Chambers's encyclopaedia; a dictionary of universal knowledge for the people . a species of Ganiiet (q. v.), which hasreceived this name from its apparent stupidity in allowing itself tobe knocked down with a stick or taken by the hand. Accountsdiffer very much, however, as to this character of the B., somerepresenting it as singular in not taking alarm or becoming morewary even when it has liad reason to apiirehend danger from man;others, as Audubon, asserting in such a manner as apparently toplace it beyond dispute, that it does learn to be upon its guard,and even becomes difficult to approa
Chambers's encyclopaedia; a dictionary of universal knowledge for the people . a species of Ganiiet (q. v.), which hasreceived this name from its apparent stupidity in allowing itself tobe knocked down with a stick or taken by the hand. Accountsdiffer very much, however, as to this character of the B., somerepresenting it as singular in not taking alarm or becoming morewary even when it has liad reason to apiirehend danger from man;others, as Audubon, asserting in such a manner as apparently toplace it beyond dispute, that it does learn to be upon its guard,and even becomes difficult to approach witliin reach of shot. TheB. is not quite so large as its congener, the common gannet orsolan-goose, and, like it. is a bird of powerful wing, and feeds onfish, which it takes by diving in the sea, observing its iirey as itswee|)s along in graceful and varying flight, sometimes at a heightof only a foot or two from the surface of tlie water, sometimestwenty yards above it, and plunging suddenly to seize it. It is sometimes taken, like the gannet, by means of a fish fast. Booby. ened to aboard, through which it drives its bill, as it dashes atthe bait. The B. is of a blackish-brown color, whitish beneath;its colors are subject to some variation, and in young birds a gen-eral brown color prevails; the sexes differ veiy little, except thatthe female is not quite so large as the male. It is found on almostall tropical and sub-tropical shores, and sometimes even 200 milesfrom land. On the east coast of North America, it reaches aboutas far north as Cape Hatteras, but is much more abundant furthersouth, great numbers breeding on the low islands off tlie coast ofFlorida. The nest is often placed upon a low bush, and is largeand fiat, formed of a few dry sticks, covered and matted with sea-weeds in great quantity. It contains only one egg or young oneat a time. The expansibility of the gullet enables the B. to swal-low fishes of considerable size. The bill, which is straight, coni-c
Size: 1590px × 1572px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidchamberssenc, bookyear1888
