l career. But strange, and quaint as this
exhibition of ancient reptiles was, we had other and better employment
for the limited time at our disposal. There were innumerable curious
things to see, and, unless we were to run the risk of going on board
again and stopping there, dinner must be obtained. Eggs of various
kinds were exceedingly plentiful; in many places the flats were almost
impassable for sitting birds, mostly "boobies."

But previous experience of boobies' eggs in other places had not
disposed me to seek them where others were to be obtained, and as I had
seen many of the well-known frigate or man-o'-war birds hovering
about, we set out to the other side of the island in search of the
breeding-place.

These peculiar birds are, I think, misnamed. They should be called
pirate or buccaneer birds, from their marauding habits. Seldom or never
do they condescend to fish for themselves, preferring to hover high in
the blue, their tails opening and closing like a pair of scissors
as they hang poised above the sea. Presently booby--like some honest
housewife who has been a-marketing--comes flapping noisily home, her maw
laden with fish for the chicks. Down comes the black watcher from above
with a swoop like an eagle. Booby puts all she knows into her flight,
but vainly; escape is impossible, so with a despairing shriek she
drops her load. Before it has touched the water the graceful thief has
intercepted it, and soared slowly aloft again, to repeat the performance
as occasion serves.

When we arrived on the outer shore of the island, we found a large
breeding-place of these birds, but totally different to the haunt of
the boobies. The nests, if they might be so called, being at best a few
twigs, were mostly in the hollows of the rocks, the number of eggs
being two to a nest, on an average. The eggs were nearly as large as a
turkey's. But I am reminded of the range of size among turkeys' eggs,
so I must say they were considerably larger than a small turkey's egg.
Their flavour was most delicate, as much so as the eggs of a moor-fed
fowl. We saw no birds sitting, but here and there the gaunt skeleton
forms of birds, who by reason of sickness or old age were unable to
provide for themselves, and so sat waiting for death, appealed most
mournfully to us. We went up to some of these poor creatures, and ended
their long agony; but there were many of them that we were obliged to
leave to Nature.

We saw no animals lar