V 
384 Mr. O. Salvin on the Sea-birds of British Honduras. 
These latter almost exclusively monopolize the high mangroves 
on the windward side of the island, while the larger species keeps 
to the cocoa-nuts. Both were as tame as could be, and cared little 
for my climbing the trees to investigate their domestic arrange¬ 
ments. The eggs of the “Piccary Noddies" were on the point 
of hatching, whilst those of the Common Noddy were already 
hatched. Again reverting to the numbers, in one tree there 
were over seventy nests. The egg of the Piccary Noddy is 
nearly the counterpart of that of the common species, only smaller, 
and perhaps more highly marked; but I saw a larger series of 
the former. It was hot work, indeed, climbing the trees at 
midday, and the consumption of young cocoa-nuts was con¬ 
siderable ; they form an excellent substitute for brackish water, 
and are certainly more wholesome. So ended our day at South- 
west-of-all Cay; and so much work had accumulated on our 
hands that we determined to spend the next in working up 
arrears, as what with a Pelican and Noddies to skin, and eggs 
to blow, we had enough to do. 
Glover's Reef is a favourite haunt for turtle, and, during the 
season, nets are constantly set to catch them. Immediately on 
reaching the Cay, Sam had set ten nets, and we now went in the 
dorey to see the result. The net is usually about forty or fifty 
yards long, sometimes more, and about four yards deep. It is 
made with a very open mesh, often more than a foot square. At 
one end a log is fastened and anchored with a large stone, along 
the top runs a row of floats, and at the other end a log cut in the 
form of a turtle. This acts as a decoy. The turtle, on striking 
the net, rolls itself up in the meshes, and becomes effectually 
entangled; the two buoys are drawn together, and the fisherman 
knows from a distance whether he has been successful or not. 
T\ e had a lucky morning's sport, and secured two turtles. It 
requires some dexterity to haul such a heavy brute on board so 
small a craft ; but Sam managed matters well, being ready 
prepared with a “ turtle-peg " to spear the animal, should the 
net be insecurely wound round it. This peg or spear is so 
arranged that the barb only can pierce the shell. Returning, we 
visited Long Cay, a resort of Pelicans. Here I found a few pairs 
of the Lesser Tern (Sterna antillai'um) just preparing to lay. 
