THE TROPIC BIRD 
size of a Partridge, but his long tail-feathers make 
him appear larger. 
Another kind is known as the Yellow-billed 
Tropic Bird, and he may be found chiefly in the seas 
around the Island of Bermuda. His feathers are of 
a beautiful apricot colour. 
But perhaps the most attractive of all is the 
Roseate, or Red-tailed Tropic Bird. He is larger in 
size than the others and his plumage has a rosy tinge. 
His long red tail-feathers are used in the South 
Pacific Islands by the natives to make war head- 
dresses, and they are also woven into baskets and sold 
by the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands. It is said 
that the natives obtain these feathers by creeping up 
to the bird’s nest while she is sitting, and quietly 
plucking out the coveted plumes. 
Tropic Birds have often been noticed resting at 
their ease on the back of some huge turtle who is 
taking his noonday nap on the surface of the water. 
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