Letter from the Pacific. 4.33 
seems to be no regularity of sex or age, for even birds in the 
dirty pale slate garb, which I always took for the first plu- 
mage, prove to be old. 
When on Tarowa, 12th December, a gentleman of the 
vessel went out shooting, and brought home six specimens : 
there were two males slate-coloured, one female slate-coloured, 
one female in the dirty so-called young dress, one female 
white, spotted with slate, one female uniformly white. All 
the females, even one which I thought to be a young bird, 
had very small ovaries, but a large patch destitute of feathers 
(a so-called breeding-patch) covering the whole belly. The 
gentleman told me that he had met a whole colony of this 
Heron in some shrubs, and that he felt sure they would have 
nests there. We intended to visit the spot again, but were 
disappointed, for the vessel was not going in pursuit of eggs 
and birds, but natives, and to make a harvest the brig had to 
leave, so we could not remain behind. 
I observed twice Hudynamis taitiensis on Butaritari (7th 
December), but inquired in vain for Carpophaga oceanicat, 
which was unknown to settlers and natives. Of course, as 
bread-fruit trees are very scarce in the Gilberts, the absence 
of this Pigeon is not to be wondered at. In regard to this 
species I may notice here that I received, January 2lst, a 
young one nearly able to fly, at Taluit, resembling the one I 
got in September. 
Except the Cuckoo, which apparently is only a migratory 
bird, there is no land-bird on the Gilberts; and the total 
number of species is nineteen, of which I append a list. 
Eudynamis taitiensis. Limosa melanuroides. 
*Strepsilas interpres. Ardea sacra. 
*Charadrius fulvus. Sterna bergii. 
*A ctitis incana. melanauchen. 
Numenius femoralis. ** A nous stolidus. 
+ Of this species I have since received one specimen alive from Ponapé, 
and will mention this here, as this species has not been observed there by 
Mr. Kubary, who, being no longer employed by Mr. T. C. Godeffroi, is 
now busy on plantation-work on the same island. 
SER. IV.—VOL. IV. 26 
