iSqi.] Scott o/t l/ic TclUnv-billed Ti-ofic Bird. 2 CJ I 



all that I knew about the \vhitc Gull-like liirds that were present 

 daily ju.st a little way out at sea was what has been recorded in 

 the preceding lines. I was talking about birds to some black 

 men who were working at a new canoe, at a point about a mile 

 from the house, where a break in the clilTs forms a little open 

 buy (known as Big Bay), with a couple of hundred yards of 

 hard sand beach where boats can be laid up and from which they 

 could be launched when the surf is not too high. These men 

 said that at a point just outside the bay and southwest of it 

 half a mile was a cave where the 'Boobies' roosted and were 

 almost always to be found. 



After this again several weeks elapsed before the surf was sub- 

 dued enough to be safely passed in a boat, but finally on the 25th 

 of February, Mr. Dugmore, a friend who was with me, and to 

 whom I am indebted for mucli aid in shooting specimens for me 

 while on the island, went off at daylight to solve the question as 

 to what the 'Boobies' were. He returned at about halfpast ten 

 in the morning and I met him on the beach. There was a very 

 considerable sea running that made the landing tedious, but the 

 first bird my friend held up to me before the boat reached the 

 shore, I recognized at once as the Yellow-billed Tropic Bird 

 (yPhaethon Jiavirostris) . 



I have since that time spent three days on the sea coasting 

 along the north shore of Jamaica and have seen many of the 

 birds in question both flying and alighted on the projections on 

 the face of the cliffs. This trip was from March 17 to March 

 20 of the pi'esent year. During my stay at Boston we did not 

 observe any kind of Gull or Tern and cruising as I have men- 

 tioned for quite a hundred miles along the shore not a Gull or 

 Tern was noted, but the Yellow-billed Tropic Birds were con- 

 stantly seen. This then is one of the homes of this' species and a 

 point where it is fliirly abundant. The following records of the 

 habits and breeding of the birds in c^uestion are based on notes 

 made by myself and Mr. Dugmore. 



During the months of December, January, Februar}-, and 

 March, and presumably at other times of the year the species 

 under consideration is quite common along the entire north side 

 of the island, wherever the character of the shore aflbrds the 

 birds suitable shelter for resting by day or roosting at night. 

 These clitfs are of white limestone and vary in height, seventy- 



