34 Directo7'' s Antuial Report. 



Order LONGIPP:nnES. Famii^y I^aridae. 



75. Sterna fuliginosa, Gmel. Ewaewa. 



Sooty Tern. 



Off the east coast of Oahu two large volcanic rocks, covering 

 perhaps 300 square feet, arise abrviptly from the water to the height 

 of 200 feet ; these rocks are about a half-mile distant from the 

 shore, diredlly off Mokapu point. Owing to the coral reef, Heeia, 

 six miles distant, is the nearest accessible point by boat. These 

 rocks are called Moku Manu (Bird Island). I resolved at once to 

 visit them. On January 3, taking two expert native boatmen from 

 Heeia, I started down the coast. lyong before the rocks were 

 reached I could see multitudes of birds hovering in the air above 

 the rocks and looking exadlly like a swarm of bees. When about 

 a quarter of a mile away I began to hear the noise and gabble. 

 As we got nearer the big Frigate Bird {F. aquila) could be seen 

 sailing about and soaring up to wonderful heights, surrounding 

 these birds like clouds, but not arising to such great heights, were 

 Sooty Terns {Sterna fuliginosa), which by thousands were the 

 most abundant bird on the rocks. Flying among these birds were 

 many Noddy ( A nous stolidus) , very conspicuous by their dark color. 



One big Albatross (probably Diomedea chinetisis) took flight 

 as we were quite near the rocks; unfortunately our shot (No. 8) 

 proved too small and the distance a little too great, as this very 

 desirable bird merely shook his feathers to rid them of the shot 

 and swept sereneh' past us, turning his head to give the boat a 

 very sagacious look as he took his leave. Sooty Terns by the 

 thousands were sitting about all over the rocks and flj'ing around 

 our boat in swarms, so near one could hit them with an oar. The 

 din raised by their cry and the noise of their wings was so great 

 one had to shout at the top of the voice to be heard two or three 

 feet distant. The rocks were honey-combed with burrows and 

 must be an ideal nesting place. I looked in vain for a landing; 

 owing to the direction of the waves there seemed to be no lee shore ; 

 on the south side one could land on a calm day, but the sea was 

 too high, and so the attempt to land was given up, to my great 

 disappointment . 



A good series of Soot}- Terns and Noddy was obtained. One 

 of the specimens, a male Stcnia fuliginosa, was in full breeding 

 plumage, the delicate bluish flush covering the entire under sur- 



