. Bird lore . MAN-O-WAR BIRDS The Tortugas Tern Colony 83 staccato laugh than anj^thing else to which it may be compared; also afew low and musical tones, used when a pair are communicating witheach other, as when the male has returned from a fishing warning note is a high and shrill e-e-e—e. Normally, in the Tortugas, there are, on an average, a score of Man-o-War Hawks {Fregata aquila), but when the Terns arrive their num-ber is increased to over three hundred. They come not for the purposeof breeding, but to rob the Terns of the food they are bringing back totheir mates. On
. Bird lore . MAN-O-WAR BIRDS The Tortugas Tern Colony 83 staccato laugh than anj^thing else to which it may be compared; also afew low and musical tones, used when a pair are communicating witheach other, as when the male has returned from a fishing warning note is a high and shrill e-e-e—e. Normally, in the Tortugas, there are, on an average, a score of Man-o-War Hawks {Fregata aquila), but when the Terns arrive their num-ber is increased to over three hundred. They come not for the purposeof breeding, but to rob the Terns of the food they are bringing back totheir mates. One that has been fishing and is returning with a cropful of food will be attacked,struck at andtormented until,in order to facili-tate escape, it isforced to dis-gorge. Thisdone, the Man-o-War Hawks. snatch the bolus of food, at times be-fore it has fallen into the water. These three species, in other respects,get along most peaceably. The Noddiesand Terns do not pay the slightest at-tention to each other ; the only quarreling that occurs being when aMan-o-War Hawk perches too near to the nest of a Noddy, when themother-bird flies up, scolding, and makes a few ineffectual darts at theoffender. The third, and last, species known to breed in the Tortugas is theLeast Tern {Sterna antillarum). A few years ago they came to Logger-head and nested in fair numbers on the southwestern extremity of theisland ; but of late, according to the keeper, they have not done too bad, he added, because the eggs are delicious eating. This year about thirty couples raised families of from one to three 84 Bird-Lore young on Long Key. The faintly mottled white color of the eggs andyoung affords a perfect example of protective coloration. These birds breed about the end of July. One cannot get clos
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
