182 . TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS — STEGANOPODES. 



In whatever position this bird may be — whether flying in a straight line, sailing in a 

 circle, just rising from the water, or swimming on the surface — the instant it sees its 

 prey it plunges into the water. He has frequently seen one dive while on the wing, 

 rise to the surface, and dive in rapid succession five or six times ; and on taking flight 

 again dive before it had risen more than two or three feet from the surface, and catch 

 a dozen fish in the space of a minute. But there is nothing graceful in its movements. 

 The stomachs of the Boobies examined contained a great many varieties of fish ; their 

 principal food seemed to be flying-fish and a species of Hemirhamphus. 



In the Eeport on the Birds of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition the Booby is 

 referred to as one of the most extensively diffused of aquatic birds, being equally 

 abundant both on the Atlantic and Pacific coast of the southern portion of the con- 

 tinent of America, and throughout the Pacific Ocean to the coasts of Asia. Mr. 

 Peale found it breeding on nearly all the coral islands visited by the Expedition. 

 The nests were constructed of sticks and weeds, on bushes and low trees, and were 

 generally found to contain but one egg, which was of a bluish-white color. 



Mr. Peale relates that while exploring Enderby's Island — which is of coral forma- 

 tion — he found, at least a quarter of a mile from the shore, a bird of this species in 

 full plumage, having a white breast, which indicated that it was several years old. 

 On picking it up he was surprised to find that it had but one wing, the other having 

 been, by some accident, taken off close to the body. The wound was perfectly healed, 

 and the bird in excellent health, and very fat ! It was fed by its comrades, which 

 Avere younger birds — as was indicated by the brown plumage of their breasts; and 

 they continued while Mr. Peale was near to display toward their injured companion 

 all the careful anxiety of parents for their young. 



This species was noticed by Dr. Pickering in the Bay of Kio de Janeiro, where it 

 was common. He also saw it at various other localities, and found it particularly 

 abundant at Aurora Island in September. 



Eggs of this species in the Smithsonian Collection (No. 1713), obtained in the 

 Bahamas by Dr. Bryant, are of a uniform dull chalky white color. Two examples 

 measure, one 2.30 by 1.55 inches, the other 2.20 by 1.60. 



Sula piscator. 



THE RED-FOOTED BOOBY. 



Pelecanus piscator, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 134 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 217. 



Sula 2nscator, Bonap. Consp. II. 1857, 166. — Lawr. Pr. Boston Soc. 1871, 302 (Socorro I., W. 



Mexico ; common). — Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 7, 1877, 23 (Fanning Islands, N. 



Pacific). 

 Sicla Candida, " Briss." Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XIII. 1826, 103. 

 Sula crylhrorhyncha, Less. Traite, I. 1831, 601. 

 Sula rubripes, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, 156. 

 Sula rubripeda, Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. Oni. 1848, 274. 



Hab. Coasts and islands of the intertropical regions. Florida (Mus. Philad. Acad.). 



Sp. Char. Feet reddish. Adult male, perfect plumage (No. 15611, Pacific Ocean ; T. R. 

 Peale) : Plumage white, the head and neck tinged with buff, the shafts of the tail-feathers deep 

 straw-yellow ; remiges, greater and primary wing-coverts, and alula3 hoary slate-gray. Adtdt 

 female (perfect plumage?), (No. 50866, Socorro Island, Western Mexico; Colonel A. J. Gray- 

 son) : Similar to the above, but the tail hoary brownish gray, with whitish shafts, the white 

 of the entire upper parts strongly tinged with buff-yellow. " Iris brown ; bare space on chin 

 and throat jet-black ; bill pale violet, bare space on forehead, and base of lower mandible, 

 purplish red ; bare space round eye violet-blue ; " feet coral-red. Length, 29.50 inches ; extent, 



