Marcus Island Birds ■ — ■ Kuroda 
89 
obtained, but they were nonbreeding indivi- 
duals as both were females with small ovaries ; 
none of the Anous ■minutus marcusi originally 
described from this island by Bryan was found. 
About 20 Golden Plovers were the only fam- 
iliar birds living on the ground, and five 
American Wandering Tattlers were staying 
on the coastal reef on the northern side. A 
Turnstone and a Whimbrel showed up for 
a 1-day rest on their migration, and a Great 
Skua (probably) was unexpectedly seen. 
According to the station workmen the is- 
land is only occasionally visited by the Frigate 
Bird, and recently an Ardea purprea (probably) 
and three white Egrets were obtained or noted 
on. the island as stragglers. 
ANNOTATED LIST OF BIRDS 
Although the island was formerly crowded 
with sea birds, the species known from this 
island are very few, 32 so far recorded. Situ- 
ated out in the ocean apart from other islands, 
Marcus seems to be visited by only a few of 
the migrant shore birds in very small numbers, 
but casual migrants or stragglers will be added 
in the future. Land birds are entirely lacking, 
and this might be correlated with the history 
of the formation of the island. It was surpris- 
ing that we found skinks and ground insects, 
including ants, on this small coral island. That 
land birds can not thrive on this island is 
easily explained by the lack of fresh water and 
foods such as fruits and a variety of insects, 
Fig. 2. Rusty gas tanks on which noddies are breed- 
ing. Photograph by author. 
spiders, or earthworms. Moreover, the only 
trees are two kinds of small, tropical, brushy 
ones, and, though they make a rather thick 
jungle, it is too simple a cover without any 
big trees which will offer a good, cool shelter 
for arboreal birds. 
Bryan reported 18 species mostly collected 
by himself, and there are a few species to be 
added to his list based on specimens formerly 
preserved in the Tokyo University and in the 
Matsudaira, Kuroda, Sr., or Takatsukasa Col- 
lection, some of which are now deposited in 
the Yamashina Museum but others were de- 
stroyed during the war. These specimens were 
mostly obtained from stuffed-skin dealers in 
Tokyo. On the present trip the only species 
new to the list were sight records of Numemus 
phaeopus variegatus and Catharacta skua (not 
definite) and the herons of which I was told 
by the station workmen. 
The list of known species are as follows: 
1 . Fregata minor minor (Gmelin) 
Bryan reports, under the name Fregata 
aquila, a full note on nest and chicks and 
mentions how it attacks the boobies. 
There are three specimens, in the Yama- 
shina Museum, one adult and two juve- 
niles obtained in 1911, and there were 
six more specimens (1911 and June, 1910) 
in the Kuroda and Takatsukasa collec- 
tions (all destroyed). A bird is said to 
have appeared in May, 1951, and late 
April, 1952. 
2. Sula leucogaster plotus (Forster) 
Bryan observed only a few individuals 
on the rocks but saw a young bird which 
had been captured and kept alive by the 
colonists. He reports this gannet under 
the narne 5. cyanops. 
3. Sula sula rubripes Gould 
Thousands were breeding in August 
when Bryan visited the island. A detailed 
field note on eggs and chicks is given 
by him. 
4. Sula dactylatra personata Gould 
Under the name Sula piscator, Bryan 
reports a few observed specimens of this 
