male in colouring. The feathers of the head are not elongated, but
those of the upper part of the neck behind are slightly so. In other
respects the plumage presents nothing very remarkable, and is similar
to that of the male, only the feathers anterior to the wing, the upper
hypochondrial, the inner secondaries and the rump-feathers are not
enlarged, as in him. Bill blackish-brown; feet dusky, tinged with
yellow. Upper part of head dusky, glossed with green, sides of the
head and neck, with the hind part of the latter, light brownish-grey;
throat white, but without the lateral processes of the male. Fore
part of neck below and sides light yellowish-brown, mottled with dark
greyish-brown, as are the sides under the wings; breast and abdomen
white, the former spotted with brown. Hind neck, back, and rump, dark
brown, glossed with green and purple. Wings as in the male, but the
speculum less, and the secondaries externally faint reddish-purple,
the velvet black of the male diminished to a few narrow markings. Tail
dark brown, glossed with green; lower tail-coverts pale greyish-brown,
mottled with white; lower wing-coverts as in the male.
Length 19-1/2 inches.
* * * * *
The tree represented in the plate is the _Platanus occidentalis_,
which in different parts of the United States is known by the names
of Buttonwood, Sycamore, Plane-tree, and Water Beech, and in Canada
by that of Cotton-tree. It is one of our largest trees, and on the
banks of our great western and southern rivers, often attains a
diameter of eight or ten feet. Although naturally inclined to prefer
the vicinity of water, it grows in almost every kind of situation,
and thrives even in the streets of several of our eastern cities,
such as Philadelphia and New York.
THE BOOBY GANNET.
_SULA FUSCA_, BRISS.
PLATE CCVII. MALE.
As the Marion was nearing the curious islets of the Tortugas, one
of the birds that more particularly attracted my notice was of this
species. The nearer we approached the land, the more numerous did they
become, and I felt delighted with the hope that ere many days should
elapse, I should have an opportunity of studying their habits. As night
drew her sombre curtain over the face of nature, some of these birds
alighted on the top-yard of our bark, and I observed ever afterwards
that they manifested a propensity to roost at as great a height as
possible above the surrounding objects, making choice of the tops
of bushes, or even upright poles, and disputing with each other the
privilege. The first that was shot at, was approached with considerable
difficulty: it had alighted on the prong of a tree which had floated
and been fastened to the bottom of a rocky shallow at some distance
from shore; the water was about four feet deep and quite rough; sharks
we well knew were abundant around us; but the desire to procure the
bird was too strong to be overcome by such obstacles. In an instant,
the pilot and myself were over the sides of the boat, and onward we
proceeded with our guns cocked and ready. The yawl was well manned,
and its crew awaiting the result. After we had struggled through the
turbulent waters about a hundred yards, my companion raised his gun
and fired; but away flew the bird with a broken leg, and we saw no
more of it that day. Next day, however, at the same hour, the Booby
was seen perched on the same prong, where, after resting about three
hours, it made off to the open sea, doubtless in search of food.
About eight miles to the north-east of the Tortugas Lighthouse, lies a
small sand-bar a few acres in extent, called Booby Island, on account
of the number of birds of this species that resort to it during the
breeding-season, and to it we accordingly went. We found it not more
than a few feet above the surface of the water, but covered with
Boobies, which lay basking in the sunshine, and pluming themselves.
Our attempt to land on the island before the birds should fly off,
proved futile, for before we were within fifty yards of it, they
had all betaken themselves to flight, and were dispersing in various
directions. We landed, however, distributed ourselves in different
parts, and sent the boat to some distance, the pilot assuring us that
the birds would return. And so it happened. As they approached, we
laid ourselves as flat as possible in the sand, and although none
of them alighted, we attained our object, for in a couple of hours
we procured thirty individuals of both sexes and of different ages,
finding little difficulty in bringing them down as they flew over
us at a moderate height. The wounded birds that fell on the ground
made immediately for the water, moving with more ease than I had
expected from the accounts usually given of the awkward motions of
these birds on the land. Those which reached the water swam off with
great buoyancy, and with such rapidity, that it took much rowing to
secure some of them, while most of those that fell directly into the
sea with only a wing broken, escaped. The island was covered with
their dung, the odour of which extended to a considerable distance
leeward. In the evening of the same day we landed on another island,
named after the Noddy, and thickly covered with bushes and low trees,
to which thousands of that species of Tern resort for the purpose of
breeding. There also we found a great number of Boobies. They were
perched on the top-branches of the trees, on which they had nests,
and here again we obtained as many as we desired. They flew close
over our heads, eyeing us with dismay but in silence; indeed, not one
of these birds ever emitted a cry, except at the moment when they
rose from their perches or from the sand. Their note is harsh and
guttural, somewhat like that of a strangled pig, and resembling the
syllables _hork, hork_.
The nest of the Booby is placed on the top of a bush at a height
of from four to ten feet. It is large and flat, formed of a few dry
sticks, covered and matted with sea-weeds in great quantity. I have
no doubt that they return to the same nest many years in succession,
and repair it as occasion requires. In all the nests which I examined,
only one egg was found, and as most of the birds were sitting, and some
of the eggs had the chick nearly ready for exclusion, it is probable
that these birds raise only a single young one, like the Common Gannet
or Solan Goose. The egg is of a dull white colour, without spots,
and about the size of that of a common hen, but more elongated, being
2-3/8 inches in length, with a diameter of 1-3/4. In some nests they
were covered with filth from the parent bird, in the manner of the
Florida Cormorant. The young, which had an uncouth appearance, were
covered with down; the bill and feet of a deep livid blue or indigo
colour. On being touched, they emitted no cry, but turned away their
heads at every trial. A great quantity of fish lay beneath the trees
in a state of putrefaction, proving how abundantly the young birds
were supplied by their parents. Indeed, while we were on Noddy Island,
there was a constant succession of birds coming in from the sea with
food for their young, consisting chiefly of flying-fish and small
mullets, which they disgorged in a half macerated state into the open
throats of their offspring. Unfortunately the time afforded me on
that coast was not sufficient to enable me to trace the progress of
their growth. I observed, however, that none of the birds which were
still brown had nests, and that they roosted apart, particularly on
Booby Island, where also many barren ones usually resorted, to lie
on the sand and bask in the sun.
The flight of the Booby is graceful and extremely protracted. They pass
swiftly at a height of from twenty yards to a foot or two from the
surface, often following the troughs of the waves to a considerable
distance, their wings extended at right angles to the body; then,
without any apparent effort, raising themselves and allowing the
rolling waters to break beneath them, when they tack about, and
sweep along in a contrary direction in search of food, much in the
manner of the true Petrels. Now, if you follow an individual, you
see that it suddenly stops short, plunges headlong into the water,
pierces with its powerful beak and secures a fish, emerges again with
inconceivable ease, after a short interval rises on wing, performs
a few wide circlings, and makes off toward some shore. At this time
its flight is different, being performed by flappings for twenty
or thirty paces, with alternate sailings of more than double that
space. When overloaded with food, they alight on the water, where,
if undisturbed, they appear to remain for hours at a time, probably
until digestion has afforded them relief.
The range to which this species confines itself along our coast, seldom
extends beyond Cape Hatteras to the eastward, but they become more
and more numerous the farther south we proceed. They breed abundantly
on all such islands or keys as are adapted for the purpose, on the
southern and western coasts of the Floridas and in the Gulf of Mexico,
where I was told they breed on the sand-bars. Their power of wing
seems sufficient to enable them to brave the tempest, while during a
continuance of fair weather they venture to a great distance seaward,
and I have seen them fully 200 miles from land.
The expansibility of the gullet of this species enables it to swallow
fishes of considerable size, and on such occasions their mouth seems
to spread to an unusual width. In the throats of several individuals
that were shot as they were returning to their nests, I found mullets
measuring seven or eight inches, that must have weighed fully half a
pound. Their body beneath the skin, is covered with numerous air-cells,
which probably assist them in raising or lowering themselves while
on wing, and perhaps still more so when on the point of performing
the rapid plunge by which they secure their prey.
Their principal enemies during the breeding-season are the American
Crow and the Fish Crow, both of which destroy their eggs, and the
Turkey Buzzard, which devours their young while yet unfledged. They
breed during the month of May, but I have not been able to ascertain
if they raise more than one brood in the season. The adult birds chase
away those which are yet immature during the period of incubation.
It would seem that they take several years in attaining their perfect
state.
When procured alive, they feed freely, and may be kept any length of
time, provided they are supplied with fish. No other food, however,
could I tempt them to swallow, excepting slices of turtle, which
after all they did not seem to relish. In no instance did I observe
one drinking. Some authors have stated that the Frigate Pelican and
the Lestris force the Booby to disgorge its food that they may obtain
it; but this I have never witnessed. Like the Common Gannet, they
may be secured by fastening a fish to a soft plank, and sinking it a
few feet beneath the surface of the water, for if they perceive the
bait, which they are likely to do if they pass over it, they plunge
headlong upon it, and drive their bill into the wood.
When a Booby has alighted on the spar of a vessel, it is no easy
matter to catch it, unless it is much fatigued; but if exhausted and
asleep, an expert seaman may occasionally secure one. I was informed
that after the breeding-season, these birds roost on trees in company
with the Brown Pelican and a species of Tern, _Sterna stolida_, and
spend their hours of daily rest on the sand-banks. Our pilot, who, as
I have mentioned in my second volume, was a man of great observation,
assured me that while at Vera Cruz, he saw the fishermen there go to
sea, and return from considerable distances, simply by following the
course of the Boobies.
The bills and legs of those which I procured in the brown plumage, and
which were from one to two years of age, were dusky blue. These were
undergoing moult on the 14th of May. At a more advanced age, the parts
mentioned become paler, and when the bird has arrived at maturity,
are as represented in my plate. I observed no external difference
between the sexes in the adult birds. The stomach is a long dilatable
pouch, thin, and of a yellow colour. The body is muscular, and the
flesh, which is of a dark colour, tough, and having a disagreeable
smell, is scarcely fit for food.
I am unable to find a good reason for those who have chosen to call
these birds _boobies_. Authors, it is true, generally represent them
as extremely _stupid_; but to me the word is utterly inapplicable
to any bird with which I am acquainted. The Woodcock, too, is said
to be stupid, as are many other birds; but my opinion, founded on
pretty extensive observation, is, that it is only when birds of any
species are unacquainted with man, that they manifest that kind of
_ignorance_ or _innocence_ which he calls _stupidity_, and by which
they suffer themselves to be imposed upon. A little acquaintance
with him soon enables them to perceive enough of his character to
induce them to keep aloof. This I observed in the Booby Gannet, as
well as in the Noddy Tern, and in certain species of land birds of
which I have already spoken. After my first visit to Booby Island in
the Tortugas, the Gannets had already become very shy and wary, and
before the Marion sailed away from those peaceful retreats of the
wandering sea-birds, the _Boobies_ had become so knowing, that the
most expert of our party could not get within shot of them.
PELECANUS SULA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 218.—_Lath._
Index Ornith. vol. ii. p. 892.
SULA FUSCA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United
States, p. 408.
BOOBY, SULA FUSCA, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 500.
Adult Male. Plate CCVII.
Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight,
elongated-conical, broader above than beneath at the base, compressed.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line convex at the base, then a little
concave, and towards the tip slightly arched, ridge very broad,
convex, separated by a seam on each side, from the sides, which are
nearly perpendicular, edges sharp, inflected, serrated, tip acute. No
external nostrils. Lower mandible prolonged at the base behind the
upper, its angle very long, wide at the base, with a bare membrane,
very narrow towards the end, dorsal line straight, ascending, sides
convex, tip very acute, edges serrated towards the end.
Head rather large; neck rather long and thick; body of moderate bulk,
rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong, placed rather far
behind; tibiæ concealed; tarsus very short, rounded before, sharp
behind, covered all round with reticular scales; toes all united
by membranes; first very short, being about half the length of the
second, third and fourth longest and nearly equal, but the claw
of the third is much longer than that of the fourth; claws small,
compressed, acute, curved, that of the third toe largest, depressed,
curved outwards, with a thin pectinated inner edge.
Plumage generally short, close, rather compact, the feathers small
and rounded; those on the head very small; loral and orbital spaces
bare, as is that in the angle of the lower mandible, and a short space
above the tibio-tarsal joint; wings long, acute, narrow; primaries
strong, narrow, tapering rapidly to a rounded point, first and second
longest and about equal, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
short, rather broad, narrowed towards the rounded point. Tail rather
long, cuneate, of twelve narrow, tapering feathers.
Bill and naked parts at its base bright yellow, pale flesh-coloured
towards the end; a dusky spot before the eye. Iris white. Tarsi,
toes, and their connecting webs, pale yellow, claws white. Head, neck
all round, upper parts in general, and lower surface of wings, dusky
brown, tinged with grey; the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts,
pure white.
Length 31 inches, to end of claws 27, extent of wings 29-1/4; bill along
the back 3-11/12, along the edge 5; tarsus 1-8/12, middle toe and claw
3-1/2. Wing from flexure 16-1/2, tail 8-1/2. Weight 3 lb. 4-1/2 oz.
The Female resembles the male, but is smaller.
The Young, when fledged, are of a greyish-brown colour all over, the
breast and abdomen being merely a little lighter than the rest. The
bill and claws are dusky, the tarsi and toes with their membranes
dull yellow.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.
_NUMENIUS BOREALIS_, LATH.
PLATE CCVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
I regret that I am unable to present a complete history of the
Esquimaux Curlew. It is true I might somewhat enlarge my account of
its habits, were I to borrow from others, but as I have resolved to
confine myself to the results of my own observation, unless in certain
cases, in which I always take care to give my authorities, I hope
you will be pleased with the little which I have to offer.
Previous to my voyage to Labrador, I had seen only a single bird of
this species, which was kindly given me by my learned friend WILLIAM
OAKES, Esq. of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who had procured it in his
immediate neighbourhood, where, as I have since ascertained, the
Esquimaux Curlew spends a few days in early autumn, while on its
way southward. During their short stay in that State, they are met
with on the high sandy hills near the sea-shore, where they feed on
the grasshoppers and on several kinds of berries. On this food they
become fat, so as to afford excellent eating, in consequence of which
they have probably acquired the name of “Dough Bird,” which they bear
in that district, but which is also applied to several other birds.
How this species manages to cross the whole extent of the United
States without being seen after leaving Massachusetts, is to me very
wonderful. On one occasion only have I ever had a glimpse of it. I
was in company with my learned and generous friend JOHN BACHMAN of
Charleston, on one of the islands on the coast of South Carolina,
whither we had gone with the view of watching the Long-billed Curlews
(_Numenius longirostris_). It was at the dawn of a fine day, when
a dense flock of the northern Curlews passed to the southward, near
enough to enable us to ascertain the species, but so swiftly, that
in a few minutes they were quite out of sight.
On the 29th of July 1833, during a thick fog, the Esquimaux Curlews
made their first appearance in Labrador, near the harbour of Bras d’Or.
They evidently came from the north, and arrived in such dense flocks
as to remind me of the Passenger Pigeons. The weather was extremely
cold as well as foggy. For more than a week we had been looking
for them, as was every fisherman in the harbour, these birds being
considered there, as indeed they are, great delicacies. The birds at
length came, flock after flock, passed close round our vessel, and
directed their course toward the sterile mountainous tracts in the
neighbourhood; and as soon as the sun’s rays had dispersed the fogs
that hung over the land, our whole party went off in search of them.
I was not long in discovering that their stay on this coast was
occasioned solely by the density of the mists and the heavy gales
that already gave intimation of the approaching close of the summer;
for whenever the weather cleared up a little, thousands of them set
off and steered in a straight course across the broad Gulf of St
Lawrence. On the contrary, when the wind was high, and the fogs thick,
they flew swiftly and low over the rocky surface of the country,
as if bewildered. Wherever there was a spot that seemed likely to
afford a supply of food, there the Curlews abounded, and were easily
approached. By the 12th of August, however, they had all left the
country.
In Labrador they feed on what the fishermen call the Curlew berry,
a small black fruit growing on a creeping shrub, not more than an
inch or two in height, and so abundant, that patches of several acres
covered the rocks here and there. When the birds were in search of
these feeding-grounds, they flew in close masses, sometimes high,
at other times low, but always with remarkable speed, and performing
beautiful evolutions in the air. The appearance of man did not seem
to intimidate them, for they would alight so near us, or pass over
our heads at so short a distance, that we easily shot them. While
on wing, they emitted an oft repeated soft whistling note, but the
moment they alighted they became silent. They ran swiftly along, all
in the same direction, picking up the berries in their way, and when
pursued, would immediately squat in the manner of a snipe or partridge,
sometimes even laying their neck and head quite flat on the ground,
until you came within a short distance, when, at the single whistle of
any one of the flock, they would all immediately scream and fly off,
rambling about for a while, and not unfrequently realighting on the
same spot. Now and then, however, their excursion would last a long
time, they would rise high in the air, make towards the sea, and, as
if aware of the unfavourable state of the weather for pursuing their
southward course, would return.
They continued to arrive at Bras d’Or for several days, in flocks
which seemed to me to increase in number. I saw no Hawks in their
rear, and I was the more astonished at this, that at that period the
Pigeon Hawk and Petit Caporal Hawk were pretty abundant.
They rose from the ground by a single quick spring, in the manner
of a snipe, when they would cut backward, forward, and all around,
in a very curious manner, and would now and then pause in the air,
like a Hawk, remaining stationary for a few moments with their head
meeting the wind, when immediately afterwards they would all suddenly
alight. In calm and fair weather, they were more shy than at other
times. While on their passage across the Gulf, they flew high in close
bodies, and with their usual speed, by no means in regular lines,
nor in any order, but much in the manner of the Migratory Pigeon,
now and then presenting a broad front, and again coming together so
as to form a close body.
Those which we procured were extremely fat and juicy, especially the
young birds, of which we ate a good many. Mr JONES, an old settler
of Bras d’Or, and his son, shoot a great number every season, which
they salt for winter food. They informed us that these birds pass over
the same tract about the middle of May, on their way northward, and
that they never found them breeding in their neighbourhood. Little
difference could be observed at that season between the males and
females, or between the old and young birds.
NUMENIUS BOREALIS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 712.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 26. fig. 3.—Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 314.—_Richardson and
Swainson_ Fauna Boreali-Americana, part ii. p. 378.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, NUMENIUS BOREALIS, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 101.
Plate CCVIII. Adult Male. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
compressed, slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal
line slightly arched, the sides, excepting at the base, nearly
perpendicular, and marked with a narrow groove extending more than
two-thirds of its length, edges rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral,
longitudinal, elliptical. Lower mandible with the dorsal line arched,
the angle extremely narrow and extended to near the end, the sides
convex, the edges rather obtuse, the tips obtuse, that of the upper
mandible longer.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet of moderate length, slender. Toes small; first
very small, second and fourth about equal, third considerably longer.
Claws small, compressed, blunt, that of middle toe much longer, curved
outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings rather long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the
second a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of the inner,
which are greatly elongated and tapering. Tail short, nearly even,
of twelve rounded feathers.