1891.] BIRDS OF THE PHffiNIX ISLANDS. 295 



TUBINARES. 



PuFFiNus NATiviTATis, Streets'. 



Though this bird was frequently seen both at Phoenix and 

 Canton Islands, I only obtained one egg, which was placed in the 

 interior of a heap of rough coral blocks piled together by the 

 guano-diggers. It is pure white, and of a long oval shape, measuring 

 2'3 in. in length and barely 1"5 in. in breadth. 



The bird was first described from Christmas Island (Pacific Ocean), 

 and two specimens have since been obtained at Krusenstern Island 

 to the west of the Sandwich Islands. 



CESTRELATA PARVIROSTRTS (Pcalc^). 



There were numbers of this species, wheeling rapidly hither and 

 thither near the ground in wide figure-of-8 curves just as the smaller 

 Petrels do over the surface of the sea. They place their eggs, with 

 almost no nest, on the ground under the tangled branches of the 

 bushes. The egg is white, and measures 2*3 in. in length and 

 r65 in. in breadth. A newly hatched young one was covered with 

 dark grey down. 



The bird appears to be known only from Puka-puka ( = Honden 

 or Dog Island, Low or Paumotu Archipelago), near which a single 

 individual was obtained by Peale^onthe visit of the Wilkes Ex- 

 pedition. This specimen has remained hitherto unique. 



Fregetta ALBiGXJLARis (Finsch). 



During the middle of the day there were few of these birds to be 

 seen, but towards sunset before we left the island they came in in 

 considerable numbers. I watched one of them beating backwards 

 and forwards over a sandy tract sparsely covered with grass, in 

 which they make their burrows. It was some time before the bird 

 found his home and settled down. I caught it as it was disappearing. 

 On putting my arm into the burrow I found a second bird at the 

 extreme end, which was just as far as I could reach. I found no 

 eggs in the burrows, but on opening one of the birds that I obtained 

 I found an egg ready to be laid in the oviduct. 



This egg measures 1-54 in. in length and ri2 in. in breadth. It 

 is of a creamy-white colour, with minute spots profusely sprinkled 

 at the larger end, but sparsely over the remainder. Those of the 

 deeper layers are pale purf)le, the superficial ones reddish brown. 



The sandy tract above mentioned contained a large number of 

 burrows, so that on walking over it the ground frequently gave 

 under foot. 



This bird was first described as a distinct species by Finsch from 

 Kandavu in Fiji *. It had been previously obtained from the 

 Marquesas Islands ' and from the New Hebrides ". 



^ Bull. United States Mus., No. vii. 1877, p. 29. 



^ Peale, Zoology of United States Exploring Expedition, 1848, p. 298. 



^ Cassin, U. S. Expl. Exped., Mammalogy and Ornithology, p. 411. 



' Finsch, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 722. 



^ Bp. "Ois. Marquises," Corapt<>8 Eend. 1856, xli. p. 1109. 



« Salvin, P. Z. S. 1879, p. V-iO. 



