COMMON TROPIC-BIKD. 



125 



common with the rest of the Pelecanidae, they perch 

 upon trees : their food consists of fishes, upon which 

 they pounce after the manner of the birds of the pre- 

 ceding genus. The structure of their beak is not 

 much unlike that of some of the Gulls, and that forms 

 a beautiful connecting link with those birds, as does 

 also their thick and downy plumage : their feet are 

 more webbed than those of the Frigate-birds ; and 

 the tail is adorned with two extremely long central 

 feathers. 



COMMON TROPIC-BIRD. 



(Phaeton aethereus.) 



Ph. albuSy dorso uropygio tectricibusqiie alarum minoribus nigro 

 striatis, rectricum scapis basi Jascidque supra oculari nigris, 

 rostro rubro. 



White Tropic-bird, with the back, rump, and lesser wing-coverts 



striped with black, the shafts at the base of the tail-feathers 



and fascia above the eyes black, the beak red. 

 Phaeton aethereus. Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. 219. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 



1. 581. Lath. Lid. Orn. 2. 893. Leach, ZooL Misc. 2. 



140. 



Lepturus. Brlss. Orn. 6. 480.pl. 42. f. 1. 

 Avis Tropicorum. Raii Syn. 1 23. 



Grand Paille-en-queue. Biiffl Hist. Nat. Ois. 8. 348. pi. 28. 



Buf PL Enl. 998. 

 Tropic-bird. Willou. Orn. 33]. pi. 75. Lath. Gen. Syn. 6. 615. 



Lath. Gen. Hist, x. 443. 

 Variety.— Lepturus candidus. Briss. Orn. 6. 485. pi. 42. f. 2. 

 Paille-en-queue de I'isle de TAscension. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 8. 



355. Buf. PI. Enl. 369. 

 Tropic-bird. Edxv. Glean.pl. \49./. 2. 



