The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-12-07

sume to overstep the boundary line
there ensues a battle. royal in which
the interloper is invariably worsted and
scuttles back over the imaginary line
m it's own yard. These battles are
ACCOMPANIED by shrieks and hoarse
eroaks. to which no attention~ls paio
by other birds in the vicinity.
Other birds are there also IN count
.Ioss numbers. and on the island all
live in harmony. The beautiful sea
,Sfoaon as the sailors call the tern,
nests in the clefts and caverns OF the
hatt,emented rocks, and on the Isles
In the lagoon around which the atoli
Is formed. These are not SO tame as
the boobies, but they viii permit one
to come quite close while nesting and
f,y only when there is too evident IN
tent on the part of the interioper 10
examine. closely their habits. In SIZE
shape and general appearance 'ne
tern is similar to the wild pigeon oi
the forests of California, but 1t mas
webbed feet -.
II nests in the rocks, with no eHTo Of
10 build a home, being content IKE
its neighbors, the BOBBY and sea eagle
to hatch its young on the bare surface
The tern egg. which is about the tn. size
Of that of a pigeon. II considered a
delicacy by seafaring men, and the
hunting of these eggs has taken from
the sea pigeon that feariessn 'A
which marks the gannet, the tern
hos learned that man is something &c
be guarded against, hence II SEEKS
inaccessible places on which to deposi
its eggs.
Sea Pigeons.
The sea pigeon lays but two eggs
but as II pays no tribute to the crap
II multiplies more rapidly than thu
booby. and were it not for the edloi'
Cu.ljtv of the eggs and of the bird II
self II would soon dominate the Is
lands Of the Pacific. AS 1t is, CHI
merton is the home of thousands
them. and while they are not sue
prominent features of the landscap
as the BOBBY they form an inconslc
arable mart of that great swarm G
birds seen constantly lowering owe
the island.
There is still a third family {
birds on this island, larger than elti
or Of the ones mentioned This
the frigate bird or as 1t Is peIIe
known among seafaring men, the Sc
eagle. 1t, too, nests here and breed
in countless thousands on the barre
rock of the atoll.
Like the BOBBY and the sea plgeo
it scorns the luxury of a softnestan
laws it's eggs on the bare. rock IT
voung appear to thrive on this SO
of treatment. for they are early tro
tbe nest and, care for themselves
+be age when the young BOBBY is st
a helpless infant.
= The frigate bird is no friend OF Il
crab and evidently the crab is We
aware of the fact, for 1t never
tennis to interfere with the moth
birds during the nesting period
the unwary crab should wander I
close TO the nest of the sea cable
generally has cause to remember t
incident, If it lives to remember IL
all much longer than 1t remains
the mind of the bird. If it happens
be an especially fine crab 1t stands
good chance of forming part OF t
next meal of the eagle.
Countless Land Crabs.
But with all their queerness
birds of Clipperton island are the lea
queer of the animated nature of
atoll. The land crab, which litera
infests the island, aiabolical in I
pearance and persistent in activity,
a source of continued wonder. Thou
small IN size, IL gives one dH unO"i'
feeling to see this little, red crus
cean gazing on him with maligns
stare and causing him to feel as
some demon of the deep were wat
ing him and waiting to drag h
down to the depths and make M
off his flesh.
While the crabs are no larger tn
a mans hand and a majority not
so large. they are in such countl'
numbers as to give one an idea
their ability to do any amount
devilishness. They infest the Wh
island. are into everything unprote
ed and will eat anything soft. To
tect the stores from their ravai
it is necessary to build special or
proof warehouses, covered with sh
=