679 A. EF. Verrill— The Bermuda Islands. 267 
old birds. This date is quite contrary to the time of breeding of 
the cahow, but agrees well with the time of breeding of this shear- 
water in the Bahamas. Whether the pimlico still breeds here in small 
numbers, on the small uninhabited islands, is uncertain. We did not 
see it in 1898, nor in 1901. 
Dr. Henry Bryant* gave a good account of the breeding habits of 
this bird on the Bahamas, in 1859. The following is his description 
of a freshly taken adult bird : 
‘‘ All the upper parts, wings, and tail, sooty brown; below, white; the 
boundaries of the colors not abruptly marked; bill bluish, with the tips of the 
mandibles black; this latter color running up the culmen to the forehead. 
Tarsi and feet pale flesh-color, with the posterior edge of the tarsus, the whole 
sole, and the upper and outer surface of the outer toe, running obliquely back- 
ward at the tarsal extremity to the hind part of the tarsus, black.” 
é e 
Men ot eyaeines thee ote SE ae ee NE es ove 344 840 
Henetneborend: Of Claws 22= 2k. s9=!oo5-2- sss see 800 040 
Wene thi tovend: of wings ss = 2 2/22 212/27 sae 497 .480 
ix tenbwers sae waeek Goren ct eee cols. Bess thei .690 .666 
AWA op ELOMNGT OXULC Hae ey ye yee ee a ee ee 217 205 
TD ESHST OS! eos ORAS ae a I a oe 037 036 
NUSUSU Ie HO Sas A eg ee a 041 038 
Billigalon geri dle ep ure ety wee Ses EE a pee 035 036 
(Sq Wok A Soe Hed eee ca oe .0445 044 
He found them nesting there March 24th ; both sexes incubating 
in turn. He states that the eggs do not much resemble a hen’s egg 
Poo) 55?) 
for they are highly polished and much more fragile, and vary a good 
deal, both in size and form. The old birds are never seen to enter 
their holes in the daytime, but may be seen feeding in flocks at sea. 
e.—The Tropic Bird. 
Tropic Bird ; Long-tail; Boatswain Bird. (/Phaéton flavirostris Br.) 
See p. 428. 
Puate LXXII; Ficure 1. 
This graceful bird was mentioned by some of the early writers, 
particularly by Governor Butler, in 1619, whose account was copied 
nearly verbatim by Capt. John Smith, and published by him in 
1624. Gov. Butler’s account is as follows : 
“Some few other kindes of foule ther are also, which are unknowen 
in our partes ; as the tropick birde, which is as large as a pullett, in 
coulour white, with one only very long feather in the tayle, and hath 
* Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. History, vii, p. 132. 
