North American Birds Eggs. 55 



TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS. Order IV. STEGANOPODES. 



TROPIC BIRDS. Family PHAETHONTIDAE. 



Tropic Birds are Tern-like birds, having all the toes connected liy a wel), 

 and having the two central tail feathers ver.v much lengthened. 



I 12. Yellow-billed Tropic Bird. Phaethon (iDicriramis. 



Range.— Tropical regions, breeding in the Bahamas, West Indies and the 

 Bermudas, casual in Florida and along the South Atlantic coast. 



The Tropic Birds are the most strikingly beautiful of all the sea birds; they 

 are about 30 inches in length, of which their long slender tail takes about 20 

 inches. They fly with the ease and grace of a Tern, but with quicker wing 

 beats. They feed on small fish, which 



they capture by darting down upon, ~^ 



and upon snails which they get from 

 the beach and ledges. They build 

 their nests in the crevices and along 

 the ledges of the rocky cliffs. Wliile 

 gregarious to a certain extent they are 

 not nearly as much so as the Terns. 

 The nest is made of amass of seaweed 

 and weeds; but one egg is laid, this 

 being of a creamy or pale purplish 

 ground color, dotted and sprinkled 

 with chestnut, so thickly as to often 

 obscure the ground color. Size 2.10 x 

 1.45. Data. — Coney Is., Bermudas, 

 May 1, 1901. Nest made of moss and 

 seaweed in a crevice on ledge of cliff. 



113. Red-billed Tropic Bird. Phaethon ucthciriig. 

 Range.— Tropical seas, chiefly in the Pacific Ocean; north 



California. 



They breed on several islands in the Gulf of California. Tliis s 



from the preceding in having a red bill, and the back being barred with black. 



Their plumage has a peculiar 

 satin}' appearance and is quite 

 dazzling when viewed in the 

 sunlight. They are strong fliers 

 and are met with, hundreds of 

 miles from land. Thej' often 

 rest upon the water, elevating 

 their long tails to keep them 

 from getting wet. They nest, as 

 do the preceding species, on 

 rocky islands and are said to 

 also build their nests in trees 

 or upon the ground. Tlie single 

 egg that they lay has a creamy 

 ground and is minutely dotted 

 with chestnut. Size 2.40 x 1.55. 



C'jI lector 



to southern 

 pecies differs 



IPale purplish. 



Data. — Daphone Is., Galapagos Is., Soutli Pacific, March 6, 1901. Egg laid in 

 hole of a sea <ditf. The eggs are easily told from those of the yellow-billed by 

 their much larger size. Collector, R. H. Beck. 



