376 Mr. O. Salvin on the Sea-birds of British Honduras. 
solicitude was not exhibited. In this Journal (Ibis, I860, 
p. 264) I gave a short note of the behaviour of a Humming¬ 
bird (Thaumastura henicura) on this point, and now I was ob¬ 
serving quite a parallel case amongst the Man-of-war Birds 
and Boobies. The former of these birds arc ready enough to 
take wing at other times on approach of danger; and the in¬ 
herent sluggishness of a Booby would hardly account for their 
sitting so closely. Certain is it that, after incubation has made 
some progress, the solicitude of the parent-bird, in both cases, 
is exactly in proportion to the age of its offspring; and I should 
suppose that when the chick is just on the point of hatching 
(the most critical period), heat, and not cold, would prove most 
prejudicial to its chance of coming into existence*. With other 
species this danger is in a measure avoided by covered nests and 
the choice of shady situations. 
Cutting my meditations short (for with my head protruding 
from the top of a tree and a terrific sun beating on me, I was 
little disposed for a very long investigation), I gathered a few 
eggs, and left the Man-of-war Birds to return to their young. 
We then climbed along the matted mangrove roots to the north¬ 
ern end of the Cay, to look for nests of the Shag. We had 
not to search far, for on reaching the outer mangrove-bushes 
we could see them on the outer boughs, some 12 feet from the 
water. The nests were strongly built of sticks, hollowed con¬ 
siderably inside, and partly lined with freshly picked mangrove- 
leaves. The birds were laying their eggs, and some nests had 
in them what appeared to be their full complement of four eggs; 
other nests had three, two, and one. The boat being now loaded, 
we returned to the schooner and commenced securing the spoils, 
skinning the birds and blowing the eggs while we were gradually 
beating up to an opening in the eastern side of the reef, called 
the Grand Boguet- Passing out at this channel we stood 
across for Lighthouse Beef, and sighted Long Cay before dark. 
* When the embryo is still small, we might infer that the albumen with 
which it is surrounded affords protection against extremes of temperature. 
1 his decreases as the embryo increases, necessitating greater care and 
protection on the part of the parent. 
t Evidently a corruption of Boca Grande. 
