w e re s ittin g on th e b r a n c h e s n e a r tliose j a s t m e n tio n e d , a n d h a d it a n iv e r s a liy d is te n d e d . T h e se o fte n
d id n o t a ttem p t to fly aw ay till o u r people w e re so n e a r th em a s to b e a b le to k n o c k th em d own with
a s t ic k ; a n d w h e n th e y e n d e a v o u r e d to g e t o n th e w in g , th e y freq u en tly e n ta n g le d th em s e lv e s in su ch
a m a n n e r am o n g th e b r a n c h e s th a t th e y fell to th e g ro u n d , f rom wh ich th e y c o u ld n o t r a is e th em s e lv e s ,
a n d we re c a u g h t. T h o s e which flew aw a y w e re o b s e rv e d to c o n tin u e th e d is te n s io n o f th e p o u c h , a n d
th o s e w h ich w e re c a u g h t d id n o t a lte r it. I t su b s id e d on ly w h en th ey w e re d e a d .
“ T h e eg g s a re w h ite .”
T h e sp e c ie s was o b s e rv ed a t P i t c a i r n ’s I s la n d , a t S a n B ia s a n d M a z a tla u .
T a c h y p e t e s l e u c o c e p h a l u s .
Pelecanus leucocephalus. Gmel, Sijst. N a t. vo l 1. p . 572. sp. 17.
White-headed Frigate Pelican. Lath., Gen. Hist, vo l 10. p . 413. sp. 15.
T h e follow in g e x tr a c ts , g iv in g th e d e ta ils o f th e e x am in a tio n o f a sp e c im en o f th is b ird , a r e t a k e n
iram th e s am e m a n u s c rip t as th e p r e c e d in g :
“ T h e e x te n t b e tw e e n th e tip s o f th e w in g s is s ix fe e t five in c h e s . T h e irid e s a re b l a c k ; th e p u p il
a d u ll m ilk -w h ite ; th e b ill a n d legs a le a d e n grey.
“ T h e sp a c e b e tw e e n th e folds o f th e peritoneum w a s filled w ith a d ip o s e s u b s ta n c e , w h ic h in th e
fissure o f th e liv e r was n e a rly tw o lin e s tliic k . T h e rig h t e x tr em ity o f th e th ic k m u s c u la r s tom a c h ,
w h ich is n o t suffic ien tly d iffe ren t in te x tu r e , o r sep a ra ted by so de fin ed a b o u n d a ry , a s to e n title i t to
th e n am e o f g iz z a r d , co n ta in e d n e v e rth e le s s a c olle c tion o f sm a ll p o rtio n s o f lava, a n d tw o h em is p h e ric
a l p e a r ly b o d ie s , a lo n g with som e t r i tu r a te d fish m u s c le , a n d c law s o f c ru s ta c e o u s an im a ls . I n th e
p ro p e r c a v ity o f th e s tom a c h w e re th e rem a in s o f th e long sp in e s o f th e b o n e s o f some fish, a n d a
c o n s id e ra b le n um b e r o f vermes, which lived in fre sh w a te r s ix te e n h o u rs a fte r h a v in g b e e n ta k e n o u t o f
th e s tom a ch .
“ T h e liv e r , in te x tu r e a n d co lo u r, d iffe red n o t from tlie h um a n . T h e g a ll-b la d d e r h u n g loosely
u n d e r th e low e s t p a r t o f th e r ig h t lo b e , a n d its duct e n te r e d th e duodenum, a f te r it h a d m a d e a lo n g
co n v o lu tio n . T h e r e w e re b u t f a in t tra c e s o f th e pancreas. T h e tw o cceca w e re ve ry sh o r t, and a b o u t
an in c h a n d a h a lf from th e a n u s ; th e cloaca a little on th e le ft side o f th e rectum, close to th e anus.
I t s in te rn a l s tru c tu r e a p p e a r e d to b e m a d e u p o f sm a ll v e s ic u la r p a r tic le s jo in e d to g e th e r , o f u n e q u a l
th ic k n e s s , w ith d e e p c lifts o r c e lls in v a rio u s p a r ts . T h e u p p e r p a r t o f th e u re te rs was filled w ith
th e w h ite s u b s ta n c e w h ich n o d o u b t co lo u rs ih e fc c c e s ; th e low e r p a r t e n te r e d th e re c tum c lo se to th e
a n u s . W h e r e th e trachea d iv id e s in to th e tw o bronchia:, a th ic k p rom in e n t c a rtila g e d e f e n d s th e c av ity
o f e a c h , a n d th e r e s t o f th e b ro n c h ia l c a r tila g e s a r e th i c k e r th a n th o s e o f th e trachea,
b u t d o n o t e x te n d r o u n d th e p o s te rio r p a r t o f th e tu b e , which w a s p la in a n d filled u p by
a t r a n s p a r e n t m em b ra n e . T h e a n te r io r v e n tric le o f th e h e a r t m ig h t be sa id to be o nly
a so r t o f p o u ch , p la c e d u p o n th e a n te r io r p a r t o f th e p o s te rio r one, in th is m a n n e r.
I ts v a lv e s w e re fleshy, w ith a .small te n d in o u s m a rg in . I t s c av ity d id n o t e x te n d
so low a s th a t o f th e left. T h e v a lve s o f th e p u lm o n a ry a rte ry re s em b led th e semi-
lu n a r o n e s o f th e aorta, which w e re a c c u ra te ly sh u t, a n d se emed w e ll a d a p te d
to p re v e n t th e le a s t re flu x o f blood. T h e corpora sesamoidea w e re ve ry d is tin c t. T h e c e lls
b e tw e e n th e v a lv e s a n d th e ro o t o f th e a r te ry w e re ve ry d e e p , a n d th e re was a co n tra c tio n o f
th e d iam e te r o f th e a o r tic im m e d ia te ly ab o v e , w h ils t th e th ic k columncc carnecc o f th e ven tric le fo rm ed
- a so lid s u p p o r t to th e ba.se a n d low e r s u r f a c e o f tb e va lves. T h e le ft arte ria innominata w e n t off
from th e aorta a t its o rig in ; th e rig h t one e x te n d in g a b o u t a q u a r te r o f a n in c h above ; bo th e x te n d in g
o u tw a rd s , and d iv id in g in to th re e n e a r ly eq u a l b ra n c h e s , th e c a ro tid , c e rv ic a l, a n d su b c lav ian . T h e
tw o v e rte b ra l we re se en go in g off from th e aorta wh e re i t m a k e s its c u rv a tu r e . P o r tio n s o f o ne or
m o re Tesnia w e re fou n d in th e in te s tin a l c an a l.
“ T h e s e b ird s c am e w ith in a rm ’s le n g th o f th e m e n on d e c k .”
T h e sp e c im e n s e x am in e d w e re sh o t off S a la s Is la n d . T h e y w e re o b se rved off B ow I s la n d , a n d
a lso off D u c ie ’s Is la n d , b u t “ so a rin g a t a c o n s id e rab le h e ig h t, a n d n o t ap p ro a c h in g th e sh ip .”
F a m . L A R ID ^ .
P h a e t o n a i t h e r e u s . Linn., S yst. N a t. v o l 1. p . 219. sp. 1.
Phaeton phanicurus. L ath., Ind. Orn. p . 894. sp. 3.
Common Tropic Bird. Id ., Gen. H ist, v o l 10. p . 443. sp. 1.
Red-tailed Tropic Bird. Id., Ib. p . 447. sp. 3. p i 183.
Grand Paille-en-queue. Buff., P I E n l 998.
Paille-en-queue de ITsle de France. Id ., Ib. 979.
T h is sp e c ie s , o f which s e v e r a l sp e c im e n s w e re b ro u g h t h om e , w a s m e t w ith a b u n d a n tly a t Bow
Is la n d , a c c o rd in g to M r . L a y , who h a s m a d e th e fo llow in g o b s e rv a tio n s on th em :—
“ T h e c h ie f o b je c t w h ich in te r e s te d u s h e r e w a s th e n um b e r o f T ro p ic B i r d s w h ic h w e r e fo u n d
e ith e r fo s te rin g th e ir y o u n g one s, o r b ro o d in g u p o n th e ir e g g s . T h e s e a re a b o u t tw o in c h e s lo n g , a n d
o ne in d i am e t e r ; s p r in k le d a n d m o ttle d w ith a r e d d ish -b row n . T h e y a re la id in a h o llow o f th e
s a n d , u n d e r th e co v e rt o f a sh ru b o f th e T o um e fo r tia o r P em phis. T h e b ird s g e n e r a lly b e tr a y th e
p la c e o f th e ir c o n c e a lm e n t b y lo u d a n g ry c r ie s , d e fe n d in g th e ir eg g s o r y o u n g w ith g r e a t o b s tin a c y ,
a n d in flic tin g no d e sp ic a b le w o u n d s w ith th e i r b ills .
“ T h e y o u n g ones, w h en fu ll fled g ed , a re h a n d som e ly sp o tte d w ith b la c k , w ith b la c k b ills .
W h e n a ttem p te d to b e c a p tu r e d , tb e y g a v e proofs o f h a v in g in h e r ite d th e fierce d isp o s itio n o f th e ir
p a r e n ts .”
T h e y 'w e r e a lso m e t with a t M a tild a I s la n d , a s n o te d , iu M r. Collie ’s J o u rn a l o f tb e d a te o f
F e b ru a ry 4 , 1826, from w h ic h th e fo llow in g d e ta ils a r e e x t r a c te d :—
“ W e w e re su rp r is e d in p a s s in g th ro u g h o r n e a r th e c o p p ic e s , to h e a r a t o u r fe e t th e s c r e e c h in g
o f b ird s , a n d o n tu rn in g ro u n d to se e them w ith w id e o p e n e d b ills , r e a d y to in flic t a sh a rp a n d n o
triflin g w o u n d w ith th e ir in v e r te d s e r r a tu r e s u p o n th e h a n d th a t w o u ld d a r e to s e iz e th em . T b ey
w e re in th e a c t o f in c u b a tio n , a n d c o u ld n o t b e m a d e to q u it th e i r egg, fo r e a ch h a d on ly o n e , u n le s s
p u s h e d off h y force. T h e ir n e s t w a s n o th in g m o re th a n a s lig h t e x c a v a tio n in th e s a n d . T h e egg.s
a r e o f th e s am e form a s th o se o f th e domestic H e n , b u t la rg e r th a n th o se o f a Duc k . T h e y a r e o f a
b row n ish m a rb le d a p p e a r a n c e , som e b e in g l ig h te r th a n oth e rs. T h e b ird s w h ic h w e re s ittin g
a p p e a r e d to h av e a d e e p e r t in g e o f r e d in th e ir w h ite p lum a g e th a n th e o th e rs w h ich w e re flying
a ro u n d u s . T h e s e d id n o t s o a r to so g r e a t a h e ig h t a s w e Iiad p rev io u s ly se e n o th e rs a t s e a , b u t
a p p ro a c h e d w ith in g u n sh o t.
“ T h e irid e s a re b la c k , a n d a b la ck sp a c e s u r ro u n d s th e ey e . T h e b e a k o f th e a d u lt b ird is r e d d
ish , th e le g s le ad colour, a n d th e to e s a n d w e b s b la c k . T h e b r e a d th is 3 fe e t 9^ in c h e s ; le n g th ,
from tip o f b ill to th e e x trem ity o f th e ta il ( th e tw o m id d le fe a th e rs , w h ich e x te n d a foot fu rth e r,
e x c e p te d ) , I foot 8 in ch e s . T h e fe a th e rs o f th e y o u n g , in th e i r f irs t p lum a g e , a re w h ite s tr ip e d w ith
b la c k . A t th is p e rio d th e b ill is o f a g rey ish b la c k , th e f e e t o f a le a d e n c o lo u r. O n e y o u n g o ne
m e a su re d in b r e a d th only th re e fe e t, a n d d id n o t se em c a p a b le o f flying. T lie u n fle d g e d y o u n g w e re
c o v e re d with a lig h t g r e y ish -b row n , a n d h a d th e b la c k b ill o f th e f e a th e r e d ones.
“ O n d is s e c tin g th e b ird , I fo u n d th e liv e r la rg e a n d c la y - c o lo u r e d . T h e stom a ch is a c y lin d r ic
a l m u s c u la r sac, e x te n d in g in to th e p elvis, a n d h e ld in i t s s itu a tio n b y a m u s c u la r c o n n e x io n p ro c
e e d in g from th e le f t s id e o f th e sac, w h e re it is lo st am o n g th e fibre s o f th e s tom a c h its e lf, to th e
b ra n c h o f th e pubis o f th e same sid e . T h e pancreas lie s o v e r a n d in th e sp a c e form ed b y th e d e s c e n d