116 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



nestling nor, apparently, do the birds go close enough in to effect 

 such a design, even could they accomplish it without making a 

 perceptible pause. 



Formerly this tropic bird frequented the steep banks of the 

 Wailuku River, Hawaii, and nested three or four miles up that 

 stream, but they no longer do so. 



I believe this is the tropic bird'that is often seen over the pit 

 of Kilauea on fine sunny days and which breeds in the cliffs that 

 limit the western side, although Mr. Wilson in his volume states 

 that he shot the P. rubricauda there. 



Description. — Adult. General color pure white, with distinct rosy tinge 

 below; a black bar through eye; tertiaries mostly black; outer edge of 

 primaries and shafts of tail feathers black; feathers of sides, flanks and 

 upper tail-coverts with central streaks of black; two central tail feathers, 

 projecting 8 or g inches beyond the rest, of a deep salmon color, some- 

 times in summer fading to nearly pure white; bill greenish yellow, in- 

 determinately marked with bluish black; legs and feet pale bluish; webs 

 black. Length 22-23 inches. 



Phaethon rubricauda (Bodd.). Koae. Red-tailed Tropic Bird. 



The red-tail occurs probably off all the islands of the main 

 group, although the writer feels by no means sure that Wilson 

 has not confounded this and the preceding species when he states 

 (Aves Hawaiiaensis) that "it breeds in several places in the group, 

 especially on Kauai and Niihau, and choses holes in almost in- 

 accessible cliffs wherem to deposit its eggs." These remarks cer- 

 tainly apply well to lepturus, and it may prove to be that species 

 only which frequents the rocky cliffs of the main group. As noted 

 by Wilson, the nesting habits of rubricauda on Laysan are very- 

 different since there, according to Palmer, "they make a hollow in 

 the ground under the bushes for their nest." 



The writer has not met with this species on the windward side 

 of Hawaii, nor do any of the resident natives appear to be ac- 

 quainted with it. He learns, however, that it has been seen and 

 shot on the coasts of Hamakua and Kohala, on the northern ex- 

 tremity of the island; 



Upon the island of Laysan this tropic bird nests in June. Both 

 species lay but one egg. 



