238 THE MAN-OF-WAR BIRDS AND COHv's GA.WKl. 



blown to an island moderately remote from their original 1:< mc, the lack of 

 strength will govern their inclination, and they will remain where thty eharct'd 

 to alight, forming the nucleus of a new colony. Thus i o one locality is 

 overcrowded, and all can obtain a supply of food. 



I have related with what extreme care the egg is guarded by the pr- 

 rents ; their solicitude for its safety was so great as to overcome all fear of 

 my approach. I could climb a tree on which a number of nests wereplsccd, 

 some of which contained birds that were incubating, without them takirg 

 flight; even when I was in arms length of them they wculd net move, but 

 would sit perfectly quiet, regarding me with attention. \\ hen I stretched 

 out my hand toward them they would not even attempt to escape, but 

 would merely bow the head downward, nearly touching the bnast. They 

 uttered no sound at this time, neither did they evince any sign of hostility. 

 I was so completely deceived by the amiable and dove-like behavior exhib- 

 ited by the first bird that I encountered, that I unhesitatingly reached out 

 my hand to feel beneath her in order to ascertain upon what she was sitting 

 She maintained her. state of composure until my fingers were within a feet 

 of her, when without a moment's warning, she launched out her bill fiercely 

 seizing my hand with a vice-like grip. Then she almost instantly jerked 

 back her head without opening her bill, thus cutting my hand badly above 

 and below, with the sharp, serrated edges of the mandibles. 



I did not fail to profit by this hint, and ever after earned a short stick 

 then when I wished to find out what a gannet had in its nest, would pu^h 

 the occupant off with this weapon, at which, however, the birds were too 

 sensible to strike. When thus forced to vacate the nest, they would seldcm 

 fly, even when there was only an egg, and never, if there weie newly 

 hatched young. They would, in these latter named cases, simply retreat a 

 few feet along the limb on which their domicile was placed, then wculd re- 

 turn as soon as I removed my stick and bending down, would touch their 

 helpless offspring with the tip of their bill, repeating this se\cial times in 

 succession, at the same time looking at me with a most piteous expression 

 in their brown eyes, entreating me with every motion, moie eloquently than 

 words could have done, not to injure the object of their tender care. 



When the young are fully clothed with down, which occurs in ten days T 

 they are not so persistently covered, but are still carefully guarded by their 

 parents, in fact, when they are as large as the old birds it is usual to find 

 either the male or the female sitting beside them, and at night both birds 

 are there. 



The young, in all stages of growth, are very fearless, and when I was 

 ascending the trees, in order to examine the nests, I wculd often feel scme- 

 thiug tugging at my coat, and turning would see a young gannet holding on, 



