64 



THE TROPIC BIRD. 



-f Phaeton .ethereits, Linn. 



PLATE CCCCXXVIL— Adult Male and Female. 



The specimens from which the figures in the plate were taken, were 

 obtained on the Tortugas, in the summer of 1S32, by my kind friend 

 Robert Day, Esq. of the United States revenue cutter Marion. They were 

 shot out of a flock of eight or ten, and were in fine condition. I have repre- 

 sented the male and female, in what I suppose to be their full summer or 

 breeding plumage; but not having had an opportunity of studying the habits 

 of this remarkable bird, I am unable to give any information respecting 

 them. 



Phaeton ^thereus, Bonap. Syn., p. 409. 



Tropic Bird, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 503. 



Tropic Bird, Phaeton cethereus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 442. 



Male, 29^, 38. Female, 26, 34. 



Rare on the coast of Florida. Migratory. 



Adult Male in summer. 



Bill as long as the head, stout, very much compressed, slightly curved, 

 tapering, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the 

 ridge narrow, but rounded, the sides sloping and slightly convex at the base, 

 nearly perpendicular towards the end, the edges sharp, irregularly broken, 

 the tip acute. Nasal groove short, near the ridge; nostrils linear, very 

 small. Lower mandible with the angle of moderate length, extremely nar- 

 row, the dorsal line straight and ascending, the sides erect and slightly con- 

 vex, the edges sharp but irregularly serrated, the tip very acute. 



Head rather large, ovate. Neck short and thick. Body rather full. Feet 

 very short; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus extremely short, 

 roundish, covered all round with small round scales; toes rather small, placed 

 in the same place, and connected by reticulated webs; the first toe very 

 small, the third and fourth about equal, all scutellate above. Claws small, 

 arched, compressed, rather sharp, that of middle toe largest, with an undu- 

 lated thin inner edge. 



Plumage soft, blended, on the back and wings rather compact. Wings 



