The 28th day we had between 20 and 40 fathom. We saw no land this day but
saw a great many snakes and some whales. We saw also some boobies and
noddy-birds; and in the night caught one of these last. It was of another
shape and colour than any I had seen before. It had a small long bill, as
all of them have, flat feet like ducks' feet; its tail forked like a
swallow, but longer and broader, and the fork deeper than that of the
swallow, with very long wings; the top or crown of the head of this noddy
was coal-black, having also small black streaks round about and close to
the eyes; and round these streaks on each side a pretty broad white
circle. The breast, belly, and underpart of the wings of this noddy were
white; and the back and upper part of its wings of a faint black or smoke
colour. See a picture of this and of the common one, Birds Figures 5 and
6. Noddies are seen in most places between the tropics, as well in the
East Indies, and on the coast of Brazil, as in the West Indies. They rest
ashore a-nights, and therefore we never see them far at sea, not above 20
or 30 leagues, unless driven off in a storm.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164