Page:Condor13(3).djvu/28

 106 THE CONDOR. Vol. XIII occupied in their love-making that they paid very little attention to us. Their cries deadened the cries of all the other birds and they kept it up all through the night. "In the waters dose to the breeding ground large flocks were seen. When I first arrived, March 24, there were an immense number of birds. The males were constantly seen fluttering over the females on the ground, near their nests; but no eggs were laid until April 2. It seems they spend some time in courtship before settling down to their matrimonial duties. The female when in passion emits a peculiar squeaky sound as she coaxes the male by squatting down and going through the most ludicrous motions. I have also seen a pair holding on to each other's bills, a kind of tug-of-war affair; then they would back away and go through a suggestion of a dance, but all the time talking to each other in low love tones. 1;ig. 36. A FAMILY OF BREWSTER BOOBIES, BOTH PARENT BIRDS AND ONE YOUNG ONE IN THE NATAL DOX'N. THE NEST IS IN A CREVICE NEAR THE TOP OF A CLIFF The appearance of a Duck Hawk would send them all flying to sea. They would return however very quickly. "On the southern end of the island there was a colony of Brewster Boobies (Sula brewsleri). They were nesting in the cliffs and caves and in the openings among the rocks (see fig. 36). The nest was composed of a few sticks, in most in- stances whitened with guano, and on this one egg was laid. I never found a nest with two eggs. I found many nest with one young. I also saw full grown young on the wing, which would indicate that they must begin to nest in January." Mr. Brown also found breeding on this island the Blue-looted Booby (,S/a nebouxi), the Craveri Murrelet (t3rachyrambhus craverii) and the Rock Wren (SllSincles obsoletus obsoletus).