



The imbecile fool Booby, the Gannet, the Shag; 

 Ducks of all kinds; and Geese, amongst which the 



Grey-Lag. 

 There were, too, Frigate-Pelicans soaring on high ; 

 Those who sometimes proceed man himself to defy ; 



" Hence up he flew, and on the tree of life 



Sat like a cormorant." 



Milton. 



The Graculus, or Shag, called erroneously sometimes Crane, 

 is black above, beneath brown; two feet and a half long; two 

 other varieties ; in its general manners similar to the Cormorant, 

 but keeps wholly to the salt water. Inhabits Europe and 

 Ireland, and is common also to this country. Perches on and 

 sometimes builds (as well as one of the varieties of the Cormorant) 

 in trees, although both these birds have palmate feet. 



The Sula, or Booby, has a whitish body, quill feathers tipt 

 with blackish; beneath white ; length two feet and a half; bill 

 five, tail upwards of ten inches long. Inhabits South America 

 and the neighbouring islands. It is an indolent, senseless, and 

 cowardly bird, submitting to all sorts of depredations upon its 

 happiness with indolent imbecility; yet is,occasionally,when much 

 excited, ferocious. The man-of-war-bird (see the next species,) 

 no sooner perceives it in the air, than it pounces upon it, not to 

 destroy it, but to make it disgorge the fish which it has swallowed, 

 which is snatched up by the voracious plunderer before it reaches 

 the water. 



The Aquilus, Frigate-Pelican, Great-Frigate-Pelican, 

 Frigate-Bird, or Man-of-War-Bird, has a forked tail, body 

 black, bill red ; the male has the pouch deep red ; wing coverts 

 rnfous; female belly white; three feet long; extent of the 

 wings fourteen feet ; builds in rocks and trees ; eggs one or twoj, 

 flesh-colonr, spotted with red ; feeds principally, if not entirely, 

 op fish. This bird is one of the most formidable tyrants of the 



