LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 187 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — On the Bermuda Islands, some of the Bahama 

 Islands (Great Abaco, Ragged Island Keys, Water Key, etc.), some 

 of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Porto Rico, etc.), and 

 some of the Lesser Antilles (Martinique, Dominica, St. Vincent, etc.). 



Winter range. — Tropical and southern oceans, from the Bahamas 

 and the West Indies southward, at least as far as Brazil (Fernando 

 Noronlia) and Ascension Island. 



Spring migration. — Arrives in Bermuda from March 4 to 12 (some- 

 times in February). 



Fall migration. — Leaves Bermuda from September 27 to Novem- 

 ber 1. 



Casual records. — Occasionally visits Florida (Dry Tortugas, 1832, 

 and Merritt's Island, April 2i, 188G; seen at St. Marks, May 25, 

 1919), Accidental in western New York (Knowlesville, September, 

 1876) and in Nova Scotia (off the coast, September 4, 1870). 



Egg dates. — Bahama Islands : Seventeen records, May 13 to June 

 16; nine records, May 14 to June 11. Bermuda Islands: Seven rec- 

 ords, April 27 to August 12; four records, April 30 to May 12. 

 Jamaica : One record, February 27. 



PIIAETHON AETHEREUS Linnaeus. 

 RED-BILLED TKOPIC-BIRD. 



HABITS. 



The tropic-birds are well named, for they are always associated 

 with those favored regions, where on the hot, sunny islands they find 

 genial nesting sites and in the warm tropical waters fruitful feeding 

 grounds. The red-billed species inhabits both oceans and is found 

 as far north as the Lesser Antilles on the Atlantic side and as far as 

 the Gulf of California on the Pacific coast. 



Nesting. — Dr. E. W. Nelson (1899) gives the following account of 

 the nesting habits of the red-billed tropic-bird on the west coast of 

 Mexico : 



Soon after landing on Isabel, a tropic-bird was found sitting on its solitary 

 egg at the end of a little hole in the rock close to the beach. The hole was 

 only about 15 or IS inches across and about 3 feet deep, so that there was no 

 difficulty in taking the bird by hand after a little maneuvering to avoid its 

 sharp beak. During a stay of about 24 hours on this island at least 20 nests 

 containing eggs or young were examined. A single egg Is laid directly on the 

 rough rock or loose dirt forming the floor of the nesting site, which is always 

 located under the shelter of overarching rock, but varies greatly in situation. 

 The inner ends of holes in cliffs facing the sea were favorite places, but as the 

 number of such situations was limited, the birds were forced to utilize small 

 caves and even rock shelters. In one locality five or six nests wore placed on 



