28 



TOTIPALMATE BIRDS. 



1-4. 



fully webbed, fig. 28 ; external nostrils, present. Single egg 



placed in a cavity on rocky cliffs Fig. 27. 



of oceanic islands ; purplish- 



brown, sprinkled and spotted 



with darker brown. Flight, di- 



rect, steady; wing-beats, rapid, 



but the birds can turn in air and , 



circle with ease. Procure their 



prey by diving like Terns. Cries, 



loud and harsh. Gregarious when breeding, solitary at oth- 



er times, Tropical and subtropical. Sexes, similar. 



Fig. 28. a. Long-tailed Tropic 



Birds. Phaethon. 

 Characters as in A 

 1. YELLOW-BILLED TROP- 

 IC BIRD, P. AMERICANUS. 28.00 

 to 30.00; bill yellow or orange; 

 plumage, especially beneath, well 

 tinged with salmon-pink which 

 A, a. 1. 1-2 becomes deeper on the elongated 



tail feathers; curved mark on 

 side of head, patch on wing, 

 near back, and one near termi- 

 nal portion of primaries, pur- 

 plish-black. Young, without 

 the greatly elongated central 

 tail feathers, and are more or 

 less banded above with black. 

 Breeds in the West Indies, Ba- 

 hamas, and Bermudas in May ; 

 occasional in Florida ; accident- 

 al in western N. Y. 



2. RED-BILLED TROPIC 

 BIRD, P. AETHERETJS. Differs 

 from 1 in being a little larger, 

 30.00 to 35.00; the bill is coral-red 



Fig. 29. 



E, A, 1. 1-6. 

 the elongated tail feath- 



ers, white. Coasts of tropical America ; breeds on islands 



