Marcus Island Birds — KURODA 
91 
Fig. 3. A pair of noddies on a broken tochka near the shore. An egg lies below them. They are also breeding, 
in company with Sooty Terns, on the rocks in the background. Photograph by author. 
20. Sterna anaethetus anaethetus Scopoli 
Only recorded in the Japanese hand- 
list, 1922, 1932, 1942. 
21. Sterna fuscata oahuensis Bloxam 
Bryan reports this tern as by far the 
most abundant bird and mentions its 
slaughter by the colonists. During March 
to September alone not less than 50,000 
birds are said to have been killed. A spec- 
imen dated September, 1903, is in the 
Yamashina Museum (former Tokyo Uni- 
versity Collection), and I secured eight 
birds and three eggs. The Marcus spec- 
imens are larger than those of the Bonin 
Islands, Palau Island, or Riukiu Islands. 
About 1,000 were breeding on the 
beach and coral rocks. They are said to 
have arrived about a week before our 
visit on April 30. The female lays a single 
egg. No chicks were seen. In the early 
morning they were scattered around the 
island and gathered in a flock on the 
beach or coral reef. All day long, almost 
always in pairs, they were flying high and 
low, sometimes soaring at a great height, 
over the island to and from the coastal 
breeding place. Their white underparts 
and underwing coverts are quite beau- 
tiful when seen from below against the 
background of deep blue sky. Toward 
the evening and at night they were par- 
ticularly noisy around the colony. When 
the colony is intruded upon, they crowded 
noisily over the intruder with harsh cries, 
almost attacking his head, and always 
from behind. Once a flock was observed 
fishing a little offshore on the northeast 
side of the island where squid (and, con- 
