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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, January, 1955 
bluish and speckled with black. There was also a good 
many common boobies; a sort that are almost like a 
gannet [most likely the blue-faced booby]; and a sooty 
or chocolate-coloured one, with a white belly [the 
brown booby]. To this list we must add men-of-war 
birds; tropic-birds; curlews; sand-pipers; a small land- 
bird like a hedge sparrow [the kokikokiko, as named 
by the Gilbertese]; land crabs; small lizards; and rats. 
The whaling ship "Tuscan” stopped at 
Christmas Island in May, 1835. Bennett 
(1840) gives an interesting account of the 
visit and states that, "Here and there among 
the low thicket scrubs are vast rookeries of 
aquatic birds, whose clamour is deafening.” 
He mentions "sooty terns,” "red-tailed tropic 
birds,” "pure snow white petrels,” probably 
white terns, "boobies,” blue-faced boobies 
from the description, other "terns,” probably 
noddies, "frigate birds,” "petrels,” "curlews,” 
bristle-thighed curlews, "quail,” probably 
golden plover, and a "sparrow-like land bird,” 
the kokikokiko. 
Streets (1877) visited Christmas Island in 
the vessel "Portsmouth” during the course of 
the United States North Pacific Surveying 
Expedition of 1873-75. Nine species of birds 
were reported and a collection was made. 
Father Emmanuel Rougier (1914), who at one 
time held a lease on the island, has published 
one of the most complete descriptions of 
Christmas Island, including its flora and fauna. 
He lists the following birds: frigate bird, 
sooty tern, grey-backed tern, Necker Island 
tern, Hawaiian tern, noddy tern, white tern, 
Christmas Island shearwater, red-tailed tropic 
bird, blue-faced booby, red-footed booby, 
and the kokikokiko (a small land bird), a 
total of 12 species. Kirby (1925) reports 11 
species of sea and shore birds (including the 
bristle-thighed curlew, wandering tattler, and 
golden plover) plus several kinds of migra- 
tory ducks (which he does not name) as oc- 
curring on the island. He states that birds 
have been greatly reduced in number (prior 
to 1925) throughout the Line Islands as a 
result of land clearing and other disturbances 
by man. In 1921 the Whitney Expedition of 
the American Museum of Natural History 
carried on an investigation of the birds of 
Christmas Island. Specimens of the kokiko- 
kiko, Conopoderas aequinoctialis aequinoctialis 
(Latham), collected at this time have been 
described by Murphy and Mathews (1929). 
The following is a list, with a few life- 
history notes, of the birds seen by the author 
during his stay on Christmas Island from 
October 23 to December 9, 1953. In general, 
Peters (1931, 1934) has been followed in re- 
spect to scientific names. 
Puffnus nativitatus Streets, Christmas Shear- 
water. Abundant. Observed nesting with 
eggs and young on the islets of Motu Tabu 
and Motu Upou within the lagoon. Nests 
were in shallow tunnels or depressions over- 
hung with grass or low shrubs. 
Pterodroma alba (Gmelin), Phoenix Petrel. 
Abundant. Observed nesting with eggs 
(Fig. 2d ) and young on the islets of Motu 
Tabu and Motu Upou. This petrel could 
be seen throughout the day, flying low 
over the land and lagoon, and was more 
commonly seen over land than was the 
Christmas shearwater. Nesting habits were 
the same as for that species. 
Nesofregetta alhigularis (Finsch), White-throat- 
ed Storm Petrel. Uncommon. Observed 
near shore (October 22) when we were ap- 
proaching the island from the north, and 
seen on several occasions flying over the 
lagoon and outer beach. One bird of this 
species was found nesting, with one egg, 
on the islet of Motu Tabu. The egg was in 
a shallow depression over-hung by a thick 
cover of grass. 
Phaethon rubricauda melanorhynchos Gmelin, 
Red-tailed Tropic Bird. Abundant. Ob- 
served nesting with eggs and young (Fig. 
2c) throughout the island. Egg usually was 
placed under the low shrubs of Scaevola or 
the larger Tournefortia. 
Sula sula rubripes Gould, Red-footed Booby. 
Abundant and generally distributed 
throughout the island. Nests with eggs 
and young (Fig. 2e) were observed princi- 
pally in Tournefortia trees. 
