ANOUS STOLIDUS.
Noddy Tern.

Sterna stolida, Lath. Ind. Om., vol. ii. p. 805.—Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 227.—Gmel. Edit., vol. i. p. 605.—
Bonn. et Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn., part i. p. 91. pl. 25. fig. 2.—Bonap. Syn. Birds of United States,
p-. 356.

Passer stultus, Ray, 154.— Will. 297.

Gaira fusca, Briss. Orn., tom. vi. p. 199. tab. 18. Tee

La Mouette brune, Buff. Pl. Enl., 997.

Noddy, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. vi. p. 354.—Penn. Arct. Zool., vol. 11. No. 446.—Catesb. Car., vol. i. pl. 88.—Nutt.
Man.., vol. ii. p. 285.—Aud. Birds of Am., vol. iii. pl. cclxxv.—Ib. Orn. Bio., vol. i. p. 516.

Noddy Tern, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. x. p. 104.

Black Noddy (Anoiis niger), Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p: 140. pl. 17.

Megalopterus stolidus, Bote.

Le Noddi noir, Cuv. Régn. Anim., tom. 1. p. 522.

Anoiis stolidus, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, Qnd Edit., p. 100.—List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., part ii.
p. 180.

 

Ir the present bird be identical with the Sterna stokda of the older writers, then the range of the species
over the temperate and warmer parts of the ocean must be almost universal; but it will be seen that
although the Noddies of the northern and southern hemispheres are very much alike, considerable variation
is found to exist in their modes of nidification and the season at which that duty is performed; a difference
is also found to exist in the number and colouring of their eggs, those inhabiting the northern hemisphere
being said to lay three, and those inhabiting the southern only one. At the same time, rather than unne-
cessarily multiply the number of specific appellations, I prefer for the present at least to figure the Austra-
lian bird under the old name of stodidus.

I have much pleasure in transcribing Mr. Audubon’s account of the breeding of the true 4uous stolidus,
as it is not only interesting in itself, but, when coupled with Mr. Gilbert’s observations on the Australian
bird, may tend to prove that in this, as in many other instances, birds inhabiting opposite sides of the
equator and apparently identical, are really distinct, but having to perform similar offices in the great
scheme of creation, are necessarily much alike, and form beautiful representatives of each other.

“The Noddies,” says Mr. Audubon, “form regular nests of twigs and dry grass, which they place on
the bushes or low trees, but never on the ground. On visiting their island on the 11th of May 1882,
I was surprised to see that many of them were repairing and augmenting nests that had remained
throughout the winter, while others were employed in constructing new ones, and some were already
sitting on their eggs. In a great many instances the repaired nests formed masses nearly two feet in
height, and yet all of them had only a slight hollow for the eggs, broken shells of which were found among
the entire ones, as if they had been purposely placed there. The birds did not discontinue their labours,
although there were nine or ten of us walking among the bushes ; and when we had gone a few yards into
the thicket, thousands of them flew quite low over us, some at times coming so close as to enable us to
catch a few of them with the hand. On one side might be seen a Noddy carrying a stick in its bill, or
picking up something to add to its nest; on the other several were seen sitting on their eggs unconscious
of danger, while their mates brought them food. The greater part rose on the wing as we advanced,
but re-alighted as soon as we had passed. The bushes were rarely taller than ourselves, so that we could
easily see the eggs in the nests......- The Noddy lays three eggs, which average two inches in length
by an inch and three-eighths in breadth, and are of a reddish yellow colour, spotted and patched with
dull red and faint purple. They afford excellent eating, and our sailors seldom failed to collect bucketsful
of them daily during our stay at the Tortugas.”

«¢TheNod dy and an allied species ” (4. melanops), says Mr. Gilbert, “* are the most numerous of all the
‘nhabitants of the Houtmann’s Abrolhos, where they breed in prodigious numbers. The present species
lays its eggs in November and December, on a nest constructed of sea-weed, about six inches in diameter
and varying in height from four to eight inches, but without anything like regularity of form ; the top is
nearly flat, there being but a very slight hollow to prevent their single egg from rolling off. The nests are
so completely plastered with the excrement of the bird, that at first sight they appear to be entirely formed
of that material ; they are either placed on the ground in a clear open space, or on the tops of the thick
scrub, over those of the Sterna fuliginosa, the two species incubating together with the most perfect
harmony, and the bushes presenting a mottled appearance from the great numbers of both species perched
on the top: the male S. fuliginosa sitting quite close to the nest of the Noddy, while its mate 1s beneath
performing the arduous duties of incubation. On walking among the nests I was surprised to observe the

pertinacity with which the birds kept their post ; in fact they would not remove from off the egg or the