156 biiletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



precariously upon the horizontal limb of a low Pandanus, the parent 

 bird covering it until I was almost near enough to seize it. 



Fakarava, (Fakarawa, ^Vittgenstein), is one of the more important 

 atolls, being about thirty miles in length and having tliree entrances 

 to the great lagoon aAailable for vessels. It is rather irregularly 

 wooded. Although the ship remained from 10-14 October and 

 numerous birds were collected, there were only two species, Ptilopus 

 coralais^i^s and Cono]X)deros ofi/pha atijpha (new). 



Although at work among the islands for several days after leaving 

 FakaraAa, no anchorages were made until IMakemo was reached on 

 19 October, where the vessel remained until the 25th. The only 

 land birds found were Ptilopus coralens-is and Conopoderas atypha 

 crypta (new). The water birds collected were Frcgata ariel ariel, 

 Phmalis dominicvs fvhnis, Phacopus iahitiensis, Heteraditis incanus, 

 Ations stoUdus pileatvs, Mcgaloptcrus mclanogenys and Thalasscus 

 bcrgii redrirostris. 



The Crested tern {Thalasscus bcrgii rcdirostris) is rather common 

 among the Paumotu Islands. At Makemo we found it frequently 

 perching on stakes or piles along the shore of the lagoon near the 

 Aillage. The other sea birds found here are common throughout the 

 Paumotus. IMakemo, also called Philip Island, is a large atoll about 

 forty miles in length, the northern part of which is well wooded. 



Tekokoto, (Tekareka, Doubtful Island), \'isited 26 October, is 

 nothing more than a tiny atoll a mile or so in diameter w4th a shallow 

 lagoon. It is only a few feet high, a part of it being covered with 

 bushes. These were heavily loaded with frigate birds and boobies, 

 great numbers of them flying over the whale-boat as we searched for a 

 landing. The surf proved altogether too boisterous for safety and 

 the attempt was abandoned. AVe found frigate birds more numerous 

 at Tekokoto than at any other island \'isited during the voyage. The 

 natives of the Paumotus often keep tame frigate birds on perches near 

 their houses. Tlie birds are reared in captivity and are used after 

 the manner of homing pigeons to carry messages among the islands. 



It appears that the birds return promptly when liberated from quite 

 distant islands. They are distributed by being put aboard small 

 vessels trading among the islands. The birds are liberated whenever 

 there is news to be carried, returning to their perches sometimes in an 

 hour or less, from islands just below the horizon and out of sight of the 

 home base. Generally thej' are in no great hurry. As the food of a 

 frigate bird may be picked up almost anj'where at sea, there is no 

 means of ascertaining how much time the bird loses in feeding en route. 



