BREEDING PLACES OF SEA BIRDS. 173 



extraordinary scenes wliich I have ever witnessed, waded out to the edge 

 of the shoal, took the boat to the steamer, a,nd sailed for Cavilli Island, 

 where we arrived the next morning shortly after daylight. 



Just before we left Maeander Eeef three man-of-war birds had sud- 

 denly appeared, hurrying in before the on-coming storm, and Doctor 

 Freer had succeeded to our great satisfaction in killing two of them. 

 "Wiren discussing our good luck on board the steamer the following even- 

 ing it was suggested that it only remained to find frigate birds and petrels 

 breeding on Cavilli ! 



Just as I was going down to breakfast in the morning my son came 

 running to tell me that frigate birds were hovering low over the steamer, 

 and upon ascending to the upper bridge deck I discovered several in- 

 dividuals within easy range. Within the next few moments I shot nine, 

 of which eight were recovered. By this time we could see frigate birds 

 in large numbers flying over Cavilli Island, which like Bankoran Island, 

 is heavily forested. Furthermore, we saw in increasing numbers, birds 

 which we at first took for petrels, and it really began to look as if the 

 wish which we had expressed the night before was to be fulfilled. 



Immediately after breakfast we landed in the ship's small boat, having 

 as usual to wade for a long distance over a shoal before reaching the 

 beach. On our way we shot a number of specimens of the above mentioned 

 small petrel-like birds, which proved to be of the genus Micranous. No 

 representative of this genus had ever previously been recorded from the 

 Philippines. Comparison with specimens in the United States National 

 Museum shows that this is a species closely allied to Micranous Icucoca- 

 pillus (Gould). It is described in this Journal as Micranous worcesteri 

 McGregor, sp. nov.^ 



Upon arrival at the beach, Mr. McGregor, the government ornithologist, 

 set off rapidly for a sand spit at the east end of the island where 

 he expected to find Micranous breeding, while the rest of us went directly 

 into the forest where I hoped to be able to kill some of the frigate birds 

 which were flying just above the tree tops. To my amazement, I found 

 countless thousands of Micranous nesting in ihe trees. A single cartridge, 

 loaded with a small charge of dust shot, brought down seven perfect 

 specimens. Sailors were sent up the trees but found most of the nests 

 empty. We had arrived too late to get eggs in any numbers. An adied 

 egg was, however, obtained, and we also secured several well-grown 

 nestlings which were photographed at short range. The frigate birds 

 had apparently finished nesting but immature birds were present in large 

 numbers. 



Eed-legged boobies were nesting in the trees, but we did not see a 

 single brown booby on the island. 



^ This Journal, Sec. D (IQU) , 6, ,. : 



