fv 4 
ware seen in the protected witters of Indian Hirer* In work at the 
island I walked about slowly watching the young birds tnd examining 
the nests end disgorged food. Until the young reached the age of 16 
days to 31 days, they showed little fear and in nearly all cases refused 
resolutely to regurgitate what they had eaten. In many cases where the 
stomach was filled and fish projected in the gullet X was able to work 
it out by gentle manipulation from the outside despite the protests vocal 
and physical of the otrut-gling youngster. Older birds gave up more or 
less readily when they found that they were cornered and unable to escape 
and after disgorging watched me in so lezon disgust while I examined the 
food remains. Young perched high up out of reach in the mangroves were 
often induced to disgorge by standing around and eyeing them intently for 
several minutes. It was necessary for the ebservor to watch his step 
in passing under these mangroves as at tinea a younster concealed among 
the leave* guve up a mass of partly digested fish that fell with a thud 
to the mud below, after one or two narrow escapes from receiving these 
unsavory peace offerings on my heed 1 learned to avoid standing about 
under the trees when the outlook above was not dear. After examining 
the flah X passed on to other viatltas when there was a grand scramble 
among the young to secure the choice morsels a second time. Usually they 
fell to the original owner but often others greedily sdixed them before he 
could prevent. Any waste was cleaned up by the Black Vultures attendant 
on the colonies. 
adults while incubating if not disturbed suddenly, often regurgitated 
before leaving the neot. This was especially the case where the nest was 
located among brunches through or over which flight was difficult. 
