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58 THE CONDOR VoL. VI a mystery, for it is only three miles long by one and a half broad, and is so low as to be perceptible only a few miles at sea. We found the man-o'-war birds living in little communities of half a dozen pairs or more, and they had built their nests of sticks and morning-glory vines, placing the rude structure on the top of low bushes. Here either the male or female was always to be found, holding down the claim as it were. Sticks are dif- ficult to obtain because the birds must break them from the bushes, and this means work. No professional robber loves work, as such. Consequently if both birds left the home, even for a short time, certain roving neighbors would consider it their duty to appropriate any suitable material for the enlargement of their own houses. And then, when the real owners returned they would look in vain for the nest, which melted away as if by magic. These birds are amusing creatures in more ways than one. They habitually sit on the nest with their heads tucked down between the wings. Consequerltly they always appear as if chilly, with their shoulders hunched up and their 'hands' deep in their pockets. Yet one finds it far from cold in the glare of tropical sunshine. But the greatest 'circus' of all, if I may be allowed the term, is the male bird. Just under his chin he has a little pouch of bare skin, like a wattle, which is tech- nically known as a gular sac. During tile courting season, this pouch is inflated to a large size, and becomes a most brilliant red. In fact the adornment resembles a toy balloon, such as small children delight to dangle on a string. The color is astonishingly bright, being a crimson, which varies in its intensity from time to time, for the sac often catches on its surface the sheen of the sky, or becoming somewhat collapsed, turns translucent orange about the sides. As we wandered over tile inuer slopes of the island we could see these gro- tesque creatures on all sides, sprinkled among brooding birds with shriveled sacs, and white-breasted females. It would be difficult to convey any idea of the droll expressions which the 'puffed up' males habitually assume. The photograph hardly does justice to tile subject. If the sac is fully inflated it obscures the whole breast, so that when viewed from the front the bird appears to be peeping over itself. Only the crown of the head, the beak, and two very bright eyes can be seen. At a distance one is strongly reminded of great red fruits resting in their foliage of soft green. Fregata will often sit for' a long time as shown in the photograph, scarcely altering his position. But if his spouse appears somewhere overhead, sailing to and fro, he is all animation at once. As she swoops down he suddenly stands up in the nest, throws back his head, spreads his great wings, and protruding the brilliant pouch, shakes his head from side to side, with a hoarse cackle. Occasion- ally she deigns to alight near him. Then he takes even greater pains to make his charms conspicuous, for, trembling with excitement and waving his pouch, he fluffs up the long, greenish, iridescent feathers on his back. In this posture he attempts to strut, but cannot; so instead he cackles and chuckles in an outlandish manner, calculated to captivate his mate. But at this moment she usually flies away, leaving him to relapse into his former stolidity. After the single white egg is laid all this ceases. The sac is no longer inflated, and resumes its usual insignificant size. Both birds settle down to the serious duty of brooding the egg, and guarding the nest from marauding neigh- bors. Their eternal vigilance is even more necessary when the naked chick is hatched, for if there is one piece of deviltry in which the frigate bird indulges, it is