Page:Condor6(4).djvu/9

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92 THE CONDOR VoL. VI notes as they foraged among the wiry salt-grass. we espied an old booby feeding its young, in a highly gruesome m nner. The process was promptly photographed at close range, and as sometimes happens, the better - the two exposures (Fig. 4) was badly light- struck, the beam ahnost obscuring the body of the bird. An enlarge- ment was made from this negative, the body touched up. and the result r e-p h o t n graphed. The head, neck, and young bird were not light struck. These two pictures slH,w better than any description the exact umnuer of feeding. The head of the young is had I)een swallowed whole. ed, or allos the bird toniuble at the eud I am unable to say. The latter view seems a bit absurd, but the young kept its head in the Ihnat an iu ordiuatelv long time, and tr several courses iu successiou. Note the rigidity of the neck muscles, and, in fact, of the whole pose of the old bird. We wre on Laysan a veek, but did uot again xx ituess the feed ing. q he young bird neatly always keeps its head under the parent, as shown in XVhether the m,ther wdts fill this is partially digest- BLUE-FACED BOOBlEE. YOUNG. AND EGG fignres 5 aud 6, altho the greater part of its bo:ly may be exposed to the sun. Both birds take turns in brooding the eggs or watching the nestling. Oceasionly both will be seen standing guard together, iu an absurd statuesque pose, or gaziug sea- 5. BLUE-FACED EO3BY AND YOUNG thrust fairly into the throat of the parent, who disgorges the fish c.ntained iu its very spacious stomach. Iu the fbw st. maths we examined lhe flying fish, their favorite food,