46 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, January, 1955 
Sula dactylatra personata Gould, Blue-faced 
Booby. Common but considerably less so 
than S. s. rubripes. Eggs and young were ob- 
served principally in the less visited areas. 
The eggs are deposited on the ground in a 
slight depression with no nesting materials 
(Fig. 2/). A booby of this species was seen 
setting on two eggs on October 28, one of 
which hatched on December 8 indicating 
that the incubation period exceeds 42 days. 
Sula leucogaster plotus Forster, Brown Boody. 
Common in certain areas, such as the Bay 
of Wrecks and Benson Point. No eggs or 
young were seen. 
Fregata minor palmer stoni Gmelin, Frigate Bird. 
Abundant, but not observed to be nesting. 
These birds seemed to make their living 
primarily at the expense of the boobies, 
which they would attack by diving from a 
considerable height and continually tor- 
ment until the unfortunate booby sur- 
rendered its food. Specimens in immature 
plumage were common. 
Sterna fuscata oahuensis Bloxham, Sooty Tern. 
The most abundant bird on the island. Was 
present in large numbers in October but 
appeared in huge congregations in the lat- 
ter part of November and started to nest in 
the first week of December. The main nest- 
ing areas were located in the northwestern 
part of the island, between Poland and 
Paris, on Cook Island, and on parts of the 
large southeastern peninsula. 
Thalasseus bergii cristatus Stephens, Crested 
Tern. Common; not observed to be nest- 
ing. This is the largest tern of the Pacific 
and not previously, reported for Christmas 
Island. 
Anous stolidus pileatus (Scopoli), Common 
Noddy. Common but found with eggs only 
on Cook Island during our visit. Eggs were 
deposited on the ground under Scaevola 
shrubs. 
Procelsterna cerulea cerulea (F. D. Bennett), 
Blue-grey Noddy. Abundant. Observed 
with eggs and young on Cook Island and 
Motu Tabu. The eggs were found in areas 
almost barren of vegetation. 
Anous minutus minutus Boie, White-capped 
Noddy. Common. Was nesting with eggs 
and young on Cook Island, Motu Tabu 
and Motu Upou (Fig. 2b). The nest was 
constructed of leaves, twigs, and grass and 
placed in the Tournefortia trees. 
Gygis alba Candida (Gmelin), White Tern. 
Abundant. Observed with eggs and young 
(Fig. 2a) on Cook Island, Motu Tabu, and 
Motu Upou. The egg is deposited on a 
bare horizontal trunk or limb of the larger 
shrubs or trees. The eggs are easily dislodged 
and the writer returned many eggs, which 
had fallen to the ground, to their former 
location after flushing the incubating adult 
bird. These terns were observed returning 
to their young with what appeared to be 
four to six small fish lined up in their beaks. 
This feat has been noted many times and 
while it is thought that the tongue may 
assist in the operation, the details of the 
phenomenon still remain a mystery. 
Anas acuta tzitzihoa Vieillot, Pintail Duck. 
One or two ducks of this species were 
occasionally sighted in the ponds near the 
airfield. From the shore of the Bay of 
Wrecks, on November 18, a flock of about 
20 birds thought to be pintails, were seen 
flying in off the ocean from the northeast. 
Fluvialis dominica fidva (Gmelin), Pacific 
Golden Plover. Abundant. Occurring gen- 
erally throughout the island even in the 
streets of the native village. In fact it seemed 
more abundant in the dry areas with little 
vegetation than along the beaches and mud 
flats. During the period of our visit birds 
were seen in a variety of plumage patterns 
from the dark-breasted breeding plumage 
to the light-breasted winter condition. 
Numenius tahitiensis (Gmelin), Bristle-thighed 
Curlew. Common to abundant. Observed 
in many different habitats on the island, 
from the dry interior areas to the ocean and 
lagoon beaches. 
Heteroscelus icanus (Gmelin), Wandering Tat- 
tler. Probably the most abundant shore 
