AUSTRALIAN WHITE-CAPPED NODDY. 
appeared like swarms of gnats against the roseate-tinted sky as we stood at 
one end of the island facing the dying day. When we first landed on Mast- 
Head Island (8th October) none of the Noddies had laid, although many 
nests were apparently ready. On the 1 1th one egg was found, the following 
day 36 were reported, and again the next day 84. Afterwards the eggs became 
numerous. 
“ On our arrival at North-West Island, immense numbers of Noddies 
had congregated on the Island, and were found at any time during the day 
perched on the limbs of the Pisonia and fig trees. Many had little collections 
of dead Pisonia leaves in the forks, or anjrwhere they could get a hold. On 
these clumps of leaves or close by, the birds sat in pairs billing and cooing 
to each other, and at other times giving forth deep croaking calls, or when 
alarmed, rushing ofi with great flapping of wings and deep screechings.” 
As these gentlemen point out, it was a remarkable thing that this species 
should be nesting on Mast Head only fifteen miles away and not on North- 
West Island. 
Also speaking of this Tern on Capricorn Group, Queensland, Mr. Barrett* 
writes : “ Although hundreds of Noddies could always be seen on the wing 
the birds, as a community, had regular times of sea and land faring. It 
was wonderful to see them going out to forage at dawn and returning about 
sundown to the Pisonia forest — thousands of graceful birds flying swiftly, 
like a legion of big butterflies, over the sea or among the trees. At noon 
one might see Noddies clustered like strange fruit on the Pisonia 
boughs, enjoying a dreamy rest in the sun. Disturbed they would rise, 
wheel above the trees for a while, crying and calling, then settle down as 
before. The Noddies commenced to lay a few days after our arrival, and, 
before we departed, thousands of eggs had been deposited in the crude, 
untidy nests scattered through the forest. Almost every tree and bush bore 
a burden of Noddies’ nests, and when one climbed into a Pisonia with care 
(for the boughs are sappy and easily broken) he could look down upon a 
cluster of nests, each containing an egg. The nesting birds displayed 
little apprehension of man. So tame were they, in fact, that often it was 
necessary to push a bird aside if you would see her egg. With their long 
black beaks the females pecked viciously at intruding hands, but could 
inflict no punishment with such delicate weapons.” \ 
Mr. A. F. B. Hull,| writing on the Birds of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, 
says : “ The White-capped Noddy breeds on Norfolk and Philip Islands. 
Altogether a number of the birds visited Lord Howe Island early in February, 
* Emu, Vol. X., p. 189, 1910. 
t Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. XXXIV., p. 669, 1910. 
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