The Tropic-Birds of Bermuda 



347 



liad just started to la>', wliilc others had n'ouii.^ birds two weeks ohl. They hiy 

 but unv ejjjg, about two and a ((uarter inches long and rather broad. It is of a 

 ])ecuiiar Ht^ht purpHsh color, with profuse chocolate-brown spots, especially at 

 the larger end. The time of incubation is twenty-eight days, as proved by a 

 fresh egg hatched in an incubator. The young bird is covered with long white 

 down, with dark-colored l^are skin between llie eyes ox'er the bill, which is 

 yellowish. 



The old birds seem perfectly fearless while on their nests, and make no 

 attempt to leave them. I took advantage of this and made two paintings and 

 several sketches from birds on their nests. The two birds which I used as sub- 

 jects had recently hatched their tygs and were most satisfactory models — 



keeping close to the original pose for nearly three hours in each case. The 

 young were very restless, and would stick their flufify heads from under the 

 mother's satiny breast. She would often chide them, as it were, with a guttural 

 croak, and move her body so as to cover them more securely. To see the young 

 birds, or the egg, as the case might be, I frequently had to lift the old bird ofT 

 its nest, which I could not do without decided protest. It would utter a very 

 loud peevish cry, and strike viciously with its powerful, sharp beak. 



Seeing them at such close range, I had splendid opportunity to study their 

 coloring. Though these are called the "yellow-billed" Tropic-birds, I found 

 the yellow beak the exception. I counted but nine or ten with yellow bills; 

 all the others had beaks of a bright orange-red, inclining to yellow at the 

 gape and deepening to vermilion on the ridge of the upper mandible. The 

 plumage is exceedingly glossy, having a luster like satin, which gleams with a 



