GLIMPSES OF LIFE ALONG A CORAL REEF. 321 



eye. The bill is long and cylindrical, the upper mandibles curving 

 over the lower in the form of a sharp hook, and the lining of the 

 mouth and gular-pouch is bright blue. The long, black quills of the 

 frigate-bird were scattered over the island, and the bushes were whit- 

 ened with their ordure. 



I had not been many minutes on the key before I discovered a 

 large snow-white bird nestling on the ground under a spray of Rhaci- 

 challis. Its wings were barred with jet-black ; its bill was bright yel- 

 low, and tapered to a spear-like point, which forbade too close famili- 

 arity. This proved to be the yellow-billed tropic-bird (Phaeton 

 flavirostris), and we afterward caught several in our hands, taking 

 them from the nest. When held up by the wings, they strike lustily 

 with their bills and utter a peculiarly shrill cry. The tropic-bird lays 

 a single egg on the ground beneath rocks or bushes. It is about the 

 size and make of the hen's, and is finely sprinkled with reddish-brown, 

 so as to appear of an almost uniform tint. One of these birds which 

 my companion shot and slightly wounded, flew a short distance and 

 then alighted on the water. As we sailed toward it, first one and 

 then another bird came and hovered over it as if urging it to take 

 flight, which it presently did, and with its attendants soon passed out 

 of sight. These birds resemble the gulls in many points, but are dis- 

 tinguished from other sea-fowl by two long streamers in the tail, 

 which wave behind them as they fly. 



•'■ :•' **» '-J'^'- : 



Fig. 5.— The Egg of the Yellow-Billed Tropic Bird. (From Paw-Faw Key, natural size.) 



Joe Key, forty miles northwest of Green Turtle, was the most in- 

 teresting island we visited. Its windward side, facing the sea, is rocky 

 and precipitous. A mangrove-swamp nearly divides it into two, and 

 on the inside there is a smooth beach and a good hai'bor for small 

 boats. It was nearly dark when we landed, but our attention was 

 soon called to the great numbers of pigeons w^hich were constantly fly- 

 ing to and fro from one point to another on the island. Before going 

 ashore, we rowed to a narrow^ inlet between a detached cliff and the 



VOL. XXXII. — 21 



