80 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



ckloropus Lath., called "pulatal" by the natives, excellent for food, 

 and easily distinguished by a red shield on its forehead; three birds 

 called " kalalang," the Pacific godwit, Limosa lapponica Z»<2i<eW(Naum.), 

 the Australian curlew, Numenius cyanopus Vieill., often seen on newty 

 tilled fields, and the oriental whimbrel Numenius phaeopus variegatus 

 (Scop.), somewhat smaller, usually seen at periods of migration; and 

 the widel} 7 spread snipe, Gallinago megala Swinh. Among the shore 

 birds called b} T the general name "dulili" are the gray and white 

 Asiatic wandering tattler, Heteractitis brevipes Vieill. ; the bullhead 

 or black-bellied plover, Squaiarola squatarola (L.); the well-known 

 Asiatic golden plover, Gharadrius dominions fidvus (Gm.), very 

 common on cultivated fields and along the shores of the island; the 

 Mongolian sand dotterel, Aegialitis mongola (Pall.); and the common 

 turnstone, Armaria inter pres (L.), which may be easity distinguished 

 from the rest by its bright } T ellow feet. A duck, Anas oustaleti Salv., 

 called ngaanga b} T the natives, is peculiar to the Marianne islands. It 

 is closely allied to species occurring in Hawaii and Samoa. 



Sea birds. — No gulls are found in the vicinity of the island. Nod- 

 dies, Anous leucocapillus Gould and Anous stolidus (L. ), called ' ' f ahan," 

 ■by the natives, are common. The beautiful snow-white tern, Gygis 

 alba kittlitsi Hartert, called "chunge" by the natives breeds on the 

 island in great numbers, not making a nest but laying its single white 

 egg on the bare branch of a tree. The common booby Sula sula (L.), 

 is common in the vicinity of the island. Great numbers of them may 

 always be seen off the coast of Orote Peninsula, and the red-footed 

 booby {Sula piscairix L.) with white plumage, also occurs. They 

 pursue flying fish, and dart into the water from great heights. The 

 frigate bird, Fregata aquila (L.), called "payaaya" by the natives, is 

 not rare, but is seldom seen near the shore of Guam. The tropic 

 bird, Phaethon lepturus Daudin, nests on the northern islands of the 

 group/* 



REPTILES. 6 



There are few reptiles in Guam. The most conspicuous is a large 

 lizard ( Varanus sp.) about 4 feet long, of a black color speckled with 

 lemon-yellow dots. The combination of these colors gives to the ani- 

 mal a greenish appearance as it runs through the bushes. As in the 

 Guam kingfisher or ""sihig" we have a lizard-eating bird, so in this 

 animal, called ** hilitai"' by the natives, we have a bird-eating lizard. 



"Students of ornithology ave referred to the report of Quoy and Gaimard in the 

 zoology of the Freycinet Expedition; Oustaleti "les mammiferes et les oiseaux des 

 iles Mariannes;" Hartert "on the birds of the Marianne Islands;" and Seale's 

 " Eeport of a mission to Guam." See list of works. 



''I am indebted to Dr. Leonard Stejneger, of the U. S. National Museum, for the 

 names of the reptiles. ' 



