PHAETHONTID.E — THE TROPIC BIRDS — PHAETHON. 187 



The Yellow-billed Tropic-bird — intertropical in its distribution, and nomadic in 

 its general character, breeding in different parts of the globe on islands placed in 

 mid-ocean, thousands of miles apart — is entitled to a place in the fauna of ISTorth 

 America as an occasional visitor to the Atlantic coast. Under the name of cetherius 

 Audubon figured and described an individual which had been taken on the Tortugas, 

 in the summer of 1832, by Mr. Eobert Day, of the United States revenue-cutter 

 " Marion." Two specimens were shot out of a flock of eight or ten. 



The description of this species given by Mr. Cassin was from a specimen obtained 

 on the south side of Cuba, where — as Dr. Gundlach has informed me — it is resident 

 tliroughout the year ; and from this its breeding in that neighborhood may naturally 

 be inferred. 



Mr. Gosse, in his Birds of Jamaica, refers to the manuscript of Mr. Robinson, in 

 which reference is evidently made to this species. The bird described was an imma- 

 ture example. Its habits are indicated as being similar to those of the Terns. It 

 was brought to him alive, having been knocked off a fish-pot buoy, and he kept it 

 alive for nearly a week, feeding it with the offal of fish, which it ate greedily. When 

 this bird attempted to walk, it spread its wings and waddled along with great diffi- 

 culty — a result due not only to the position of its legs, but also to their shortness 

 and weakness. Sometimes it made a chattering noise, like that of the Belted King- 

 fisher ; and at other times it had another cry not unlike that of a Gull. It would, 

 when provoked, bite severely. Mr. Gosse was informed that this species is one of the 

 constant frequenters of the Pedro Keys. 



Professor Alfred Newton describes the flight of the Phaeton as something having 

 no resemblance to that of any other sea-bird with which he is acquainted. The chief 

 peculiarity of its motion is the regularity and rapidity with which the strokes of the 

 wing are given. 



In the islands of Bermuda, according to Major Wedderburn, this species is very 

 common. It arrives regularly every year from the south in March and April. In 

 1848 it was seen as early as the lOtli of March, and as late as September 25. In 

 1850 eight were seen near the lighthouse as early as March 1. One was seen Nov. 

 19, 1849, twenty miles out at sea. 



The Tropic-bird breeds about the beginning of May, in holes in the rocks in the 

 Bermuda islands — particularly about the South Shore and Garnet-head Eock. The 

 parent-bird sits so close that it will allow itself to be caught in the hand. It shows 

 some disposition to fight, however, and will seize an intruding hand in its powerful 

 serrated bill, occasionally biting severely. The young birds are marked on the back 

 and wings with transverse bracket-shaped bars, but want the two elongated centre 

 tail-feathers. It is a very curious fact that the young birds are never seen after they 

 leave the holes in which they were reared ; and it is supposed that they at once go 

 to sea with their parents. The Phaeton lays one e^^ only, and this is of a chocolate 

 color, with large brown patches, and spotted with black and brown — exactly resem- 

 bling in color the eggs of the European Kestrel, but being larger and more oval. 



The account of the breeding-habits of this species here given, Mr. Hurdis supple- 

 ments by the statement that the favorite resort of this interesting bird is among the 

 small islands at the entrance of Castle Harbor, on the shores of Harrington Sound, 

 and along the south coast, from the lighthouse to the northwest extremity of Somer- 

 set. There, conspicuous by the glittering whiteness of the plumage, and by the 

 two long slender feathers of the tail, numbers of tliis species may be seen, busy on 

 the wing, wheeling occasionally in their flight, and dashing perpendicularly into the 

 blue waves to secure their prey, in the manner of the Terns. 



