is evidently its food. All I have examined had empty stomachs. Its voice is a deep croak, some would liken it to a small dog barking. A sound, kept up for long periods like the motor of a small boat, heard on islands it inhabits cannot be attributed to any other bird.
The birds begin to lay early in June on the ground under vegetation or other shelter they can find. On French Frigate Shoal they were under turtle shells. The pure white egg is ovoid, blunt at small end, averaging
1.6x1.25 inches. I have seen young chicks about the second week of August and young nearly full fledged early in September. The chicks were considered a great delicacy by the ancient Hawaiians.
| HYDROBATIDAE | Storm Petrel Family |
HAWAIIAN STORM PETREL
| Oceanodroma castro cryptoleucura (Ridgway) | Plate 7, Fig. 3 |
Hawaiian names: Oeoe; Otveowe; Akeake.
This subspecies with Oceanodroma castro castro of St. Helena is only about 8 inches long. It is of a general sooty brown color, with the upper tail-coverts white. It is easily distinguished at sea in Hawaiian waters by its small size and the white patch at the base of the tail. We saw one on our outward passage on May 29,1891 the day after we passed Necker Island. We saw another flying around on June 10 the day before we sighted Gardner Island. Quoting my notes of August 14, 1891 on our return voyage we sighted the north side of Kauai when the white-rumped storm petrel were very numerous. Palmer also sighted it in the channel between Kauai and Niihau in July 1893. I have never seen this bird to the south of the group. My observations give me the impression that its range is to the north of- the main islands. I believe Henshaw's mention of the akeake refers to Tristram's petrel as I have some evidence that it ranges to the south of the main group. It is hoped that at some time a careful investigation will be made of the range and habits of the Hawaiian sea birds, which will throw more light on subjects such as this.
There is no record of this bird's feeding habits and the only information of its breeding habits was obtained from Francis Gay who informed us that the specimens in the Gay and Robinson collection were found at the foot of inland cliffs where the young birds had fallen when trying to fly. Once at night I heard the squeaking of a bird flying around an island cliff in the Hanapepe Valley, Kauai that I felt sure was this bird, but it was too dark to see it. I know of no record of the nest or egg having been seen. Palmer was given two specimens from the Gay and Robinson collection where two still remain. The only specimen in my collection was found on the beach at Makaweli, Kauai It was a young bird with the down still clinging to its feathers.
TRISTRAM'S PETREL
Oceanodroma markhami tristrami Salvin
Other names: Sooty Petrel; Sooty Storm Petrel.
Above mostly dark sooty slate, rump lighter, wing quills sooty black, light grayish brown band along wing; under parts sooty grayish brown; tail forked; iris dark brown; bill black; legs gray, outer toe with webs brownish black. Length 11 inches.
It ranges from Japan to Hawaii and perhaps other parts of the North Pacific. Schauinsland found a few on Laysan. Specimens from Lanai, a skin, wings and bones not yet identified, are probably of this species. During the "Whippoorwill" expedition on September 19, 1924, when about 9 degrees north latitude, 169 degrees west longitude, a female of this species came aboard. Several others were seen, one the next day, which showed plainly the light colored band along the wings. An investigation of the cliffs of Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Hawaii and the small islets off their shores might reveal some facts about this and other sea birds.
ORDER PELECANI FORMES
The members of this order are distinguished from all other birds by all their four toes being connected by a web. Some have straight strong bills and others have bills hooked at the tip.
| PHAETHONTIDAE | Tropic Bird Family |
RED-TAILED TROPIC BIRD
| Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi (Mathews) | Plate 7, Fig. 6 |
Other name: Bos'n Bird. Hawaiian names: Koae; Koae-ula; Ula (Niihau).
This beautiful bird is almost pure white with a few small black markings. Some have a pretty rosy blush running through the feathers. The bill is strong, red in color; legs bluish gray, webs black; length 31 inches with the long red central tail feathers, which extend 14 inches beyond the others. Immature birds are barred with black on the upper parts. The downy chicks vary in color; some are white, others light brown with varying shades between.
This tropic bird breeds on islands of the Hawaiian Chain, Bonin Island and most likely it is this subspecies that is so common on the Phoenix and Equatorial Islands. Its migrations are not yet well known. It breeds on Niihau of the main group and very likely in remote shore cliffs of other islands especially Lanai.
It has a strong flapping flight which it can keep up for long periods without rest as it seldom alights on the water and can often be seen hundreds of miles from land. It cannot stand upright, but has no difficulty in taking flight from a flat surface, beating its way vigorously with its wings. In alighting it strikes the ground with a thud, the thick breast feathers and air cushion under the skin no doubt breaking the force of the impact Fishing, it dives from a height in the air striking the water with some force. It was found when banding these birds that if tossed into the air they were unable to take flight and fell to the ground with a heavy impact. This necessitates placing them on the ground after banding. An aerial mating dance performed by a large number of pairs at a time is very spectacular.
Its food is fish. It likes the long garfish which it has to fold in order to swallow.
When approaching the nest one is greeted by a harsh squawk which is kept up as long as the bird is held, making banding work unpleasant. A more shrill cry is kept up when in the air and on some islands is heard constantly overhead all day.
On low sand islands it lays its one egg on the surface in shelter of a rock or vegetation. On larger islands it lays in nooks in the face of cliffs. The egg is very thickly covered with reddish brown spots on a grayish ground. The spots are so thickly spread as to almost cover the gray ground; ovoid, 2.5x2 inches. It has a long breeding season from May till late in the year.
WHITE-TAILED TROPIC BIRD
Phaethon lepturus dorotheae Mathews
Other names: White-tailed Bos'n. Hawaiian name: Koae.
This tropic bird is a subspecies with P. I. lepturus of the Galapagos Islands. It is distinguished on the wing by its white body, a black band along the outer edge of wing, long white central tail feathers and greenish yellow bill. Its length is about 25 inches. The immature bird has black markings on upper parts and central tail feathers short The chick is covered with gray down. Henshaw mentions a "distinct rosy tinge" and "deep salmon color" in parts of the plumage. Specimens I handled on Kauai and Lanai did not show this to a sufficient extent to be noted. It may have been more pronounced on Hawaii
This bird has a wide range as far as the Tuamotus and New Caledonia. It has been seen at Midway and 100 miles or more to the north of that island. One was seen 400 miles from land on the return voyage from Midway August 8, 1891. it nests on the large islands of' the Hawaiian group but is rare on Niihau. On these islands it is most often seen flying up and down the faces of shoreline and inland cliffs with a flapping flight, uttering sharp rasping calls at frequent intervals. This flight is, most likely of the same nature as the courtship flight of the red-tailed
