396 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



breeding at Honden Island, and also at Gardner's Island. " The Red- 

 tailed Tropic Bird," he states, " was found breeding on the ground, 

 under bushes. Egg single, rather larger than that of a hen, with a 

 rough surface of a dingy white, with chocolate-colored markings. The 

 young have many feathers banded with black, and are without the 

 long red tail-feathers." At Sydney Island, under date of August 26th, 

 he mentions : " Phaeton plioenicurus seemed more abundant than 

 usual, and suffered itself to be taken on its nest by the hand. Its 

 single egg, as before stated, was invariably on the ground, under the 

 bushes. At Tahiti, the natives brought us several living specimens, 

 which they had secured from biting in a quite effectual but very bar- 

 barous manner, by passing the upper mandible through the lower at 

 its bifurcation. This bird was occasionally seen to plunge into the 

 water, reappearing again immediately ; it was also seen sometimes 

 resting on the surface. Its flight is often low, and constantly cours- 

 ing around each other, and skimming over the surface of the water 

 with considerable velocity. 



" The young bird of this species, apparently just hatched, was found 

 at Honden Island, and was brought on board by Dr. Fox. It is 

 covered with long soft hairs, giving it a very singular appearance, 

 and it might almost have been mistaken for a young quadruped as it 

 sat with its legs concealed under its body. The parent birds suffered 

 themselves to be taken from their nests by the hand, only making 

 some resistance with the bill." 



The following are Mr. Peale's remarks on this bird : 



" This species abounds in the vicinity of the Coral Islands of the 

 Pacific Ocean, though met with less frequently near the high islands. 

 It does not construct a nest, but lays its eggs on the ground in shallow 

 holes, under coral ledges or tussucks of grass. The female generally 

 produces but one egg, which is white, finely speckled, and clouded 

 with chocolate-color, and occasionally almost pure white. It measures 

 two and six-tenths inches in length, and one and eight-tenths inches 

 in diameter ; pointed at one end. 



"The bill, in adult birds, is scarlet, inclining to an orange-color; 

 irides brown ; feet pale blue, with the toes black. Some specimens 

 have the plumage silvery-white ; others of a pale rose-color. The 

 young birds have black or pale blue-black bills ; all the dorsal plumage 

 barred with black ; beneath white ; the long middle feathers of the 

 tail are at first white, but assume their bright red color after the first 

 moult." 



