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OCEAN BIIWS. 



'J'he Yellow-billed Tropic-bikd (Phaeton flavirostris). — This is a much smaller bird than 

 the two preceding, except in the. matter of beak, which is yellow. It resembles P. cethereiis on a 

 smaller scale. The habits of all three species of Phaeton are identical. Mr. E. L. Layard, 

 describing some specimens from the Friendly Islands, says :^-" It builds in the forests of 

 Samoa, selecting as a site for its nest the fork of a tree or of a huge perpendicular branch, so 

 that it can enter at one side, and avoid bending or damaging its long tail. I used to watch 

 the flocks going to their sleeping-quarters in the woods, passing high overhead ; and we soon 

 observed that great numbers of them were devoid of tails. One I obtained proved to have 

 moulted this appendage." Dr. 0. Finsch says their native name in Ponape is " Taraki." He 

 describes three specimens, as follows : — " Two males and one female ; the sexes exactly alike ; 

 one male is tinged with very delicate rose-colour. The Island of Ponape is a new locality for 

 this widely-distributed species." 



