EXTRACTIONS FROM THE UNPUBLISHED SPECIES ACCOUNTS OF A. WETMORE 
MEGALOPTERUS HAWAIIENSIS 
when I touch them. As they alight the youngster begins a low sibilant whistle 
wn 
ile it crouches with lowered head. It begins then to nibble at bill of the parent 
who swallows two or three times and then opens the bill and raises a small fish 
the youngster seizes this from the throat of the parent. After a minute or so the 
process is repeated. One seen making a nest with bits of green and red algae 
brought up from the beach. Some nest in the ironwood and low trees beneath and withi] 
a few feet of the red-footed boobies and there is a colony on the corrugated 
iron roof of an old shed. Other birds on suitable sites on rock ledges along 
the beach. 
May 3 ; 1923 « Seen 
May 4, 192 $ . The young bird in the bird room in begging for food assumes an 
* 
attitude in which the breast rests prostrate on the nest while the posterior end of 
the body stands erect. 
May 7 , 1923 « The young tern in the bird room stands or walks about flapping his 
wings trying the muscles. It was a day or two old when we arrived. 
May 13; 1923 « The young bird in the bird room is flying about the room now and is 
about ready to venture out. 
Nests in rock piles along shore in some cases contain fresh eggs. I took 
pictures of birds at incomplete nests today at a distance of three feet. The 
birds nest in little colonies. Some build in the coconut trees at the house. 
Lisiansky Island , May 1 6 , 1923 . Seen. 
May 18 , 1923 . Common but no nests seen. Found in flocks on beaches with other 
noddies. 
May 19; 1923 » About 1000 resting on beaches, no nests seen here. 
Gardiner Island, May 22 , 1923 « About 10 pairs with nests. About 200 other birds 
rested in close flocks on the rocks near the water, 
Nihoa Island , May 24-26, 1923 . Seen. 
June ll-l6, 1923 » Though this tern was seen in small numbers as noted above in 
the rock shelves below the high cliffs at the western side of the island none were 
