A. FE. Verrili— The Bermuda Islands. 679 
old birds. This date is quite contrary to the time of breeding of 
the cahow, but agrees well with the time of breeding of this shear- 
water in the Bahamas. Whether the pimlico still breeds here in small 
numbers, on the small uninhabited islands, is uncertain. We did not 
see it in 1898, nor in 1901. 
Dr. Henry Bryant* gave a good account of the breeding habits of 
this bird on the Bahamas, in 1859. The following is his description 
of a freshly taken adult bird : 
“‘ All the upper parts, wings, and tail, sooty brown; below, white; the 
boundaries of the colors not abruptly marked; bill bluish, with the tips of the 
mandibles black; this latter color running up the culmen to the forehead. 
Tarsi and feet pale flesh-color, with the posterior edge of the tarsus, the whole 
sole, and the upper and outer surface of the outer toe, running obliquely back- 
ward at the tarsal extremity to the hind part of the tarsus, black.” 
é ? 
hon Ciera eens. a soot yell ease 344 340 
liken oth) torendiof claws) J2-----5-.225- 324-8 Se 300 845 
enethstolend) of wings ~-2.--- =.2.2-.522--4-2 497 .480 
REQgT. Lose oe Se ee eg .690 .666 
WA pn OT HONUITOS seen oe caine eee 217 205 
TOTS, 2 Ssh Bese See ae eel 037 .056 
INDO ONG) U0) 5.4 see aa ee a eRe ene ast 041 038 
IBUlisalon rid homens SUS Mo 22532 ke eee as 035 036 
(Ap Cee ee ete 2 ys oy oe eee 0445 044 
He found them nesting there March 24th ; both sexes incubating 
in turn. He states that the eggs do not much resemble a hen’s egg, 
for they are highly polished and much more fragile, and vary a good 
deal, both in size and form. The old birds are never seen to enter 
their holes in the daytime, but may be seen feeding in flocks at sea. 
The Tropic Bird. 
é. 
Tropic Bird ; Long-tail ; Boatswain Bird. (Phaéton flavirostris Br.) 
See p. 428. 
PuaTtE LXXII; Ficure 1. 
This graceful bird was mentioned by some of the early writers, 
particularly by Governor Butler, in 1619, whose account was copied 
nearly verbatim by Capt. John Smith, and published by him in 
1624. Gov. Butler’s account is as follows : 
“Some few other kindes of foule ther are also, which are unknowen 
in our partes ; as the tropick birde, which is as large as a pullett, in 
coulour white, with one only very long feather in the tayle, and hath 
* Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. History, vii, p. 132. 
