44 Director's Afimial Report. 



of the island was honeycombed by their burrows. They were so 

 numerous indeed that crossing the island in any direcftion was a 

 difficult task by reason of one dropping, unexpectedly, hip deep in 

 them, only to climb out of the sand to repeat the experience again 

 and again. They were abundant birds, everywhere dodging be- 

 side their holes, or stowed away in them. Several downy young 

 but no eggs were secured. 



The absence of the Christmas Island Shearwater, Puffinus 

 nativitatis Streets, was another mystery in distribution. Having 

 found it fairly common on Marcus Island, sitting beside its half 

 grown young under the trees, and knowing that it had been met 

 with at French Frigates Shoal and Laysan I fully expedled to find 

 it at Midway, especially on Eastern Island where the conditions 

 are fully as favorable for its nidification as they are on Laysan. 

 I am at a loss to account for such a freak in distribution, except it 

 may be that the bird has a great attachment for the locality where 

 the young is reared, and even though it knows of and possibly 

 visits other islands equally suited to its habits, always returns to 

 its own island to in turn rear its young. If such is the case it 

 would indicate the difficulty of establishing new colonies or re- 

 stocking old ones by artificial means. 



PHAETHONTID^. 



Phaethon rubricauda Bodd.— Red-tailed Tropic Bird. 



A few birds of this species were met with on both islets. All 

 had young in the down, for which they would fight most savagely 

 when molested. 



SULID^. 



Sula piscator (Linn.).— Red-footed Booby. 



A single individual, which had evidently been left behind 

 when its neighbors took their leave of the island, was seen asleep 

 on the bushes on Sand Island. I captured it in my hands. It was 

 the only example seen b}' any of us. 



Sula cyanops (Sund.).— Blue-faced Booby. 



A number of this species was seen and a specimen was collecfled. 



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