224 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Order VIII, STEGANOPODES. 

 Family PHAETHONTID^. 



Genus PHAETON, Linn. 



594. PHAETON RUBRICAUDA. 



THE RED-TAILED TROPIC-BIRD. 



Phaeton rubricauda, Bodd. Tall. PI. Enl. p. 57 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 849 ; Salvad. 

 Ucc. Born. p. 370; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 322, viii. p. 116. Phaeton phoenicurus, 

 Om. Syst. Nat. i. p. 583 ; Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 73. Phaeton aetherius, 

 Bloxh. Voy. Blonde, App. p. 251. 



Description. A black mark in front of and behind the eye black ; the 

 whole plumage silky white ; the shafts of the primaries and tail-feathers 

 black ; the webs of the lengthened central tail-feathers red ; the centres 

 of the long flank -feathers slate-colour ; most of the tertiaries with a long 

 broad slaty- brown streak down the centre. 



Bill, in the dry specimen, yellow ; tarsus and about half an inch of the 

 basal portion of the toes and webs yellow ; remainder of the foot black. 

 Length 33 inches, tail 19, wing 13*2, tarsus T2, bill from gape 3*2. 

 The description is taken from specimens in the British Museum col- 

 lected in Australia. There are only three specimens, but they are all in 

 exactly the same plumage. Mr. Hume's description of a bird shot in the 

 Bay of Bengal agrees well with these birds. 



Dr. Jerdon states that this bird is frequently seen in the Bay of Bengal, 

 and Mr. Hume secured a specimen in these waters. 



The Red-tailed Tropic- bird occurs in the tropical portions of the Indian 

 and Pacific Oceans. 



The Tropic-birds are of very graceful form, and more or less white in 

 colour. They live in the air, flying about like Terns, and catching fish by 

 plunging down upon them. They breed on islands, laying a single egg in 

 a hole in a cliff, or even in a hole in the ground. The egg is reddish grey, 

 marked with reddish brown. 



