NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 249 



The length of Mr. Marriott's specimen from St. Helena, 

 measuring from base of bill to extremity of tail feather, 

 he sets down as two feet eight and a half inches. My 

 specimen, measured from those points, gives two feet 

 seven inches. Now it is probable the term, " base of the 

 bill " is an error, and intended (ox point or extremity of the 

 same, in which case the length of my Bermuda specimen 

 must be increased two inches, which would make it equal 

 to two feet nine inches. Thirdly — There must be some 

 mistake in measuring the St. Helena Phceton from the 

 " Tip of the wing to the shoulder." Mr. Marriott gives the 

 length as one foot five and half inches. My own specimen 

 is eleven inches only. I therefore presume that my friend 

 has included the first and second joints of the wing. 

 Fourthly — " Length of tail feather to insertion," in St. 

 Helena specimen, one foot ten inches. My Bermuda one, 

 one foot seven and three-fourths inches. Fifthly — Quill 

 feathers and secondaries. These are exactly similar in both 

 specimens. Sixthly — Back and shoulders of the St. Helena 

 bird, "white barred with black!' In my own specimen those 

 parts are pure white. Lastly — Under plumage of the St. 

 Helena specimen, " satin white." The Bermuda specimen 

 before me is white, lightly tinged with roseate, except the 

 under tail coverts, which are streaked with dusky. Bill in 

 both specimens, red, or orange-red would be more 

 correct. " Over, under, and in front of eye, black," in the 

 St. Helena specimen ; and described as more distinct and 

 deeper than in the Bermuda one. That before me has a 

 black streak extending from near the bill over and across 

 the eye, to an inch beyond. 



Now there is nothing in the description of the St. Helena 

 Tropic Bird to warrant the supposition of its being distinct 

 from our own. The Bermuda specimen, which Mr. Marriott 

 compared it with, was under the full size, and probably a 



