River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-31

looks like a big apartment house"
Space being SO limited, the birds
which have chosen Laysan for their
breeding home would not be able to
find satisfactory places if they all ar
rived at the same time. They are
therefore obliged to take turns. Some
species of sea birds leave the place
as soon as their young are strong
enough to fly, and while they are de-
parting the newcomers already begin
to arrive Thus there is a constant
coming and going and breeding species
are found at almost every season of
the year, a fact which Is remarkable
even in the tropics, where the breed
ing season is generally less regular
than in our ATTITUDES. In this way
definite succession, which probably
dates back thousands of years, takes
place year after year in the arrival
and departure of certain species.
1t was almost impossible when walk
ing through the fookeries to avoid
stepping upon the eggs, they were so
numerous. The eggs of the sooty tern,
Sterna fuliginosa. were to be found all
over the sand.
The birds are very loath at times to
leave their nests and scold soundly
before finally slipping off. When at
last driven they limp away, dragging
their wings, just as is done by some
birds in this country when trying to
lure a human being away from their
young. Sometimes as many as doz-
en- at a time would be struggling on
ahead of us and trying to draw US
away from their nests.
Whenever we drew near the eggs
of the white tern, or love bird, as II
is sometimes called, the parents came
and lowered In front of our faces and
peered intently at us as II trying TO
divine our intentions. Just out OF
reach they would flutter, turning their
heads from side to side, occasionally
uttering a droll and wheezy little cry.
They did not offer to peck us, but
were content to stare and wheeze.
They lay their eggs in all sorts OF
odd places: we found one on the bare
limb of bush, a precarious and In
secure spot. A remarkable thing
about the old mother bird is that she
brings two fishes at time to the
Young and invariably carries them
| crosswise in her bill An earlier OBJ
server reports seeing an old bird with
| four fishes in her beak at once.
The dazzling white plumage of the
albatross makes it the most striking
of all the birds which frequent Lay
son. They are absolutely fearless and
do not seem to mind the presence OF
man, and you can walk among them
without disturbing their various occu-
pations and amusements in the least.
They have an innate objection to
| idleness, and consequently seldom
stand around doing nothingj but In
stead spend much time in a curious
performance, which by some has been
called counting. AS the antics are
carried on during the birds residences
of about ten months on the island they
are probably form of amusement.
Another odd nesting bird Is the
male man-o'-war, Fregata aQuila. Dur
| ing the counting period his gular
pouch is enlarged and before the
brooding cares have begun he initiates
! it to a large size, and at the same time
it becomes a bright red color, the bird
looking as if it had child's toy bal
| loon fastened to it's throat.
1t was a common occurrence. to see
the male bird setting on the nest with
the sac blown out, obscuring the
whole front of the creature, only the
bill and eyes appearing over the top.
His antics are as extraordinary as his
looks, and when engrossed in the task
of making himself attractive his self.
absorption and apparent vanity are
very amusing.
Many of the freshly laid eggs we
found to be delicious as food, and
some of them, especially those of the
albatross, were superior to the eggs
of the domestic fowl. If these islands
were nearer to market their produce
would soon knock the egg trust sky
high.