TROPIC BIRD. 
473 
John R. Beath of Philadelphia, informs me that he mounted a specimen of the Frigate 
Bird which was taken at Cape May Court House, in the spring of 1877. It is difficult to 
find words which will convey an idea of the magnificent flight of these fine birds, but a 
glance at the sternum as described under Family heading, will give some impression of the 
bony frame-work which is intended to support the birds in their untiring journey through 
the air; and thus armed against the forces of nature, nothing can daunt them. I have seen 
them, when the wind blew high, circling with motionless wings and calmly breasting the 
rising gale. The storm bursts and the waves are lashed into fury by the raging hurricane; 
great trees on the neighboring land, which have stood the blasts of a hundred years, totter 
and fall; while the spray flies in clouds from the now mountainous breakers; even then, 
when all else bows to the relentles Storm King, the noble Frigate Bird does not deign to 
alight, but with a few strokes of his strong pinions, moves majestically into the very teeth 
of the driving elements, or plunging downward, will sail as grandly above the tempestuous 
billows, as the Swallow skims over the surface of the summer lake, showing that in the 
Man-of-war Bird, the power of flight is developed in the highest degree. 
FAMILY YI. PHiETONIDiE. THE TROPIC BIRDS. 
Bill, about equal in length to head , strong , and pointed at tip. Gular sac, absent. 
Sternum * longer than wide. Keel, projecting forward considerably. 
The oesophagus is wide and somewhat dilated. Proventriculus, large with glands ar¬ 
ranged in a zonular band. Stomach, small and not muscular. Coeca, very small. Ster¬ 
num, arched, with the central posterior margin concave. Keel, high. -Furcula, short and 
lying nearly perpendicularly. Head, not crested. Legs and neck, very short. 
GENUS I. PILETON. THE LONG-TAILED TROPIC BIRDS. 
Gen. Ch. Resemble those given under Family heading. Tail, wedge-shaped, with central feathers excessively elon¬ 
gated. Sexes, similar. There is but one species within our limits. 
PHiETOET FLAVIROSTRIS. 
Yellow-billed. Tropic Bird. 
PhcBton flavirostris Bdt., Bull, Sc. Acad. Imp. St. Pet. I; 1837, 349. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, slender. Size, medium. Color. Adult. White throughout with a satiny gloss, tinged with pale 
salmon which becomes deeper on elongated central tail feathers, the shafts of which are black. Curved patch on side of 
head, one on scapularies and secondaries, passing backward in a line along wing coverts, and spot near terminal portion of 
primaries, purplish-black. The feathers of flanks are centrally streaked with dusky. Bill, tarsi and base of feet-, orange, 
remainder of latter, black, iris, brown. Young. Similar but paler, and the central tail feathers are not as long. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the elongated central tail feathers and orange bill. Constantly resident on the Bermuda and Bahama Is¬ 
lands,. Rare on the Florida coast. Accidental in the Northern Atlantic States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens. Length, 30‘75; stretch, 37-00; wing, 1P25; tail, 19-25; bill, 2-10; tarsus, P08. 
Longest specimen, 32-00; greatest extent of wing, 38-00; longest wing, 1P50; tail, 21*00; bill, 2-25; tarsus, P25. Shortest 
specimen, 29-50; smallest extent of wing, 36*00; shortest wing, 1P00; tail,' 18-50; bill, 2-00; tarsus, '90. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Eggs, usually placed in holes‘of rocks, one in number, rather oval in form, chalky-white in color, usually very thickly 
spotted with reddish-chocolate of varying shades. Dimensions from 1-50x2-15 to 1-60x2-25. 
HABITS. 
Some years ago, when sailing along the Gulf of Mexico, not far from the Florida Keys, 
in little steamer, early in November, I observed a Tropic Bird flying high in air. The 
bird was pursuing the same course that we were and remained in sight for several hours. 
