250 BRANDT, Zoologie. 
ratio aliquid peculiaris habet. [In aëre enim suspensi mox quasi tremulan- 
tes apparent, alas frequentissime appropinquantes, mox quasi lassitudine con- 
fecti praecipitare videntur. Rarius in aëre quasi pendent. Haud raro e 
summa altitudine ipsius corporis pondere decidunt piscibus in superficie 
aquae conspicius vel e mari evolantibus capiendis, qui nutrimentum pri- 
marium, forsan adeo unicum, ipsis praebere videntur. In piscium volan- 
tium captura saepius Tachypetibus associatos invenire licet, Piscibus in 
aquae superficie obviüs Sternarum more potiuntur, urinandi facultate pror- 
sus carentes. Relata praeda ex ipsa maris superficie oblique denuo assur- 
gunt in auras. 
Egregie et vere poëtice Phaëthontum vitam adumbravit Stanley (A 
Familiar history of Birds London 1835 8 Vol. I. p. 95) his verbis: 
» The Tropic-Bird is the very reverse of the heavy gigantic Albatross, 
and might fairly by called the fairy of the ocean; seen as it is in the 
genial latitudes of the warmest climates of the globe, — now a stationary 
speck elevated as for as the eye can reach, contrasted with the dark blue 
of the sky, like a spangle in the heavens; then suddenly descending like 
a fallingstar and as suddenly checking its course to hover for awhile over 
the topmost point of a vessels mast, and then darting like a meteor with 
its two long projecting tail-feathers streaming in the air, downwards on a 
shoal of flying-fish ; and then rising gracefully with its prize, again to soar 
aloft and take its reste above the clouds.‘“ 
Teste Quoyo et Gaimardo Phaëthontes supra rupes nigras vulcanicas 
profundarum Insulae Franciae catarrhactarum vocis striduli sonitu gyros in 
aëre ducentes pulcherrimum spectabulum praebent. 
Phaëthontes ceterum supra altum maris in aëribus conspicui naves 
neutiquam fugiunt, sed supra vela pendent et üs interdum insident; imo 
adeo vexillis altissimis velis affixis allici posse dicuntur. ‘Tale autem expe- 
rimentum Quoyo et Gaimardo neutiquam contigit, quamvis traditur in 
