U IV 1 ^ ^td HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY ( )c?-( University of Kansas Publications MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 3 • 1951 EDITORS E. Raymond Hall, Chairman A. Byron Leonard Edward H. Taylor Robert W. Wilson EB 1 1 1952 ffAmw WIVEISITY Museum of Natural History UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1951 Museum of Natural History university of kansas lawrence PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR. . STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1951 24-1811 , -■ CONTENTS 1. The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution. By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 1-359, 16 figures in text. June 12, 1951 2. A Quantitative Study of the Nocturnal Migration of Birds. By George H. Lowery, Jr. Pp. 361-472, 47 figures in text. June 29, 1951 '^ 3. Phylogeny of the Waxwings and AUied Birds. By M. Dale Arvey. Pp. 473-530, 49 figures in text, 13 tables. October 10, 1951 4. Birds from the State of Veracruz, Mexico. By George H. Lowery, Jr. and Walter W. Dalquest. Pp. 531-649, 7 figures in text, 2 tables. October 10, 1951 Index, Pp. 651-681. FEB 1 1 1952 HAmRO The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution BY ROLLIN H. BAKER MUS. COV.P. 200L LIBRARY -'^'^J IS 1951 HAHVARO UNIVERSITY University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 3, No. 1, pp. 1-359, 16 figures in text June 12, 1951 6ne of fifty copies printed on 100 per cent rag paper University of Kansas LAWBEXCK 19S1 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS The University of Kansas Publications, Museilm of Natural His- tory, are offered in exchange for the publications of learned societies and institutions, universities and libraries. For exchanges and in- formation, address the Exchange Desk, University of Kansas Li- brary, LAWRENCE; Kansas, U. S. A.' Museum of JVTatubal History. — ^E. Raymond Hall, Ch&irman, Editorial Com- mittee. This series contains contributions from the Museum 'of Natural History. Cited 'as Univ. Kans. Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. Vol. 1. 1. The pocket gophers (genus Thomomys) of Utah, By Stephen D. Durrani. Pp. 1-82, 1 figure in text. August 15, 1946. 2. The systematic status of Eiuneces pluvialis Cope, and noteworthy records of other amphibians and reptiles from Kansas and Okla- homa. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 85-89. August 15, 1946. 3. The tadpoles of Bufo cognatus Say. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 93-96, 1 figure in text. August 15, 1946. 4. Hybridization between t-R?o species of garter snakes. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 97-100. August 15, 1946. 5. Selected records of reptiles and amphibians from Kansas. By John Breukelman and Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 101-112. August 15, 1946. 6. Kyphosis and other variations in soft-shelled turtles. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 117-124. July 7, 1947. 7. Natural history of the prairie vole (Mammalian genus Microtus). By E. W. Jameson, Jr. Pp, 125-151, 4 figures in text. October 6, • 1947. 8. The postnatal development 9f two broods of great homed owla (Bubo virginianus) . By Donald F. Hoffmeister and Henry W. Setzer. Pp. 157-173, 5 figures in text. October 6, 1947. 9. Additions to the list of the birds of Louisiana. By George H. LoVery, Jr. Pp. 177-192. November 7, 1947. 10. A check-list of the birds of Idaho. By M. Dale Arvey. Pp. 193- 216. November 29, 1947. 11. Subspeciation in pocket gophers of Kansas. By Bernardo Villa-R. and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 217-236, 2 figures in text. November 29, 1947. 12. A new bat (Genus Myotis) from Mexico. By Walter W. Dalquest and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 237-244, 6 figures in text. December 10, 1947. 13. Tadarida femorosacca (Merriam) in Tamaulipas, Mexico. By Walter W. Dalquest and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 245-248, 1 figure in text. December 10, 1947. 14. A new pocket gopher (Thomomys) and a new spiny pocket mouse (Liomys) from Michoacan, Mexico. By E. Ra3Tnond Hall and s Bernardo Villa-R. Pp. 249-256, 6 figures in text. July 26, 1948. 15. A new hylid frog from eastern Mexico. By Edward H. Taylor. Pp. 257-264, 1 figure in text. August 16, 1948. (Continued on inside of back cover.) The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution BT ROLLIN H. BAKER MUS. COMP. ZOOL LIBRARY JUN 18 1951 HAHVARO UNIVERSITY University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 3, No. 1, pp. 1-359, 16 figures in text June 12, 1951 University of Kansas LAWRENCE 1931 Univ'ersity of Kansas PrBLicATioNS, Museum of Natural, History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, A. Byron Leonard, Edward H. Taylor, Robert W. Wilson Volume 3, No. 1, pp. 1-359, 16 figures in text Published June 12, 1951 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1951 22-8131 The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution By ROLLIN H. BAKER CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 5 Description of Micronesia 5 Climate 8 Soils 9 Surface water 9 Vegetation 10 Gazetteer of the Islands of Micronesia 11 Mariana Islands 11 Palau Islands 13 Caroline Islands 14 Marshall Islands 15 Ornithological Exploration in Micronesia 16 Check-list of the Birds of Micronesia 21 Discussion of the Avifauna 28 Oceanic Birds 28 Inshore Oceanic Birds 29 Offshore and Pelagic Oceanic Birds 30 Faunal Components 30 Migratory Shore Birds 32 Original Homes of the Shore Birds that Visit Micronesia 32 Routes of Migration 34 Populations of Shore Birds in Micronesia 37 Land and Fresh-Water Birds 42 Polynesian Component 44 Melanesian Component 44 Moluccan and Celebesian Components 45 Philippine Component 45 Palearctic Component 46 Speciation 48 Time of Colonization 50 (3) University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. PAGE Factors Causing Dispersal 52 Analysis of Speciation 55 Conservation of the Avifauna of Micronesia 58 The Future of Ornithological Research in Micronesia 60 Methods and Acknowledgments 60 Accounts of the Kinds of Birds in Micronesia 63 Summary and Conclusions 340 Bibliography 343 FIGURES IN TEXT Figure page 1. The islands of Micronesia 6 2. The Mariana Islands 12 3. The Palaii Islands 13 4. The Caroline Islands 15 5. The Marshall Islands 16 6. Routes of migration used by shore birds in the Pacific. ... 34 7. Avifaunal regions of the central Pacific 43 8. Faunal areas from which Micronesian birds have been de- rived 46 9. Routes of dispersal of rails in the Pacific area 120 10. Variation in length of culmen of Sterna s. sumatrana 159 11. Geographic distribution of Thalasseus bergii 164 12. Geographic distribution of Gygis alba in the Pacific 177 13. Distribution and dispersal of Ptilinopus porphyraceus . . . . 190 14. Distribution and dispersal of Gallicolumha in the Pacific . , 204 15. Distribution and dispersal of Acrocephalus in the Pacific, 260 16. Distribution and dispersal of Myzomela in the Pacific. . . . 316 INTRODUCTION Birds in Micronesia comprise the most outstanding animal life of the islands, as far as vertebrates are concerned. No fewer than 206 kinds, belonging to 37 families and 91 genera have been found there. Although this number upon first consideration may seem large, ac- tually any large land mass in the same latitude has many more kinds of birds than does Micronesia. In this connection it is pertinent to recall that the islands of Micronesia are oceanic and have apparently been formed independently of any continental land mass. Thus, animal life found on these islands has reached them by overseas migration, either by some passive means or by individual effort. Zoogeographers have had some difficulty in explaining the presence of snails and other nonflying animals on isolated oceanic islands. Crampton, in his studies of the land snails of the genus Partula at Guam and Saipan (1925:10), writes, "Despite the geological diffi- culties, the biological findings strongly support the view that the dominant process in this part of Oceania has been one of subsidence and of insular dissection." Although there exists today some ques- tion as to how certain forms of life have reached these remote dots of land, the ornithologist has not been much in doubt as to the ac- tual means of arrival of birds. With the exception of six kinds of birds which are definitely known to have been introduced by man, the birds have apparently reached these islands by flying there from somewhere else. The ornithologist is, therefore, concerned with learning from where, by what route, when, and why the various species of birds came and how they have become established on these islands of Micronesia. These birds exist in small populations; often less than 100 individuals of one kind may be found on a small island. How have such small numbers had the ability to survive and what environmental adaptations have occurred, are two addi- tional questions which confront the student of Micronesian birds. DESCRIPTION OF MICRONESIA The vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean is dotted with numerous islands, most of which are concentrated in the central and western part and are known collectively as Oceania. Within Oceania three divisions are popularly recognized: Melanesia, Polynesia, and Mi- cronesia. According to Krieger (1943:6), the Micronesia islands include the Mariana, Palau, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert islands; they may take in also the Volcano, Bonin, and Ellice islands (from (5) 6 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the standpoint of anthropology). Zoogeographically, according to Wallace (1876), Micronesia is to be included in the Polynesian Sub- region of the Australian Region. Mayr (1941a: 193), on the basis of the distribution of birds, ranks Micronesia as one of the four sub- divisions of the Polynesian Subregion, and includes within Micro- nesia the Palau, Caroline, Mariana, Marshall, and Gilbert islands. Except in the discussion of distribution, this report does not treat of the avifauna of the Gilbert Islands, which straddle the equator south of the Marshall Islands. This report is concerned only with the birds in the Mariana, Palau, Caroline, and Marshall islands formerly mandated to Japan, and with the birds of the island of Guam, which is a possession of the United States. ISO. f. ■/ i MARIANA : ISLANDS; CAROLINE ISLANDS 125 250 500 MILES II I I •WAKE -%, ■^ ^-^o ^0.. <^^ ■ ■{ <^^ ..- \ V GILBERT ■..-ISLANDS 3i: ife" Fig. 1. The Islands of Micronesia The word Micronesia is, of course, derived from the Greek words mikros meaning small and nesos meaning island, and, as shown in figure 1, this term is appropriate, for the islands of this area are small. For the most part they are too small even for inclusion on standard-sized maps of the world. There are thousands of these islands in an area some 2,400 miles long from east to west and some 1,200 miles broad from north to south. All of the islands of Mi- cronesia are oceanic islands; that is to say, they have never been connected to the Asiatic continent or to other land masses by means of land bridges. Geologists and oceanographers have shown (see descriptions by Hobbs, 1945), that islands of Micronesia are of two general types: arcuate and strewn. The Pacific Ocean is surrounded by rising mountain ranges which are arranged in elongated, near-circular arcs. Bakek: The Avifauna of Micronesia 7 which form an extended series of scallops. In the western Pacific these sweeping arcs extend into the ocean, where the mountain ranges project upward from the bottom of the sea \vath only the crests showing above the waves to point out, in dotted outline, the position of the mountains. The easternmost of these arcs is marked by the islands of the Aleutians, Kuriles, Japan, Izo, Bonins, Vol- canoes, Marianas, Yap, Palaus, and others continuing southward into Melanesia. These are characterized by igneous rocks of andes- itic nature. To the eastward of the arcuate islands in Micronesia, are numer- ous and irregularly distributed islands, making up all of the central and eastern Carolines and the Marshalls, which are known as strewn islands. Strewn islands mark the places of former volcanoes or vol- canic peaks. If these volcanic peaks have been completely drowned and are now marked by a series of low islands edged by a protecting reef formed by coral growth enclosing a lagoon and with all expos- ures consisting of coral rock, the island is known as a coral atoll (ex- ample, Ulithi Atoll). Some of the coral exposures lack lagoons; they are known merely as coral islands (example. East Fayu). Some atolls become elevated by geologic activity and the lagoons may dry out or drain. The accumulation of guano of oceanic birds and the residue of fish and other organisms in the area of the lagoon remains as a rich phosphate deposit; these raised atolls have been called phosphate islands (example, Fais). Other strewn islands con- sist of igneous rocks which are exposed above the surface of the ocean. These are known as "high" or volcanic islands and may occur as a single mountain rising out of the ocean (example, Kusaie) , or be partly drowned and surrounded by a coral reef (example, Truk). The igneous rocks found on these strewn islands are basaltic in nature. The Mariana Islands consist of a chain of volcanic islands ap- proximately 450 miles long. As shown in figure 2, there are 14 single islands and one group of three islands (Maug) , from Uracas in the north to Guam in the south. The Palau Islands which are situated in the easternmost part of Micronesia have often been con- sidered from a political standpoint as part of the Caroline Islands. As shown in figure 3, the Palau Islands are a chain of islands ap- proximately 120 miles long from north to south. Sonsorol, Tobi, Merir, Pulo Anna, and Helen Island occur to the southward of the Palaus and may be considered as part of the Carolines or as part of the Palaus. The Palaus together with the Carolines, to the east- ward, extend in an east-west direction for approximately 1,700 8 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. miles. The Palaus and Carolines include (as shown in figures 3 and 4) 37 atolls, 34 banks, 11 coral islands without lagoons, 2 uplifted phosphate islands, 4 volcanic islands, and the Palau chain. The Marshall Islands to the extreme eastward extend approximately 700 miles from north to south and, as shown in figure 5, contain 29 atolls and five coral islands without lagoons. No volcanic exposures occur in the Marshall Islands. There is a total land surface of approximately 846 square miles in the islands of Micronesia. The Palaus and Carolines have 525 square miles, the Marianas 247 square miles, and the Marshalls 74 square miles of land surface. Guam has the largest land surface of any of the islands of Micronesia with 225 square miles, Ponape has 145 square miles, and Babelthuap has 143 square miles. Asun- cion, in the northern Marianas, has the highest elevation, rising as an almost perfect cone to a height of 2,923 feet; Ponape reaches a height of 2,579 feet above the sea level. The volcanic islands are known as "high" islands, and the coral atolls are known as "low" islands. The coral islands usually rise but a few feet above sea level. Climate In Micronesia there are two seasons: a wet summer and a dryer winter. Temperatures rarely go above 90° F. and rarely below 70° F. Rainfall in the Marianas averages approximately 85 inches per year, in the Palaus approximately 150 inches, in the Carolines it ranges from 129 to 185 inches, and in the Marshalls it goes up to 160 inches. The humidity is excessive, the average annual mean of relative humidity for selected islands in Micronesia being between 82 and 86 percent. The relative humidity is lower in the western Carolines and the Palaus, than in other parts of Micronesia. The Mariana Islands lie between the area of the Asiatic monsoon and the belt of the northeast trade winds. At Saipan from November until March or April, winds usually are easterly or northeasterly and are strong and steady since the northeast trades and the winter monsoon reinforce each other. In April and May the directions of the winds shift toward the southeast, and they become weaker and more variable. In this period there may be some easterly winds in addition to the predominating southeasterly winds. Detailed in- formation is not available on the winds which occur in the Marianas north of Saipan, but at Pagan easterly winds probably prevail from May to July and westerly winds prevail in the remainder of the year. The Carolines lie in the belt of alternating northeast trade winds and southwest monsoons. The northeast trades begin in Oc- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 9 tober and prevail until May or June. The southwest monsoon occurs from May to October and may be felt as far east as Truk, To the eastvi^ard, the winds of the summer are usually light and variable. In the Marshall Islands, the northeast trade winds pre- dominate from about December to April, especially in the northern part of the Marshalls. In summer, winds are variable and weak; periods of calm may occur. Typhoons and squalls occur most fre- quently in the spring and summer in Micronesia. Some of the severe typhoons are known to engulf entire islands, as did the one at Woleai in 1907. Soils The soils of the islands of Micronesia have been derived from volcanic materials or from depositions of coralline limestone. Vol- canic soils occur on the "high" islands of Micronesia. In many places, especially on the islands of the northern Marianas there is little soil; there are large areas of bare igneous rock, because the islands are geologically of relatively recent origin and little erosion has occurred. On islands where volcanic rocks have decomposed, the resulting soil may have a top layer of humus. The richest soils of the islands are along drainage areas and in alluvial deposits. Coralline soils result from the decomposition of limestone, coral fragments, shells, and sand, and are overlain by some humus. Where the layer of humus is deep, the fertility is greatest. Coralline-vol- canic soils occur on some "high" islands where coral rock and vol- canic rock have become mixed in the decomposition process which forms soil. In parts of the Marianas and elsewhere, unwise prac- tices of burning and overgrazing have allowed extensive erosion to occur, resulting in reduced fertility of the soil. On the island of Yap certain sedimentary rocks are exposed which are thought to have been elevated from the ocean bottom. Soils at Yap which have de- veloped from this rock are considered more fertile than soils of coralline origin, although the fertility there also is dependent on the depth of the layer of humus. Surface Water There is little fresh water on the coral atolls, but brackish marshes are present on some islands, and many of these marshes are used for the cultivation of taro by the natives. Some volcanic islands, on the other hand, possess small streams and fresh water lakes, pro- ducing suitable habitat for certain rails, gallinules and ducks. On the "low" islands in the Marshalls, natural surface pools are rare. 10 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Vegetation The "high" islands of Micronesia support a heavy cover of vege- tation. Typically the lowlands and stream courses are covered with dense jungle vegetation, and the slopes and higher hills are covered with grasses and brush. The vegetation of the "low" coral atolls and islands is, by comparison, much less dense. Many shorelines are covered with scant grasses and shrubs and the interior in many places is dominated by coconut, betel palms, breadfruit, papaya, and pandanus. References to papers dealing with plants in the islands of the Pacific may be obtained in Merrill (1945), who (1945: 207) writes, "Botanically, the low islands are very uninteresting and monotonous. The flora of one is usually quite the same as that of another, although these islands and islets may be separated by many hundred and in some cases several thousand miles. The native vegetation may be scanty or reasonably well developed, de- pending on the size of the island, the quality of its soil, and whether or not it is permanently inhabitated." Of the vegetation on the "high" islands of the Pacific area, Merrill (1945:209) comments that the vegetation "is well developed, particularly within the forested areas, but for these high islands within the Pacific basin as a whole, the number of endemic genera is relatively small and most of them have definite relationships with those of Malaysia." Con- cerning the "high" islands of Micronesia, Merrill (1945:210) re- marks that these islands are smaller and more isolated than some of the others in Oceania and have fewer individual species "as com- pared with what one finds on islands of a similar size located within limits of the Malay Archipelago. Thus with all of the islands under Japanese mandate, and including a number of high, but at the same time relatively small islands, less than 1,300 different species are known, of which 230 manifestly represent purposely or accidentally introduced ones. This relatively small flora includes representatives of approximately 620 genera in 192 families. . . . Specific ende- mism is relatively high, for approximately 460 species are confined to the islands within the area under consideration. The generic endemism is very low; about seven endemic genera only are in- volved for the whole group." The figures for endemism of plants are comparable to those for birds. Of endemic birds there are 5 genera, 35 species, and 73 subspecies. The total number of species of birds known from Micronesia is only 206 as compared with 1,300 plants. Yamada (1926:966) writes that the number of species of plants that Micronesia has in common with Japan may be due to the influence of the "Japan Stream." Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 11 Many land birds in Micronesia depend directly on the plant life for food. Possibly the soil (including its mineral content), upon which the plants themselves depend for development of fruits and other edible parts, may offer a limiting factor to the distribution of birds in Micronesia. Possibly the fruits and other edible parts of plants do not provide the necessary amounts of proteins, carbohy- drates, minerals, vitamins, and other essential food items for species of plant-eating birds, which have not become established in Micro- nesia. Possibly some species of plant-eating birds have reached Micronesia but have failed to establish themselves because of some dietary deficiency caused by poverty of the soils on which the plants grow. If a comparison were made of soils and of the food values of fruits of plants in both the islands of Micronesia and simi- larly sized islands in the Malay region, a difference might be re- vealed which would partly explain why some plant-eating birds have not become established in Micronesia. GAZETTEER OF ISLANDS OF IMICRONESIA In the following list the name in current usage for each island or island group in Micronesia is followed by other names which have been used. There is no attempt made to list the names of the small islands of each atoll or those of the myriads of small islets that lie offshore from the larger volcanic islands. Collections have not been made on most of the smaller islands. For the few on which a species has been collected, the islet is adequately described in the account of the particular species concerned. The reader may refer to Brigham (1900) for a listing of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Most of the islands included in the following list may be located on the map of Micronesia as shown in figures 2, 3, 4, and 5. These listings follow in order of arrangement those in the Civil Affairs Handbooks, published by the United States Na\'y Department (1943, 1944a, 1944b, and 1944c). M.4RIANA Islands The Mariana Islands (also called Ladrone, Marianne, Marian) consist of 14 single islands and one group of three islands. The Marianas are all "high" or volcanic islands. The islands, shown in figure 2, are listed as follows: Agrihan (also called Agrigan, Arijan, Francisco Xavier, Granger, Gregus, Grigan, San Francisco Javier). Agiguan (also called Agaigan, Agiigan, Agiguan, Agigwan, Aguigan, Aguijan, Aguyan, Guigan, Saint Ange, Santa Angel). Alamagan (also called Almagan, Aramagan, Concepcion). Anatahan (also called Anatagen, Anatajen, Anataxan, San Joaquin). 12 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. 20 18 M5 16 URACAS . MAUG • •ASUNCION' AGRIHAN"^ PAGAN ^. AL AM AG AN • GUGUAN' SARIGAN. ANATAHAN- MEDINILLA' i SAIPAN^ 7INIANQ AGIGUAN" ROTA '^ GUAM^O 2550 MILES 20 145 Fig. 2. The Mariana Islands. Asuncion (also called Asonson, Assongsong, Assumption). Guam (also called Guaham, Guahan). Guguan (also called Guguwan, Guugwan, Piedras, San Felipe, St. Philippe). Maug (also called Mang, Mangs, Mauga, Monjas, Mougu, Saint Laurent, San Lorenzo, Tunas). Medinilla (also called Bade, Bird, Farallon de Medinilla, Rocher). Pagan (also called Pagon, Paygan, St. Ignace, San Ignacio). Rota (also called Luta, St. Anne, Santa Ana, Sarpan, Satpana, Suta, Zar- pane). Saipan (also called (Saepan, St. Joseph, San Jose, Saypan, Siepan, Serpan, Seypan). Sarigan (also called St. Charles, San Carlos, Sariguan, Sarigwan). Tinian (also called Bona Vista, Buenavista, Temean, Tenian, Tiniamou). Uracas (also called Guy Rock, Farallon de Pajaros, Pajaros, Urakasu). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 13 Palau Islands The Palau Islands (also called Arrecifos, Palaos, Paleu, Pally, Paloc, Pan- nog, Parao, Pelew) consist of 8 large islands, 18 smaller islands, and a large number of minute islets, all enclosed in a single reef S3'stem. The northern islands (Babelthuap and Koror) are of volcanic origin; the southern islands (Peleliu and others) are of coralline formation. Angaur, to the south of Peleliu, s-oo 134° 20- I34°40- KAYANGEL' •040- 7»20 7°00' BABELTHUAP 7'W KOROR 'ARAKABESAN URUKTHAPEL ," ^ EIL MALK tJ sOGARAKAYO t>^ NGESEBUS PELELIU 10 20 MILES P ANGAUR 8°oa 7'za — TOO' I34»20' I34°40' Fig. 3. The Palau Islands. 14 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. may be included with the Palau Archipelago. From the standpoint of the avian zoogeography, the coral islands or atolls of Kayangel, Merir, Pulo Arma, Sonsorol, and Tobi are also included. The principal islands, shown in figure 3, are listed below: Arakabesan (also called Ngarekobasang) . Aurapushekaru (also called Aburashokoru, Auluptagel, Oluksakel, Oropu- shakaru). Babelthuap (also called Babeldzuap, Babel Taob, Babelthouap, Baberthaob, Baberudaobu, Babldaob). Ell Malk (also called Amototi, Cogeal, Irakong, Makarakaru). Garakayo Koror (also called Coror, Goreor, Kororu). Malakal (also called Amalakell, Malaccan, Marakaru, Nanalake). Ngahad Ngesebus (also called Guadokusu). Peleliu (also called Pelelew, Periryu, Pililer, Peliliu, Uler). Urukthapel (also called Cape, Kuapasungasu, Ngurukdapel, Ulugeang, Uruk- taaburu, Uruktapi). Included with the Palau group because of proximity and relationships of the avifauna are the following : Angaur (also called Angauru, Angyaur, Ngaur, Ngeour, N'Yaur). Kayangel (also called Kadjangle, Kajanguru, Kazyanguru, Kianguel, Kreian- gel. Moore, Ngaj angel, Ngeiangel). Merir (also called Marir, Meliel, Meriel, Meriru, Pulo Marier, Warren Hastings). Pulo Anna (also called Anna, Bui, Bur, Current, Paola, Pul, Puru, Wull). Sonsorol (also called St. Andrew, San Andreas, Sonesor, Songosor, Sonseron, Sonsol, Sonsoru, Tschontil). Tobi (also called Codopuei, Johnstone, Kadogubi, Lectobis, Lord North, Nevil, Togobei, Tokobei). Caroline Islands The Carolme Islands consist of 41 island clusters or isolated islands (exclu- ive of submerged coral reefs). These are of coral formation. They are atolls or single islands except for Yap, which is of sedimentary rock, and Kusaie, Ponape, and Truk, which are of volcanic rock. The principal islands are shown in figure 4 and are listed as follows: East Fayu (also called Fajo, Faliao, Lutke, Rukutee). Eauripik (also called Aurepik, Eourpyg, luripik, Kama, Low, Yorupikku, Yuripik). Fais (also called Astrolabe, Feis, Feys, Fuhaesu, Huhaesu, Tromelin, Woaje). Faraulep (also called Faraulip, Faroilap, Fattoilap, Foroilap, Furaarappu, Gardner, Huraarappu). Ifalik (also called Evalook, Faloc, Furukku, Hurukku, Ifalouk, Ifelug, Two Sisters, Wilson). Kapingamarangi (also called Bakiramarang, Constantine, Greenwich, Gurii- nitchi, Kabeneylon, Kapenmailang, Makarama, Pikiram, Tenuv). Kusaie (also called Arao, Armstrong, Experiment, Hope, Kusai, Kuschai, Kushai, Kuthiu, Oualan, Quollen, Strong, Teyoa, Ualan, Walang). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 15 10 140 145 150 65 160 10 ■1 1 1 •Nqulu Foroulep' . -■. -^ > . WestFoyu- •P'l^'ol Woleo,.- .„,, '-l-amotrek .. ^-.Truk '* Eounpik - • •_,4 Ponape - • Pmgelop •' '^"^^ Kusce. 5 > Nukuoro 5 50 OO 200 MILES * Kopingomofongi 1 1 1 , , 140 145 60 155 160 Fig. 4. The Caroline Islands. Lamotrek (also called Lamorsu, Lamureck, Lamutrik, Low, Namotik, Namo- tikku, Manochikku, Namurrek, Swede). Lukunor (also called Leraarafat, Lougoullos, Lougounor, Luganor, Lugunor, Lugunoz, Mortlock, Namonefeng, Rukunoru, Youngwilliam). Namonutto (also called Anonyma, Baxos de San Bartolomeo, Bunkey, Las Hermanas, Livingstone, Lost Jardines, Lutke, Namenwita, Olol, Omun, Onon, Ororu, Remp, Ueito, Ulul). Ngulu (also called Angogul, Anolul, Goulou, Kurru, Lamoliao, Lamoliork, Lamuliur, Lamuniur, Matelotas, Ngilu, Ngoli, Ngolog, Spencer Keys, Ulu). Nukuoro (also called Dunkin, Matakema, Menteverde, Nugoru, Nukor, Nukuor). Pikelot (also called Bigali, Biguela, Coquille, Lydia, Pigela, Pigerotto, Pigouelao, Pik, Pyghella). Pingelap (also called Macaskill, Musgrave, Pelelap, Piigerappu, Punlap, Sail- rocks, Tucks Reef). Ponape (also called Ascension, Bonabee, Bonybay, Faloupet, Faounoupei, Funopet, Niponpei, Painipete, Ponapi, Piunipet, Puynipet, Quirosa, Seniavin, William IV). Ponape is the largest island of the Senyavin Islands. Truk (also called Djuk, Hogoleu, Hogolu, Hoguleu, Lugulus, Ola, Rough, Ruck, Ruk, Torakku, Tuck, Ugulut). The Truk group includes approximately 100 islands. Ulithi (also called Mackenzie, Mogmog, Mogumogu, Mokomok, Ouluthy, Uluthi, Uluti, Urushi). West Fayu (also called Faiyao, Fajahu, Faliau, Huiyao, West Faiu). Woleai (also called Anagai, Mereyon, Oleai, Ouleyai, Thirteen Islands, Uala, Ulea, Uola, Ulie, Wolea). Yap (also called Eap, Guap, Heap, Jap, Ouap, Uap, Wuap, Yappu). Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands consist of 29 atolls and 5 coral islands without lagoons arranged in two chains, the Ralik and the Radak chains, which extend in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction. No volcanic rocks are exposed in these islands. The principal islands shown in figure 5 are as follows : Ailuk (also called Ailu, Fisher, Krusenstern, Tindall, Watts). 16 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, 60 165 170 175 " ' 1 50 100 200 MILES 1 1 1 1 1 »B1KAR BIKINI •■ ENIWETOK '. : .RONGELAP -- ■.; ■• ^.•. 10 \ i LIKIEB {_^ ■ •.VWOTJE ~ 'KWAJALEIN * ., 5 \NAMU --' ELMORE ,. j^ARHNO MAJURO" ■" "-^^ 10 5 - 1 ^•-JALUIT OMILLE NAMORIK ^EBON 1 - 5 1 60 165 I7D «„. I7S 1 Fig. 5. The Marshall Islands. i4r/ino (also called Arno, Aruno, Auru). Bikar Bikini Ebon (also called Boston Atoll). Elmore (also called Ailinglap, Ailinglapalap, Iringlob). Eniwetok JaZmi (also called Bonham, Taluit). Kwajalein Likieb (also called Likiep). Majuro (also called Arrowsmith, Mezyuro). Mejit Maloelab Mille (also called Mulgrave). Namorik Namu (also called Musquillo, Name). Rongelap Wotje (also called Romanzov, Wotze, Wozzie). * ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATION IN MICRONESIA The Micronesian islands were first explored and colonized by a a people who came from Malaysia. It is thought that these people spread into the Palau, Caroline, Mariana, Marshall, and Gilbert islands as a single wave of migration. Following this occupation, the people apparently underwent a normal process of cultural evolu- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 17 tion and differentiation. Remains of stone walls, dikes, fences, pil- lars, graves, and other structures which may be found today at vari- ous islands in Micronesia were constructed by the ancestors of the islanders of the present day. It is thought by archeologists that the Polynesians moved eastward into the Pacific islands by way of Mi- cronesia. The date of this wave of migration is thought to have been approximately 1200 a. d. What kinds of birds may have been exterminated by this earliest of human colonization cannot be ascer- tained. Edible species, particularly megapodes, rails, and pigeons, probably were eliminated or reduced in numbers, as is indicated by later discussions. The first Europeans to visit Micronesia, as far as the present writer can ascertain, left no accounts of the birds significant for the study here reported upon. Magellan, on his trip around the world, was the leader of the first party of Europeans who touched at Guam; this was on March 6. 1521. Rota, Agiguan, Saipan, and Tinian were also discovered by this Portuguese sea captain in the service of the king of Spain. Eltano, one of Magellan's lieutenants, revisited the Pacific and stopped at Rota in 1524. After the voyage of Magellan, other seafarers, mostly in the service of Spain, visited the Micronesian islands. The Caroline Islands were apparently first observed by the Portuguese captain, Diego de Rocha, in 1526. Loyasa and Saavdera, both Spaniards, visited the Marshall Islands in 1526 and 1529, respectively. One of the first travelers to record observations on the bird life was Henry Wilson. Wilson was captain of the schooner "Antelope" which became grounded on a reef in the Palau Islands in August, 1783. He lived with the islanders while the ship was being repaired and kept a journal of his observations (Wilson, 1788). Wilson also visited several other islands in western Micronesia. Adelbert von Chamisso (1821), as naturalist with the Russian expedition in the ship "Rurick," made observations of the animal life in Micronesia in 1817 and 1818. Under the command of Otto von Kotzebue, this Russian expedition made the first detailed exploration of the Mar- shall Islands; visits were made also to Guam and Rota and to Yap, Pais, Ulithi, Palau, and other island groups in western Micronesia. Freycinet's famous expedition in the ships "Uranie" and 'Thysi- cienne," visited Guam, Rota, and Tinian in 1819. Quoy and Gai- mard, the naturalists of the expedition, obtained birds, which were among the first to be described from Micronesia. These two natu- ralists revisited the Marianas in 1829 on board the ship "Astrolabe." 2—8131 18 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Scientific results of both of these expeditions (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824-'26 and 1830-'35) include texts and plates dealing with the birds obtained. The French expedition in the corvette "La Coquille" visited Kusaie in June, 1824. Lesson (1829) wrote the zoology of this trip. Kittlitz (1836) of the expedition which sailed in the corvette "Le Seniavine" commanded by Lutke obtained birds at Kusaie in De- cember and January, 1827-'28, at Guam in March, 1828, and at Lukunor and other islands of the Carolines. At Kusaie, Kittlitz found a rail {Aphanolimnas monasa) and a starling {Aplonis cor- vinus) which have not been obtained since his time. His specimens were deposited in St. Petersburg. He was one of the most compe- tent of the early naturalists; his writings contain accounts of habits as well as descriptions and are accompanied by colored plates. The expedition which sailed on the "Astrolabe" and the "Zelee" in 1827- '40 under the command of Dumont d'Urville visited the Caroline Islands. The naturalists, Hombron and Jacquinot, obtained birds at Truk, including the interesting flycatcher, Metabolus rugensis, which they described (1841). The "Novara," in the course of its voyage around the world (1857-'59) visited the Caroline Islands in 1858. Birds were recorded from Ponape, Lukunor and other islands by Pelzeln in his account of the birds of the expedition (1865). In the years following the middle of the Nineteenth Century, Godeffroy and Sons, of Hamburg, opened branches of its trading firm in Micronesia. Representatives of the company including Heinsohn and Peters, who were ship captains, obtained collections of birds at Palau and Yap. These were deposited in the Godeffroy Museum at Hamburg and reported on by Hartlaub and Finsch (Hartlaub, 1868; Hartlaub and Finsch, 1868a and 1872). Tetens became representa- tive of Godeffroy and Sons at Yap in 1869 and obtained birds. Per- haps the most famous collector in this period was Johann Kubary. He went to Ponape at the age of nineteen and traveled in Micro- nesia for many years for Godeffroy and Sons. He obtained birds at many of the islands of the Carolines, spending fourteen months at Truk. In 1873, one of his collections of some 200 birds was lost in a shipwreck. Hartlaub and Finsch, (Hartlaub and Finsch, 1872; Finsch, 1876a) described much of his material; Nehrkorn (1879) re- ported on nests and eggs which he obtained. Hartlaub and Finsch (1868b) also reported on birds obtained at Palau by Doctor Semper, which were deposited in the museum at Altona. Otto Finsch (1880b, 1880d, 1881b, 1881c) traveled in Micronesia about 1880, observing birds in the eastern Carolines and in the Marshalls. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 19 One of the largest collections from Micronesia was made by Alfred Marche in the Marianas. He arrived there on April 22, 1887, and stayed until May, 1889. He obtained approximately 732 specimens of birds, nests, and eggs at Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan, and Alamagan, which were deposited in the Paris Museum and reported on by Oustalet (1895-'96). Shortly after Marche's visit, Japanese collectors in the hire of Alan Owston, a professional collector of Yokahama, obtained birds in the Marianas and at Truk in the years 1894-'97. These went to the Rothschild collection at Tring and were reported on by Hartert in 1898 and 1900. At the turn of the Twentieth Century, several ornithologists were visiting Micronesia. Alvin Seale (1901) obtained a collection of birds at Guam in the summer of 1900 which was deposited in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The U. S. Fish Commission steamer "Albatross" visited Micronesia from August, 1899, to March, 1900; birds obtained by the expedition were reported on by Townsend and Wetmore (1919). Paul Schnee (1901) spent approx- imately one year, 1899-1900, at Jaluit in the Marshalls and obtained records of birds. In 1899, Brandeis, on board the German ship "Kaiseriand" visited many of the islands in the Marshalls and re- corded birds. William Safford (1905) resided at Guam in the early part of this century and reported on the bird life in the course of his studies of the botany and native life. Bartsch (Mearns, 1909) also obtained a small collection of birds at Guam, this is in the United States National Museum. In the first World War when the Japanese gained a mandated control over the islands of Micronesia, the Japanese ornithologists promptly visited the area, obtained collections, and published works concerning the birds. In 1922, Momiyama and Kuroda prepared a list of the birds of Micronesia. The work was published under the auspices of the Ornithological Society of Japan. Subsequent editions appeared in 1932 and 1942. The Whitney South Sea Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History visited Micronesia from October, 1930, to Decem- ber, 1931, with William F. Coultas as collector. Although experienc- ing some difficulty and being restricted somewhat in his travels by the Japanese officials, he managed to obtain collections at Ponape (October 26, 1930, to January 1, 1931), Kusaie (January 15 to June 11, 1931), Guam (June 24 to August 30, 1931), Saipan and Tinian (September 1 to 26, 1931), and Palau (October 2 to December, 1931). Many of the species which he obtained are represented by 20 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. large series of fine skins. > Only part of his collections have been reported on by Mayr and his associates. Other than the work of Coultas and that of the Japanese, there was little ornithological work done in the period between the two world wars, probably, at least in part, because of the "iron curtain," which Japan had thrown about her mandate. Bryan (1936) did visit Guam in the middle 1930's and published an account of the birds in the newspaper, Guam Recorder. When the Micronesian islands were taken by the American forces in 1944, personnel attached to various units made observations on the bird life. The first reports, published or unpublished, were from the Marshalls, which were taken at the beginning of the campaign. Gleise, Genelly, Wallace, and others made contributions. In the Marianas considerably more observing and collecting were done by service personnel including Marshall, Stott, Borror, Strophlet, Buss, Watson, Arvey, Downs, and others. Marshall (1949) obtained also a collection of birds in the Palaus in 1945. The Laboratory of Mammalogy, United States Naval Medical Research No. 2, to which I was attached, collected at Guam (January to October, 1945), at Rota (October 17 to November 2, 1945), at Ulithi (August 11 to 23, 1945) , at Palau (August 24 to September 24, 1945), and at Truk (November 24 to December 18, 1945). Following the end of the war, Harvey I. Fisher visited Micronesia and obtained a collection of birds at Yap, which is to be reported on in the near future. Larry P. Richards obtained 33 birds at Ponape and 4 at Truk in the period from August 28, 1947, to February 10, 1948. Descriptions of birds in Micronesia began with the naming of Halcyon c. cinnamomina in 1821 ; the most recent description is that of Rhipidiira nifijrons mariae in 1946. In all, 131 descriptions have designated type localities in Micronesia. Table 1 lists the dates (on the basis of ten-year intervals) when names of birds (synonyms or otherwise) were proposed. In the period from 1821 to 1860, twenty- five birds were made known to science by the earliest workers, in- cluding Kittlitz, Lesson, Bonaparte, and Pelzeln. In the period from. 1861 to 1880, thirty-four birds were newly named, mostly by Hart- laub and Finsch, from the collections which the Godeffroy Museum obtained through the efforts of Kubary, Tetens, Peters, and Hein- sohn. Nineteen original descriptions were published from 1881 to 1900, principally by Oustalet and Hartert, who studied the material of Marche and Owston, respectively. From 1901 to 1910, only four birds were described, but from 1911 to 1940, forty-seven descriptions were published, mostly by the Japanese following World War I. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 21 From 1931 to 1940, the number of known birds was increased by the efforts of Mayr, who studied the material of the Whitney South Sea Expedition. From 1941 to date only two original descriptions have appeared — only one was postwar. Except for possible undescribed subspecies in the northern Marianas, I think that the heyday of the taxonomist in ornithology in Micronesia is over. The field of avian ecology in Micronesia has barely been scratched. Table 1. Compilation of the Dates (on the Basis of Ten-year Intervals) When Original Descriptions of Birds of Micronesia Appeared. Years No. of descriptions Years No. of descriptions 1821-1830 8 8 4 5 11 23 1881-1890 1891-1900 9 1831 1 40 10 1841-1850 1901-1910 4 1851-1860 1911-1920 10 1861-1870 1921-1930 15 1871-1880 1931-1940 22 1941-1949 2 CHECK-LIST OF THE BIRDS OF MICRONESIA The 206 kinds of birds of 150 full species known to occur in Micro- nesia belong to 91 genera of 37 families of 13 orders. In the fol- lowing list, nonresident birds are marked with an *; birds intro- duced by man are marked with a f. Class AVES— birds PAGE Order Procellariiformes — albatrosses, petrels, and allies Family Diomedeidae — albatrosses Diomcdia nigripes Audubon* _ Black-footed Albatross 63 Family Procellariidae — petrels and shearwaters Puff inus pad ficMs chlororhT/nchus Lesson Wedge-tailed Shearwater.. 64 Puffinus pacificus cuncaliis SaWin Wedge-tailed Shearwater.. 65 Puffinus tenuirostris (Temminck)* Short tailed Shearwater 66 Puffinus nativitatus Streets Christmas Shearwater 66 Pxiffinu-Fi Iherminieri dichrous Finsch and Hartlaub Dusky Shearwater 66 Pterodroma rostrata rostrata (Peale)* Tahiti Petrel 69 Pterodroma hypoletica hypoleuca Salvin Stout-billed Gadfly Petrel. . 70 22 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Order Pelecaniformes — tropic birds, boobies, cormorants, frigate birds and allies Family Phaethontidae — tropic birds PAGE Phaethon aethereus mesonauta Peters* Red-billed Tropic Bird. .. . 70 Phaethonnibricauda rothschildi (Mathev/s) Red-tailed Tropic Bird.... 71 Phaethon lepturus dorotheae Mathews White-tailed Tropic Bird.. 72 Family Sulidae — boobies and gannets Sula dactylatra personata Gould Masked Booby 75 Sula sula rubripes Gould Red-footed Booby 75 Sula leucogaster plotus (Forster) Brown Booby 76 Family Phalacrocoracidae — cormorants Phalacrocorax melanoleucus melanoleucus (Vieillot) Little Pied Cormorant 78 Family Fregatidae — frigate birds or man-o'-war birds Fregata minor minor (Gmelin)* Pacific Man-o'-War 79 Fregata ariel ariel (Gray) Least Man-o'-War 80 Order Ciconiiformes — herons, storks, and allies Family Ardeidae — herons and bitterns Butorides striatus amurensis Schrenck* Amur Green Heron 81 Bubulcus ibis coromandus (Boddaert)* Cattle Egret 82 Egretla intermedia intermedia (Wagler)* Plumed Egret 82 Demigretta sacra sacra (Gmelin) Reef Heron 84 Nycticorax nyclicorax nycticorax (Linnaeus)* Black-crowned Night Heron 87 Nycticorax caledonicus pelewensis Mathew Rufous Night Heron 87 Gorsachius goisagi (Temminck)* Japanese Bittern 89 Gorsachius melanolophus melanolophv^ (Raffles)* Malay Bittern 90 I xobrychus sinensis (Gmelin) Chinese Least Bittern 93 Ixobrychus eurhythmus (Swinhoe)* Shrenck's Least Bittern... 93 Dupetor flavicollis flavicollis (Latham)* Black Bittern 94 Order Anseriformes — ducks, geese, swans, and allies Family Anatidae — ducks, geese, and swans Anas ou^taleti Salvadori Marianas Mallard 94 Anas poecilorhyncha pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Australian Gray Duck 98 Anas querquedula Linnaeus * Garganey Teal 100 Anas crecca crecca Linnaeus* European Teal 100 Anas crecca carolinensis Gmelin * Green-winged Teal 100 Anas acuta acuta Linnaeus* Pintail 101 Anas acuta tzitzihoa Vieillot* Pintail 101 Anas penelope Linnaeus* Widgeon 102 Anas clypeata Linnaeus* Shoveller 102 Aythya fuligula {Linnaeus)* Tufted Duck 103 Aythya valisineria (Wilson)* Canvas-back 103 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 23 Order Falconiformes — vultures, hawks, falcons Family Accipitridae — hawks, harriers, and allies ^^^^ Accipiter soloensis (Horsfield)* Chinese Goshawk 104 Accipiter virgatus gularis (Temminck and Schlegel)* Asiatic Sparrow Hawk 104 Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Mathews Osprey 105 Family Falconidae — falcons and caracaras Falco peregrinus japonensis Graelin* Peregrine Falcon 105 Order Galliformes — megapodes, pheasants, and allies Family Megapodidae — megapodes Megapodius laperouse senex Hartlaub Micronesian Megapode 106 Megapodius laperouse laperouse Gaimard Micronesian Megapode. .. . 109 Family Phasianidae — quails, pheasants, and allies Coturnix chinensis lineata (Scopoli)t Painted Quail 113 Gallus gallu^ (Linnaeus)t Red Jungle Fowl 114 Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus t Ring-necked Pheasant 115 Order Gruiformes — cranes, rails, and allies Family Rallidae — rails, gallinules, and coots Rallus philippensis pelewensis (Mayr) Banded Rail 116 Rallus owstoni (Rothschild) Guam Rail 118 Rallina jasciata (Raffles)* Malay Banded Crake 120 Rallina eurizono'ides eurizono'ides (Lafresnaye)* Philippine Banded Crake. . 121 Aphanolimnas monasa (Kittlitz) Kusaie Black Rail 121 Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiae Hachisuka White-browed Rail 123 Gallinula chloropus subsp. near orientalis Horsfield Gallinule 126 Gallinula chloropus guami Hartert Gallinule 127 Porphyria porphyria pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Purple Swamphen 129 Fulica atra atra Linnaeus* Common Coot 131 Order Charadriiformes — shorebirds, gulls, and auks Family Charadriidae — plovers, turnstones, and allies Squatarola squatarola (Linnaeus) * Black-bellied Plover 131 Pluvialis dominica fulva (Gmelin) * Pacific Golden Plover 132 Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus Bonaparte* Semipalmated Plover 134 Charadrius dubius cur onicms GmeVm* Ring-necked Plover 135 Charadrius alexandrinv^ nihonensis Deignan * Kentish Plover 135 24 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. PAGE Charadrius mongolus stegmanni Stresemann * Mongolian Dotteral 135 Charadrius leschenaultii Lesson * Large Sand Dotteral 137 Family Scolopacidae — snipe, sandpipers, and allies Numenius phaeopus variegatus (Scopoli) * Whimbrel 137 Numenius tahitiensis (Gmelin) * Bristle-thighed Curlew 139 Numenius viadagascariensis (Linnaeus)* Long-billed Curlew 140 Limosa lapponica baueri Naumann * Pacific Godwit 140 Tringa nebularia (Gunnerus) * Greenshawk 141 Tringa melanoleuca (Gmelin) * Greater Yellow-legs 142 Tringa gJarcola Linnaeus * Wood Sandpiper 142 Actitus hypoleucos lA\nnSie\xs* Common Sandpiper 143 Heteroscelus brevipes (Vieillot) * Gray-tailed Tattler 144 Heteroscelus incanus (Gmelin) * Amer. Wandering Tattler. . 145 Arenaria interprcs interpres (Linnaeus) * Turnstone 147 Gallinago megala Swinhoe * Marsh Snipe 149 Gallinago gallinago gallinago (Linnaeus) * Common Snipe 150 Crocethia alba (Pallas) * Sanderling 150 Calidris tenuirostris (Horsfield) * Asiatic Knot 151 Erolia minuta ruficollis (Pallas)* - Little Stint 151 Erolia siibminuta (Middendorff) * Least Sandpiper 152 Erolia melanotos (Vieillot) * Pectoral Sandpiper 152 Erolia acuminata iiloTsfield) * Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 152 Erolia ferruginea (Pontoppidan) * Curlew Sandpiper 153 Limicola falcinellus sibirica Dresser* Broad-billed Sandpiper 154 Family Phalaropidae — phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus)* Northern Phalarope 154 Family Laridae — gulls and terns Larus argcntatus vegae Palmen * Herring Gull 154 Chlidonias leucoplerus (Temminck) * White-winged Black Tern. . 155 Sterna hirundo longipennis "Nor draann* Black-billed Com. Tern... 155 Sterna sumatrana sumatrana Raffles Black-naped Tern 156 "' Sterna lunata Peale Spectacled Tern 160 Sterna anaetheta anaetheta Scopoli Bridled Tern 160 '. Sterna juscata oahuensis Bloxham Sooty Tern 161 Sterna albijrons sinensis Gmelin * Least Tern 161 Thalasseiis bergii pelecanoides (King) Crested Tern 162 '•'■' Procelsterna cerulea saxatilis W. E. Fisher * Blue-gray Tern 164 •- Anoiis stolidus pileatus (Scopoli) Common Noddy 165 Anoi'is tenuirostris marcusi (Bryan) White-capped Noddy 170 ' Gygis alba Candida (Gmelin) White Tern 174 ' Gygis alba pacifica (Lesson) White Tern 180 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 25 Order Columbiformes — pigeons, doves, and allies Family Columbidae — pigeons and doves PAGE C olumba livia Gmelin t Blue Rock Pigeon 182 Ptilinopus porphyraceus ponapensis (Finsch) Crimson-crw'd Fruit Dove, 182 Ptilinopus porphyraceus hemsheimi (Finsch) Crimson-crw'd Fruit Dove, 184 Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Crimson-crw'd Fruit Dove, 185 Ptilinopus roseicapillus (Lesson) Marianas Fruit Dove 186 Ducula oceanica monacha (Momiyama) Micronesian Pigeon 190 Ducula oceanica teraokai (Momiyama) Micronesian Pigeon 193 Ducula oceanica toumsendi (Wetmore) Micronesian Pigeon 194 Ducula oceanica oceanica (Lesson and Garnot) Micronesian Pigeon 195 Ducula oceanica ratakensis (Takatsukasa and Yamashina) Micronesian Pigeon 197 Streptopelia hitorquata dusumieri (Temminck)t Philippine Turtle Dove.. . . 198 Gallicolumba canijrons (Hartlaub and Finsch) Palau Ground Dove 201 Gallicolumba xanthonura xanthonura (Tcmminck) White-thrt'd Ground Dove, 203 Gallicolumba xanthonura kubaryi (Finsch) White-thrt'd Ground Dove, 207 Caloenas nicobarica pelewensis Finsch Nicobar Pigeon 209 Order Psittaciformes — lories and parrots Family Psittacidae — lories, parrots, and allies Trichoglossus rubiginosus (Bonaparte) Ponape Lory 211 Order Cuculiformes — cuckoos, plantain-eaters Family Cuculidae — cuckoos, anis, and allies Cuculus canorus telephonus Heine* Common Cuckoo 213 Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Moore* Oriental Cuckoo 214 Eudynamis taitensis (Sparrman)* Long-tailed New Zealand Cuckoo 214 Order Strigiformes — owls Family Strigidae — owls Otus podarginm (Hartlaub and Finsch) Palau Scops Owl 215 Asio flammeus flammeus (Pontoppidan)* Short-eared Owl 217 Asio flammeus ponapensis Mayr Short-eared Owl 218 Order Caprimulgiformes — goatsuckers and allies Family Caprimulgidae — goatsuckers Caprimulgus indicus jotaka Temminck and Schlegel* Jungle Nightjar 219 Caprimulgus indicus phalaena Hartlaub and Finsch Jungle Nightjar 219 26 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Order Apodiformes — swifts and hummingbirds Family Apodidae — swifts PAGE Collocalia inexpectata pelewensis Mayr Edible Nest Swiftlet 221 Collocalia inexpectata bartschi Meams Edible Nest Swiftlet 222 Collocalia inquieta inquieta (Kittlitz) Carolines Swiftlet 224 Collocalia inquieta rukensis Kuroda Carolines Swiftlet 225 Collocalia inquieta ponapensis Mayr Carolines Swiftlet 226 Order Coraciiformes — kingfishers, rollers, and allies Family Alcedinidae — kingfishers Halcyon cinnamomina cinnamomina Swainson Micronesian Kingfisher 227 Halcyon cinnamomiyia pelewensis Wiglesworth Micronesian Kingfisher 229 Halcyon cinnamomina reichenbachii (Hartlaub) Micronesian Kingfisher 230 Halcyon chloris teraokai Kuroda White-collared Kingfisher 233 Halcyon chloris orii Takatsukasa and Yamashina White-collared Kingfisher. . 235 Halcyon chloris albicilla (Dumont) White-collared Kingfisher. . 235 Halcyon chloris owstoni Rothschild White-collared Kingfisher. . 237 Family Coraciidae — rollers Eurystomus orientalis connectens Stresemann * Dollar Bird 238 Order Passeriformes — perching birds Family Hirundinidae — swallows Hirundo rustica gutteralis Scopoli * Eastern Barn Swallow 239 Family Campephagidae — cuckoo-shrikes Edolisoma tenuirostre monachum (Hartlaub and Finsch) Cicada Bird 239 Edolisoma tenuirostre nesiotis (Hartlaub and Finsch) Cicada Bird 241 Edolisoma tenuirostre insperatum (Finch) Cicada Bird 242 Family Dicruridae — drongos Dicrurus macrocercu^ harterti S. Baker t Black Drongo 244 Family Corvidae — crows, magpies, and jays Corvus kubaryi Reichenow Marianas Crow 244 Family Turdidae — thrushes Luscinia calliope calliope (Pallas) * Siberian Rubythroat 248 Monticola solitaria philippensis (Miiller) * Chinese Blue Rock Thrush, 248 Turdus obscurus obscurus Gmelin * Dusky Thrush 248 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 27 Family Sylviidae — Old World warblers PAGE Psamathia annae Hartlaub and Finsch Acrocephalus luscinia liLScinia (Quoy and Gaimard) Acrocephalus luscinia syrinx (Kittlitz) Acrocephalus luscinia yamashinae (Takatsukasa) Acrocephalus luscinia nijoi (Yamashina) Family Muscicapidae — Old World flycatchers Palau Bush-warbler 249 Nightingale Reed-warbler. . 251 Nightingale Reed-warbler. . 254 Nightingale Reed-warbler. Nightingale Reed-warbler. Rhipidura rufifrons uraniae Oustalet Rhipidura rufifrons saipancnsis Hartert Rhipidura rufifrons mariae R. H. Baker Rhipidura rufifrons versicolor Hartlaub and Finsch Rhipidura rufifrons kubaryi Finsch Rhipidura lepida Hartlaub and Finsch Metabolus rugensis (Hombron and Jacquinot) Monarcha godcfjroyi Hartlaub Monarcha takatsukasae (Yamashina) Myiagra oceanica erythrops Hartlaub and Finch Myiagra oceanica freycineti Oustalet Myiagra oceanica oceanica Pucheran Myiagra oceanica pluto Finsch Muscicapa narcissina narcissina Temminck * Muscicapa griseisticta (Swinhoe) * Colluricincla tenebrosa (Hartlaub and Finsch Family Artamidae — wood-swallows Artamus leucorhynchus pelewensis Finsch Family Sturnidae — starlings Aplonis opacus opacus (Kittlitz) Aplonis opacus ponapensis Takatsukasa Yamashina Aplonis opacus angus Momiyama Aplonis opacus kurodai Momiyama Aplonis opacus orii (Takatsukasa and Yamashina) Aplonis opacus guami Momiyama Aplonis opacus aeneus (Takatsukasa and Yamashina) Aplonis pelzelni Finsch Aplonis corvinus (Kittlitz) Sturnu^ philippensis (Forster)* Sturnus cineraceus Temminck* Rufous-fronted Fantail . Rufous-fronted Fantail. Rufous-fronted Fantail. 256 257 261 262 263 Rufous-fronted Fantail 264 Rufous-fronted Fantail 265 Palau Fantail 266 Truk Monarch 269 Yap Monarch 272 Tinian Monarch 274 Micronesian Broadbill 275 Micronesian Broadbill 277 Micronesian Broadbill 279 Micronesian Broadbill 280 Narcissus Flycatcher 282 Chinese Gray-spotted Flycatcher 282 Palau Morning Bird 282 White-breasted Wood- swallow 284 Micronesian Starling 286 Micronesian Starling 288 Micronesian Starling 289 Micronesian Starling 291 Micronesian Starling 292 Micronesian Starling 293 Micronesian Starling 297 Ponape Mountain Starling, 299 Kusaie Mountain Starling. . 301 Violet-backed Starling 302 Ashy Starling 302 28 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Family Meliphagidae — honey-eaters Cleptornis marchei (Oustalet) Myzomela cardinalis rubratra (Lesson) Myzomela cardinalis dichromata Wetmore Myzomela cardinalis major Bonaparte Myzomela cardinalis safjordi Wetmore Myzomela cardinalis kurodai Momiyama Myzomela cardinalis kobayashii Momiyama Family Zosteropidae — white-eyes Zosterops conspicillata conspicillata (Kittlitz) Zosterops conspicillata saypani Dubois Zosterops conspicillata rotensis Takatsukasa and Yamashina Zosterops conspicillata semperi Hartlaub Zosterops conspicillata owstoni Hartert Zosterops conspicillata takatsukasai Momiyama Zosterops conspicillata hypolais Hartlaub and Finsch Zosterops cinerea cinerea (Kittlitz) Zosterops cinerea ponapensis Finsch Zosterops cinerea finschii (Hartlaub) Rukia palauensis (Reichenow) Rukia oleaginea (Hartlaub and Finsch) Rukia ruki (Hartert) Rukia sanfordi (Mayr) Family Ploceidae — weaver-finches Erythrura trichroa trichroa (Kittlitz) Erythrura trichroa clara Takatsukasa and Yamashina Erythrura trichroa pelewensis Kuroda Lonchura nigerrima minor (Yamashina) Lonchura punctulata cabanisi (Sharpe)t PAGE Golden Honey-eater 302 Cardinal Honey-eater 304 Cardinal Honey-eater 307 Cardinal Honey-eater 307 Cardinal Honey-eater 309 Cardinal Honey-eater 312 Cardinal Honey-eater 313 Bridled White-eye 31G Bridled White-eye 318 Bridled White-eye 319 Bridled White-eye 320 Bridled White-eye 321 Bridled White-eye 322 Bridled White-eye 323 Micron. Dusky White-eye, 326 Micron. Dusky White-eye, 327 Micron. Dusky White-eye, 328 Palau Greater White-eye.. 330 Yap Greater White-eye... 331 Truk Greater White-eye... 332 Ponape Greater White-eye, 333 Blue-faced Parrot-finch 336 Blue-faced Parrot-finch 337 Blue-faced Parrot-finch.... 338 Black-faced Weaver-finch . . 339 Phil. Nutmeg Mannikin... 340 DISCUSSION OF THE BIRDS OF MICRONESIA Of the 206 kinds of birds found in Micronesia, 30 kinds are classed as sea birds, 29 kinds as migratory shore birds, and 147 kinds are classed as land and fresh-water birds. For purposes of discussion these birds are arranged in these three categories, following the sys- tem used by Mayr (1945a). Oceanic Birds Oceanic birds found in Micronesia belong to the following fam- ilies: Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, Phaethontidae, Pelecanidae, Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 29 Fregatidae, and Laridae. Following Wynne-Edwards (1935:240) and Murphy (1936:326), these birds may be grouped as inshore birds (Laridae and others), offshore birds (Pelecanidae, Fregatidae and others), and pelagic birds (Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, Phae- thontidae). As shown in table 2 there are 30 kinds of oceanic birds in Micronesia, 18 kinds that are resident and 12 kinds that are re- garded as visitors to the area. Records of nestings are few; field work in the future probably will yield evidence that more kinds of oceanic birds are actually resident in the Micronesian islands. Table 2. List OF Resident and Nonresident Oceanic Birds of Micronesia Genera Resident kinds Nonresident kinds Dinme.ddn, 4 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 2 1 PuMnus 1 Pterodroma 1 Phaethon . 1 Sula Fregata 1 Larus I Chlidonias 1 Sterno, 4 Thalasseiis Procelsterna 1 Atious GvQZS Inshore Oceanic Birds The inshore zone, according to Wynne-Edwards (1935:240), ''ex- tends from high-water mark to a maximum of four or five miles out to sea, including islands and reefs within sight of shore." In Micro- nesia the majority of the Laridae occur in this zone including such residents as Sterna sumatrana, S. anaetheta, Thalasseus bergii, Anoils stolidus, A. tenuirostris, Gygis alba. These birds, especially *S. anaetheta, Thalasseus, and Anoils, may venture into the offshore zone. Visitors to Micronesia include several terns which probably 30 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. normally range in the inshore (as well as in offshore) zones, such as Childonias leucopterus and Steima hirundo. These birds feed to a considerable extent inside the outer reefs surrounding the lagoons, coming to shore frequently in small or large groups. Gygis alba probably spends considerable time on shore; stomachs examined contained fish, crustaceans and insects, indicating that they obtain some of their food ashore. Offshore and Pelagic Oceanic Birds Wynne-Edwards (1935:241) defines the offshore zone as extend- ing to the continental edge ; however, in Micronesia where small is- lands rise abruptly out of the ocean's depths, there is no useful way to separate the offshore zone from the pelagic zone. Since certain species go farther from the land than others, the two zones may be combined as a single zone extending beyond the sight of land. Birds which frequent this area beyond the inshore zone but may not range extensively at sea include Fregata, Sula, Sterna fuscata, S. hirundo, S. anaetheta, and others. The Herring Gull {Larus argen- tatus), which has been taken in the northern Marianas, may be classed with this group although it probably ranges widely in the open sea. Birds which spend considerable time at sea and may seldom approach land include Diomedea nigripes, the petrels {Puffi- nus and Pterodroma), and possibly the tropic birds (Phaethon). In numbers of individuals the birds inhabiting the inshore zones are relatively more numerous than those preferring the offshore and pelagic zones, although 12 of the 18 resident kinds of oceanic birds apparently prefer the offshore zone, while only 6 kinds appear to be restricted primarily to the inshore areas. Faunal Components The oceanic birds were probably among the earliest birds to reach the islands of Micronesia. The presence of phosphate deposits on islands (Fais, Angaur), denoting deposition of guano by oceanic birds (possibly boobies, noddies, sooty terns), indicates long time residence by these birds. A person is prone to think that these de- posits must have been made by larger concentrations of oceanic birds than are found in these islands today. Whether there were actually more individuals present during the period of deposition of phosphate in the lagoons of these islands is not known, although the elevation of the lagoons (forming the raised islands of Fais and Angaur) with the resulting freshening of the water probably was a great attraction to oceanic birds, especially to those which prefer to drink fresh water. According to Leonard P. Schultz {in litt.), Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 31 the abundance of fish in the areas about these Pacific islands has been approximately the same since Pleistocene times, so that there was apparently no greater concentration of fish near these islands to attract large populations of fish-eating sea birds. Probably the time element is of sufficient magnitude to account for such deposi- tion by birds with a population similar to that found there today. The oceanic avifauna of Micronesia contains birds which are ap- parently from ancestral homes in the Palearctic Region, in the North and Central Pacific, in Polynesia, in Melanesia and Malaysia, and from homes the positions of which are uncertain because of the widespread circumtropical occurrence of the birds. There are no sea birds that are endemic in Micronesia. Oceanic birds whose range is in the Northern Hemisphere (espe- cially Palearctica) reach the northern and western edges of Micro- nesia as winter visitors. These include Larus argentatus, Chlidonias leucopterus, and Sterna hirunxlo. Another northern gull, Larus ridi- bundus, has been reported in the Marianas. One bird of the North and Northcentral Pacific, Diomedea ni- gripes, reaches the northern Marianas where it has been taken at Agrihan. It is not unlikely that other birds of the North Pacific reach northern Micronesia as occasional visitors. Species of oceanic birds which are restricted in their distribution to Polynesia and some adjacent islands and which range to Micro- nesia, either as visitors or residents, include Puffinus tenuirostris, P. nativitatis, Pterodroma rostrata, P. hypoleuca, Sterna lunata, and Procelstema cerulea. The islands of the vast Pacific basin offer havens for many kinds of oceanic birds. Apparently there has been considerable speciation among sea birds in Polynesia, especially in its marginal areas. Micronesia has received only a small part of this avifauna. Two terms. Sterna sumatrana and Thalasseus bergii, have reached Micronesia, either directly or indirectly, each from a dispersion point somewhere in the Melanesian or the Malayan area. These two birds are restricted in their ranges to the western Pacific and the Indian oceans. Many of the species of oceanic birds found in Micronesia have circumtropical ranges. These include Puffinus pacificus, P. Ihermi- nieri, Phaethon, Sula, Fregata, Sterna anaethetus, S. fuscata, Anoiis stolidus, A. tenuirostris, and Gygis alba. Some of these kinds range along continental shores as well as in island archipelagoes. Others, like Gygis alba, are rarely found along the shores of continents or even at coastal islands. 32 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Migratory Shore Birds Twenty-eight species of shore birds of the families Charadriidae and Scolopacidae have been recorded from Micronesia, and one other of the family Phalaropodidae apparently occurs in the area, making a total of 29 kinds. From the entire Southwest Pacific, Mayr (1945a :28-47) lists 31 species and subspecies of shore birds and mentions six other species which may occur there. Thus, of a possible 37 kinds of shore birds in this large area (which includes Micronesia), 29 are present in the islands of Micronesia. For pur- poses of discussion, shore birds are here placed in one of two groups: regular visitors or uncommon visitors. A regular visitor is one which has been recorded in the literature or in unpublished field accounts as being frequently observed in Micronesia in periods of migration. An uncommon visitor is one which has been infrequently observed in Micronesia. Of the 28 kinds of shore birds recorded from Micronesia, 17 are classed as regular visitors and 11 are classed as uncommon visitors. Original Homes of the Shore Birds that Visit Micronesia The shore birds which are known to visit Micronesia breed in the Northern Hemisphere. Table 3 summarizes the data concerning the Table 3. Breeding and Wintering Grounds of the Species of Migr.atory Shore Birds in Micronesia Part A. Location of breeding grounds Class Number Circum- polar* 5 2 Asiatic American Regular visitors 17 11 10 8 2 Uncommon visitors 1 Totals 28 7 18 3 Part B. Location of wintering grounds Class Number Circum- tropical Asiatic American Oceanic Regular visitors .... Uncommon visitors. . 17 11 2 1 13 8 1 2 1 Totals 28 3 21 3 1 •Denotes birds which breed on both American and Asiatic sides of the Pacific Ocean. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 33 breeding and wintering areas of these birds. As shown in part A of table 3, 18 of the 28 species which visit Micronesia come from Asiatic breeding grounds. Seven have circumpolar breeding ranges and three (two are regular visitors) come from American breeding grounds. As shown in part B of table 3, 21 of the 28 waders have their winter ranges on the Asiatic side of the Pacific with eastern extensions to Micronesia and other parts of Oceania. Of the 7 re- maining species, the winter ranges of three are circumtropical ; the winter range of a fourth is restricted to Oceania; and the winter ranges of the remaining three (two classed as uncommon visitors) are American. Bryan and Greenway (1944:109-115) record 14 species of shore birds from the Hawaiian Islands, One of these, Himantopus himan- topus knudsoni, is a resident, probably of New World origin, accord- ing to Mayr (1943:56). The others, listed in table 7, include three species unknown in Micronesia. One of these, Phalaropus fulicarus, apparently winters at sea off the west coast of South America. The other two species {Charadrius vociferus vociferus and Gallinago delicata) are classified by Bryan and Greenway as "accidental" and "occasional" visitors from North America. The ten species com- mon to both the Hawaiian Islands and Micronesia include seven whose breeding grounds are circumpolar, two whose breeding grounds are in Arctic America and one whose breeding ground is in Arctic Asia. The winter ranges of these ten species include four which are circumtropical, three which are Asiatic, one which is restricted to Oceania, and only two which are American. The ability of the shore birds to migrate almost as well over water as over land may explain their spread into Oceania. The likelihood that shore birds, when migrating may have ventured to ]\Iicronesia and Polynesia initially from the Asiatic side of the Pacific is strongly suggested by the data given in the paragraph above. Also, on the Asiatic side of the Pacific there are large numbers of islands, which form several archipelagoes extending from Kamchatka south to Malaysia. Once accustomed to migrating along these chains of islands from the Arctic to Australia, birds would probably have to make only minor adjustments to extend the breadth of their migra- tory routes eastward into the islands of the Pacific Ocean. In con- trast, on the Pacific coast of North America there are few coastal or offshore islands and there is a vast area of open water separating the Hawaiian Islands from the American mainland. Probably the vast- ness of this area of water offers little stimulus to birds to expand 3—8131 34 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. their migratory ranges westward, and in part accounts for the small North American contingent in the population of shore birds of the Central Pacific. Some North American shore birds do visit the Pa- cific. The brisk trade winds from the northeast might be an aid to the birds in their flights from Nearctica to Hawaii. The long flight now made by shore birds going from the Aleutians to the Hawaiian Islands may have commenced as a gradual expan- sion from the west, or perhaps such a route was initiated by birds flying northward through the Hawaiian Chain to the Arctic in mi- grating to their breeding grounds, and then later returning via the same route to reach their wintering grounds. Routes of Migration The small and isolated islands of Oceania might, upon first inspec- tion, seem to offer but little attraction to shore birds. Hesse, Allee and Schmidt (1937:172, 173) point out that the "open southeastern Pacific" being least supplied with water from land sources, which is an important means of fertility, is known to have one of the poorest faunas found anywhere in the oceans. However, there are extensive tidal flats, especially on the leeward sides of the islands, and these Fig. 6. Routes of migration used by shore birds in the Pacific area. From west to east these are: The Asiatic-Palauan Fly way, the Japanese-Marianan Flyway, the Nearctic-Hawaiian Flyway. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 35 flats apparently afford extensive feeding grounds for these birds. Also, the absence of competition from resident birds as well as the virtual absence of predatory animals (native man and his domesti- cated animals excepted) are other factors which may help to make the islands attractive wintering grounds for shore birds. Only a few birds have been banded in the Pacific, and the knowl- edge which comes from the recovery of banded birds gives but little aid to the student of movements of birds in the Pacific. The prob- able flyways for migratory shore birds there have to be deduced from sight records, data from specimens collected, known stations of breeding and wintering (summarized by Peters, 1934:234-293), and from a study of maps of the region. Analysis of information from the above-mentioned sources indicates that there are three routes taken by shore birds which migrate from Micronesia to and from their northern breeding grounds (see figure 6) : (1) Asiatic-Palauan Flyway; (2) Japanese-Marianan Flyway; (3) Nearctic-Hawaiian Flyway. 1. Asiatic-Palauan Flyway. For shore birds, there appears to be a migration route extending almost due south from the Riu Kiu and the Japanese islands to the Palau Islands. Some birds may migrate via the Philippines and others may pass to the east of the Philippines. This route is considered to be distinct from that used by birds which follow the Asiatic Coast and coastal islands, because the Palau Islands are situated approximately 600 miles east of the Philippines. Moreover, there are fewer species — only 20 recorded from the Palaus as compared with the number recorded from islands closer to the mainland of Asia. Delacour and Mayr (1946:68-74) list 46 species of shore birds from the Philippines; the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al, 1942) lists 34 species from the Riu Kiu Islands. The information available indicates that migrant shore birds which utilize this flyway move east into the Carolines (examples, Tringa nebularia, Charadrius leschcnaultii) ; however, the recording of 20 species from the Palaus as compared with only 12 species in the western Carolines (table 4) indicates that this spread eastward may not be very pronounced. Migrants in autumn probably move from the Palaus in a southerly direction toward the New Guinea area. Eight species of shore birds which reach the Palaus (and adjacent islands in the western Carolines), are not recorded from other parts of Micronesia. Species which apparently utilize the Asiatic-Palauan Flyway are listed in table 5. 36 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. 2. Japanese-Marianan Flyway. Shore birds from Asiatic, and probably Aleutian and Alaskan, breeding grounds may follow the Asiatic Coast or the adjacent island chains southeast to the Japa- nese Archipelago. From there some of the birds apparently fiy south through the Bonin and Volcano islands to the Marianas, from where they may spread in fanlike fashion to the southeast, south and southwest, even reaching to the Palau Islands (example, Heter- oscelus incanus) . The number of species of shore birds recorded from the Marianas (see table 4) is greater than that found in the Carolines, but it must be remembered that more intensive investiga- tions have been made by ornithologists in the Marianas, which might account for the recording of more species (especially strag- glers, such as Gallinago gallinago) . Species which apparently use this flyway are named in table 6. 3. Nearctic-Hawaiian Flyway. Shore birds from breeding grounds in western Canada, Alaska, the Aleutians, the Bering Sea area, and probably northeastern Asia may fly in a southerly direc- tion along a broad front to the Hawaiian Islands. This flyway is probably the one which supplies to central and eastern Oceania the largest wintering populations of shore birds. From the Hawaiian Islands birds may fly directly south through the scattered islands to southern Polynesia, or they may fly in a southwesterly direction and reach the Marshall Islands. The shore birds which visit tlie Marshall Islands apparently move south through the Gilbert, Ellice and other more southern island groups rather than west into the Carolines as exemplified by the fact that Numenius tahitiensis, a characteristic migrant through the Marshalls from the Hawaiian Islands, is rarely found west of the Marshall Islands in Micronesia. Species which apparently use this flyway are listed in table 7. Flyways additional to the three suggested above may be utilized by some shore birds on their southward (and northward) migrations. Species reaching Wake and the Marcus Islands may fly directly south from the islands of the North Pacific. Bryan (1903:115, 116) lists four species of shore birds from Marcus {Erolia acuminata, Heteroscelus incanus, Pluvialis dominica, Arenaria interpres). Table 4. List of Species of Shore Birds Known From Five Geographical Areas of Micronesia Western Central Eastern Palaus Carolines Marianas Carolines Carolines Marshalls Number of species 20 12 17 11 10 10 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 37 Table 5. Shore Birds Which May Use the Asiatic-Palauan Flyway Uncommon? Visitors Charachius dubius curonicus Charadrius alexandrinus Calidris tenuirostris Erolm jerruginea Erolia suhminuta Limicola jalcineUus sibirica Regular Visitors Pluvialis dominica fulva Charadrius mongolus stegmanni Charadrius leschenaultii Numenius phaeopus variegaius Numenius madagascariensis Limosa lapponica baueri Tringa nebularia Tringa glareola Actitis hypoleucos Heteroscelus brevipes Arenaria i. interpres Gallinago megala Erolia minuta ruficoUis Erolia acuminata Table 6. Shore Birds Which May Use the Japanese-Marianan Flyway Regular Visitors Pluvialis dominica julva Charadrius m.ongolus stegmanni Numenius phaeopus variegatus Limosa lapponica baueri Actitis hypoleucos Heteroscelus brevipes Heteroscelus incanus Arenaria i. interpres Gallinago megala Crocethia alba Erolia acuyninata Table 7. Shore Birds Which May Use the Nearctic-Hawaiian Flyway Uncommon? Visitors Sqimtarola squatarola Numenius tahitiensis Nu m e n ins madagascariensis Tringa glareola Gallinago gallinago gallinago Erolia minuta ruficoUis Regular Visitors Pluvialis dominica julva* Numenius tahitiensis* Heteroscelus incanus* Arenaria i. interpres* Crocethia alba* Phalaroptis julicarius Phalaropus lobatus*? Uncommon? Visitors Squatarola squatarola* Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus^ Charadrius r\ vocijerus Limosa lapponica baucii* Tringa mclanolerica*^ Gnllinago delicala Erolia melanotos* Erolia acuminata* •Indicates species which are found in Micronesia. tindicates species not recorded from the Hawaiian Islands; see Brvan and Greenway (1944: 109-115). Populations of Shore Birds in Micronesia Although shore birds have been observed in Micronesia on many occasions, actual counts of numbers of individuals of the different birds have rarely been made. Kubary, Finsch, Marche, Scale and other early collectors and observers record some data of this kind 38 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. as have the Japanese investigators in later times. William Coultas of the Whitney South Sea Expedition obtained considerable infor- mation of this nature at Guam, Saipan, Kusiae, Ponape, and the Palaus, but it is unpublished. His records were made in fall, winter and spring, when migrants were present in large numbers and these observations offer evidence that many of the migrants are com- paratively numerous, especially in the Carolines, throughout the winter months. McElroy's observations made on his trip for NAMRU2 to Truk in December, 1945, offer further evidence of this. Table 8. Populations of Migratory Shore Birds Seen at Guam in 1945 CO 03 -(— .f.— 3 •I s 00 § o d =2 CO =1, CO "2 03 •5 o c s Q. s !~. s Sr *-< tn s ^ ^ m ■(?» o o O g CO OJ , ^ , ^ S S s ."S O g TS oj c3 ^ « ■♦.A jt ■« *i .<; o 15 1) s^ ^ O O Q, o :^ ^ &: ^ ^ ^q '^ P H H March 11 X 10 X X X 13 X X 1 March 17 1 X 2 X 3 March 19 X ^ April 24 1 April 26 1 1 1 May 19 3 ?. 5 1 May 21 4 4 1 May 26 X ?. X 1 June 1 1 X 1 12 2 1 X 1 14 3 2 2 1 June 6* X X 4 June 11 1 June 12 2 ? June 22 1 2 2 June 30 1 July 7 9. 1 July 8 3 X 1 ,x 3 July 16* 6 3 3 4 17 4 July 19 X X X X 3 July 24* 10 6 3 ?. 3 29 fi July 26 8 8 1 August 2 X X 2 August 3 1 1 1 August 6* 6 1? IS 2 September 29 X X X X 2 October 3* X X X X X X 2 October 10 X 2 X 4 October 11 2 X 2 X 1 October 23* X X X 1 1 5 October 24 X X 1 X Observed but numbers not recorded. * Observations made on beach at Agfayan Bay area. t Figures based on identified skins. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 39 None of the above workers, however, obtained very much informa- tion on comparative numbers of species. Tables 8, 9, and 10 present the writer's findings on populations of migratory shore birds in Micronesia in 1945. At Guam, as shown in table 8, the records for March, April and early May are few, owing to a limited amount of field observation. Beginning in late May and until October 24 a greater amount of time was spent in the field and more regular records were obtained. No observations were made by the author at Guam in the period from August 11 to September 25. The dates marked with an asterisk are those on which observations were made on the extensive tidal flats at Ag- fayan Bay and vicinity. These fiats, at low tide, present excellent feeding grounds for waders and in 1945 were undisturbed by parties of service personnel, because the area was "off-limits." Table 8 shows that Pluvialis dominica, Numenius phaeopus, and Heteroscelus spp. were the shore birds most frequently found at Guam in this period. Pluvialis dominica was the most numerous of the three species. Of Heteroscelus there was approximately equal representation of H. incanus and H. brevipes as indicated by speci- mens collected. These birds were not identified to species in the field. Although records were made only infrequently in the spring mi- gration, such information as was obtained indicates that the popu- lations were largest in March and early April. On April 24, Pluvi- alis dominica was the only bird observed on beaches and in upland openings. On April 26, a single Limosa lapponica was recorded. On May 15, no shore bird was seen on a trip along several beaches. In late May and early June, single individuals of Heteroscelus were found. Of this genus, those collected in May were in nuptial plum- age, and those collected in June were in winter plumage and prob- ably should be classed as non-migrants. Numenius phaeopus was occasionally recorded beginning in early June, but waders were totally absent from beaches at Agfayan Bay and vicinity on June 18 and 19. Few shore birds were seen in early August. In late September, birds, especially Pluvialis dominica, Numenius phaeopus, and Heteroscelus spp., were numerous. These species were numer- ous until October 24, when observations were discontinued. Of the 17 species of migratory shore birds recorded from the Mariana Islands, eight were identified. Of these eight, three species, Limosa lapponica, Actitis hypoleucos, and Charadrius mongolus, were found on only one occasion. Never more than four species 40 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. were identified on a single field trip. These data give an idea of the lack of variety of species that may be observed on Micronesian islands. Table 9. Populations of Migratory Shore Birds Seen at Ulithi Atoll IN 1945 Island and Date Species Potangeras Fas- sarai Mange- jang Pau Losiep Aug. 14 Aug. 15 Aug. 16 Aug 17 Aug. 19 Aug. 20 Aug. 21 Aug. 22 Pluvialis dominica 6 5 4 10 X 1 2 6 30 5 Charadrius mongolus 2 Numenius phaeopus Acititis hypoleucos 1 4 1 2 2 Heteroscelus snn 2 1 3 H. incanus * 2 Crocethia alba 5 Total No. of Individuals .... Total No. of Species 1 1 4 1 6 1 6 2 6 2 1 1 49 6 21 6 X Observed but numbers not recorded. * Figures based on identified skins. Table 9 lists the shore birds seen at Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, on eight field excursions in the period from August 14 to August 22, 1945. Of seven species of shore birds known to visit the atoll, six were taken in this period. As observed at Guam, Pluvialis dominica and Numenius phaeopus were the species most frequently found. Heteroscelus was seen on three occasions; those collected were iden- tified as H. incanus. Most of the shore birds were seen at Pau and Losiep, islands unoccupied by man. Similar tidal flats are present at most of the other small islands in the atoll, but these islands (Asor, Fallalop, Potangeras, Fassarai and Mangejang were visited) were occupied by small detachments of service personnel or by na- tives, which may have tended to keep many of the shore birds away. At the more populated islands of Asor and Fallalop, no shore birds Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 41 were seen. Almost as many species were recorded at Ulithi on the eight field trips as were found by the author at Guam in eight months of observations. Table 10. Populations of Migr.atory Shore Birds Seen at the Palau Islands IN 1945 Peleliu Angaur Species August September Sept. 24 28 1 6* 8* 9t 16* 20* 21 Pluvialis dominica .... Charadrius mongolu . . . X X X X X X 25 25 25 30 1 3 ...... 20 5 5 20 3 X X X X 15 X X C. leschenaultii X Numenius phaeopus . . X N. madagascariensis . . . Limosa lapponica Tringa nebidaria 6 T. alareolat 1 Actitis hypoleucos 2 Heteroscelus sp X 3 75 2 20 X 2 X X H brevipesX Arenaria inter pres Capella megala 4 Calidris tenuirostris .... 15 50 20 50 Erolia minuta .... X X X E. acuminatiX 3 E ferruainea t 1 Limicola falcinellusX ■ ■ ■ 1 Unidentified .\ X X X X X Total number of individuals Total number of species X 1 6 1 X 3 X 7 271 + 10 3 2 129 + 9 X 7 X 10 * Observations made on beaches at Akarakoro Point, Peleliu. t Observations made at fresh water ponds. X Observed but numbers not recorded. t Figures based on identified skins. Table 10 presents field counts at the Palau Islands in the period from August 24 to September 21, 1945. Of 20 species of shore birds known from the Palaus, 17 species were collected or identified on this trip. It was apparent that the fall migration was at its height at this time. Birds were numerous at inland openings and ponds, air field strips, and on the extensive tidal flats at Akarakoro Point. The latter area is between Peleliu and the adjacent island of Ngesebus to the north. Several observations were made at this area (as indicated by the dates marked with asterisks in the table) ; on September 8, 271+ shore birds were counted; on September 16, 42 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. 129+ were counted. Six species were observed to be abundant. The majority of the birds found at these beaches were in small flocks which consisted of several birds of one or more species. The birds observed at Angaur on September 21 were seen at sev- eral fresh and brackish ponds. Four species {Tringa glareola, Erolia acuminata, Limicola falcinellus, Gallinago megala) , which were not taken on the tidal flats or elsewhere at Peleliu, were found at these ponds. The abundance, and more especially the variety, of shore birds at the Palau Islands during this period was in marked contrast to the smaller and less diversified populations of shore birds in rather simi- lar insular environments at Ulithi and Guam. These differences offer support for the supposition that the Asiatic-Palauan Migratory Shore Bird Flyway is distinct from the Japanese-Marianan Migra- tory Shore Bird Flyway. Land and Fresh-water Birds The land and fresh-water avifauna of Micronesia consists of 147 kinds of birds. Of these, 37 kinds are non-residents, 104 kinds are residents, and 6 kinds have been introduced by man. The 104 resi- dent birds include 98 kinds (94 percent) which are found only within the confines of Micronesia. Included in these 98 kinds which are restricted to Micronesia are 5 endemic genera, 31 endemic spe- cies and 76 endemic subspecies. Gulick (1932: 407, 413) stresses that the fauna and flora of the oceanic islands may be "disharmonic" (he uses Easter Island as his example) and says, "It is evident that mature groups of islands will attain an internal harmony, from the standpoint of the systematist. But this harmony, instead of reflecting the pre-existing harmony of some continental source (as in the case of the continental islands or land-bridge remnants) will be recognizably derivable by descent from a quite limited number of original importations, at the start distinctly miscellaneous and 'disharmonic'." Analysis of the land and fresh-water avifauna of Micronesia supports Gulick's view. As mentioned previously, the islands of Micronesia, from the zoogeographical viewpoint, have been regarded as a part of the Polynesian Subregion of the Australian Region. Mayr (1941a: 192) defines the Polynesian Subregion as comprising "all the tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Basin which indicate by their im- poverished fauna that they have had no recent continental connec- tion (after early Tertiary) and which derived the major part of Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 43 their fauna directly or indirectly from the Papuan Region or jointly from Australia and the Papuan Region." As based on the distribu- tion of the resident avifauna, Mayr (1941a: 193) subdivides the Polynesian Subregion into the following districts: Micronesia ("in- cluding Palau, the Marianne, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert is- lands") ; Central Polynesia ("including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Phoe- nix, Ellice, Union islands, and a number of small islands, such as Rotuma, Fotuna, Keppel, Niue, Niouafu, and Uvea") ; Eastern Polynesia ("all the islands east of 165°W") ; and Southern Mela- nesia ("including the Santa Cruz group, Banks Islands, New Hebri- des, Loyalty Islands, and New Caledonia"). He considers that the Hawaiian Islands, Solomon Islands, and possibly New Caledonia are bordering districts to the Polynesian Subregion. Figure 7 show^s Fig. 7. Divisions of the islands of part of the Pacific Basin from the standpoint of the distribution of land birds and fresh-water birds: (1) Mi- cronesia; (2) Hawaii; (3) Central Polynesia; (4) Eastern Polynesia; (5) Southern Melanesia; (6) Melanesia. the divisions of the islands of the Pacific Basin from the standpoint of the distribution of the land and fresh-water birds. I have placed the Gilbert and Marshall islands in the Central Polynesian rather than in the Micronesian District. For purposes of discussion in this report, however, I am considering the Marshalls to be a part of Micronesia. The birdlife of the Bonin and Volcano islands north- ward of the Marianas is regarded as having its closest affinities to the Japanese avifauna. The Papuan or Melaneslan Subregion of the Australian Region includes the districts of New Guinea and 44 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, Northern Melanesia, including the Bismarck Archipelago, the Ad- miralty Islands, and the Solomon Islands. The resident land and fresh-water birds of Micronesia have been derived from several sources. Studies of these birds and their closest relatives in adjacent areas indicate that the avifauna has been derived from five different sources: Polynesia, Melanesia, the Moluccas and Celebes, Philippines, and Palearctica. Polynesian Component Aphanolininas monasa (extinct ?), Ptilinopus porphyraceus, and Ducula oceanica are the only species of birds which have reached Micronesia directly from Polynesia. There are in Micronesia, as Mayr (1941b: 204) points out, eight species "which are members of typically Polynesian species or genera" and six species which are either Papuan or Polynesian. The relationships between Polynesian and Micronesian birds is evident, but insofar as the pathways of colonization are concerned the majority of these Micronesian species listed by Mayr have come from elsewhere than Polynesia and the birds of these two areas are thought to have arisen from common ancestors. Aphanolimnas, Ptilinopus, and Ducula apparently in- vaded Micronesia from Central Polynesia via the Marshall Islands through a rather continuous chain of islands and atolls. Aphano- limnas is known only from Kusaie in the extreme eastern part of the Carolines while Ptilinopus and Ducula are known from the Marshalls, Carolines, and Palaus. Melanesian Component The Papuan or Melanesian Region (New Guinea, Bismarck Archi- pelago, Solomon Islands) has supplied to Micronesia its greatest number of endemic land and fresh-water residents. Fifty kinds of birds belonging to the following species reached Micronesia from Melanesia: Nycticorax caledonicus, Megapodhis laperouse, Ptilino- pus roseicapillus, Gallicoluniba xanthonura, G. canijrons, Caloenas nicobarica, Halcyon cinnamomiyia, Trichoglossus rubiginosus, Col- localia inquieta, Edolisoma temdrostre, Rhipidura rufijrons, Metab- obis regensis, Monarcha godefjroyi, M. takatsukasae, C olluricincla tenebrosa, Aplonis opacus, A. pelzelni, A. corvinus (extinct ?), Clep- tornis marchei, Myzomela cardinalis (probably by way of Southern Melanesia), Rukia palauensis, R. oleaginea, R. ruki, R. sanfordi, Erythrura trichroa. The colonization of Micronesia by these species has probably extended over a considerable period of time. Megapo- dius, Trichoglossus, and Aplonis corvinus may represent older coloni- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 45 zations which have become well differentiated from the ancestral forms; Nycticorax, Myzomela, and Erythrura may have become established later and have had "less time" to become modified from the ancestral forms. Birds from Melanesia have reached Micronesia probably by direct flight to the Caroline Islands. Aided by favorable winds which blow from the southwest, south and southeast during the period from May to November, birds, particularly the young of the year, might conceivably be blown in the direction of the Caro- lines, where 57 percent of the birds derived from Melanesia reside. The Palaus are populated with 15 percent, the Marianas with 28 percent, and the Marshalls (lacking "high" islands) with none; these may be secondary colonizations from the Carolinas excepting Ptilinopus, Megapodius, Gallicolumba canifrons, Cleptornis, and Colluricincla. The Marshall Islands have received no avian compo- nents from Melanesia. The absence of "high" islands in the Mar- shalls and the possible inability of birds accustomed to life on the luxuriant islands of Melanesia to become established on relatively barren atolls are logical reasons for this. Instead of New Guinea itself, the outlying islands of Melanesia (Bismarck Archipelago, Solomons, Southern Melanesia) probably have been the principal "taking-off" places for birds invading Micronesia. MOLUCCAN AND CeLEBESIAN COMPONENTS Birds which reached Micronesia by way of the islands of Celebes and the Moluccas may have been derived originally from Melanesia. The following birds appear to have used this route: Poiyhyrio por- phyrio, probably Halcyon chloris, Rhipidura lepida, Mijiagra oce- anica, Zosterops conspicillata, and Z. cinerea. These birds appar- ently became established initially in the Palaus; Porphyrio and Rhipidura lepida have not been recorded elsewhere in Micronesia, but Myiagra and the two species of Zosterops have spread to the Carolines and Marianas, although not into the Marshall Islands. Wind from the southeast in summer and fall has probably been a factor aiding these colonizations. The population of Gallinula chlor- opus resident at Palau may also have arrived by this route. Philippine Component Ten of the kinds of birds of Micronesia have come from or by way of the Philippine area. These are known principally from the Palaus and the Marianas and include: Rallus philippinus, R. owstoni, Po- liolimnas cinereus, Caprimulgus indicus, Corvus kubaryi, Psamathia annae, Artamus leucorhynchus, possibly Lonchura nigerrima, and 46 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Collocalia inexpectata. The Philippines may have been the actual point of dispersal of the birds (example, Psamathia) , or may have been used as a stepping stone to Micronesia by birds coming from Melanesia (examples, Rallus and Artamus), by birds from Malaysia (example, Collocalia), and by birds from Asia (example, Caprimul- giis) . Two birds of this component have reached the islands of east- ern Micronesia. A subspecies of Lonchura nigerrima is endemic at Ponape, and a subspecies of Poliolimnas cinereus occurs on several islands in the Carolines and has even been recorded at Bikini in the Marshall Islands. Three species are known only from the Palaus; two are known only from the Marianas. Palearctic Component Birds of Micronesia which have been derived directly from Pale- arctica are Gallinula chloropus guami, Otus podarginus, Asia jlam- meus, Acrocephalus luscinia and Anas oustaleti. Apparently Galli- nula, Asia, and Acrocephalus arrived in Micronesia by way of the chain of islands from Japan southward to the Bonins, Volcanoes, and Marianas. Otus reached Palau from Asia, possibly by way of the Philippines. The smallness of the representation of this com- ponent may result partly from lesser ability of the northern birds Fig. 8. Faunal areas from which the resident land birds and fresh-water birds of Micronesia have been derived. (1) Palearctica; (2) PhiHppines; (3) Moluccas and Celebes (Malaysia) ; (4) Melanesia (New Guinea and north- ern Melanesia) ; (5) Polynesia. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 47 to adapt themselves to, and to establish themselves on, the semi- tropical and tropical islands of Micronesia as compared with birds from Melanesia where the climate and ecologic conditions resemble more closely those found in Micronesia. Evidence supporting this possibility is the large number of Palearctic residents in the Bonin and Volcano islands as compared with fewer in the Marianas; the Bonins and Volcanoes are less tropical and more temperate in climate. Table 11 lists the birds concerned, by faunal areas from which the birds have been derived and shows the number of kinds of birds which are present as a result of these colonizations. There is some overlap in the numbers since some endemics may be found in more than one area in Micronesia. Figure 8 shows the faunal areas from which the endemic land and fresh-water birds of Micronesia have been derived. Melanesia (Papua) supplied 52 percent of this popu- lation. Birds reaching Micronesia by way of the Moluccas and Celebes include 21 percent of the total population. The Philippines have supplied 10 percent; Polynesia, 9 percent; and Palearctica, 8 percent. This population of endemic land birds and fresh-water birds has seemingly evolved from 46 colonizations, of which 27 have been derived from Melanesia, 6 from the Philippines, 5 from the Moluccan and Celebean areas, 5 from Palearctica, and 3 from Polynesia, The Palaus have received a large part of their avifauna from the west (Moluccas, Philippines, Palearctica) . Their Melanesian com- ponent is mostly the result of secondary colonization from the Caro- lines. The Carolines have received a greater share of their land birds and fresh-water birds from Melanesia and a smaller share from Polynesia. The Marshalls are definitely associated with the Polynesian element. The Marianas exhibit a considerable amount of secondary colonization from other Micronesian islands, as well as some unique components from the Philippines, Melanesia, and Pale- arctica. Thus, the number of endemics in Micronesia provides little information concerning the actual number of successful coloniza- tions by birds from other areas. Many of the endemics probably have resulted in this way: Individuals of an endemic subspecies flew to another island and there underwent further differentiation, producing another endemic subspecies. Such secondary colonization probably is going on now. This analysis of the avifauna shows that Micronesia, with the exception of the Marshall Islands (and the Gilbert Islands), has 48 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. but little affinity to Polynesia. It has greater affinity, from the zoogeographical standpoint, with the Papuan Region (Melanesia). Table 11. Avifaunal Components Which Make Up the Endemic Resident Land and Fresh-water Bird Population of Micronesia Faunal Component Palau Western and central Carolines Eastern Carolines Marianas Marshalls Polynesian 2 11 6 6 2 3 14 3 2 1 5 16 4 2 2 12 7 4 5 3 Melanesian Moluccan-Celebean . Philippine 1 Palearctic Totals 27 23 29 2S 4 Speciation Of the 104 native fresh- water birds and land birds which are res- ident in Micronesia, only 7 kinds or 6.5 percent remain undifferen- tiated from populations elsewhere. These birds are Phalacrocorax melanoleucus, Pandion haliaetus, Demigretta sacra, Ixobrychus sinensis, Anas poecilorhyncha, and possibly Lonchura punctulata (may be an introduction by man). Another bird, Gallinula chlo- ropus, a resident at Palau, may or may not be distinct from the gallinule of Malaysia, G. c. orientalis. Of the 104 resident birds, 97 kinds or 93.5 percent have become differentiated and can be sepa- rated taxonomically from populations elsewhere. Of the kinds of birds which are found only in Micronesia, there are 5 endemic genera (16 percent), 31 endemic species (32 percent) and 76 endemic sub- species (75 percent). If we consider the avifauna of Micronesia as a single element, the endemism is high as compared with that on larger and less isolated islands. For example, Mayr (1944a: 174) found 137 resident birds on Timor including 22 endemic species (16 percent) and 67 endemic subspecies (47.5 percent). Stresemann (1939b: 313) found 220 species including 84 endemic species (38.2 percent) on Celebes. Mayr (1944a: 174) also writes that on Java, of 337 breeding species, 16 (4.8 percent) are endemic, and on New Caledonia, of 68 species 19 (27.9 percent) are endemic. Speciation in Micronesia has not progressed much farther than that at New Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 49 Caledonia and not so far as at Celebes, but siibspeciation has pro- gressed considerably more than at the island of Timor. The avi- fauna of the Hawaiian Islands, as recorded by Bryan and Greenway (1944), has 73 resident land birds and fresh-water birds, all of which are endemic, including one family, 23 genera and 36 species. The North American night heron, Nycticorax n. hoactli, may be included in this list as the only resident which is undifferentiated. The devel- opment of full specific differentiation within the resident avifauna is greater in the more isolated Hawaiian chain where 49 percent of these birds are regarded as endemic species, while in Micronesia, which is less remote from other bodies of land, the specific endemism is only 32 percent. Table 12. Endemism in Families of Native Land and Fresh-water Birds IN Micronesia Family Residents Endemic genera Endemic species Endemic subspecies Total endemic Phalacrocoracidae . . . Ardeidae I 3 '2 1 2 7 13 1 2 1 5 7 3 1 5 14 1 9 7 14 5 1* 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 2 6 3t 1 6 1 2 4 11 1 1 5 7 3 4 9 1 7 6 10 4 1 Anatidae 1 Accipitridae Megapodidae Rallidae Columbidae Psittacidae Strigidae Caprimulgidae Apodidae A cedinidae Campephagidae. . . . Corvidae 2 6 13 1 2 1 5 7 3 1 Sylviidae Muscicapidae Artamidae Sturnidae 5 14 1 9 Meliphagidae Zosteropidae Ploceidae 7 14 4 Totals 104 5 31 76 97 * Aphanollmonasa is included but may be extinct. t Aplonis corvinus is included but may be extinct. Table 12 lists the families of land birds and fresh-water birds which have resident members as part of the avifauna of Micronesia. It can be observed from the table that only two families are repre- sented by no endemic kinds, several families are represented by one or two endemic kinds, and others are represented by as many as 14 4-^131 50 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. endemic kinds. Endemism has reached its greatest development in the families Rallidae (6), Columbidae (13), Apodidae (5), Alcedi- nidae (7), Sylviidae (5), Muscicapidae (14), Sturnidae (9),Meliph- agidae (7), and Zosteropidae (14). Generic endemism is greatest in the Sylviidae where one endemic genus occurs among 5 endemic spe- cies and subspecies (20 percent), in Rallidae one in 6 (17 percent), in Meliphagidae one in 7 (14 percent). Specific endemism is great- est in Psittacidae and Corvidae where the single representative of each family in Micronesia is considered specifically distinct (100 percent), in Megapodidae and Strigidae one in 2 (50 percent), in Muscicapidae and Zosteropidae 6 in 14 (43 percent) in Sylviidae 2 in 5 (40 percent), in Rallidae 2 in 6 (33 percent), in Sturnidae 3 in 9 (33 percent) in Columbidae 4 in 13 (31 percent). Subspeciation within species which are endemic in Micronesia has occurred in 8 families, occurring within two species in each of the families Colum- bidae and Zosteropidae and once in each of the families Megapo- didae, Apodidae, Alcedinidae, Sylviidae, Muscicapidae, and Stur- nidae. In summary, the families of land and fresh-water birds found in Micronesia which have the greatest number of endemic forms are Muscicapidae (14), Zosteropidae (14), Columbidae (13), and Stur- nidae (9). Speciation has occurred in the single representative of the families Psittacidae {Trichoglossus rubiginosus) and Corvidae {Corvus kubaryi). Where family representation is large, speciation has occurred most frequently, as in the Muscicapidae (6 in 14 = 43 percent), in the Zosteropidae (6 in 14 = 43 percent), and in the Co- lumbidae (4 in 13 = 31 percent). Subspeciation has occurred in 8 families, in two species in the Columbidae and Zosteropidae and in one species in each of 6 other families. Time of Colonization Previously (and in the accounts of the species to follow), com- ments are made concerning the subjects of from where and by what route the various kinds of birds have arrived at Micronesia. The problem of when these birds arrived is a difficult and usually un- answerable one. Although geology provides some evidence on the relative age of the islands, and although deposits of bird guano on now elevated coral islands show that oceanic birds have inhabited these islands for a long time, there is no evidence to show the time of the first colonization by land birds. No fossil remains of land birds or fresh-water birds have been found in Micronesia. The relative extent of differentiation in color and structure, which has Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 51 taken place between different birds, offers one means for estimating the relative length of residence in the area, provided all other fac- tors are equivalent. Concerning the birds of the Galapagos, Lack (1947:113) writes "That Darwin's finches are so highly differen- tiated suggests that they colonized the Galapagos considerably ahead of the other land birds." Evidence from this source actually is of little value, because the speed of evolution is unknown and its rate may be different in different species, even though they live under the same circumstances. Dobzhansky (1941) says that evo- lution is a modification of the genetic equilibrium, which, if true, may not result in similar manifestations in different kinds of birds living under the same conditions of life. Relative antiquity of the birds might be ascertained by measuring their ecologic adaptations. The Guam Rail {RalliLS oavstoni) and the Micronesian White- browed Rail {Poliolimnas) can be examined in this way. R. owstoni has the ability to live in both brackish and fresh water swamps, as well as in the scrub and grass of the uplands and in the virtually barren, rocky areas in the dense jungles. Poliolimnas, on the other hand, appears to be restricted to swampy areas in Micronesia. If the swampy areas were removed this rail probably would become extinct. R. owstoni appears to have been resident in Micronesia longer than Poliolimnas. However, ability to live in a variety of habitats might be acquired by R. owstoni in a relatively short time. Another possibility is that the birds, which are less differentiated from their ancestral stocks, may be less differentiated because of suppression of newly evolved characters by dilutions, which result from interbreeeding with new birds, which may be arriving at irreg- ular intervals from the ancestral home. Interbreeding of the resi- dent population with newcomers may overshadow any modifications which might have appeared as a result of insular isolation, especi- ally modifications which have little adaptive significance. One would suspect, from their modifications, that Rallus owstoni, Meta- bolus rugensis, Corvus kubaryi, and other endemic forms have ex- perienced less of this "dilution," than such birds as Rallus philippen- sis pelewensis, Artamus leucorhynchus pelewensis, Myzomela cardi- nalis, and others. Murphy (1938) mentions this "dilution" effect in his discussion of "strong" and "weak" subspecies among warblers of the Marquesas. He writes that "strong" subspecies maj'' develop if the birds are present on islands which are upwind from islands containing related subspecies. The wind acts to block interisland migration in these weak-flyers. On the other hand, "weak" sub- species may show the effect of "dilution," being situated on islands 52 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. downwind from islands containing related subspecies. The direction of the wind acts to aid the weak flyers to move to the downwind islands and continually ''dilute" the resident subspecies. Similar examples can be cited for Micronesian birds. Hesse, Allee, and Schmidt (1937:87) write, "Endemism on islands is most frequent in forms for which the difficulty of reaching the island is most ex- treme, so that new increments of the parent form are unlikely to follow." Employing the criteria mentioned above, the birds of Micronesia can be tentatively divided into four groups as regards the relative time when they arrived at the islands: 1. Birds of ancient colonizations which reached certain individual islands, became modified, and dispersed no farther. Examples are Aphanolimnas, Rallus omstoni, Aplonis corvinus, Metabolus rugen- sis, and Corvus kubaryi. 2. Birds of ancient colonizations which reached or dispersed through a number of islands but are now restricted to relatively few islands. Examples are Ducula oceanica, Ptilinopus porphy- raceus, Megapodius laperouse, Asio fiaymneus, and Acrocephalus luscinia. 3. Birds of ancient, or possibly more recent, colonizations which initially reached or subsequently dispersed to many of the islands of Micronesia possessing habitat suitable for them. Examples are Myzomela cardinalis, the two species of Halcyon, Aplonis opacus, and Zosterops conspicillata. 4. Birds of rather recent colonizations, which may have reached only a few islands and are relatively unmodified from their parental stocks. Examples are Artamus leucorhynchus, Caprimulgits indicus, Poliolimnas cinereus, and Nycticorax caledoniciis. Factors Causing Dispersal Darlington (1938:274) in discussing the origin of the fauna of the Greater Antilles uses the term "over-water dispersal" in refer- ring to the spread of terrestrial animals across water. He is against the use of the term "accidental dispersal" since many factors besides accident are involved. He contends, as do others, that certain forms of organisms, owing to their "nature and behavior" cross water bar- riers more successfully than others. These observations may be applied to the "over-water dispersal" of birdlife to the islands of Micronesia. Certain groups of birds are more evident in Micronesia than others. Certain groups of birds which are found on other islands of the Pacific basin are found in Micronesia only in small Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 53 numbers or may not be represented; Mayr (1945a: 284) writes, "Remarkable is the almost complete absence of parrots and honey- eaters, the small number of pigeons and the absence of such wide- spread genera as Lalage, Turchis, and Pachycephala." The absence of some species and the presence of others produces the character- istic insular effect termed "disharmonic" by Gulick (1932:407), as compared with the continental area or island which derived its avi- fauna by way of a land bridge. One would think from looking at table 12 that members of the families Rallidae, Columbidae, Musci- capidae, Sturnidae, and Zosteropidae were the most successful colo- nizers in Micronesia on the basis of the number of successful coloni- zations (not necessarily on the number of endemics developed from a single colonization). Of these families, Sturnidae and Zosteropidae and possibly Columbidae contain species which often move in flocks. Furthermore, these families as well as the Muscicapidae feed on either fruits, seeds, or insects, any one of which is a type of food which might "give out" suddenly, stimulating a migratory behavior within the birds. From a flock embarking seaward in "search" of more food, a part or even all of the birds might survive in a chance flight to an isolated island in Micronesia. If a flock containing both males and females reaches an island, the species has a good chance of becoming established. Evidence that such a rapid colonization by flocks of birds can take place is found in the remarkable colonization of New Zealand by Zosterops lateralis from the Australian area. The bird was first seen as a winter migrant in New Zealand in 1856 and records of nestings were obtained at North Island in 1862, ac- cording to Oliver (1930:489). In the case of rails there is no evi- dence that they move in flocks; however, they are among the most successful colonizers and are on many of the oceanic islands in the tropical and subtropical oceans. Representatives of several species of the family Rallidae have invaded Micronesia and have success- fully established 6, or possibly 7, "colonies." Darlington (1938:274) further writes that "it is no accident that some islands, because of their nature and position, the direction of winds and currents, and the nature of the neighboring land, receive more organisms than other islands do." Semper (1881:294) writes that the distribution of flying creatures "must be in a great degree dependent on the direction and strength of atmospheric currents." These statements are applicable to the history of the avifauna of Micronesia. The Caroline Islands, for example, present a "broad front" for wanderers from the Melanesian islands. As mentioned 54 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, previously, the prevailing winds in the late spring, summer, and early fall are from the south, southwest, and southeast and would favor bird flight to the northward towards the Carolines. In addi- tion, the breeding season of many of the birds in Melanesia is from November to February, and in the spring and summer, restless young birds seeking living space might fly seaward and aided by the winds fly northward towards Micronesia. Adults, which may have well-established home territories, may be less likely to attempt such a movement. One could conclude from the above discussion that the Micrones- ian islands, especially the Carolines, might be well populated with a large variety of birds from Melanesia, a scant 500 or more miles away. As it turns out, there are only a few islands in this extensive archipelago possessing proper vegetation, fresh water, and other qualities which make them capable of supporting the land and fresh- water birds of Melanesia. The few islands which have these qual- ities are the so-called "high" islands, including the entire Mariana chain, the Palaus, and four widely separated islands in the Caro- lines: Yap, Truk, Ponape, and Kusaie. The other islands of Micro- nesia are "low" coral islands, which often lack fresh water and have a meager variety of fruits, insects and other foods. Thus, if birds do reach Micronesia but arrive at the atolls instead of the "high" islands, these birds may be doomed. It is noteworthy that the Mi- cronesian islands are small compared with the Solomons, Fijis, and others. The smaller the island, the fewer the number of ecologic niches and the fewer the kinds of birds present. Mayr (1941b:215) writes that the distance from the nearest land mass and the climatic conditions are important factors con- trolling dispersal. With regard to the degree of remoteness of the islands, table 13 lists the number of resident land and fresh-water birds present in the Palaus and the "high" islands of the Carolines. Also, the approximate distance from the nearest large land mass and the area in square miles are given. There is some correlation between the distance from the nearest land mass and the number of resident land birds and fresh-water birds. For example, Palau, with 32 resident birds, is only 410 miles from the nearest land mass whereas Kusaie, with only 11 resident birds, is 720 miles from the nearest land mass. The comparative size of the land mass must also be taken into account, as shown by the fact that the large island of Ponape contains more kinds of birds but is more remote from large land masses than either Yap or Truk. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 55 Table 13. Correlation Between Number of Resident Land and Fresh-water Birds and Distance From Large Land Masses of "High" Islands of Mi- cronesia Island No. of birds Approximate distance from nearest land mass (statute miles) Nearest land mass Area in square miles Palau 32 410 Approximately equal distance from Mindanao, Morotai, New Guinea 171 Yap 13 580 New Guinea 83 Truk 17 525 New Ireland 50 Ponape. . 20 630 New Ireland 145 Kusaie . . . 11 720 Malaita (Solomons) 42 Climatic factors are important in the dispersal of bird life; Micro- nesia, where the climate is tropical to subtropical, is better suited for colonization by birds from the tropics (Melanesia) than by birds from the temperate or cold climates (Palearctica). The climatic factor may be one of the principal reasons why birds from Pale- arctica make up only a small part of the avifauna of Micronesia. Analysis of Speciation The process of speciation within insular populations has been discussed by many authors. Hesse, Allee, and Schmidt (1937:517) list the motives for differentiation as, "Special character of insular faunae rests on the conditions common to all islands — isolation, freedom from competition, space restriction, and special insular climates." This combination of characteristics is seldom found elsewhere in nature, and as Murphy (1938:357) points out, an island is the nearest approach to a ''man-controlled laboratory." Isolation of small populations is probably the most influential factor in the process of speciation in insular organisms. Lack (1947:134) writes that "in all organisms the isolation of populations is an es- sential preliminary to the origin of new species." Buxton (1938: 265) also stresses this point with regard to the formation of species of insects in Samoa and emphasizes that evolution may occur more quickly in small populations. When mutations appear in such small and isolated populations, they have a greater chance to become fixed than do mutations in less restricted populations in a larger land mass, where such a mutation might be lost by the swamping effects 56 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. of outbreedings. In addition, Wright (1931 and elsewhere) suggests the possibility of change by accidental elimination and recombina- tion of hereditary characters in micropopulations. This mechanism could well be a factor in Micronesian bird populations, many of which possess no more than a few hundred individuals. Huxley (1938:256) emphasizes that "accidental" mutations may be per- petuated in small, isolated groups. It might be added that such changes might be either advantageous or disadvantageous to the or- ganism concerned. Huxley (1938:263) states also that geographic isolation may promote nonadaptive differentiation, which may be caused by "colonization by a random sample" or by subsequent "preservation of nonadaptive mutations in numerically small iso- lated groups." Mayr (1942b :237) cites the importance of the "founder" principal for reduced variability in small populations. He points out that if the "founders" of the population carried with them only "a very small proportion of the variability of the parent population," one would expect to see divergence from the ancestral stock. Freedom from competition, especially interspecific strife, is an important factor in differentiation ; this is especially true in the early period of colonization. Lack (1947:113) points to the absence of food competitors, especially in the initial period of colonization, as an important influence in the evolution of Darwin's finches at the Galapagos Islands. Once a population has become established and "adjusted" to a given environment on a small island, intraspecific competition might bring about adaptative selection. Subsequent colonists might be eliminated by the competition brought about by these previously adapted organisms, especially if both organisms were adapted for life in the same ecologic niche. Space restriction may be important in such Micronesian birds as Rhipidura and Myiagra, which appear to possess recognizable territories. A new colonist entering the territory of one of these birds might be forced out. This competition might not play such an important part among birds, which live in flocks and do not range in closely guarded terri- tories; birds in this group include some pigeons, starlings, and white- eyes. Freedom from the pressure of predation probably exerts a direct influence on formation of species. Aside from a few migrant hawks and two kinds of resident owls, most of the avifauna feeds on vege- table and invertebrate foods. The large lizard Varanus may be classed as the only native predator on many of the islands. Man has been responsible for the introduction of rats, house cats, and other Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 57 mammals, which may be destructive to birds. Thus, before the ad- vent of man the factor of predation may not have been of great con- sequence. As mentioned previously, nonadaptive modifications may be perpetuated where the ''weeding-out" process by predation is not an influence. Flightless rails have apparently developed in the absence of predation. The absence of the pressure of predation should remove a certain amount of control on the population turn-over. As Hesse, Allee, and Schmidt (1937:521) write, a characteristic of the faunas of oceanic islands is the fact that they are distinguished by the occurrence of "disproportionately developed taxonomic groups in which one or a few basic types have undergone adaptative radiation and come to fill unduly large proportions of the population as compared with condi- tions that obtain on neighboring continents." Lack (1947:114) writes, "that the absence of predators may well have accelerated the adaptative radiation" in the Galapagos finches. In Micronesia, the starling {Aplonis opacus) dominates much of the available habitat on some of the Caroline atolls, and even on "high" islands, where other land birds are present. There appears to be no tendency towards selective adaptations occurring, or towards ecologic isolation. Available data indicate that the life spans of individual birds in Micronesia may be short. For example, it was obvious on many of the islands visited by the NAMR.U2 party that starlings (Aplonis opacus) in immature jilumage outnumbered starlings in adult plum- age, although it is pdssible that immature plumages are retained longer in these island birds than in others. Similar observations were made by Coultas, who noted the ratio of birds in immature plumage to birds in adult plumage at Kusaie to be 5 to 1. If the life span is shorter in these insular forms as compared with that of the ancestral stocks, the higher annual population turn-over would allow for the speed of genetic changes to be accelerated. The origin of species by hybridization between different kinds of organisms has been a subject of frequent discussion. Lack (1947: 100) concludes that it is improbable that hybridization has played an important part in the origin of new kinds of birds. Nevertheless, the absence of sufficient mates in the confines of a small island prob- ably stimulates the crossbreeding between two species of birds. Fertile offspring of such a cross might conceivably account for some of the populations, the origins of which are puzzles to present day taxonomists. Such Micronesian forms as Metabolus and Cleptornis could conceivably have been derived in such a manner. Yamashina (1948) has described the origin of Anas oustaleti as a result of by- 58 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. bridization between A. platyrhynchos and A. poecilorhyncha. It might be difficult to explain every case of the formation of other insular species on the basis of the effects of isolation and paucity- alone. However, Mayr (1942b:236) includes the development of questionable and unusual kinds of insular forms in a general state- ment: "The potentiality for rapid divergent evolution in small pop- ulations explains also why we have on islands so many dwarf or giant races, or races with peculiar color characters (albinism, mela- nism), or with peculiar structure (long bills in birds), or other pe- culiar characters (loss of male plumage in birds)." Nutrition may be also a factor influencing speciation in bird life. The types of food plants (coconut, papaya, breadfruit, pandanus, etc.) might be similar on a Micronesian island and on a continental island in the Philippine region; however, the value of these plants as foods might vary and might reflect differences in mineral content of the soils. For example, if the soils on an island lack, or by leach- ing out have lost, sufficient amounts of potassium and other ele- ments, plants may store foods, not as proteins, but possibly as carbo- hydrates, simple sugars, or alkaloids. Whether nutritional influences might have a selective effect on the bird populations, has not been ascertained. In summary, it may be said that genetic change altering the phenotypic expression of avian characteristics is no more apt to happen in insular populations than in continental populations but genetic change may have a greater chance of being perpetuated in small insular populatians where isolation, limited competition, free- dom from the selective influences of predation, and other factors exert influences. CONSERVATION OF THE AVIFAUNA OF MICRONESIA The islands of Micronesia are small and their occupation by man often produces serious effects on the endemic animal life of the islands. The vulnerability of insular bird populations is well at- tested by the fact that the majority of birds, which have become extinct in the past two hundred years, have been insular forms. Two birds in Micronesia, the Kusaie Rail {Aphanolimnas) and the Ku- saie Mountain Starling (Aplonis corvinus) , are known to be either extinct or so rare that they have not been taken since the time of Kittlitz, who visited the island of Kusaie in December, 1827, and January, 1828. Other birds {Anas oustaleti, Caloenas nicobarica, Megapodius I. laperouse, and Metabolus rugensis) have become redused in numbers and may be threatened with extermination. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 59 Nelson (1921:270-274) has described the following agencies de- structive to island life of the Pacific: fire, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, hurricanes, clearing of the land, introduction of domestic animals and grazing, introduction of wild animals and birds. Mayr (1945c) also presents a discussion of conservation problems in these islands. Fire is a serious hazard to island life, especially to the land birds. It destroys both food and cover, these two habitat requirements being most essential to the birds. The firing of open lands to improve grazing conditions was a practice which persisted in the Marianas during the time of the Spanish. This practice has declined, but the resultant vegetational changes and erosion have adversely affected the avifauna. Tidal waves and hurricanes (typhoons) are occasion- ally of such intensity as to flood low coral atolls. Such events are damaging to, or might even exterminate populations of land birds (Aplonis, Acrocephalus and others), and prevent colonizations which might otherwise occur. Clearing of the land for agricultural use probably has affected the avifauna, especially on the island of Tinian where much of the island has been placed in cultivation. The occurrence of domestic stock, especially feral hogs and cats, has affected the birds. Hogs, apparently, have been in the islands for a long time. The English privateer, Lord Anson, visited Tinian in October, 1742, and noted a large number of hogs present at that time. At Guam, in 1945, the NAMRU2 party found both hogs and cats moving freely in all parts of the island. Stomachs of cats exam- ined showed that they had been feeding principally on rodents. Introduction of wild animals and plants have not been so extensive as in the Hawaiians or other islands. There have been at least five importations of land birds to Micronesia as well as several mam- mals, other vertebrates and invertebrates. The effect of these estab- lished colonies on the native bird life has not been studied. The late world war has brought changes to the population of bird life in Micronesia. The author (1946b) has elsewhere described some of the effects of the bombing, invasion, and occupation of small islands. Some islands, like Peleliu, suffered severely from bombing and invasion operations. Some islands, especially smaller ones like Kwajalein and Ulithi, were partly or almostly entirely cleared of vegetation by occupation forces. Other effects were caused by ''rec- reational" shooting of birds by garrison forces; introductions of pests in materials unloaded; and pest control by clearing, draining, and spraying with DDT and other insecticides to the detriment of inoffensive species. 60 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. It is obvious that a well-planned program of conservation should be placed in operation to insure survival of the endemic avifauna of Micronesia. THE FUTURE OF ORNITHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN MICRONESIA Collections of birds have been made at most of the major islands of Micronesia, and it is thought that there are but few if any un- named birds in the region. The distribution of several species has not been completely investigated, especially those land birds (Dvciila, Ptilinopus, and Aplo7ns) which inhabit coral atolls in the Carolines and Marshalls. The bird life of the nortliern Marianas is also incompletely known. Continued observations in the Microne- sian islands will increase our knowledge of the kinds of migratory shore birds and migratory land birds which reach the island as win- ter visitors. Further information is needed concerning the breeding activities of sea birds in Micronesia, especially in the Marshalls and Carolines. The systematic status of most of the birds in Micronesia is already established. It is hoped that the present account advances our knowledge of the methods of colonization. Although these funda- mental investigatons have been nearly completed in Micronesia the field of avian ecology has been relatively untouched. In the past, expeditions have visited Micronesia with the aim of obtaining within a short time collections of the animal life as large and as represent- ative as possible. Many of the collectors made few or no field notes on the bird life; some, like Finsch, Kubary, Marche, and Coultas, made valuable observations on the habits of the birds. Intensive ecological researches may be accomplished more thoroughly by res- ident investigators, who can devote full time to such pursuits. METHODS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My own opportunity to study the bird life of Micronesia came as a member of the scientific staff of the Laboratory of Mammalogy of United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 (NAMRU2) in the late war. The primary duty of this laboratory was to obtain examples of the vertebrate fauna for examination for ectoparasites by the Laboratory of Acarology and to preserve specimens for iden- tification. As a result sizeable collections of mammals, birds, and other vertebrates were obtained. In addition, ecological data were obtained (as time permitted), especially as an aid in studying the distribution of ectoparasites which affected man. In 1945, I spent Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 61 eleven months in Micronesia; for most of this time I was stationed at Guam, the headquarters of the Unit, although one month was spent in the Palau Islands, two weeks were spent at Ulithi Atoll, and short stop-overs were made at Eniwetok and Kwajalein atolls. Other members of the laboratory staff visited Rota and Truk islands. Subsequent to the field studies in the Pacific, I was sent to Wash- ington and spent approximately eight months at the United States National Museum studying the collections of birds and preparing several reports for publication. In this period other material was studied, both in the United States National Museum and at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, and the litera- ture dealing with the birds of Micronesia was explored and a bibli- ography of Micronesian birds was prepared. At the University of Kansas, I continued the bibliographic work, borrowed and studied some specimens, and completed accounts of the avifauna of Micro- nesia. Under the account of each bird, all known references in the litera- ture, which mention the scientific name of the bird and its distribu- tion in Micronesia, are listed. The references are arranged as fol- lows: (1) citation to the original description, and (2) citations to names in literature in the order of their first appearance. AVhen a name is a pure synonym, it may be recognized as such by the fact that the type locality is given immediately following the citation. In compiling these references the writer made use of the invaluable work by Wiglesworth (1891) and of Utinomi's "Bibliographica Mi- cronesia," made available through the translation by Fisher (1947). The arrangement of the families follows that of Peters (1931-1945) and Wetmore (1940). Specimens examined are designated as to collection in which cata- logued by the following abbreviations: USNM, the United States National Museum ; AMNH, the American Museum of Natural His- tory; MCZ, the Museum of Comparative Zoology; and KMNH, the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. Average and extreme measurements of specimens are usually listed in tables; unless otherwise indicated, measurements are in millimeters, and are of adult specimens. The wings have been measured by flatten- ing them on a ruler. Weights are in grams. Unless otherwise in- dicated, descriptions of the birds have been written by the author. Descriptions of shore birds are not given; for these the reader may refer to Mayr (1945a :28-47) where characters useful for identifi- cation of the birds in the field also are given. The writer is espe- 62 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. cially indebted to Dr. Ernst Mayr for making available the descrip- tions of Micronesian birds made by Miss Cardine Bogert, especially those dealing with color of the irides, feet, and bill. Color terms in quotation marks refer to those in Ridgway (1912). In dealing with insular forms the criterion of intergradation as indicative of subspecies cannot be applied as it can in kinds of birds on the mainland which have geographically continuous distributions. Instead, degree of difference in combination with geographic position plus other factors such as degree of variation in the geographic races of the same species or a related species on continental areas are used in deciding whether two closely related kinds are subspecies or full species. Many kinds of birds in the islands are modified but little from island to island (examples, Rhipidura rufifrons, Aplonis opacus, Ducula oceanica, and Myzomela cardinalis), and can be treated as subspecies. Others show much variability from island to island and it is uncertain whether they should be treated as subspecies or as separate species (examples, Myiagra oceanica, Zosterops cinerea, Rukia, and possibly Acrocephalus luscinia). Decisions on generic status are equally difficult to make. In many cases the experience and judgment of the taxonomist may be the only criteria by which he can decide whether a bird is different enough to be considered as a distinct genus. This "human element" has caused some disagree- ment. Knowing whether the bird is to be considered as a distinct genus or instead merely as a species may not be as important as knowing its correct phylogenetic relationship. The circumstance that variation in these insular birds is in general less predictable than in mainland birds adds, I think, to the pleasure inherent in the classification of the variations. First, I thank Commodore Thomas N. Rivers (MC) USNR, then commanding oSicer of NAMRU2, for the opportunity to join the Unit, for his interested cooperation in seeing that the plans for field trips were successful, and for his thoughtfulness in obtaining for me the orders for duty at the United States National Museum subse- quent to our field investigations. Greatly appreciated also is the help rendered by my former colleagues of NAMRU2, including Dr. David H. Johnson, Dr. George W. Wharton, Dr. Aaron B. Hard- castle, Mr. Odis A. Muennik, Mr. L. P. McElroy, Mr. Charles 0. Davison, Mr. Merle H. Markley, Mr. Walter L. Necker, Dr. Wilbur G. Downs, Dr. Bernard V. Travis, and Mr. E. W. Coleman. Other personnel, then stationed in Micronesia, who contributed data used in this report include: Dr. Joe T. Marshall, Jr., (who generously Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 63 loaned some of the specimens taken by him in Micronesia), Dr. C. K. Dorsey, Dr. George Hensel, Mr. Tom Murray, Dr. Irwin O. Buss, Mr. James 0. Stevenson, Dr. Wilfred D. Crabb, Mr. Herbert Wallace, and Dr. M. Dale Arvey. Authorities of the United States National Museum provided generously for using the collections there, and I am especially grateful to Dr. Alexander Wetmore, Dr. Herbert Friedman, and Mr. Herbert G. Deignan for their coopera- tion and assistance. Doctor Wetmore kindly made available many of the birds collected at Bikini during the atomic bomb experiments. Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy, Dr. Ernst Mayr, and Dr. Dean Amadon of the American Museum of Natural History made avail- able the collections in their charge. Doctor Murphy allowed me to examine some of the heretofore unstudied collections of sea birds of the Whitney South Sea Expedition. Doctor Mayr generously helped me with taxonomic and evolutionary problems and made available to me some of his owti unpublished taxonomic notes, the unpublished field accounts of Mr. William F. Coultas and a partly completed manuscript on the birds of Micronesia by Miss Cardine Bogert. Mr. James L. Peters generously loaned specimens from the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The use of unpublished field notes made by Mr. Larry P. Richards at Ponape and Truk in 1947 and 1948 is also gratefully acknowledged. I am grateful also to my colleagues at the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas and would single out for special mention Dr. E. Raymond Hall who gave critical assistance with the manuscript, Drs. Edward H. Taylor and Herbert B. Hungerford who made helpful suggestions, and Mrs. Virginia Cassell Unruh who drew the distributional maps. ACCOUNTS OF THE KINDS OF BIRDS OF MICRONESIA Diomedea nigripes Audubon Black-footed Albatross Diomedea nigripes Audubon, Ornith. Biog., 5, 1839, p. 327. (Type locality, Pacific Ocean, lat. 30°44'N., long. 146°W.) Diomedea fidiginosa Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes). Diomedea nigripes Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris (3). 8. 1896, p. 51 (Agrigan); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus. 1, 1901, p. 22 (Marianas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mariannes); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam?); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micro- nesia, 1922, p. 32 (Marriane); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 43 (Mar- shalls); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 188 (Marianas); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3rd ed., 1942, p. 210 (Marianas) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 5 (Marshalls). Geographic range. — North Pacific Ocean. Breeds on islands northwest of Hawaii. In Micronesia : Mariana Islands — Agrigan. Characters. — A large oceanic bird with sooty-brown coloration; darker on 64 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. nape, wings and tail; lighter on forehead, sides of head, and abdomen; area surrounding bill whitish; tail whitish at base; bill dark reddish-brown; feet black. Remarks. — This albatross has been recorded from waters near the Mariana Islands. Quoy and Gaimard (1824:145) observed "alba- tross" between the Mariana and the Hawaiian Islands. The only actual specimens obtained from the islands were reported on by Oustalet (1896:51). These were eight Black-footed Albatrosses which were taken on the coast of Agrigan by Marche in December, 1888, and January, 1889. Oustalet gives the following measure- ments: total length, 680-785; wing, 485-525; tail, 180-225; tarsus, 80-90; culmen, 108-125. The specimens are apparently in the Paris Museum. Peters (1931:43) lists the Marshall Islands as part of the range of D. nigripes. In the period of the late war Gleise (1945:221) observed eight Short-tailed Albatrosses (D. albatrus Pallas) "off Saipan." Speci- mens of D. albatrus have not been taken in Micronesia. According to Austin (1948b:32) this albatross "is now virtually extinct," and this record may be questioned. Puffinus pacificus chlororhynchus Lesson Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus chlororhynchiis Lesson, Traite d'Omith., 8, 1931, p. 613. (Type is from Shark's Bay, West Australia.) Puffinus sphenurus Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 299 (Mortlock). Puffinus chlororhynchus Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 80 (Luganor?); Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pt. 2, 1908, p. 88 (Carolines); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 33 (Luganor or Ruk?). Puffinus pacificus chlororhynchus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 187 (Lukunor or Truk?, Kusaie) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 209 (Lukunor or Truk?, Kusaie). Geographic range. — Breeds at the Seychelles, Australia, Lord Howe, Nor- folk, and other islands in the Australian area. Ranges throughout most of the warmer parts of the Indian and Pacific oceans. In Micronesia : Mariana Islands — Guam; Caroline Islands — Lukunor or Truk?, Kusaie. Characters. — A large shearwater with long wedge-shaped tail; upper parts sooty-brown with crown, neck, and wings darker and forehead paler; under parts paler than upper parts; bill dark; feet flesh-colored. Remarks. — This shearwater was taken by Kubary either at Lukunor or at Truk in the Caroline Islands. At a later date, appar- ently between 1922 and 1932, the Japanese recorded the bird at Kusaie. In using this subspecific name, I am following the Hand- list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1932:187). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 65 At Guam on August 10, 1931, Coultas obtained a male shearwater, which is tentatively placed in this subspecies. Its measurements are as follows: wing, 290; tail, 128; exposed culmen, 39; tarsus, 47. Coultas (field notes) writes that he was told by natives that petrels nest and roost on the high cliffs behind the city of Agafia on Guam. At sea south of the eastern Caroline islands, Coultas obtained five other birds which appear to be the same as the bird from Guam. All specimens are in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History. Puffinus pacificus cuneatus Salvia Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus cuneatus Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 353. (Type locality, Krusenstern Island ^ Ailuk, Marshall Islands, fide Fisher, Auk, 63, 1946, pp. 587-588.) Puffinus cuneatus Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890- 1891 (1891), p. 80 (Krusenstern); Salvin, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 371 (Krusenstern) ; Godman, Monogr, Petrels, pt. 2, 1908, p. 76 (Marshalls). Puffinus pacificus cuneatus Mathews, Birds .\ustralia, 2, 1912, p. 84 (Marshall Group) ; Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, pp. 55-56 (Krusenstern) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 209 (Krusenstern); Fisher, Auk, 63, 1946, pp. 587- 588 (Ailuk). Thyellodroma cuneata cuneata Mathews and Iredale, Ibis, 1915, p. 597 (Krusen- stern); Mathews, Syst. .^vium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 113 (Marshall Group). Thyellodroma cuneata Oberholscr, Auk, 34, 1917, p. 474 (Krusenstern). Thyellodroma pacificia cuneata Mathews, Novit. Zool., 39, 1934, p. 186 (Caroline Islands). Geographic range. — Pescadores cast to the Hawaiian Islands and south to eastern Micronesia. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Ailuk. Remarks. — Osbert Salvin received two specimens of this shear- water from H. J. Snow, who got them at the Krusenstern Islands in 1883. In describing them, Salvin (1888: 353) comments that the locality is seemingly in the Marshall Islands at approximately 10°17' N. and 190° W. This locality was confusing to Seebohm (1891:191) who thought it was between the Hawaiians and the Marshalls, while Hartert (1926:352) decided it was really Krusen- stern Rocks in the Hawaiian Group. To clear the matter up, Fisher (1946:587-588) writes that Salvin was correct and suggests that the name of the island should be the better established one, Ailuk, rather than the little used one, Krusenstern. P. p. cuneatus resembles P. p. chlororhynchus but is whiter on the underparts, especially the breast. These two subspecies are insep- arable according to the twenty-fourth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds (Auk, vol. 66,1949:281). 5—8131 66 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. PuflSnus tenuirostris (Temminck) Short-tailed Shearwater Procellaria tenuirostris Temminck, PI. Co!., livr. 99, 1835, text to pi. 587. (Type locality, Seas north of Japan and shores of Korea.) Pufinus tenuirostris tenuirostris Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Pufinus tenuirostris Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 677 (Kinajon, Marshall Islands) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 210 (Kinajon, Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Breeds in Tasmania, southeastern Australia, islands in Bass Straits, and Bounty Islands. Ranges north to the Bering Sea. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam?; Marshall Islands — Kinajon. Character. — A rather large shearwater with short, rounded tail; upper parts sooty brown; underparts paler and more grayish than back; throat may be occasionally whitish; bill lead-gray; feet grayish, browner on outer side. Remarks. — On migration this shearwater probably reaches most parts of Micronesia. It has been recently recorded by the Japanese at Kinajon in the Marshall Islands. Bryan (1936:15) includes this species as a ''chance arrival" in his list of the birds of Guam. Puffinus nativitatis Streets Christmas Shearwater Puffinus (Nectris) nativitatis Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 7, 1877, p. 29. (Type locality, Christmas Island, Pacific Ocean.) Puffinus nativiatis Salvin, Cat. Birds British Mus.. 25, 1896, p. 389 (Krusenstern) ; Lister, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1891, pp. 295-300 (Krusenstern); Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pt. 3, 1908, p. 153 (Marshalls). Geographic range. — Breeds at Wake and Laynan Islands south to Christmas, Phoenix, Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Austral Islands. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Ailuk. Characters. — Upper parts chocolate brown; underparts resemble upper parts but throat may be slightly grayer; bill and feet black. P. nativitatis resembles P. pacificus but is similar with black feet. Remarks. — The only specimens of this bird known from Micro- nesia, are those taken in the spring of 1883 by H. J. Snow at Krusenstern (Ailuk) in the Marshall Islands. For two birds from this island in the collections of the British Museum, Godman (1908: 154) gives the following measurements: wing, 9.6 and 10.0; tail, 3.35 and 3.4; culmen, 1.15 and 1.2; tarsus, 1.7 and 1.8; middle toe and claw, 2.0 and 2.1. Puffinus Iherminieri dichrons Finsch and Hartlaub Dusky Shearwater Puffinus dichrous Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 244. (Type locality, McKean Island, Phoenix Group.) Puffinus dichrous Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 108 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 44 (Palau). Puffinus opisthomelas var. minor Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 832 (Type locality, Pelew); Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1872, p. 57 (Pelew). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 67 Puffinus opisthomelas Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 371 (Pelew). Puffinus tenebrosus Pelzeln, Ibis, 1873, p. 47, fig. 1 (Type locality, unknown = Pelew Islands, ex Mathews); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 55 (Rota); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 69 (Marianne); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 23 (Marianas?); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam). Puffinus obscuTus Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 40 (Ponape, Palau) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877, p. 786 (Palau) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 782 (Ponape) ; idem, Journ. f. Omith., 1880, pp. 295, 309 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, p. 109 (Kuschai); idem, Ibis, 1881, pp. 113, 115 (Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk); Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 357 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 79 (Ruk, Ponape, Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 54 (Saypan, Palaos); Salvin, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 382 (Carolines, Pelews); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 23 (Marianas?); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 1031 (Pelew, Carolines); Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pt. 2, 1908, pp. 126, 127 (Pelew, Ruk, Ponape). Puffinus obscurus obscurus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Kuroda, in Moniiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 32 (Saipan, Ruk, Ponape, Pelew). Puffinus Iherminieri minor Mathews, Birds Australia, 2, 1912, p. 70 (Pelew, Caro- lines). Puffinus assimitis minor Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. Ill (Pelew). Puffinus Iherminieri dichrous Murphy, Aiiier. Mus. Novit., no. 276, 1927, p. 10 (Pelews, Carolines); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 60 (Pelew); Yama- shina. Tori, 7, 1932, p. 408 (Arakabesan) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 188 (Saipan, Truk, Ponape, Palaus); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3rd ed., 1942, p. 209 (Saipan, Truk, Ponape, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 10 (Caro- lines, Palaus) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 37 (Palau). Alphapuffinus Iherminieri minor Mathews, Novit. Zool., 39, 1934, p. 182 (Pelew Islands). Puffinus obscura Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, No. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Geographic range. — Known from Phoenix. Nauru, Micronesia, and south to the Samoan, Society, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands. In Micronesia : Mari- ana Islands — Guam, Rota, Saipan; Palau Islands— Babelthuap, Koror, Araka- besan; Caroline Islands — Truk, Ponape, Kusaie. Characters. — A small shearwater with upper parts sooty-black; under parts white except for sides of breast grayish and under tail-coverts blackish; bill blackish; feet yellowish, outer toe black. Measurements. — Measurements of 17 adult birds (9 males, 7 females, 1 un- sexed) from Micronesia (Palau, Truk, Ponape. Kusaie) and 10 adult birds (6 males, 4 females) from the Phoenix Group (Enderbury, Canton) are listed in table 14. T.-iBLE 14 Me-asurements of Puffinus Iherminieri dichrous Locality Wing Tail Exposed cu men Tarsus Micronesia Phoenix 203 (197-211) 197 (193-203) 83.6 (77-89) 82.2 (79-85) 27.9 (26-30) 26.3 (25-28) 38.5 (37.5-40) 37.2 (36-39) 68 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Specimens examined. — Total number, 72 (44 males, 19 females, 9 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not givpn, 64 (Oct., Nov., Dec); Caroline Islands, AMNH — Truk, 4 (June 15, 16)— Ponape, 3 (imdated)— Kusaie, 1 (April 25). Nesting. — The Dusky Shearwater in Micronesia nests in holes on high, and usually isolated, coral cliffs. Owston's collectors, according to Hartert (1900:10), found a nest with one egg at Truk on June 16. The nest was in a hole four feet deep in the side of a cliff. The egg is white and mea.sures 42 X 35. Yamashina (1932a :408) records the taking of one egg at Arakabesan, Palau Islands, on May 26. Coultas (field notes) gives an interesting account of nesting activities of this shearwater at the Palau Islands. He found the bird nesting on small islands of the group from October to December, 1931 ; however, he states that the natives told him that the bird nests throughout the year. Land crabs and shearwaters were often found together in the same burrow. Apparently the adult birds did not remain in the burrow with the young during the day. At Kusaie, Coultas was told by the natives that the adult birds were caught by tying the mandibles of the young together. When the parent birds approached and hovered over the young birds expecting their mouths to open, the natives had the opportunity to strike them down with clubs. Coultas collected six downy nestlings at Palau in November and December. Remarks. — The first published account of this shearwater in Micronesia was apparently by Kittlitz (1858, pt. 1:358) when he recorded his "Schwarzlicher Sturmvogel" at Kusaie, according to Wiglesworth (1891a:79). Finsch (1875:44 and 1881b:113, 115) studied specimens taken by Tetens, Heinsohn, and Kubary at the Palau Islands and those taken by Kubary at Ponape. Earlier, Hartlaub (1868:832) used some of these specimens from the Palau Islands to describe his Puffinus oyisthomelas var. minor, which was destined to be placed in synonymy (Murphy, 1927:10). Oustalet (1896:54, 55) recorded specimens taken by Marche at Saipan in May, 1887, and at Rota in July, 1888. Oustalet referred to them as P. obscuras and P. tenebrosus, respectively. T. W. Gulick obtained undated skins at Ponape. Hartert (1900:10) reported on specimens taken by Owston's collectors at Truk. In 1931, Coultas with the Whitney South Sea Expedition took one shearwater at Kusaie and a series of 64 skins at the Palau Islands. He failed to find birds at Ponape and wrote that their scarcity there may have been due to persistent hunting of them by the inhabitants of the island. The NAMRU2 party obtained no information concerning the birds at Guam, Rota, or Truk, but at the Palau Islands observed shearwaters at sea approximately 6 miles east of Babelthuap Island on Septem- ber 2, 1945. Murphy (1927:6-15) revised the shearwaters of the Puffinus Iherminieri group, and recognized several subspecies. P. I. dichrous was assigned a range consisting of Micronesia, the Phoenix Islands, and Nauru Island. The breeding range of P. I. polynesiae was given Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 69 as the Samoan, Society, Tuamotu and Marquesas islands. Color dif- ferences between the two subspecies are very slight, and he separated them on the basis of the length of the exposed culmen as follows: P. I. dichrous 22.6-27 (26) in P. I. polijnesiae 25.5-30 (28.9). In other measurements they closely resembled one another. At the time of his study, Murphy did not have the shearwaters from Micronesia collected by Coultas and actually did not have a large series from these islands. On studying this new material, I find the length of the exposed culmen of 17 adult birds from Micronesia (including 12 from the Palaus) to be 26-30 (27.9). In comparison with Murphy's findings, my measurements of Micronesian birds fall almost midway between the measurements which he recorded as characteristic of P. I. dichrous (from the Phoenix Islands) and P. I. polynesiae. The intermediate position of the measurements of the Micronesian birds, together with the absence of other distinguishing characters, suggests that these shearwaters belong to only one subspecies which consists of a group of isolated and variable populations. Unless the old spe- cific name, obscuras of Gmelin, is revived, the name for the entire group in Micronesia and Polynesia would be P. I. dichrous. I agree with Murphy that the Bonin form, P. /. bannermani, is a well- defined subspecies. Pterodroma rostrata rostrata (Peale) Tahiti Petrel Procellaria rostrata Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp., 8, 1848, p. 296. (Type locality, Moun- tains about 6,000 feet on Tahiti, Society Islands.) Procellaria desolata Pucheran, Voy. Pole Sud, 3, 1853, p. 138 (des lies Carolines); Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 168 (Carolinen). Procellaria (.Aestrelata) desolata Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 55 (Caroline Islands). Oestrelata rostrata Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 82 (Caroline Is.); Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pt. 3, 1908, p. 190 (Caroline Is.). Pterodroma rostrata Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 33 (Caro- lines). Pterodroma rostrata subsp. (?) Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 188 (Caro- lines); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 210 (Carolines). Geographic range. — Known to breed on the Society and Marquesas Islands. In Micronesia: Caroline Islands — exact locality unknown. Characters. — A large petrel with blackish-brown plumage except for belly and under tail-coverts white and throat, upper breast and flanks pale brown; bill black; legs yellowish; feet black. This oceanic bird differs from other petrels and shearwaters of Micronesia by the presence of a white abdomen in contrast with dark plumage on upper parts, throat, and breast. Remarks. — A petrel which is referred to this subspecies has been taken once in Micronesia, by Hombron and Jacquinot in the Caro- line Islands. It may be pointed out that the subspecies P. r. becki 70 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Murphy is known from the sea east of the Bismarck Archipelago and might range into Micronesian waters. Pterodroma hypoleuca hypoleuca Salvia Stout-billed Gadfly Petrel Oestrelata hypoleuca Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 359. (Type locality, Krusenstern Island = Ailiik, Marshall Islands, fide Fisher, Auk. 63, 1946, pp. 587-588). Oestrelata hypoleuca Salvin, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 409 (Krusen- stern); Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pt. 3, 1908, p. 212 (Krusenstern). Cookilaria hypoleuca hypoleuca Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 122, (Marshall Group). Pttrodroma leucoptera hypoleuca Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 188 (Marshalls); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 210 (Krusenstern); Fisher, Auk, 63, 1946, pp. 387-388 (Ailuk). Pterodroma hypoleuca hypoleuca Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 11 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Ranges from the Bonins east to the Hawaiians and south to Micronesia. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Ailuk. Characters. — Upper parts grayish except for forehead whitish, crown and nape sooty-black; underparts whitish except for sides of breast sooty-black; legs and feet flesh color except for tips of toes and webs which are black. Remarks. — In Micronesia, this petrel is known only from the type locality, Krusenstern or Ailuk, Marshall Islands. Fisher (1946: 587-588) has corrected the confusion regarding the exact position of this type locality. Phaethon aethereus mesonauta Peters Red-billed Tropic-bird Phaethon aethereus mesonauta Peters, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 5, 1930, p. 261. (Type locality. Swan Key, Almirante Bay, Panama.) Phaeton aethereus Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 329, 333, (Ratak Chain, Marshalls); idem, Joum. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 310 (Kuschai) ; idem. Ibis, 1881, p. 109 (Kuschai); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 73 (Kushai, Marshalls) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus. 26, 1898, p. 457 (Kushai, Marshalls); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Inseln) ; Kuroda, in Momiyania, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 34 (Kusaie, Marshall Islands). Phaethon aethereus [tmesonauta] Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 187 (Kusaie, Marshalls); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 208 (Kusaie, Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Tropical parts of Atlantic and eastern Pacific from Cape Verde Islands west to Panama and Galapagos Islands. In Micronesia: Caro- line Islands — Kusaie; Marshall Islands — ^Ratak Chain. Characters. — 'Adult: A large, white sea bird with a long white tail; dorsal surface marked with blackish, transverse vermiculations; bill red; tarsus and foot flesh-colored with a yellowish hue, with plantar surface grayish. Imma- ture: Resembles adults but dark transverse bars are broader; crown blacker; bill yellow. Remarks. — No specimens have been examined. The Red-billed Tropic-bird is placed in the list of birds known from Micronesia on Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 71 the basis of two observations by the German ornithologist, Otto Finsch. It has not been reported since his time, and may be con- sidered as an unusual record for the area. I am following the Hand- list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al, 1942:208) in assigning the bird to the subspecies, P. a. mesonauta. Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi (Mathews) Red-tailed Tropic Bird Scaeophaethon rubricauda rothschildi Mathews, Birds Australia, 4, 1915, p. 303. (Type locality, Laysan and Niihau.) Phaeton rubricaudus Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 296 (Carolines); idem, Ibis, 1881, p. 115 (Ponape). Phaeton rubricauda Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk) ; Wigles- worth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 73 (Ruk, Ponape, Marshalls). Phaeton rubricauda Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898. p. 451 (Caro- line Islands); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 11 (Ruk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 187 (Pagan, Truk, Ponape, Marshalls). Scaeophaethon rubricauda Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 34 (Mariannes, Ruk, Ponape, Marshalls). Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 406 (Pagan); idem, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 676 (Maug). Phaethon rubricaudus rothschildi Hand -list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 209 (Maug, Pagan, Truk, Ponape, Marshalls). Geographic range. — Bonin and Hawaiian islands south to Micronesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands— Maug, Pagan ; Caroline Islands— -Truk, Ponape; Marshall Islands — exact locality unknown. Characters.— kdwM: Long-tailed sea bird white with pinkish tint except for black lores and eye streak; black shafts on feathers of secondaries, flanks, and tail coverts; black bases on feathers of head; central tail feathers elongate with black shafts and bright red webs; bill orange-red with black nasal streak; tarsus and foot bluish-yellow, distal part blackish. Immature: Resembles adult but barred with black above ; bill blackish. Measurements. — Yamashina (1940:676) hsts the measurements for seven adult birds from Maug in the northern Marianas as wing 304-319 and exposed culmen 55-62. A^esfmgr.— Yamashina (1932a :406) reports the taking of one egg at Pagan in the Marianas on February 15, 1931. Remarks. — The Red-tailed Tropic Bird has been recorded from the Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Islands. On the basis of our present knowledge it appears to be uncommon in most of Micronesia and may be established as a resident bird only in the northern Marianas, as shown by Yamashina (1932a :406 and 1940:676), Coultas obtained an immature male at 3° N and 158° E, which is at a point in the ocean south of the eastern Carolines. Possibly this bird and others obtained in the Carolines are representatives of the subspecies, P. r. melanorhynchos Gmelin, which is known from the Palmerston, Society and Turtle islands. 72 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Phaethon lepturus dorotheae Mathews , White-tailed Tropic Bird Phoethon lepturus dorotheae Mathews, Austr. Avium. Rec, 2, 1913, p. 7. (Type locality, Queensland.) Phaeton candidus Kittlitiz. Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, unci Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 382 (Ualan); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1872, p. 57 (Pelew) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 114 (Pelew, Ualan); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 1875, pp. 6, 47 (Palau) ; ide7n, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 782 (Ponape); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 296, 309 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. > . . Abth. Mus., Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 299, 330, 353 (Ponape, Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 52 (Kuschai); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 73 (Pelew, Ruk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Ualan, Marshalls) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 62 (Agrigan, Palaos, Ruk, Kushai, Marshalls); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne). Phaeton flavirostris Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 329, 333 (Ratak Chain); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 109, 115 (Kuschai, Ponape). Phaethon candidus Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 426 (Pelews, Carolines, Marshalls); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 23 (Agrigan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mariannes); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Pelew, Ponape); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 489, 492 (Palau). Phaethon lepturus Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 453 (Pelew, Carolines, Marshalls); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (near Guam); idcrn, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9 1905, p. 80 (northern Marianas) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 17 (Palau) ; Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 535 (Guam); Borror, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 416 (Agrihan) ; Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 524 (Saipan). Phaeton lepturus Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Insein). Leptophaethon lepturus dorothea Mathews, Birds Australia, 4, 1915, p. 309 (Pelew). Phaethan lepturus Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (northern Marianas). Leptophaethon lepturus lepturus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 33 (Agrigan, Saipan, Pelew, Ruk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls). Phaethon lepturus dorotheae Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 407 (Ponape) ; Hand- list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 187 (Agrigan, Pagan, Saipan, Agiguan, Palaus, Truk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 209 (Agrigan, Pagan, Saipan, Agiguan, Babelthuap, Koror, Urukthapel, Angaur, Unusuto, Truk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kusaie, Namorik) ; Baker, Smith- son. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 38 (Guam, Peleliu, Ulithi, Truk). Geographic range. — Island.s in the southwestern Pacific area. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Agrigan. Pagan, Saipan, Agiguan, Rota, Guam; Palau L^lands — Babelthuap, Koror, Urukthapel, Peleliu, Anguar, Unusuto; Caroline Islands Truk, Ulithi, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Namorik. Characters. — Adult : White often with pinkish shade but lores and eye streak black; feathers of head, flanks and under tail-coverts with bases black; black on outer and subterminal part of inner webbing of primaries; black, sub- terminal coloring on scapulars and secondaries; black on shafts of elongated tail plumes; bill horn yellow, dark basally; tarsus dark yellow; feet blackish. Immature: Resembles adult but upper parts barred with black, bill black on terminal part. Meas«rer?ien/s.— Measurements of adult birds from Micronesia are given in table 15. Weights. — The NAMRU2 party recorded weights of five adult males from Guam as 294 (267-321) grams. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 73 Table 15. Measurements of Phaethon lepturus from Micronesia No. Wing Tail Exposed culmen Tarsus Marianas: Asuncion, Guam. . . . Palaus: Peleliu 6 11 11 264 256-287 257 242-270 261 252-271 107 97-117 108 98-122 105 97-114 47 44-50 45 40-49 47 44-49 21 20-21 21 Carolines: Ponape, Kusaie 19-21 21 21-22 Total: Micronesia 28 260 242-287 107 97-122 46 40-50 21 19-22 Specimens examined.— Tota] number, 37 (22 males, 10 females, 5 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM — Guam, 5 (June 11, July 21); AMNH — Asuncion, 1 (June ?); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 5 (Aug. 29, 31, Sept. 5, 6); AMNH— exact locality not given, 7 (Oct. 13, 26, Nov. 15, 23, Dec. 18); Caroline Islands, .\MNH— Ponape, 9 (Dec. 8, 9, undated) — Kusaie, 10 (March 1-8, April). Nesting. — The NAMRU2 party observed nests of the White-tailed Tropic Bird at Peleliu in August and September, 1945. Several nests vpere seen in hollows of the Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) between 20 and 30 feet above the ground. Birds could be seen in the nest hollows because the plumes of their long tail usually extended well out of the entrance. One nest was found in a dead tree in a battle-cleared area; others were observed in jungle habitat. Coultas observed nesting at Ponape between November 1 and De- cember 30, 1930, and found nests in the tops of trees and in hollow trees; a few were observed in holes in cliffs. Yamashina (1932a :407) records the taking of one egg at Ponape on August 18, 1931. At Guam the NAMRU2 party found birds along the high cliffs which edge the beach. There was no evidence that they were nesting from May to July; nevertheless males taken in June had enlarged gonads. The bird is known to breed at Namorik in the Marshall Islands, according to the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942: 209). Food habits. — The NAMRU2 party found small fish in the stomachs of these birds taken at Peleliu. Parasites.— Uchida, (1918:489, 492) records the bird lice (Mallophaga), Colpocephalum epiphanes and Menopon eulasius, from the White-tailed Tropic Bird from Palau. Remarks. — Birds taken in Micronesia differ only slightly from those from other areas in Oceania. Within Micronesia (see table 15) the birds from the Palaus have the shortest wing and shortest ex- posed culmen. The White-tailed Tropic Bird appears more numerously in west- ern and northern Micronesia than in the Marshall Islands. This dis- tribution may be correlated with a preference for the "high" islands; especially those which have rocky cliffs, including Guam, Rota, 74 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Peleliu, Angaiir, and Truk. Reports were received in 1945 that the birds were only infrequently seen at Ulithi, a low atoll. Stott (1947: 524) observed birds flying into rocky crevices at Saipan on December 18. Gleise (1945:221) also recorded the bird in the vicinity of Sai- pan. Borror (1947:416) reports seeing birds at Agrigan on July 29, August 5 and 6, 1945. Coultas (field notes) found tropic birds com- mon at Ponape in November and December, 1930, in forested re- gions and along the cliffs. He made similar observations at Kusaie and Palau. At Ponape and Palau, Coultas noted the use of the eggs, young and adults as food by the natives. At Palau the plumes are used in headdresses worn by the natives, the birds being taken with the blowgun. Murphy (1936:807) states that the principal enemy of the White- tailed Tropic Bird at Bermuda is the introduced rat [Rattus rattus). Introduced rats, particularly Rattus mindanensis on Guam, may prey on the nesting birds. Baker (1946c :404) writes that this rat is a good climber and may spend considerable time in trees. The rat was trapped also in rough coral jungle at the edge of the cliffs, where tropic birds, Micronesian Starlings and other species, may have been nesting. Little has been recorded concerning the post-breeding season wan- derings of these tropic birds in Micronesia. They seemingly spend considerable time at sea, but whether they move as far from their breeding areas as do birds in the Atlantic, as reported by Murphy (1936:803), Baker (1947a:253) and others, is not known. Murphy (1936:796) notes that the northward distribution of the tropic birds in the Atlantic is dependent on the warm currents of water. In the western Atlantic, the poleward-flowing, warm currents of the Gulf Stream allow for the northern extension of the range of these birds to Bermuda. In the eastern Atlantic, cool currents flowing toward the equator restrict the northern range. The same condition prevails in the eastern Pacific where warm current flowing toward the pole enable the birds to range north to the Bonins and other islands. The three species of tropic birds known from Micronesia overlap very little in their ranges in this area. The White-tailed Tropic Bird has become firmly established in the western part of Micronesia, but there are only a few records from the extreme eastern part. The Red-tailed Tropic Bird appears to be resident only in the northern Marianas although it has been recorded in the Carolines and Mar- shalls. Interspecific competition may prevent considerable inter- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 75 mingling of breeding populations in Micronesia, or it may be that each species requires different ecologic conditions. Sula dactylatra personata Gould Masked Booby Sula personata Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1846, p. 21. (Type locality, North and northeast coasts of Australia = Raine Island.) Sula cyanops Finsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 219 (Taluit); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Bar. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 72 (Marshalls) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 430 (Marshalls). Parasula dactylatra personata Kuroda, in Momiyana, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 35 (Marshall Islands); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 232 (Marshall Islands). Sula dactylatra personata Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 407 (Medinilla) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 187 (Medinilla, Marshall Islands) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 208 (Medinilla, Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Central and western Pacific from the Hawaiian Islands south to Australia, probably also in the Indian Ocean. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Medinilla; Marshall Islands — Jaluit? Characters. — Adult: A large, white sea bird, with brown wings and tail; face dark blue; bill horn-colored with base orange-yellow in males and pink or light red in females; feet olive in males and lead gray in females. Immature: Resembles adult, but head, wings, tail, chin and throat dark brown ; some white mottling ma}^ be present on back and rump ; bill dark ; feet lead colored. Nesting. — Yamashina (1932a :407) reports the taking of 12 eggs on Febru- ary 19, 1931, at Medinilla Island in the Marianas. Remarks. — No specimen has been examined by me from the area reported upon. Little is known regarding the distribution of the Masked Booby in Micronesia. It is found on the island groups which surround Micronesia and future field observations probably will add to our knowledge of its occurrence in this area. It is known to be resident only in the northern Marianas. Sula sula rubripes Gould Red-footed Booby Sula rubripes Gould, Syn. Birds Australia, pt. 4, 1838, app., p. 7. (Type locality. New South Wales = Raine Island.) Pelecanus piscator Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 296, 299 (Lougounor ^ Lukunor) ; idem, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 351 (Lugunor). Dysporus piscator Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelews) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 90 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 47 (Palau). Sula piscatrix Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890- 1891 (1891), p. 72 (Pelew, Luganor) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 64 (Rota, Palaos, Carolines); Hartert, Novit. Zoo!., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Rota); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); idem, Guam, 1912, p. 19 (Guam): Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam). 76 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Sula piscator Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 432 (Pelew) ; Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 24 (Guam). Piscatrix sula rubripes Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 34 (Pelew, Luganor, Rota). Sula sula rubripes Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Medinilla, Saipan, Rota, Palau, Lukunor, Likieb) ; Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 676 (Maug, Bikar) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 208 (Maug, Medinilla, Saipan, Rota, Palau, Lukunor, Bikar, Likieb). Geographic range. — Indian Ocean east to central Pacific islands. In Micro- nesia: Mariana Islands — Maug, Medinilla, Saipan, Rota; Palau Islands — ex- act locality unknown; Caroline Islands — Lukunor; Marshall Islands — Bikar, Likieb, Bikini, Enivvetok. Characters. — Adult: A large sea bird with plumage of variable color, mainly white or partly bufT with black primaries and black-tippe'd secondaries, or grayish or brownish with white or grayish tail; throat blackish; face blue or green; bill bluish and lighter at tip; legs and feet red. Immature: Resembles adult, but often wholly brownish, lighter ventrally; bill blackish; feet yellowish red. Immature resembles that of S. leucogaster. Nesting. — Morrison obtained a male nestling at Bikini on May 3, 1946. Specimens examined. — Total number, 10 (3 males, 7 females) from Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini (April 28, May 1, 2, 3). Remarks. — The writer saw several bircis approximately 20 miles east of Eniwetok on January 7, 1945. Morrison obtained a series of birds at Bikini in April and May, 1946. Murphy (1936:861-870) presents a wealth of information concerning the bird. He points out the need for a better understanding of the plumages of the adult birds and gives evidence that the birds of different colors may occur within the same population. He describes the Red-footed Booby as nesting in trees and shrubs. This type of nesting environment is present at many of the islands in Micronesia. Sula leucogaster plotus (Forster) Brown Booby Pelecanus Plotus Forster, Descr. Anim., ed. Licht., 1844, p. 278. (Type locality Near New Caledonia.) Dysporus sula Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 90 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 47 (Palau); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 11 (Ruk). Sula fusca Fmsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 218 (Taluit). Sula leucogastra Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 423 (Pelew, Carolinis) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 72 (Pelew, Ruk, Marshalls) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 63 (Palaos, Mariannes, Marshalls, Carolines); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne). Sula sula Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Museum, 26, 1898, p. 436 (Asuncion, Pelew); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 24 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 66 (Mariannas); ide7n. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); idem, Guam, 1912, p. 19 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 77 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 100 (Marianen) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Marianne); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam) ; Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 487, 493 (Sea off Mariana Islands). Sula leucogaster plotus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 34 (Pelew, Ruk, West Faiu, Uracas, Saipan, Marshalls) ; Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 407 (Medinilla); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Uracas, Pagan, Medinilla, Saipan, Truk, West Fayu, Grimes, Marshalls); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 208 (Uracas, Pagan, Medinilla, Saipan, Grimes, West Fayu, Truk, Marshalls); Baker. Smithson, Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 41 (Rota, Guam, Truk). Geographic range. — Throughout tropical Pacific area and south to Australia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Asuncion, Uracas, Pagan, Medinilla, Saipan, Rota, Guam; Palau Islands — exact locality unknown; Caroline Islands- Grimes, West Fayu, Truk, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Eniwetok. Characters. — Adult: A heavy sea bird dark brown except for white lower breast, belly, under tail, and auxillars; bill heavy and light bluish; face, gular pouch and feet greenish yellow. Immature: Resembles adult, but lower breast, belly and under tail mottled with brown; feet light yellow. Measurements. — Two adult males (Rota, Guam) measure: wing 386, 408; tail 194; exposed culmen 93, 98; tarsus 45, 49; two adult females (Rota, Kusaie): wing 380, 487; tail 193, 217; exposed culmen 94, 99; tarsus 45, 50. Weights. — The author (1948:41) records one immature female from Rota weighing 1042 grams. Specimens examined. — Total number, 6 (3 males, 3 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Rota, 3 (Oct. 24); AMNH— Guam, 1 (July 23); Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given, 1 (Dec. 1); Caroline Islands, AMNH — Kusaie, 1 (April 19). Nesting. — Few records have been published concerning nesting of the Brown Booby in Micronesia. Yamashina (1932a: 407) reports the taking of 12 eggs at Medinilla in the Mariana Islands on February 19, 1931. At Palau, Coultas (field notes) obtained reports that the bird nests at Kiangat, a small islet north of Babelthuap. Parasites.— Uchida, (1918:487, 493) obtained bird lice (Mallophaga), Meno- pan brevipalpe and Lipeurus potens, from the Brown Booby from the ''sea off Mariana Islands." Remarks. — The Brown Booby has not been founci abundantly by observers in the Micronesian area. Coultas and Kubary, who spent considerable time in this region, observed the bird at only a few of the islands. Probably the bird does not nest abundantly in Micro- nesia, although small colonies may be present. The NAMRU2 party observed a flock of twelve brown boobies on high cliffs at Taipingot Peninsula at Rota on October 24, 1945. Birds were seen also at Guam in May, July and November, 1945, and at Truk in Decem- ber of the same year. Coultas obtained a single specimen at Kusaie; the natives told him that it was not a resident of the island. The writer observed several Brown Boobies approximately twenty miles east of Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands on January 7, 1945. These were in the company of other sea birds. 78 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Phalacrocorax melanoleucus melanoleucus (Vieillot) Little Pied Cormorant Hydrocorax melanoleucos Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., 8, 1817, p. 88. (Type locality, "Australasie," restricted to New South Wales.) Carbo melanoleucus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 114 (Pelew). Graculus melanoleucus Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 48 (Pelew). Microcarbo melanoleucus Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 410 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 72 (Pelew). Phalacrocorax melanoleucus Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 398 (Pelew); Nehrkom, Kat. Eiers., 1899, p. 235 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, p. 486 (Palau). Ph [alacrocorax] melanoleucos Reichenow, Die Vogel, 1 1913, p. 127 (Palauinseln). Microcarbo melanoleucus Tuelanoleucus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 35 (Pelew). Microcarbo melanoleucus mehyillensis Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 228 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 186 (Babelthuap, Koror). Halietor vielanoleucos melanoleucos Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 93 (Pelew). Phalacrocorax melanoleucus melanoleucus Mayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 486, 1931, p. 5 (Pelew); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1175, 1942, p. 2 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, pp. 50, 284 (Palau, Marianas) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107. no. 15, 1948, p. 41 (Palau). Phalacrocorax melanoleucos mclvillensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 207 (Pagan, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur). Geographic range. — Tasmania, Australia, Leaser Sunda north through Mela- nesia to Palau Islands. In Micronesia : Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Ngabad, Peleliu, Anguar. Characters. — Adult: A small cormorant with upper parts black with dull greenish gloss; under parts white e.xcept vent and under tail-coverts which are sooty -black. Measurements. — ^The author (1948: 41) gives the following measurements of two adult females from Peleliu: wing, 220 and 222; tail, 153 and 157; culmen from notch of suture between maxilla and quadratojugal bones, 35 and 36. Specimens examined. — Total number, 15 (1 male, 12 females, 2 unsexed), as fol- lows: Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 6 (Aug. 27, Sept. 7, 10, 16); AMNH— exact locality not given, 9 (Nov. part). Nesting. — Nehkorn (1899:235) recorded eggs taken at Palau. Some of the specimens obtained by Coultas in November, 1931, had swollen gonads. The author found no evidence of nesting in August and September, 1945, in the southern Palaus. Food habits. — The author (1948: 41) found small fish in the stomachs of birds taken in August and September. The contents of each stomach averaged approximately 3 cc. in volume. Parasites. — Uchida (1918:486) found the bird louse (Mallophaga), Lipeurus subsetosus, on the Little Pied Cormorant from Palau. Remarks. — The Palaus mark the northernmost point of range of the Little Pied Cormorant. It does not occur in the Philippines and must have reached Palau from the New Guinea region. It is un- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 79 known at Yap and other "high" islands in the Carolines. A sight record of this species at Pagan in the northern Marianas, made by Orii and reported in the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:207), may be questioned. Amadon (1942:1) has studied the races of this species and points out that there is little geographic variation in the species; it is divisible into three subspecies. One of these is confined to New Zealand. Another occurs only on Ren- nell Island, Solomons. The six specimens taken by the NAMRU2 party at Peleliu included only two adults, whose measurements are within the range of those studied by Amadon. The NAMRU2 party found the birds numerously in the southern Palaus in 1945. Birds were concentrated in the areas of mangrove swamp and on the tidal flats. In August and September, they were observed frequently in groups of 10 to 15, either sitting on the ground or perched on low mangroves or dead snags sunning them- selves. Coultas (field notes) received reports that they nested at a freshwater lake on the "main island" (Babelthuap?) Ripley (1948) reports the occurrence of "about a dozen anhingas (presumably Anhinga melanogaster)" at Babelthuap on 12 Novem- ber 1946. Fregata minor minor (Gmelin) Pacific Man-o'-War PcleraniLS minor Giiielin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 572. (No type locality = Christmas Island, Indian Ocean.) Pelecanus aquilaf Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. "Uranie," Zool., 1824, p. 154 (Caro- lines). Pelecanus aqicilus? Lesson, Man. d'Ornith., 2, 1828, p. 354 (Carolines). Atagen aquilus Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 61 (Ladrone or Marian Islands). Tachypetes aquila Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 11 (Ruk); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 100 (Marianen). Tachypetes aquilus Finsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 333 (Taluit) ; idem, Joum. f. Omith., 1880, pp. 296, 310 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 109, 115 (Kuschai, Ponape) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 353 (Mortlock, Ruk). Fregata aquila Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 403 (Carolines, Marshalls); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891), p. 71 (Ruk, Luganor, Ponape, Ualan, Marshalls); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 443 (Carolines, Marshalls); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schultze der Vogelwelt, 25, 1900, p. 452 (Ponape, Kuschai, Marshalls); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 24 (Guam); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Inseln); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb,, 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam). Fregata aquila palmerstoni Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 35 (Carolines, Marshalls). Fregata minor peninsulae Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 233 (Carolines, Marshalls); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 96 (Carolines?, Marshalls?). 80 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Fregata minor palmerstoni Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 186 (Yap, Faraulep, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Namu, Likieb) ; Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Yamasiiina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 676 (Maug, Bikar). Fregata minor minor Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 207 (Maug, Yap, Faraulep, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Namu, Bikar, Likieb). Fregata minor Borror, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 416 (Agrihan). Geographic range. — Eastern Indian Ocean to western Pacific Ocean. Limits of range not certainly known. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Agrigan, Maug, Saipan, Guam; Caroline Islands — Yap, Faraulep, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Ku.saie; Marshall Islands — Namu, Bikar, Likieb, Kwajalein, Bikini. Characters. — Adult male : Large sea bird with deeply forked tail ; blackish but wing-coverts paler; head and back glossy purple and blue; breast lighter than belly. Adult female; Resembles adult male, but head blacker; chin and throat grayer; breast more whitish. Immature: Resembles adult, but head and throat whitish washed with buff; breast dark brown; belly whitish. Measurements. — Two adult males measure: wing, 572; tail, 354, 396; exposed culmen, 98. 103; two adult females; wing. 583. 604; tail, 365; exposed culmen, 119, 127. These four specimens are from Bikini. Specimens examined. — Total number, 10 (3 males, 7 females), from Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini (March 11, 22, 29, 30, April 13, 29, May 3, 14). Remarks. — The systematic position of the subspecies of Fregata minor in the Pacific area is not well established. I am following the committee who prepared the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachi- suka et al., 1942:207) in using the name F. m. minor, although a thorough study may show that these birds have closer relationships to one of the other subspecies of the Pacific area. Fregata minor has been reported only occasionally in the Marianas and probably is not resident there. Borror (1947:416) reports the bird at Agrihan on August 11, 1945, and Seale (1901:24) mentions one taken at Guam in November, 1889. No records are known from the Palaus. In the Carolines the birds are probably resident, especially in the eastern part. In the Marshalls the species is a conspicuous member of the bird colonies on the coral atolls. Wal- lace (field notes) observed two birds at Loi Island in Kwajalein Atoll on May 7, 1944. Morrison obtained ten specimens at Bikini in the period from March through May in 1946. Fregata ariel arid (Gray) Least Man-o'-War Atagen (sic) Ariel Gray, Gen. Birds, 3, 184.5, col. pi. [185]. (Type locality, Raine Island, Queensland.) Pelecanus minor Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 607 (Mariannes, Carolines). Tachypetes minor Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Mac- kenzie Group); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 90 (Uap) ; Griiffe, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap). Fregata minor Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 40.5 (Mariannes, Mac- kenzie); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 71 (Uap, Ngoli or Matelotas). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 81 Tachypetes aquila var. minor Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 65 (Rota, Carolines, Marshatis) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne). Fregata ariel Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 447 (Marianas, Carolines); Seale, Occ. Pai>ers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 25 (Guam?); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Fregata ariel ariel Mathews, Birds Australia, 4, 1914-15, p. 285 (Carolines, Marshalls); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 36 (Yap, Ngoli, Rota); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 186 (Rota, Yap, Ngulu, Uluthi) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 208 (Rota, Yap, Ngulu, Uluthi). Geographic range. — China coast and Philippines south to Australia and east to Pacific islands. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam?, Rota; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ngulu, Ulithi. Characters. — Adult male : Resembles F. m. minor, but smaller and blacker with upper parts lustrous greenish-blue and white patch on lower flank. Adult female: Resembles adult male, but browner with paler nape and white breast. Immature: Re.=embles adult, but with head, chin, throat, and belly white washed with rufous. Remarks. — Like F. minor, the Least Man-o'-War has not been observed often in Micronesia. Marclie obtaineci one female at Rota in June, 1888. D. H. Johnson saw a bird thought to be of this species at Agfayan Bay, Guam, on 4 June 1945. Records from the western Carolines are few. There are no reports of this bird from the Palaus and the Marshalls. It may breed on some of the atolls in the Carolines. The two species of man-o'-war birds may be difficult to distinguish in the field. The smaller size of Fregata ariel is perhaps the most useful character although it may be easily recognized also by the presence of the white flank patch, if it can be observed. Both of the species of Fregata discussed in this report have repre- sentatives in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Murphy (1936:920) has shown that the man-o'-war birds are able to cross the Isthmus of Panama between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This route may also be the means of dispersal for other species. The irregular distribution of these birds as well as of other sea birds in the oceanic islands of the Pacific may be caused by their remaining over waters which contain preferred foods and their avoidance of waters which lack preferred foods. Butorides striatus amurensis Schrenck Amur Green Heron Ardea (.Butorides) virescens var. amurensis Schrenck, Reise Amur Lande, 1, pt. 2, 1860, p. 441. (Type locality, Amurland.) Butorides striatus javanicus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Koror, Babelthuap). Butorides striatus amurensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Babel- thuap, Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau). &— 8131 82 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Asia, China, Japan, Bonins. Win- ters south to Philippines and Malaysia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babel- thuap, Koror. Specimens examined. — Total number, 2 females, from Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given (Nov. 13, Dec. 17-18). Remarks. — The Amur Green Heron has been recorded as a winter visitor to the Palau Islands. Two females taken by Coultas in No- vember and December, 1931, are imature. He comments (field notes) that he saw, in all, three birds in taro patch and mangrove swamp habitat. Bubulcus ibis coromandus (Boddaert) Cattle Egret Cancroma Coromanda Boddaert, Table PI. enlum., 1783, p. 54. (Type locality, Coromandel.) Ardeola ibis coromanda Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Koror). Bubulcus ibis coromandus Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Koror, Babelthuap); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau). Geographic range. — India, Ceylon, east to China and Japan and south to Malaysia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror. Remarks. — The Japanese ornithologists have recorded the Cattle Egret from Babelthuap and Koror in the Palau Islands. It is a win- ter migrant. Egretta intermedia intermedia (Wagler) Plumed Egret Ardea intermedia Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 659. (Type locality, Java.) Egretta intermedia intermedia Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Koror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 203 (Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Ck)ll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 42 (Rota, Guam, Peleliu, Angaur, Ulithi). Egretta intermedia Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 306, 310 (Ulithi); Baker, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, p. 408 (Guam). Geographic range. — India and Ceylon east to Malaysia, Phihppines, China and Japan. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan, Rota, Guam; Palau Is- lands — Koror, Peleliu, Angaur; Caroline Islands — Ulithi. Characters. — Adult: A large white heron with green facial skin; black legs, feet and toes. In breeding plumage: Head with crest; neck and back with ornamental plumes; bill black. Winter plumage: Without crest or plumes; bill yellow with blackish tip. Immature: Resembles adult in winter plumage, but feathers soft and downy. Measurements. — Five males from Saipan, Rota, Guam, and Angaur meas- ure: wing, 295-321 (308); tail, 112-127 (119); culmen, 85-87 (87); tarsus, 111- 118 (114); three females from Saipan, Ulithi, Angaur: wing, 294-301 (297); tail, 101-116 (110); culmen, 77-83 (80); tarsus, 108-115 (107). Weights. — The author (1948:43) records the weights of two males from Guam as 445 and 463. Specimens examined. — Total number, 8 (5 males, 3 females), as follows: Mariana Islands. rSNM— Saipan, 2 (Sept. 29, Oct. 2)— Rota, 1 (Oct. 31)— Guam, 2 (June 13); Palau Islands, USNM— Angaur, 2 (Sept. 21); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 15). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 83 Food habits. — The NAMRU2 party found grasshoppers, other insects, spiders and lizards in the stomachs of egrets taken at Guam, Ulithi, and Angaur. Parasites. — Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:306, 310) obtained the chiggers (Acarina), Neoschongastia egretta and N. emingi, from this egret from TTlithi. Remarks. — The NAMRU2 party obtained Plumed Egrets at Rota, Guam, Ulithi, and Angaur in 1945. Previously, the only known record was from Koror, as reported in the Hand-list of Japa- nese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1932:183). In addition, in 1945, Joe T. Marshall, Jr., obtained two birds at Saipan, and Gleise (1945: 220) reported seeing "white herons" at Tinian, which probably were egrets. Gleise estimated the number of these birds at Tinian to be fifty; he found them in swampy areas. At Rota, the NAMRU2 party found a flock of sixteen birds in a cultivated field on October 31. At Guam, egrets were first observed on February 25, 1945, when a flock of fourteen was found in a fallow rice paddy near Piti. This flock remained in this area and were seen occasionally until as late as June 13, when two were taken as specimens. A short time later (June 30) the entire area was cleared for military use and the birds were seen no more. At Agfayan Bay a flock of sixteen birds was found on the beach on July 24 and on August 6. These birds kept apart from Reef Herons which were also in the area. In June, 1946, M. Dale Arvey observed egrets in swamps along the Ylig River at Guam. At Ulithi Atoll, three egrets were seen on August 15 at Potangeras Island, feeding in grassy areas adjacent to the beach. In the southern Palaus, the NAMRU2 party found egrets in August and September on tidal flats and open grasslands at Peleliu and Angaur. At Peleliu, a flock of twenty-five birds was seen on Sep- tember 8 and a flock of eight birds on September 16. At Angaur approximately twenty birds were seen in groups of five or more on September 21. These birds, unlike the Reef Herons, preferred grasslands to beach areas for feeding and were usually seen in size- able flocks. There was no evidence of breeding; specimens examined were either immatures or adults in winter plumage, since they had yellow bills tipped with black and slight or no development of ornamental plumes. Birds taken at Guam in June and at Angaur in September had no ornamental plumes, while birds taken at Ulithi in August, at Saipan in September and October, and at Rota in late October show some development of the back plumes. Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:306) found the same species of chigger on Plumed Egrets from Ulithi and from Okinawa in the Riu Kiu Islands. The 84 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. NAMRU2 party observed the birds in Micronesia from February until October in 1945, and although the Plumed Egret may be con- sidered as merely a visitor to Micronesia, it would not be surprising to find nests there. The fact that several new distributional records were obtained for Micronesia in 1945 may indicate that the birds have been overlooked by ornithologists in the past or that the birds are increasing the breadth of their winter (or breeding?) range. Demigretta sacra sacra (Gmelin) Reef Heron Ardea sacra Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 640. (Type locality, Tahiti.) Ardea jugularis Kittlitz, Observ. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 286, 299, 304 (Ualan, Lougounor, Guahan); Hartlaub, Journ. f. Omith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen) ; Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 63 (Ualan); Pelzeln, Reise "Novara," Vogel, 1865, pp. 118, 162, 120, 121 (Puynipet, Ualan). Ardea (Herodias) atra Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 48 (Ladrone or Marian Islands, Caroline Islands). Ardea sacra Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Matelotas Islands); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelews); Finsch and Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 137 (Pelews, Matelotas) ; Gray, Hand- list Birds, 8, 1871, p. 28 (Marian, Carolines, Pelews, Matelotas); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 104 (Pelew, Uap, Ualan); Griiffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 32 (Palau); idem, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 38 (Ponape, Ualan); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 294, 306 (Ponape, Kuschai); idem. Ibis., 1880, pp. 220, 330, 332 (Taluit) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 106, 109, 115 (Kushai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 353 (Mortlocks, Ruk); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 51 (Jaluit, Kuschai); Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1893, p. 211 (Marshalls); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 36 (Guam, Marshalls, Palaos, Carolines); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln). Demiegretta sacra Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 348 (Marshalls, Ualan, Ponape, Ruck, Pelew, Mariannis); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 67 (Marianne, Pelews, Luganor, Ruk, Ponape, Ualan, Taluit); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 64 (Saipan) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 137 (Pelew, Carolines, Marshalls); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 11 (Ruk); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 29 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 129 (Micronesia); Bryan, Guam, Rec, vol. 13, no. 2. 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Bequaert, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 16, 1941, p. 266 (Kusaie). Demigretta sacra Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Saipan, Tinian) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Bequaert, Mushi, 12, 1939, p. 81 (Kusaie); Warton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, p. 175 (Guam); Warton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 306, 316 (Ulithi, Guam). Demiegretta jugularis Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Truk, Ponape, Pelew). Demiegretta jugulari-s grayi Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 484, 488, 490 (Ponape). Demiegretta sacra sacra Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 36 (Guam, Saipan, Angaur, Luganor, Yap, Ngoli, Ruk, Ponape, Kusaie, Taluit). Demigretta sacra sacra Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Conip. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 171 (Kusaie); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 198 (Carolines); Yaniashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 406 (Ponape); Hand-list Japanese Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 85 Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Saipan, Guam, Babelthuap, Peliliu, Angaur, Ngulu, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Jaluit, Majuro); Mayr and Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1144, 1941, p. 10 (Guam, Saipan, Palau, Ponape, Kusaie, Ruk, Tah) ; Hand -list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 203 (Saipan, Rota, Babelthuap, Peliliu, Angaur, Ngulu, Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Jaluit, Arhno, Majuro, Moloclab, Wotze, Likieb, Ailuk); Majt, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, pp. 51, 284 (Micronesia); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 90 (Tinian) ; Strophlet, Auk, 68, 1946, p. 585 (Guam); Borror, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan) ; Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 524 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 42 (Rota, Guam, Peleliu, Ulithi, Truk). Derrugretta sacra micronesiae Momiyama, Tori, 5, no. 22, 1926, p. 110 (Type lo- cality, Caroline Islands ; Pelew, Yap, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie). Geographic range. — Coasts of Asia and adjacent islands from Korea and Japan south to Malaysia, Australia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Agrigan, Tinian, Saipan, Rota, Guam; Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo. Ngesebus, Peleliu, Ngabad, Anguar; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Yap, Ngulu, Truk, Lukunor. Ponape, Kusaie; Mar- shall Island-s — Jaluit, Arhno, Majuro, Maloclab, Wotze, Likieb, Ailuk, Bikini, Eniwetok, Kwajalein. Characters. — A medium-sized heron with three color phases: in gray phase color of body varies from "deep blackish-slate" to light bluish-slate, particu- larly on the breast, with a white gular stripe ; wear and fading causes the color of the body to change to brownish-slate ; bluish-gray ornamental plumes may be present on adult ; in white phase color of body is pure white in adult stage ; plumage of immature may be mottled; in mottled phase there may be a variable amount of gray and white (for complete study of plumages of Demi- gretta sacra see Mayr and Amadon. 1941:4). Measurements. — Mayr and Amadon (1941:1) record the length of the wing of thirty adults from the Marianas and Carolines as 268-309 (284). Seven adult males obtained by the NAMRU2 party at Rota, Guam and Peleliu measure: wing, 287-307 (294); tail, 95-114 (101); culmen, 91-101 (96); tarsus, 78-87 (82); .«cvcn adult females, from Rota and Guam: wing, 265-285 (275); tail. 87-96 (91); culmen, 86-92 (89); tarsus, 72-79 (76). Weights. — The author (1948:42) lists the following weights: four adult males from Guam (gray phase) 590-667 (614) ; two adult males from Guam (white phase) 600 and 662; five adult females from Guam and Rota (gray phase) 477-553 (506). Specimens examined. — Total number, 80 (38 males, 40 females, 2 unsexed) as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Rota. 3 (Oct. 18, Nov. 2, 5)— Guam, 21 (May 11, June 6, 18, July 6, 8, 16, 24, 27, Aug. 6, 8, 27); AMNH— Saipan, 2 (July 22)— Guam, 9 (Feb. 11, Mar. 6, 7, April 11, Aug. 15, Sept. 14, 16, Nov. 27, Dec. 20); Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu, 3 (Sept. 10, 16); AMNH — exact locality not given, 5 (Nov. 8, 21, 23); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 15)— Kusaie, 1 (Feb. 8); AMNH— Truk, 3 (Feb. 18, May 20, Nov. 5)— Tah, 2 (Oct. 18) — Ponape, 2 (Nov. 21, undated) — Kusaie, 26 (Jan. 25, 26, Feb., Mar. 10-20, 20-30, April 1-10, 18); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 2 (March 29, April 2). Nesting. — The Reef Heron apparently nests on most of the islands in Mi- cronesia. The eggs are laid in a nest of grass and twigs on or near the ground. Hartert (1898:64) records a nest found in grass at Saipan on July 28, 1895. Yamashina (1932a :406) reports on one egg taken at Ponape on July 23, 1931. Marshall (1949:219, fig. 37) found a breeding bird in April at Tinian. Coultas (field notes) learned from the natives at Ponape that the Reef Heron builds 86 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. a nest of small sticks near the ground in the mangrove thickets. Two or three eggs are laid, and nests can be found at various times of the year. Mayr and Amadon (1941:4) comment on the prolonged breeding season and report six sets of eggs from Polynesia taken in January, March, April, September, Octo- ber, and November. Food habits. — The author (1948:42) found fish and crabs in the stomachs of birds taken at Guam, Ulithi and Peleliu. Parasites. — Vchida (1918:484, 488, 490) found the following bird lice (Mallophaga) on the Reef Heron at Ponape: Nirmus orarius, C olpocephalum importunum, and Myrsidea teraokai. Bequaert (1939:81 and 1941:266) found the fly (Hippoboscidae), Omithoctona plicata, on the heron at Kusaie. Whar- ton (1946:175) and Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:306, 316) obtained chiggers (Acarina), Neoschongastia egretta and A'', carveri, from the Reef Heron at Guam and Ulithi. Remarks. — The species Demigretta sacra contains two subspecies, the widespread D. s. sacra and a larger form, D. s. albolineata (Gray), known from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. The latter subspecies is surrounded by the former, a distribution which closely parallels that in each of the species Phalacrocorax melano- leucus and Gygis alba of Oceania. Recently Delacour (in Delacour and Mayr, 1945b: 105) has dropped the name Demigretta placing all of the forms of this genus in Egretta. He says, ''We cannot ac- cept the genus Demigretta, which is based on the more extended feathering of the tibia, the different length and texture of the feathers of the trains, the shortness of the tarsus and the presence of a dark gray color phase. The latter exists in the Madagascan and African subspecies of Egretta garzetta." The Reef Heron is a conspicuous member of the bird life of Micro- nesia, being recorded from most of the island groups. It prefers the placid and shallow waters of the lagoons and tidal beaches where it obtains the littoral animal life as food. The birds are seldom seen inland and usually freciuent the beaches and rocky coasts. In this respect there is little opportunity for competition with the migratory Plumed Egret, which prefers the grassy upland and marsh areas and inland ponds. The Reef Heron is a quiet, usually solitary, and retiring bird, being exceedingly difficult to approach, especially when found on the open tidal flats. The problem of plumages and color phases in the Reef Heron has been treated by Mayr and Amadon (1941:4-10). Specimens which they examined from Micronesia were found to be 54 percent gray, 40 percent white, and 6 percent mottled. Of the birds obtained by NAMRU2 field parties, fewer than 40 percent were white. Field counts showed a considerable variation in the ratio of grays to Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 87 whites: Guam— 6 grays to 4 whites; Ulithi — 4 grays, 6 whites, 1 mottled; Palau — equal number of grays and whites; Truk— 2 whites, 1 gray, 1 mottled. For some unknown reason, the gray birds were more easily approached than the white birds. Gleise and Genelly (1945:221) saw one white Reef Heron at Eniwetok. Wallace (field notes) found white herons more numerous than gray ones at Kwajalein in 1944 and 1945. Borror (1947:417) observed gray birds at Agrigan. Stott (1947:524) saw one blue heron on December 24, at Saipan. The 150 birds seen by him at Lake Susupe in December probably were Plumed Egrets. In discussing the variation in the color phases of the Reef Heron throughout its range, Mayr (1924b: 237) suggests that the reduced variability of small populations may not be due to accidental gene loss, but instead to the population having descended from a single pair or from one fertilized female. The descendents would naturally possess only those characters provided for in the genetic make-up of the parents. Reef Herons on New Zealand and in the Marquesas Islands all are gray, while at other island groups different propor- tions of gray and white individuals occur; such phenomena may result because of the genetic constitution of the "founders." Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus) Black-crowned Night Heron Ardes Nycticorax Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 142. (Tj-pe locality, Southern Europe.) Nycticorax griseus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 105 (Uap); Griiffe, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Bar. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 69 (Uap). Nycticorax nycticorax Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 146 (Yap). Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 36 (Mackenzie, Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Yap, Uluthi) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Yap. Uluthi); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Marianas, Yap). Geographic range. — Europe and Africa east to Japan and Malaysia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Tinian; Palau Islands — Koror; Caroline Islands —Yap, Ulithi, Truk. Specimens examined. — Total number, 2 immature females, as follows : Palau Islands, USNM —Koror, 1 (Nov. 27); Caroline Islands, AMNH— Truk, 1 (June 18). Remarks. — The Black-crowned Night Heron is a winter visitor to western Micronesia. Marshall (1949:221) records six of these birds on Tinian on April 4, 1945, and one on Koror on November 27. Nycticorax caledonicus pelewensis Mathews Rufous Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus pelewensis Mathews, Bull. British Ornith. Club, 46, 1926, p. 60. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.) Nycticorax caledonicus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 117, 118 (Pelew); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 158 (Pelew); Hartert, 88 Univeksity of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Keichenow, Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 255 (Palauin- seln); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, p. 486 (Palau) ; Wetmore, in Towsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 172 (Uala, Truk Atoll); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 37 (Pelew, Ruk). Nycticorax manillensis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 105 (Pelew); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 33 (Palau); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 69 (Pelew, Ruk). Nycticorax caledonicus pelewensis Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 200 (Pelew, Carolines); Peters, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 39, 1930, p. 271 (Pelew, Carolines); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 115 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 183 (Palau, Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Babelthuap, Koror, Coracal, Truk); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1175, 1942, p. 6 (Palau, Ruk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 285 (Palau, Truk); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 43 (Angaur, Peleliu, Garakayo, Truk). Geographic rangrg.— Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Coracel, Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Angaur; Caroline Islands — Truk. Characters. — Adult : Size medium ; head and nape dark ?laty-black ; occip- ital plumes white with dark tips and shafts; back dark reddish-brown, lighter on sides of neck, wings, wing coverts, rump, and tail; under parts whitish with light reddish-brown on sides of neck extending to throat and upper breast; tibia with some brownish feathers; underwing pinkish; feet yellowish-brown; bill black. Immature: Resembles adult, but upper parts mottled black with reddish- brown; underparts with lighter streaks of brown and whitish on breast; feet yellowish; bill black above, yellowish below. Adult resembles A^. c. manillensis Vigors, but is duller above. Measureinents. — Two adult males from Peleliu measure: wing, 293, 299; tail, 105, 107; culmen, 82, 89; tarsus, 79, 81; seven adult females from Peleliu: wing, 269-286 (280); tail. 101-106 (104); culmen, 76-84 (80); tarsus, 78-83 (80); one adult female from Truk: wing, 280; tail, 97; culmen, 83; tarsus, 79. Specimens examined.- — Total number, 27 (5 males, 18 females, 4 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 9 (Aug. 31, Sept. 1, 5, 6, 8, Dec. 6); AMNH— exact locality not given, 16 (Nov. 7, 8, 13, 23, 25, Dec. 1, undated); Caroline Islands, USNM — Truk, 1 (Feb. 16); AMNH— Truk, 1 (May 25). Nesting. — The NAMRU2 party observed a nesting colony of these night herons at Peleliu on August 29, 1945. Approximately eight nests were ob- served in a grove of saplinglike trees at the edge of a mangrove swamp. These nests were 15 to 20 feet above the ground; mo.st of them contained one or two nestling birds. Two subadults and three nestlings in postnatal molt were obtained; no eggs were found. Marshall (1948:219) records breeding in Au- gust, September and December. Food habits. — Baker (1948:43) reports that .stomachs of night herons ob- tained by the NAMRU2 party at Peleliu contained a great variety of animal foods, including eels, fish, lizards (skinks), crabs, shrimp, and insects. The stomach of one adult contained 14 large grasshoppers and four fish, totaling about 15 cc. in volume. The nestlings had eels, skinks, and insects in their stomachs.. Parasites. — Uchida (1918:486) found the bird louse (Mallophaga), Lipeurus baculus, on the night heron at Palau. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 89 Remarks. — Amadon (1942:4-8) has made the most recent study of the species Nycticorax caledonicus and recognizes eight subspecies from Australia and New Calendonia north to the Caroline and Bonin islands. This is one of the few tropical and subtropical species wliich has extended its range to the Bonin islands. The discontin- uous distributions of this species prevents an accurate estimation of the route by whicli it reached the Bonins. The presence of the bird at Palau and at Truk makes it difficult to account for its absence at Yap and other intervening, and seemingly suitable, islands. Popula- tions at Palau and Truk appear to be similar and are placed in the same subspecies, but when adequate material is available from Truk, further study may reveal that the populations on the two islands (Truk and Palau) are recognizably different. At the southern Palau Islands, night herons were found by the NAMRU2 party in mangrove swamps, lagoons and on beaches. I found them to be inactive during the daytime; the birds were usually perched singly in trees or at the edge of the water. The birds appeared to have special roosting places and were observed sitting in the same place on several different occasions. McElroy of the NAMRU2 party reported seeing three night herons at Tmk in December, 1945. Gorsachius goisagi (Temminck) Japanese Bittern Nycticorax goisagi Temminck, PI. CoL, livr. 98, 1835, pi. 582. (Type locality, Japan.) Gorsakius goisagi Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 184 (Koror) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau). Geographic range. — Eastern China, Japan, Riu Kius, Formosa, and Philip- pine Islands. In Micronesia : Palau Islands — Koror. Remarks. — Gorsachius goisagi has been recorded from Koror in the Palau Islands. It may be classed as a rare migrant to western JMicronesia. Gorsachius melanolophus melanolophus (Raffles) Malay Bittern Ardca melanolopha Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, 1822, p. 326. (Type locality. Western Sumatra.) Nycticorax goisagi Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. London, 186S, pp. 8, IIS (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 89 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 68 (Pelew). Nycticorax melanolophus Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 35 (Palau). Gorsachius melanolophus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 26, 1898, p. 166 (Pelew). Gorsahius melanolophus melanolophus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev.. 1932, p. 184 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 204 (Palau); Mayr, Birds South- west Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau). Gorsachius melanolophus melanolophus Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1. 1927, p. 200 (Pelew). 90 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Geographic range. — India, Ceylon, southern China, Formosa, Indochina, Malaysia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — exact locality unknown. Remarks. — Captain Tetens obtained a specimen of this bittern at the Palau Islands which was reported on by Hartlaub and Finsch (1868a: 8, 1868b: 118). It is probably a rare straggler to western Micronesia. The specimen has not been seen by me; it may be of the subspecies G. m. kutteri (Cabanis), which is known from the Philip- pine Islands. Ixobrychus sinensis (Gmelin) Chinese Least Bittern Ardea Sinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 642. (Type locality, China.) Ardea lepida Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 573 (Marianne); Hartlaub, Journ. f. Omith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen). Ardea sinensis Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, p. 305 (Guahan); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 31 (Marian); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 105 (Uap) ; Griiffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 33 (Palau, Yap); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk). Ardea (Ardetta) sinensis Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific 0c«an, 1859, p. 49 (Ladrone or Marian Islands). Ardetta Sinensis Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 364 (Pelew, Carolines, Mariannis); Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 68 (Marianne, Uap, Ruk, Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch, Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, pp. 38, 39 (Guam, Saypan, Ponapi, Ruk, Palaos) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Guam); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 26, 1898, p. 227 (Marianne, Carolines, Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 11 (Ruk); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianan, 1913, p. 100 (Saipan) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam). Ardetta bryani Seale, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 27 (Type locality, Guam) ; Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 66 (Guam) ; idem. The Plant World, p. 266 (Guam). Ardetta sinensis sinensis Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 50 (Ruk, Pelew). Ixobrychus sinensis bryani Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, pp. 173, 175 (Guam) ; Kuroda, in Momoyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 37 (Guam, ?Yap, ?Mackenzie, ?Pelew) ; idem. Avifauna Riu Kiu. 1925, p. 134 (Guam, ?Yap, ?Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 202 (Guam, ?Pelew); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 121 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 184 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam) ; Oberholser, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 159, 1932, p. 18 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 205 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam) ; Amadon, Bull. Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 186, 1945, p. 25 (Guam) ; Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 44 (Rota, Guam). Ixobrychus sinensis moorei Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 173 (Type locality, Uala, Truk group); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 38 (Ruk); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 134 (Ruk); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 202 (Middle Carolines); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 121 (Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 184 (Palaus, Yap, Truk); Oberholser, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 159, 1932, p. 17 (Caro- lines, ?Pelews) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 205 (Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 44 (Truk, Peleliu). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 91 Ixobrychm sinensis Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 10, 1920, p. 1260 (Truk, Palau, Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 285 (Marianas, Palau, Yap, Truk); Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 41 (Guam); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 91 (Tinian); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, p. 174 (Guam); Delacour and Mayr, Birds Philippines, 1946, p. 29 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 536, (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam). Ixohrychus sinensis sinensis Hachisuka, Birds Philippines, 1, 1932, p. 365 (Guam, Truk); Robinson and Chasen, Birds Malay Peninsula, 3, 1936, p. 195 (Marianne). Ixobrychus sinensis palewensis Momiyama, Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan, 2, 1932, p. 333 (Type locality, Pelew) ; Mathews, Ibis, 1933, p. 88 (Pelew). Ixobrychus sinensis yapensis Momiyama, Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan, 2, 1932, p. 333 (Type locality, Yap); Mathews, Ibis, 1933, p. 89 (Yap). Geographic range. — Northeastern China and Japan south to Micronesia, Malaysia, Burma, India and Ceylon. Winter visitor to Papuan region. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam; Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Yap, Truk. Characters. — Adult male: A small bittern with crown and short occipital crest slaty-black; mantle light buffy-brown ; back and rump gray; tail black; wing-coverts brownish-buff; primaries and secondaries slaty-black; underparts yellowish buff; chin and throat whitish; sides of head and neck and a line of feathers across chest blackish edged with buff; bill yellowish green; feet greenish yellow. Adult female: Resembles adult male, but with upper parts mottled brown and golden chestnut; underparts deep buff streaked with pale brown on neck. Immature: Resembles adult, with upper parts heavily streaked with blackish-brown, and underparts streaked with chestnut and dark brown. Measurements. — Measurements of specimens from Micronesia are given in table 16. Table 16. Measurements of Ixohrychus sinensis From Micronesla Location Sex No. Wing Tail Full culmen Tarsus Yap, Truk males males females 6 11 10 132 130-131 134 127-138 130 127-134 43 41-47 47 45-50 46 44-49 56 54-59 57 55-60 57 55-59 44 Guam 42-47 46 Guam 45-47 45 43-47 Weights. — The author (1948: 44) records the weights of eight adult males from Guam as 82-103 (92) and eight adult females from Guam as 84-109 (95). Specimens examined. — Total number, 69 (34 males, 27 females, 8 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Saipan, 1 (Sept. 30)— Tinian, 1 (Oct. 13)— Guam, 29 (May 16, June 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, 18, 19, July 10, 16, 18, 24, 27, Aug. 4); AMNH— Saipan, 1 (Aug. 6) —Tinian, 3 (Sept. 13)— Guam, 14 (Feb. 1, Mar. 13, 29, July 11, 13, 25, Aug. 1, 7, 13. Sept. 4, 10, Dec. 8); Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given, 6 (Nov. 19, 21, 23, 25, Dec. 1, 18); Caroline Islands, USNM— Truk, 1 (Feb. 16); AMNH— Yap, 1 (not dated) —Truk, 12 (Feb. 9, Mar. 5, 17, May 7, June 13, 14, 15, Oct. 3, Nov. 1, 5, Dec. 20). 92 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Nesting.— The author (1948:44) records a nest found by the NAMRU2 party near Achang Bay on Guam on June 6, 1945. It was found in a cane thicket at the edge of a fallow rice paddy, approximately four feet from the ground and was constructed of about three quarts of reeds and cane. Two eggs found in the nest are oval, white with a greenish cast and measure 33 by 24 and 34 by 24. On February 1, 1945, the writer found two recently occupied nests of the Chinese Least Bittern at Oca Point, Guam. These nests were in dense inkberry brush approximately five feet above the ground. The area was not marshy, the nearest water being at the beach some 300 yards away. Nearby one of the nests was found a young bittern, which apparently had only re- cently left the nest. The pin feathers were growing. A parent bird remained in the vicinity with the young bird until it left the area after March 9. Food habits. — The Chinese Least Bittern feeds on animal foods obtained along waterways, marshes and beaches as well as in forests and fields. The NAMRU2 party observed several types of insects in the stomachs of birds taken at Guam. Scale (1901:27) found black crickets in stomachs of bitterns taken at Guam. Coultas (field notes) learned from the natives of the Palau Islands that the bittern feeds on land mollusks. Parasites. — Wharton (1946:174) obtained the chigger (Acarina), Tromhicula acuscutellari-s, from the Chinese Least Bittern at Guam. Remarks. — The Chinese Least Bittern lias been regarded by many workers as consisting of several geographic races; as many as eight have been recognized. Other workers have concluded that /. sinensis is made up of highly variable populations and that it lacks well- fined geographic variation. Hartert (1920:1260), Hachisuka (1932: 365), and Mayr (1945a:285) have reached the latter conclusion. As yet this problem has not been satisfactorily solved ; a thorough study is needed, but may not be possible until additional material, espe- cially from the continental areas, can be obtained. In coloration there appears to be little difference between birds from the various localities in Micronesia. These birds may average slightly paler than populations from the continental areas, but on this basis I doubt that a person could recognize the Micronesian birds in a group of skins from many other localities. Birds in fresh plumage may show geographic differences better than slightly worn specimens. Meas- urements made by the author offer no clear-cut differences either. I. sinensis was first recorded in Micronesia by Quoy and Gaimard (1824:536), whose ship, the "Uranie," stopped at Guam. They called the bird "Petit Heron aux ailes noires." Most of the ornitho- logical collectors in the years following Quoy and Gaimard obtained this bittern in Micronesia. At Guam, its abundance and the ease with which it may be approached and shot is attested by the large series obtained by collectors: Seale (1901:27) took eight birds; Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 93 Marche (Oustalet, 1896:36) took eighteen skins; the NAMRU2 party took twenty-nine skins. The Chinese Least Bittern is found in habitats associated with both salt water and fresh water, as well as in upland habitat in Micronesia. The bird appears to be well adapted to areas of open forest and coconut groves. Coultas (field notes) found the birds in taro patches in the Palaus. Although a considerable amount of field observing was done in the southern Palaus, the NAMRU2 party saw only one bird (September 13, 1945, at Peleliu). Perhaps the birds prefer Babelthuap and other large islands farther north in the chain. McElroy found bitterns in taro patches at Truk in December, 1945. The NAMRU2 party did not find any birds at Rota in October and November, 1945. Downs (1946:91) found the birds in upland sugar cane and beach habitats on Tinian. Regarding the bittern in the Palaus, Coultas (field notes) writes, "Always found alone, never a pair. A bird that is not easily fright- ened. In the heat of the day, one finds it standing in the shade of a taro leaf quietly viewing the intruder and very reluctant about mov- ing. I have tossed pieces of earth and sticks at the bird to encourage him to fly so that I would not blow him to pieces when I shot, but my efforts at dislodgement have been rewarded by harsh scolding squawks. It became necessary for me to move into proper gun range. I have also found them perched in low trees at the edge of taro swamps. In flight they are atrociously awkward. They can't keep a course and their legs dangle every-which way. Their jerky, slow flight usually ends abruptly when the bird becomes entangled in weeds or the branches of trees. Extracting himself from his predica- ment he is soon in another and invariably resorts to blasphemy." Ixobrychus eurhythmus (Swinhoe) Schrenck's Least Bittern Ardetta eurhythma Swinhoe, Ibis, 1873, p. 74, pi. 2. (Type locality, Amoy Shanghai.) Ixobrychus eurythmus Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Patau). Geographic range. — Southeastern Siberia and Japan south to India and Malaysia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — exact locality unknown. Specimens examined. — Total number, 3 (2 males, 1 female), from Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given (Nov. 19, 21, Dec. 3). Remarks. — Coultas obtained three immature specimens at Palu in November and December, 1931. 94 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat, Hist. Dupetor flavicollis flavicollis (Latham) Black Bittern Ardea flavicollis Latham, Ind. Ornith., 2, 1790, p. 701. (Type locality, India.) Dupetor flavicollis Seale, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 26 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Dupetor f. flavicollis Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Guam). Geographic range. — Central China south to Malaysia and India. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam. Remarks. — Seale (1901:26) records a female shot at the Agana River on Guam on June 11, 1900. The skin probably is in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Anas oustaleti Salvadori Marianas Mallard Anas oustaleti Salvadori, Bull. British Ornith, Club, 4, 1894, p. 1. (Type locality, Mariannis Islands.) Anas oustaleti Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 27, 1895, p. 189 (Guaham) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 49 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 66 (Guam, Saipan); Wheeler, Report Island of Guam, 1900, p. 13 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 25 (Guam, Saipan); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, pp. 110, 113 (Guam, Saipan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 66 (Mariannas); idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam) ; Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 990 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, pp. 80, 126 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, pp. 47, 100 (Marianen); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam); Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 2, 1923, p. 53 (Guam, Saipan); Mathewsi, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 214 (Guam, Saipan); Berlioz, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 2d ser., 1, 1929, p. 67 (Guam); Peters, Check- list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 159 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 184 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Kuroda, Tori, 11, 1941-42, pp. 99, 443 (Marianas); Hand-list Jap- anese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 205 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 1 (Marianne); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 285 (Marianas); idem, Audubon Mag., 47, 1945, p. 282 (Marianas); Baker, Trans, 11th N. Amex. Wildlife Conf., 1946, p. 208 (Guam); Stott, Auk. 64, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson, Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 45 (Saipan, Tinian); Momiyama, Pacific Science, 2, 1948, p. 121 (Saipan, Tinian, Guam). Polionetta oustaleti Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 39 (Guam, Saipan). Anas superciliosa oustaleti Hartert, Novit. Zool., 36, 1930, p. 112 (Guam, Saipan). Anas platyrhynchos oustaleti Delacour and Mayr, Wilson Bull., 57, 1945, pp. 21, 39 (Marianas). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Tinian, Saipan. Characters. — From study of a large series of specimens of Anas oustaleti, Yamashina (1948) described two types of plumages: one type resembles that of A. platyrhynchos and another type resembles that of A. poecilorhyncha. He based his conclusions on both a study of prepared skins and observations of the molt of living specimens as reported by Kuroda (1941-1942). The fol- lowing descriptions are quoted from Yamashina (1948:122). Adult male in nuptial plumage of A. platyrhynchos type: "Whole head is dark green, except at the sides where buff feathers are plentifully inter- mingled, a dark brown streak through the eye, and faint white ring on the lower neck. Feathers on scapulars and sides of body are as those of Anas Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 95 poecilorhyjicha. Sides of body are vermiculated but some brown feathers are found even in the full nuptial plumage. Upper breast is dark reddish chestnut with dusky spots. Upper and under tail-coverts are as in Anas platyrhynchos. Speculum is as that of Ar^as platyrhynchos, but the tips of the greater coverts are buff instead of white. Central tail feathers are more or less curled upward. Base of bill is black, tip is olive color. Iris is dark brown. Feet, reddish- orange, webs darker." Eclipse plumage of adult male resembles that of A. platyrhynchos. Adult male in nuptial plumage of A. poecilorhyncha type: "Resembles Anas poecilorhyncha pelewensis from the Palau Islands and Truk Island, but sides of head are browner, superciliary stripes and ground color of cheeks are more buffy. Feathers on upper breast and sides of body are more broadly edged with brown. Speculum is usually violet-purple as in the platyrhynchos type, but in two specimens from Saipan and Tinian, respectively, it is dark green as in Anas poecilorhyncha pelewensis. Tips of the secondaries are usually white, but sometimes very faint as in Anas poecilorhyncha pelewensis, and in one specimen from Saipan they are buffy. Bill is olive color with a black spot in the center of the upper mandible. Iris, dark brown. Feet, dark orange, darker in joints and webs." Eclipse plumage of adult male resembles the nuptial plumage. Measurements. — Measurements of nine ducks from Guam and Saipan are: wing, 238-266 (252); tail, 75-84 (81); exposed culmen, 49^53 (51); tarsus, 41-43 (42). Specimens examined. — Total number, 9 (5 males, 2 females, 2 unsexed), as follows: Mari- ana Islands, USNM — Saipan, 2 (Oct. 2, 3) — Guam, 1 (June 6); AMNH— Saipan, 2 (Aug. 7, ID— Guam, 4 (Jan. 10, April 6, Dec. 11, 16). Nesting. — At Guam, Seale (1901:25) found nests of the Marianas Mallard "among the reedy swamps and streams of the island." He obtained two downy young in June. Kuroda (1941-1942) reports nesting at Lake Challankanoa, Saipan, in July. He writes that nests contained 7 to 12 eggs. Ducklings and incubated eggs were obtained in June and July, but he is of the opinion that the breeding season may be longer. He notes that adults exhibit both nuptial plumage and eclipse plumage at the same time, suggesting that breeding may occur at various times in the year. A nest with seven eggs taken on July 4, 1941, at Hagoi Lake, Tinian, is described by Kuroda as having been found among rushes and constructed of dead leaves, stems, and roots and lined with down. He describes the eggs as being grayish-white with a pale greenish tinge, and measuring 61.6 by 38.9. Marshall (1949:202) saw a family of ducklings in April. Remarks. — The Marianas Mallard is rare; probably it never has been very abundant in the small chain of islands to which it is re- stricted, because fresh water marshes and swamps are not extensive. The bird was first recorded by Bonaparte as Anas boschas a. Frey- cineti in 1865. This name was a nomen nudum and later the same specimen in the Paris Museum was named by Salvadori (1894) as Anas oustaleti. In 1888, Marche obtained six specimens at Guam; these were reported on by Oustalet (1896:49). Later collecting 96 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. showed that the duck inhabited also the islands of Saipan and Tinian. There have been no records of this duck in the more north- ern islands of the Marianas. According to Yamashina (1948:121) in the period from 1931 to 1940, the Japanese obtained 38 specimens of the Marianas Mallard at Tinian and Saipan. In 1940, four birds from Tinian were shipped alive to Japan and kept in an aviary by Kuroda. At Tinian in 1940, one of the collectors observed two flocks of A. oustaleti, each containing 50 or 60 individuals. The Japanese took specimens at a lagoon area and at fresh water lakes. Yamashina describes one of the localities, Lake Hagoi on Tinian, as "a small body of fresh water surrounded by about 40 acres of marsh." During the war, sei-vicemen reported the presence of the Marianas Mallard at both Saipan and Tinian. Moran (1946:261) counted twelve ducks at Saipan. Stott (1947:525) saw seven birds at Lake Susupe on Saipan in December, 1945. He writes that the birds were gentle and easily approached and that they preferred winding channels in reed beds to open water. Marshall obtained two ducks at Lake Susupe in early October, 1945. These specimens are in the United States National Museum. He (1949:202) found ducks at both Saipan and Tinian; twelve was the greatest number seen at any one time. Gleise (1945:220) estimated that there were twelve birds on Tinian in 1945, remarking that their habitat was swamp area. At Guam and Rota, the NAMRU2 party failed to obtain any specimens but received reports of the presence of ducks on both islands. At Guam, reports were obtained of ducks of unknown spe- cies at a fallow rice paddy in August, 1944, and in a marsh near Agat on June 13, 1945. The presence of Japanese soldiers in the interior of Guam made it inadvisable to investigate marshes and swamps of the interior and the upper courses of streams. H. G. Hornbostel, as quoted by Phillips (1923:54), reported that ducks were found at Guam only in the Tolofofo River Valley. The NAMRU2 field par- ties investigated the lower reaches of this valley and found no evi- dence of the ducks. The upper part of this valley was used as an artillery range in 1945. Probably the firing of field guns was a dis- turbing influence to any birds that might have been there. If the ducks were on Guam at that time, they must have been secretive and restricted in their movements. At Rota, two ducks which might have been A. oustaleti were seen by the NAMRU2 party on October 20, 1945, in a cultivated field. These recent reports indicate that the Marianas Mallard is secure for the present on the islands of Saipan and Tinian, but thoughtful Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 97 conservation practices need to be placed in operation to insure its survival in the future. Evolutionary history of Anas oustaleti. — In the past, most of the studies have pointed to a northern ancestry for A. oustaleti. Bryan (1941:187) has noted a relationship between A. oustaleti and the Laysan Duck [A. laysanensis Rothschild) and the Hawaiian Duck {A. wyvilliana Sclater). Amadon (1943:1) suggests that these three species of ducks are rather recent derivatives of the Common Mal- lard {A. platyrhynchos) and postulates the evolution of A. ivyvil- liana from migrants from North America. He further states that A. laysanensis and A. oustaleti may have been derived from A. wyvil- liana or may represent independent colonizations. Delacour and Mayr (1945:21) go a step further and make these forms subspecies of A. platyrhynchos, saying that they are "dull-colored editions" of the Common Mallard, that because of isolation they have become reduced in size and have lost many of the characteristics of their ancestors. Recently, however, Yamashina (1948) has concluded that the Marianas Mallard has evolved as the result of hybridization between the two species, A. platyrhynchos and ^4. poecilorhyncha. His conclusions are based on a study of a large number of specimens, both museum skins and captive birds, in which he has been able to detect plumages of the A. platyrhynchos type and of the A. poecilo- rhyncha type (see Characters) . He has noted specimens which have ninety percent of the characteristics of A. platyrhynchos and ten percent of the A. poecilorhyncha type. These percentages are re- versed in specimens favoring the A. poecilorhyncha type. In his series of skins he finds the A. poeciolrhyncha type of plumage most frequently, in forty-four specimens out of fifty examined, while only six specimens have the A. platyrhynchos type of plumage. Yama- shina cites also as evidence favoring his conclusion that hybridiza- tion has taken place the results obtained from the crossing of captive A. platyrhynchos and A. poecilorhyncha. It is his assumption that there has been a resident form of A. poecilorhyncha in the Marianas, apparently resembling closely that which occurs in the Palaus and at Truk {A. p. pelewensis) , and that stragglers of A. platyrhynchos from the north occasionally reach the Marianas where hybridization between the two species occurs. Yamashina remarks (1948:123): "The opportunity for hybridization should occur more rarely in the south, and thus more frequent back-crossing of the hybrid with the indigenous Anas poecilorhyncha on Tinian and Guam explains the superabundance there of the poecilorhyncha type. As the hybridiza- 7—8131 98 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. tion should have taken place more frequently to the north in Saipan, the ratio of the occurrence of the platyrhynchos type is logically higher there." The Common Mallard (^4. p. platyrhynchos) has not been recorded in Micronesia, but according to Yamashina (1948: 123) "winters frequently just north of the Marianas in the Bonin and Volcano Islands." This remarkable explanation for the development of the Marianas Mallard is not questioned by this author, who feels that hybridiza- tion may be found to be the cause for other unusual forms of life in island habitats whose ancestry has not been explained. As Yama- shina comments, the special environments of islands together with small and restricted populations of animals are factors which could favor such development. Anas poecilorhyncha pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Australian Gray Duck Anas superciliosa var. pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 108. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.) Anas superciliosa Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew); Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1869, p. 659 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 82 (Pelew); Salvadori, Ornith. Papua&ia, 3, 1882, p. 395 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 70 (Pelew); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 27, 1895, p. 206 (Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 50 (Palaos). Anas superciliosa pelewensis Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 990 (Pelew); Mathews, Birds Australia, 4, 1915, p. 90 (Pelew); Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 2, 1923, p. 113 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 215 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 36, 1930, p. 112 (Pelew); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 1, 1931, p. 160 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 184 (Palaus, Truk) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 205 (Babelthuap, Peliliu) ; Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 3 (Palau) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 286 (Palaus, Truk); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 45 (Peleliu, Truk). Anas pelewensis Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 40 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Bolau, Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, 1898, p. 71 (Palau). Polionetta superciliosa pelewensis Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 38 (Pelew). Anas superciliosa rukensis Kuroda, "Gan to Kamo" (Geese and Ducks), 1939, page not numbered, description between pis. 52 and 53 (Type locality, Ruk) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Truk). Anas poecilorhyncha superciliosa Delacour and Mayr, Wilson Bull., 57, 1945, pp. 21, 39 (no locality given); Yamashina, Pacific Science, 2, 1948, p. 122 (Palau, Truk). Geographic range. — Islands of Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Truk. Characters. — Adult: A medium-sized duck with upper parts dark brown, feathers edged with buff; top of head blackish merging into gray on hind neck with narrow buff line below; eye-stripe broad and blackish; lower parts uni- formly dark brown to gray brown, feathers edged with buff; face, chin and throat light buff with some dark streakings; under wing white; speculum green; bill plumbeous with nail black; legs yellow-brown to yellowish, webs Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 99 dusky. A. p. pelewensis resembles A. p. rogersi Mathews, but is smaller with a wing length averaging as much as 20 mm. shorter. Measurements. — As given by Amadon (1943:4) seven unsexed skins from the Palaus, studied by Finsch (1875:40), have wing lengths of 207, 212, 212, 214, 223, 235, 230. For an adult male taken by Coultas at Palau, the exposed culmen measures 45 and the tarsus 37. Specimens examined. — Total number, 3 males from Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given (Oct. 26, Nov. 25). Remarks. — A. p. yelewensis is apparently rare in the Palau Is- lands. Coultas, who visited the Palaus in October to December, 1931, writes (field notes) that he received reports that the birds were present and nested in numbers on fresh water lakes. He took specimens in taro patches and comments that the ducks probably feed at night and have retiring habits during the day. At Peleliu in 1945, the NAMRU2 party received several reports of ducks but failed to find the birds. At Truk, in December, 1945, McElroy of the NAMRU2 party found ducks to be fairly numerous in rice paddies, marshes, and swamps. He observed that the birds roosted at Moen Island at night but that they apparently flew to outlying islands to spend the day. Richards observed ducks on Moen Island on August 28 and 29, 1947, and again in the period from January 19 to FebiTiary 10, 1948. He saw several flocks of ducks including one containing "about a dozen ducks" at ponds along a roadway and at an airstrip. Kuroda named the population at Truk as distinct in 1939. I have not been able to examine his description and no specimens are available for study, but if the birds at Truk represent an independent colonization (different from that of the birds at Palau) they might exhibit recognizable variation. Amadon (1943: 5) has already pointed out that the shortness of the wing of speci- mens in the Palaus may merit subspecific status for the population. Delacour and Mayr (1945:21) propose that the Palau Gray Duck is a subspecies of A. poecilorhyncha; this treatment is followed in the present work. Evolutionary history. — A. p. pelewensis, as Amadon (1943:1) has stated, represents a population of mallards which became sepa- rated from the ancestral stock in the Australian or Malayan area and when once differentiated, invaded New Zealand and other parts of Polynesia, Melanesia, and southwestern Micronesia. Amadon points out that its range in the Pacific islands is more or less com- plimentary to that of A. oustaleti in the Marianas and the Philippine Mallard (.4. poecilorhyncha luzonica Fraser)^ as well as to the Hawaiian forms (^4. wyvilUana Sclater and .4. laysanensis Roths- 100 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. child). The range of A. p. pelewensis gives one the impression that its present distribution may be only a stage in a gradual spreading of the species, for it certainly has not yet occupied all habitats suit- able for it in southern Micronesia nor elsewhere in Oceania. As in the case of A. oustaleti, A. p. pelewensis appears to prefer areas of fresh, and possibly brackish, water on the larger islands. A. p. luzonica is a near relative of A. p. pelewensis but has rufous- brown instead of buffy-brown coloring on the chin, throat, sides of head, and superciliary region. The underparts of the Philippine Mallard are much less mottled. The specula are similar. Both of these forms were probably derived from a mallard of the A. p. poecilorhyncha type. Anas querquedula Linnaeus Garganey Teal Anas Querquedula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 12G. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Anas querquedula Marshall, Condor, 51, 1949, p. 221 (Tinian). Geographic range. — Breeds in Europe and Asia. Winters from northern Africa to New Guinea. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Tinian. Remarks. — Marshall (1949:221) obtained one of a pair of these ducks which he observed "daily in April on Lake Hagoi" at Tinian. Anas crecca crecca Linnaeus European Teal Anas Crecca Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 126. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Querquedula crecca crecca Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Pagan). Anas crecca crecca Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Pagan). Anas crecca Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Breeds in Iceland, northern Europe, Asia, and Aleutians. Winters south to northern Africa, Asia and Philippines. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Pagan. Remarks. — The European Teal has been recorded by the Japanese at Pagan in the northern Marianas. It appears to be an uncommon winter visitor to Micronesia. Anas crecca carolinensis Gmelin Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 533. (Type locality, Carolina to Hudson Bay.) Anas carolinensis Reichenow, Omith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 17 (Jaluit); Schnee, Ornith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 131 (Marshalls) ; idem, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Inseln) ; Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 2, 1923, p. 235 (Marshall Islands). Querquedula crecca carolinensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Mar- shall Islands). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 101 Anas crecca carolinensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Breeds in northwestern and northcentral North America. Winters to West Indies, Central America and Mexico. In Micronesia: Mar- shall Islands — Jaluit. Remarks. — Reichenow (1901:17) and Schnee (1901:131) record the Green-wing Teal in the Marshall Islands. It is the only record known for Micronesia. Bryan and Greenway (1944:104) record the teal as a migrant to the Hawaiian Islands. Anas acuta acuta Linnaeus Pintail Anaa acuta Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 126. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Dafila acuta acuta Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Pagan). Anas acuta acuta Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Pagan). Anas acuta Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Breeds in Iceland, northern Europe and Asia. Winters south to northern Africa, Asia and Philippines. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Pagan, Guam; Palau Islands — exact locality unknown. Remarks. — The Pintail has been recorded from Pagan and Guam in the northern Marianas and from the Palau Islands and is thought to be an uncommon visitor to Micronesia. At Guam, Flavin (fieiu notes) recorded one female on October 27, 1945, and three females and two drakes on January 19, 1946. Marshall (1949:221) saw a flock of fifteen Pintails at Saipan on February 7, 1945. Anas acuta tzitzihoa Vieillot Pintail Anas tzitzihoa Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., 5, 1816, p. 163. (Type locality, Mexico, ex Hernandez.) Anas acuta americana Reichenew, Ornith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 17 (Jaluit); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Inseln). Anas acuta Schnee, Ornith, Monatsber., 1901, p. 131 (Marshalls); Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 2, 1923, p. 316 (Jaluit). Anas acuta tzitzihoa Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Breeds in northwestern and northcentral North America. Winters south to West Indies, Panama, and west to Hawaiian Islands. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Jaluit. i^emarA's.— Reichenow (1901:17) and Schnee (1901:131) re- ported that flocks of ducks belonging to this and other American species were observed in the Marshall Islands in October, 1899, and May, 1900. This species may winter in the Hawaiian Islands, ac- cording to Peters (1931:167). If so it is not surprising that occa- sional visitors reach eastern Micronesia. 102 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Anas penelope Linnaeus Widgeon Anas penelope Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 126. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Anas penelope Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 332, 333 (Taluit) ; Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Insein) ; Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 2, 1923, p. 175 (Taluit); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Tinian, Yap, Jaluit) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Mareca penelope Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 56 (Jaluit); Wigles- worth, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 71 (Taluit); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schultze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 458 (Marshalls) ; Kuroda, in Momoyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 38 (Taluit) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Tinian, Yap, Jaluit). Geographic range. — Breeds in Iceland, northern Europe and Asia. Winters south to Africa, southern Asia and Philippines; casual to eastern North America. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Tinian; Caroline Islands — Yap; Marshall Islands — Jaluit. Remarks. — The Widgeon may be an occasional winter visitor to Micronesia. The recorci at Jaluit in the Marshall Islands may be questioned. Anas clypeata Linnaeus Shoveller Anas clypeata Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 124. (Type locality. Coasts of Europe, restricted to southern Sweden.) Spatula clypeata Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 185 (Pagan); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 676 (Pingelap) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 206 (Pagan, Pingelap). Anas clypeata Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Europe, Asia, North America and adjacent islands. Winters to northern Africa, southern Asia, Philippines, Hawaiians, southern United States to Central America. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Pagan, Tinian; Caroline Islands — Ponape, Pingelap. Specimens examined. — One female from Mariana Islands, USNM — Tinian (Oct. 12). Remarks. — The Shoveller is known from localities in the Mari- anas and in the Carolines. In the collections of the American Mu- seum of Natural History there is a female taken by Rollo Beck at Kauehi, Tuamotu Archipelago, on March 6, 1923. A specimen ex- amined from Tinian was taken there by Joe T. Marshall, Jr., at Lake Hogoya on October 12, 1945. Richards obtained two Shovel- lers (one immature male and one immature female) at Ponape on December 21, 1947, and January 6, 1948, respectively. He found them in a pond in a bomb crater. This duck appears to be a casual winter visitor to Micronesia and other parts of Oceania. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 103 Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus) Tufted Duck Anas fuligula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758. p. 128. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Fuligula cristata Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 90 (Pelew) ; Finsch. Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5. 40 (Palau) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 71 (Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 50 (Mariannes, Palaos). Fuligula fuligula Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 27, 1895, p. 363 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898. p. 68 (Marianne); Seale, Oce. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1. 1901, p. 26 (Micronesia); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mariannes); idem. The Plant World. 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam) ; Kuroda, in Moniiyama, Birds Micro- nesia, 1922, p. 38 (Mariane, Pelew, Yap); idem, Av-ifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 143 (Pelew, Marianne). Marila fuligula McGregor, Man. Philippine Birds, 1909, p. 199 (Marianne, Pelew). Nyroca fuligula Phillips. Nat. Hist. Ducks, 3, 1925, p. 234 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev.. 1932. p. 185 (Pagan, Saipan, Palau. Yap); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Aytha fuligula Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942. p. 207 (Pagan. Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Yap, Palau). Geographic range. — Breeds in Iceland, Europe, northern Asia. Winters in Europe, Africa, Asia, Malaysia, and parts of Oceana. In Micronesia : Mariana Islands— Pagan, Saipan, Tinian, Guam ; Palau — exact locality unknown ; Caro- line Islands — Yap. Remarks. — The Tufte(i Duck is a winter migrant to western Mi- cronesia. It has been recorded only a few times and may be an irregular visitor. Flavin observed a duck, which he thought to be of this species, at Guam on January 19, 1946. Marshall (1949: 221) reports that two Tufted Ducks were seen at Lake Hagoi in April 1945. Aythya valisineria (Wilson) Canvasback Anas valisineria Wilson. Amer. Ornith.. 8, 1814. p. 103. pi. 70, f. 5. (Type locality. Eastern United States.) Nyroca vallisneria Reichenow, Ornith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 17 (Jaluit) ; Schnee. Ornith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 131 (Marshalls); idem, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall Inseln). Nyroca valisineria Phillips, Nat. Hist. Ducks, 3, 1923, p. 124 (Marshall Islands). Aythya valisineria Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 207 (Marshall Islands). Geographic range. — Breeds in northwestern and northcentral North America. Winters south to Gulf States, Florida and Mexico. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Jaluit. i2emar/cs.— Reichenow (1901:17) and Schnee (1901:131) re- ported three species of American ducks {Aythya valisineria, Anas acuta tzitzihoa and Anas crecca carolinensis) in the Marshalls in October, 1899, and May, 1900. These species may be stragglers to eastern Micronesia. 104 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Accipiter soloensis (Horsfield) Chinese Goshawk Falco Soloensis Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, 1821, p. 137. (Type lo- cality, Java.) Accipiter soloensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 182 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 203 (Yap, Rota); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Yap). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern China south to Kwangtung. Winters to Malaysia. In Microne.sia : Mariana Islands — Rota ; Carohne Islands — Yap. Remarks. — The Chinese Goshawk is a winter visitor to Micro- nesia and has been recorded at Rota and Yap. The NAMRU2 party saw several unidentified hawks in Micronesia in 1945. At Mt. Tenjo, Guam, Muennink saw a small hawk, resembling an accipiter, darting at swiftlets on June 8, 1945. At Angaur, the writer saw a small hawk flying through heavy vegetation along the rugged coast line on Sep- tember 21, 1945. A hawk "Butio ( ?) " was reported at Saipan in 1945 by Moran (1946:262) ; this hawk may have been Butastur indicus (Gmelin). Marshall (1949:221) reports seeing "three kinds of hawks" on Palau in November, 1945. Obviously, further observa- tions and collecting will increase our knowledge of the known num- ber of kinds of hawks which visit Micronesia. Accipiter virgatus gularis (Temminck and Schlegel) Asiatic Sparrow Hawk Astur (Nisus) gularis Temminck and Schlegel, in Siebold, Fauna Japon., Aves, 1845, p. 5, pi. 2. (Type locality, Japan.) Accipiter nisoides Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 166 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 51 (Marianne); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 44 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas). Accipiter gularis Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 39 (Guam). Accipiter virgatus gularis Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 182 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 203 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micronesia). Accipiter virgatus nisoides Bryan, Guam. Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Geographic range. — Breeds in Japan and northern China. Winters south to Philippines and Malaysia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam. Remarks. — Oustalet (1895:166) records a male bird shot by Marche at Guam in October, 1887. Scale (1901:44) records a speci- men taken at Guam by Owston's Japanese collectors. These are the only records found for Micronesia, and the hawk may be classed as a casual winter visitor. Strophlet (1946:535) observed "a small light-throated" falcon at Guam on November 7, 1945, which may have been of this species. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 105 Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Mathews Osprey Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Mathews, Australian Avium Rec, 1, 1912, p. 34. (Type locality, Melville Island.) Pandion leucocephalus Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 49 (Palau). Pandion haliaetus leucocephalus Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dres- den, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 1 (Pelew). Pandion haliaetus cristatus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 40 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 182 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 203 (Palau). Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, pp. 55, 286 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 46 (Guam, Palau). Geographic range. — Malaysia, northern Australia, Melanesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Peleliu. Remarks. — The Osprey was first recorcied at Palau by Finsch (1875:49). The author (1948:46) cites recorcis obtained by C. K. Dorsey at Peleliu in 1944 and 1945. Dorsey saw the Osprey on several occasions; the NAMRU2 party did not find the bird while on their stay there in August and September, 1945. B. V. Travis of NAMRU2 saw an Osprey at Agana Bay, Guam, in December, 1945. He observed the bird to be carrying a fish in its talons. Flavin ob- served the Osprey at Guam on January 28, 1945, and on December 23, 1945. Mayr (1945a: 286) says that the Osprey apparently breeds at Palau. The bird seen in the Marianas may have been P. h. haliaetus (Linnaeus) , a visitor from Asia, which is known to winter in the Philippines and adjacent areas. The Osprey is the only resident member of the order Falconifor- mes, and it is principally a fish eater. The few records of mammal and bird eating hawks in Micronesia indicate that predation on insular vertebrate populations from this source is at a minimum. The absence of this predation may have a pronounced effect on the resident land birds, particularly from the standpoint of the per- petuation of nonadaptive mutations, which might be "weeded out" under what might be considered as normal predatory pressure in continental bird populations. Faico peregrinus japonensis Gnielin Peregrine Falcon Falco japonensis Gmelin, Syst, Nat., 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 267. (Type locality. Off the coast of Japan.) Falco peregrinus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 90 (Mackenzie); Griiffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 122 (Yap); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 4, 8 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 391 (Yap) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 1 (Yap, Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev. 1932, p. 106 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, 182 (Yap, Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 202 (Yap, Palau) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Yap, Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 46 (Guam). tFalco peregrinus calidus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 40 (Yap, Pelew). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Asia. Winters to southern Asia, Malaysia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — exact locality unknown ; Caroline Islands — Yap. Remarks. — The Peregrine Falcon may be classed as a casual winter visitor to Micronesia. It has been recorded by Hartlaub and Finsch at Yap and Palau. A specimen from Yap was taken by Kubary in November, 1870. On November 2, 1945, at Guam as previously recorded (Baker, 1948:46) Irvin O. Buss saw a falcon alight on the superstructure of his ship. He watched it catch and eat a Common Noddy [Anous stolidus) . As the ship approached the island, the bird flew to the rugged cliffs near Facpi Point. Strophlet (1946:535) saw a large falcon, ''presumed to be a Duck Hawk," at Guam on November 16, 1945. Possibly these two ob- servers saw the same bird. In July, 1945, Flavin observed a Pere- grine Falcon at Guam. F. p. fruitii Momiyama, which is known from the Volcano Islands, may occur in Micronesia. Megapodius laperouse senex Hartlaub Micronesian Megapode Megapodius senex Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 820. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.) Megapodius senex Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 256 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 103 (Pelew); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 29, pi. 5, fig. 2, 3 (Palau); Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 2, 1875, p. 547 (Pelew); Sehmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat., (6), art. 2, 1881, pp. 63, 140, 145, 171, 175 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 30 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Bar. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 58 (Pelew); Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., 11, 1891, p. 196 (Peleu); idem, Nouv. Arch Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 30 (Palaos) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Hand-book Game-birds, 2, 1897, p. 182 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 62 (Pelew); Bolau, Mitteil, Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, 1898, p. 69 (Palau); Finsch, Sammlung wissensch. Vortriige, 14 ser., 1900, p. 659 (Palau); Matschie, Joum. f. Omith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Lister, Proc. Zool. .Soc. London, 1911, p. 757 (Pelew). Megapodius laperousii Ogilvie-Grant (part). Cat. Birds British Mus., 22, 1893, p. 460 (Pelew) ; Takastukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Pelew) ; Kuroda, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 27, 1915, p. 390 (Pelew); idem, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 28, 1916, p. 69 (Pelew). Megapodius laperousi Seale (part), Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 39 (Pelew); Safford (part). The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 486, 487 (Palau). Megapodius laperousii var. senex Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 787 (Pelew). M[egapodius] lapeyrousei Reichenow (part), Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 273 (Palauin- seln). Megapodius laperov^ei senex Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 40 (Pelew). Megapodius laperouse senex Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 14 (Pelew); Takstsukasa, Birds Nippon, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1932, p. 13, pi. 4, 5 (Pelew); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 412 (Ngesebus, Auror, Peliliu) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 107 rev., 1932, p. 198 (Palau) ; Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 6 (Palau) ; Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 679 (Gayangas, Arumidin) ; Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1175, 1942, p. 9 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 286 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 46 (Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad). Megapodius la peroitse senex Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 223 (Babel- thuap, Koror, Auror, Ngesebus, Peliliu, Gayangas, Arumidin). Megapodius laperouse Wharton and Hardcastle, Joum. Parasitology", 32, 1946, p. 294 (Garakayo). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Auror, Kayangel, Garakayo, Ngesebus, Peleliu, Ngabad, Gayangas, Arumidin. Characters. — Adult: A small megapode with top of head near "mouse gray"; forehead, sides of face and neck, chin, and throat thinly covered with feathers of the same color; mantle and upper breast grayish-black becoming dark olive- brown on wings; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts dark brown; tail blackish-brown; underparts grayi.sh-brown, lighter on midline of belly; under wings dark brown; exposed skin of head reddish to yellowish-red; bill yellow- ish, basally blackish; legs yellowish; feet and claws black; iris tan. Measurements. — Measurements of three adult males: wing, 178, 182, 188; tail, 55, 63; culmen, 22.7, 23.3; tarsus, 55, 56, 57; of seven adult females: wing, 171-189 (182); tail, 46-68 (58); culmen, 25-30 (27); tarsus, 45-60 (55). Taka- tsukasa (1932:14) lists the following measurements: males — wing, 176-181; tail, 59-67; culmen, 25.5-26.0; tarsus, 58-61; females— wing, 177-187; tail, 62-68; culmen, 24.0-26.0; tarsus, 55-58. Specimens examined. — Total number, 23 (11 males, 8 females, 4 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM— Koror, 1 (Nov. 28)— Garakayo, 5 (Sept. 17, 18, 19)— Peleliu, 2 (Aug. 31, Sept. 1)— Ngabad, 1 (Sept. 11); AMNH— Palau, 16 (Nov., Dec., not dated). Nesting. — The megapodes do not incubate their eggs, but the female de- posits them in a moundlike structure of sand, volcanic ash, and forest litter or some other type of soil in which there is warmth sufficient to hatch the eggs after an extended period (perhaps 40 days or more) without further at- tention from the parent bird. The young dig out and lead an independent existence. Several megapodes may utilize one nest site, which ordinarily is at a low elevation near a beach or lagoon. The NAMRU2 party obtained two downy chicks at Gayakayo Island on September 18 and 19, 1945. A female taken on September 1 at Peleliu con- tained large eggs. Coultas obtained two chicks (one in postnatal molt) in November and December, 1931. Kubarj', as quoted by Takatsukasa (1932: 15), says that eggs may be found in the mounds throughout the year at Palau but are found most numerously in the south-east monsoon (April to November). Yamashina (1932a :412) reports on eggs taken in 1932 as fol- fows: eight eggs from Auror Island on Januarj' 15; one egg from Ngesebus Island on January 16; and four eggs from Peleliu Island on January 16. Takatsukasa (1932:15) states that eggs are most numerous in the mounds in the months of May and June. The chicks obtained by NAMRU2 in Sep- tember were of such a size as to suggest that they too had been laid in June. Takatsukasa (1932:15) comments, "Whilst Dr. Yaichiro Okada was in the Pelew Group, he found two nests on Kajangel Island, which is an uninhabited island about twelve sea-miles southeast of the island of Malacal. He says that he found two nests, one of which was obsolete and the other was in use. 108 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. The first one was oval in shape; the diameter of the largest part was twenty- four feet, and the smallest part was twenty feet, and it had a height of four feet. The second one was fan-shaped, as an obstacle existed at one side of the nest, and its diameter was twelve feet and the height was a little more than four feet, and the native whom he asked to dig out the eggs got three. One of the eggs contained a well-advanced embryo and the others were not so advanced as the first one. This distance from the top of the mound to the spot where the eggs were laid was about two and a half feet, and the natives made a great deal of effort to get these eggs. These nests were found in the bush by the natives." The NAMRU2 party observed a mound on Ngabad Island, a small islet near Peleliu, on September 11. It was much like those described by Takatsukasa, being approximately six feet high and some twelve or fifteen feet across. It was not excavated. Molt. — Birds taken in August, September and November were molting body feathers. Birds taken in December were molting wing feathers. Food habits. — Takatsukasa (1932:16) comments, "My collector reports to me that this bird diets on insects and tender shoots which it gets from under the soil by scratching with its large and powerful feet." According to Captain Tetens, as noted by Takatsukasa, the food of the bird consists of insects and berries. Birds taken by the NAMRU2 party had the following food items in their stomachs: adult female — 2 cc. seeds, grit; adult female — 3 cc. crab parts, grit; adult female — 2 cc seeds, sand; male chick — 1 cc. ground food, grit; female chick — 1 cc. ground food, grit, in crop 3 cc. small wood roaches (Blattidae). Parasites. — Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:294) obtained the chigger (Acarina), Neoschongastia yeomansi, from the megapode at Palau. Uchida (1918:486, 487) found the bird lice (Mallophaga), Goniocotes minor and Ldpeurtis sinuatus, on megapodes from the Palaus. Remarks. — The NAMRU2 party arrived at the Palau Islands on August 23, 1945, with little notion that the megapode would be found on the war-torn island of Peleliu. As reported by the author (1946b: 209 and 1948:46) we found birds in small numbers in the relatively undisturbed areas of rough coral covered by jungle and a few birds in the heavy matting of viny and brushy vegetation which was rap- idly covering the battlefields. The finding of a higher population on the more isolated and relatively undisturbed offshore islets (Ngabad, Garakayo) by the NAMRU2 party was an observation similar to those of Takatsukasa (1932:15, 16) and Coultas (field notes). Takatsukasa (1932:16) remarks, "Dr. Finsch said that this Mega- pode frequents nearly all the islands of the Pelew Group . . . but it is very noticeable that this bird has either disapj^eared, or only very rarely exists in the following islands: Koror, Ngarekobasanga, and especially the main island of Babelthuap." He quotes Otto Finsch as remarking that, "It seems that the bird occasionally moves from one island to another, as the bird is a good flier." Takatsukasa Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 109 continues, "According to Tetens, this Megapode runs very swiftly among the bushes, and when it is startled it takes to the nearest tree. . . . Captain Wilson says nothing about the Megapode, but Dr. Finsch wrote that Captain Wilson is probably referring to the egg of this bird under 'Wild Fowls,' when he said that the natives of the Palaus do not eat the flesh of the birds, but they go to the woods and bring back the eggs; they do not appreciate the newly laid eggs, but they consider it as a delicacy to swallow the well advanced embryo." The NAMRU2 party found the birds to prefer rough, coral jungle where there was considerable heavy undergrowth and ground litter. The birds were located by their loud screeches and cackles but were difficult to stalk. It was best to remain quiet and let them approach within shooting distance. Young chicks were extremely active and wild. One of the two chicks taken at Garakayo was obtained by a fortunate shot as the bird was flying rapidly through the brush. The natives use them as food, and I learned of one serviceman who had worked out a technique for trapping the birds. He traded the live birds to the natives for island souvenirs. As Wilson and Takatsukasa note, the natives apparently prefer the eggs to the adults as food, and in normal times of food abundance they probably do not molest the adults but hunt for their eggs. This seems logical, since if a deter- mined trapping program were in operation by the natives, it should not take many decades to eliminate completely the entire population. On four islands visited by the NAMRU2 party in August and Sep- tember, 1945, I estimated the following populations: Garakayo — 20 to 30; Ngabad— 5 to 10; Peleliu— 10 to 20; Angaur— less than 10. Megapodius laperouse laperouse Gaimard Micronesian Megapode Megapodius La Perouse Gaimard, Bull. Gen. Univ. Annon. Nouv. Sci., 2, 1823, 451. (Type locality, Tinian, Archipel des Mariannes.) Megapodius La Perouse Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. "Uranie," Zool., 1824, pp. 127, 693, Atlas, pi. 33 (Tinian); idem, Ann. Sci. Nat. Paris, 6, 1825, p. 149 (Tinian) Megapodius La Pcrousii Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. "Uranie," Zool., 1824, p. 127, pi. 33 (Tinian); Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 735 (Tinian, Guam, Rota); Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Oceon, 1859, p. 46 (Tinian); Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat., (6), art. 2, 1881, pp. 63, 138, 140, 143, 171, 175, 176, 177 (Tinian); idem, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); idem, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., 11, 1891, p. 196 (Tinian, Seypan, Pagon). Megapodius La Peyrouse Lesson, Man. d'Ornith., 2, 1828, p. 221 (Tinian) ; idem, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Ois., 1838, p. 255 and accompanying plate (Tinian). Megapodius laperousii Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 478 (Mariannes); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 256 (Marian); Ogilvie-Grant, Hand-book Game-birds, 2, 1897, p. 183 (Marianne); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 787 (Mariannes); Lister, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1911, p. 757 (Marianne). Megapodius Lapeyrousii Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen). Megapodius La Peyrousii Reichenbach, Tauben, 1861, p. 5 (Marianen). Megapodius la-perousi Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864, p. 43 (Guam, Botta, Tinian). 110 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Megapodius laperousi Giebel, Thes. Omith., 2, 1875, p. 547 (Marianae); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 39 (Marianas); Safford ; Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Tinian); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Tinian); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Rota, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan) ; Schnee, Zeitschr, f. Naturwisch., 82, 1912, p. 467 (Marianen); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, pp. 47, 101 (Marianen); Linsley, Guam, Rec, vol. 12, no. 8, 1935, p. 249 (Rota, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan). Megapodius perousei Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 30 (Marianen); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 58 (Guam, Botta, Tinian, Pagon). Megapodius laperousii Ogilvie-Grant (part). Cat. Birds British Mus., 22, 1893, p. 460 (Marianne). Megapodius la perousei Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 26 (Saypan, Pagan, Rota, Agrigan, Tinian). Megapodius laperouse Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 61 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam). Megapodius laperousei Finsch, Sammlung wissensch. Vortrage, 14 ser., 1900, p. 600 (Marianen); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 87 (Marianen). Megapodius lapeyrouse Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Guam, Saipan). M[egapodius] lapeyro^isei Reichenow (part). Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 273 (Mariannen). Megapodius laperousei laperousei Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 40 (Guam, Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Pagan, Agrigan). Megapodius laperouse laperouse Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianaruni, 1, 1927, p. 16 (Marianas); Takatsukasa, Birds Nippon, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1932, p. 6, pi. 4, 5 (Marianne); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 411 (Pagan Agrigan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 198 (Marianas); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 7 (Marianne Islands); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 679 (Assongsong) ; Aniadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1175, 1942, p. 9 (Asuncion, Saipan, Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 286 (Marianas). Megapodius laperousi laperousi Bryan. Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Megapodius la perouse la perouse Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 223 (Assongsong, Agrigan, Pagan, Alniagan, Saipan, Tinian, Agiguan, Rota, Guam). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Asuncion, Agrihan, Pagan, Almagan, Saipan, Tinian, Agiguan, Rota, Guam. Probably extinct on Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam. Characters. — Adult: Resembles M. I. senex, but crown slightly darker gray; back, wing-coverts and scapulars more heavily washed with olivaceous-brown; mantle less slate; underparts paler and more brownish, especiallj' belly. (Note — The specimens examined from the Marianas are old and rather worn in appearance.) Measurements. — Two males measure: wing 180?, 182?; tail 62, 63; tarsus 55, 55; three females: wing 181?, 181?; tail 55, 59, 62; tarsus 54, 54, 56. Takatsukasa (1932: 10) lists the following measurements: males — wing, 155- 169; tail, 54-62; culmen, 22.5-24; tarsus, 51-54; females— wing, 158-170; tail, 56-65; culmen, 23-25; tarsus, 50-55. Specimens examined. — Total number, 10 (3 males. 4 females, 3 unsexed), as follows; Mariana Islands, AMNH — Guam, 1 (June 6) — Saipan, 6 (1895) — Asuncion, 3 (1904). Nesting. — Concerning the nest of the Micronesian Megapode in the Mari- anas, Takatsukasa (1932:10) writes: "The nest is a large mound of sand mixed with grass and is made in the wooded land along the seashore. The mound is over one hundred feet in circumference and a few yards in height, and is built by the united efforts of the male and female, by scratching sand and grass with their large feet. The eggs are laid in this mound and they are hatched by the heat of the sun and that produced by the fermentation of the Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 111 grass, and they are never hatched by the parent birds. The egg is of a pale brown, but always stained by nesting materials." Takatsukasa (1932:11) quotes Oustalet as follows: "Specimens collected by Mr. Marche have proved that the breeding season of La Perouse's Mega- pode is rather long, like the other species of the same family, it begins to breed in January or February and ends in June. Accordingly, in this period the eggs just laid, the chicks, the young and adult can be seen at one place, but Mr. Marche did not obtain any egg." Hartert (1898:61) records a chick taken on July 17. Yamashina (1932a: 411) records eggs taken in 1931 as follows: two eggs from Pagan, February 17; three eggs from Pagan, May 15; four eggs from Agrihan, June 24. The breeding season for both of the incuba- tor birds, M. I. senex and M. I. laperov^e, is apparently from about January to August. Remarks. — The Micronesian Megapode was first taken in the Marianas by the expedition of the Uranie. Berard, a member of the expedition, obtained the bird at Tinian in December, 1820. Quoy and Gaimard (1824:27), who studied the birds of this ex- pedition, reported that according to native tradition the species was in former times widely distributed in the Marianas and domesti- cated by the ancient people of the islands, but that in 1819 and 1820 the birds were not numerous on Tinian and not found on Guam and Rota. IMarche (in Oustalet, 1896:27) obtained twenty-three birds at Saipan, one from Rota, two from Agrihan, and five from Pagan in 1887, 1888, and 1889; it is apparent that Quoy and Gai- mard missed the bird at Rota. Marche was of the opinion that the megapodes were never domesticated and that they would probably not last much longer at Saipan and Rota owing to the incessant hunting for them by the natives. As in the Palaus, the natives ap- parently prefer the eggs to the adults. The latest collections of these birds in the Marianas were made by the Japanese. Yama- shina (1932:411) obtained eggs in 1931 at Pagan and Agrihan, and again in 1940. He (1940:679) reported birds at Assongsong (Asuncion). Takatsukasa (1932:12) says, "A collector, working for Marquis Yamashina and myself, lately procured many speci- mens in Saipan and Pagan." Linsley (1935:249, 250) in search- ing for the megapode at Guam found little evidence of the birds. He interviewed people between the ages of forty-five and eighty and only two or three remembered seeing the bird. He said he saw one or two cross the road; but I suspect that they might have been rails {Rallus owstoni). Service personnel stationed at various islands in the Marianas during the late war have not reported the birds. The NAMRU2 party found no trace of the bird at Guam or Rota. Joe T. Marshall, Jr. (1949:203), did not find the bird at Saipan, Tin- 112 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. ian, or Guam in 1945. Its status on Agiguan is unknown; isolated Japanese troops present on this small island from the time of the American invasion (1944) until the armistice (1945) may have used the birds for food and depleted the population seriously. At present the birds apparently still occur on islands in the northern Marianas. It seems that if these birds are to survive, they must be given some protection. Evolutionary history. — The genus Megapodius consists, according to Peters (1934:1-7), of nine species which are distributed through the islands from the Philippines and Borneo to Australia and Mela- nesia. These have been redesignated under three specific names by Mayr (1938). Outlying forms occur in the Nicobar Group to the west and in Tonga (Niuafou Island) in the east and in the Palaus and Marianas to the extreme northeast. Lister (1911:757) is of the opinion that the megapodes may have reached these outlying islands by having been transported by the natives, by whom the eggs were highly valued as food. This idea is also maintained by Rutland (1896:29-30) and Christian (1926:260). Possibility and not factual evidence support this hypothesis. From their seeming ancestral stocks, M. pritchardii Gray of Niuafou Island and M. laperouse of Micronesia are remarkably distinct which may indicate their early arrival at these islands and subsequent change from their ancestral stocks. Like M. pritchardii, the Micronesian species is smaller than its relatives to the southwest and has short, rather rounded wings, al- though its feet are heavily built whereas those of M. pritchardii are lightly constructed. In comparing these birds with the species of megapode found in the Philippines, Celebes and Melanesia, it seems that both M. prichardii and M. Laperouse are closely related to the widespread species, M. freycinet, which may have been ancestral to both. The differences between M. prichardii and M. laperouse indi- cate that they represent independent invasions. Nevertheless these megapodes may have had a wider range in Oceania in former times; man may have eliminated the birds from some islands by using their eggs. The eggs are laid in conspicuous mounds which are easily found by man. M. laperouse differs from il/. jreycinet of New Guinea and other parts of Melanesia and the Philippines; its small size, short wing and pearl gray head are distinctive characters. It shows greatest resem- blance to the subspecies in Celebes iM. f. gilberti) in size and to the subspecies in the Moluccas (M. /. freycinet) in coloring; possibly M. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 113 laperouse represents stock from one of these regions. Apparently the group as a whole evolved from a center of dispersal in the New Guinea area. Mayr (1942b:167) regarded all the species of Megapo- dius as belonging to one polytypic species, except M. laperouse and M. pritchardii, which are allopatric species. Coturnix chinensis lineata (Scopoli) Painted Quail Oriolus lineatus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., fasc. 2, 1786, p. 87. (Type locality, Luzon, ex Sonnerat.) Excalfactoria sinensis Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 61 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 37 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Guam); idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Nelson, Proc. 1st Pan-Pacific Sci. Conf., 1921, p. 273 (Guam). Excalfactoria chinensis lineata Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 176 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Guam); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 20 (Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 198 (Guam); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 96 (Guam); Brj'an, Guam. Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand- list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 223 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Guam). Excalfactoria chinensis Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 536 (Guam). Coturnix chinensis lineata Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Guam). Geographic range. — Philippinos and parts of Malaysia. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Guam (introduced). Characters. — Adult: A small quail with upper parts brown splotched with black and streaked with buff; males with face and throat black surrounded by white line, upper breast blue gray, lower breast, belly and under tail-coverts and tail near "burnt sienna"; females lighter than males, underparts pale brown, mottled with blackish on breast and sides of body; bill dark lead colored, feet yellow. Measurements. — Three adult males from Guam measure: wing, 66, 67, 67; culmen, 9.2, 10.0, 10.3; tarsus, 18.1, 18.7, 22.6. Weights. — Two adult males taken by NAMRU2 at Guam weigh 34.5 and' 35.5 grams. Specimens examined. — Total number, 3 males from Mariana Islands, USNM — Guam (Feb. 24, June 13, 28). Remarks. — Seale (1901:37) writes that the Painted Quail was introduced to Guam from Manila, or the island of Luzon in the Phil- ippine Islands, by Captain Pedro Duarty of the Spanish Army in 1894. It was a successful introduction; the bird is well adapted to the grasslands, open hillsides, and fallow rice paddies. The bird appears to offer no serious competition to native species, because there are few native birds which depend largely on this habitat. The NAMRU2 party obtained specimens at Mt. Santa Rosa and near Agat ; others were seen as singles or pairs near Umatac and on Mount 8—8131 114 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Tenjo. Strophlet (1946:536) observed the birds in the southern part of Guam in 1945. He found them as singles or pairs in the months of September, October and November. Wilfred Crabb reported a covey of seven birds in June, 1945. Two males taken in June had enlarged testes. Seale (1901:37) obtained a nest of seven eggs. Gallus gallus (Linnaeus) Red Jungle Fowl Phasianus Gallus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 158. (Type locality, "India orientali, Pouli condor etc.," restricted to Pulo Condor, off noouths of the Mekong.) Phasianus Gallus Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, p. 284 (Ualan = Kusaie). Gallus bankiva Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 103 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 29 (Palau) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 298, 353 (Ponape, Mortlock, Ruk); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Pelew, Caroline, Marianne, Marshall); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 25 (Saypan, Palaos, Marshall); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 61 (Saipan); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1. 1901, p. 38 (Marianas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas). Gallus ferrugineus Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 780 (Ponape); idem. Ibis, 1881, p. 114 (Ponap6, Kushai). Gallus gallus bankiva Kuroda, in Moniyania, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Saipan, Pelew, Ponape, Marshall). Gallus gallus Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 21 (Micronesia); Cram, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 140, 1927, pp. 238, 328 (Guam); Bequaert, Mushi, 12, 1939, p. 81 (Kusaie) ; idem, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 16, 1941, p. 266 (Kusaie); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, pp. 57, 286 (Marianas, Carolines, Palaus); Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 294, 310 (Ulithi, Garakayo); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan). Gallus gallus domesticus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 198 (Marianas, Palaus, Carolines, Marshalls). Gallus gallus micronesiae Hachisuka, Tori, 10, 1939 (1940), p. 600 (Type locality, Truk, also from Pelew, Rota, Yap, Ponape) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 222 (Saipan, Rota, Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Mar- shalls). Gallus gallus gallus Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo, Ulithi, Truk). Geographic range. — Southeastern Asia and Malaysia; introduced into many islands of Oceana. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan, Rota; Palau Islands — Kayangel, Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Angaur; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie; Marshall Is- lands — exact locality not known. Specimens examined. — Total number, 3 (1 male, 2 females) as follows : Palau Islands, USNM— Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19) — Peleliu, 1 (Sept. 13)— Ngabad, 1 (Sept. 11). Parasites.— Cram (1927:238, 328) found the round worms (Nematoda), Dispharnyx nas-uta and Oxyspirura rnansoni in birds from Guam. Bequaert (1939:81 and 1941:266) found the fly (Hippoboscidae) Ornithoctona plicata, Dn fowl from Kusaie. Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:294, 310) obtained the chiggers (Acarina), Neoschongastia yeomansi and N. exvingi from fowl at Ulithi and Garakayo. Remarks. — The Red Jungle Fowl has been introduced in Micro- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 115 nesia, as it has been in other parts of Oceania. It is found on many of the islands of Micronesia, including the volcanic islands and the atolls. The NAMRU2 party did not find feral fowl at Guam but found the wary birds at Ulithi and in the Palaus. The birds at Ulithi were small and of a mixed breed. At Palau some fine ex- amples of typical jungle fowl were observed. Coultas obtained simi- lar specimens at Ponape and Kusaie. The natives have apparently allowed these birds to go wild, but catch them for food. These wild stocks may represent the earlier "liberations" while domestic fowl kept by natives at present appear to include several other breeds probably obtained from Europeans. The committee that prepared the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:222) points out that although many orni- thologists believe the Red Jungle Fowl to be introduced in Micro- nesia and other parts of Oceania, it is their opinion (based on a series of more than 100 skins before them) that the population in Micro- nesia is racially distinct. They further comment, as did Hachisuka (1939b: 600), that one may find hybrids between these birds and the domestic fowl belonging to the native peoples; this is commonly seen on the more populated islands such as Koror and Saipan. I have no doubt that these skins show distinct features; nevertheless, I am reluctant to recognize these by subspecific name, since the birds may be a mixture of domestic strains introduced by man at different times after the jungle fowl was first brought by the early Micronesians. It seems that the production of hybrids between the feral and domestic fowl, which we find there today, may have been going on ever since the European colonists arrived with their fancy breeds of chickens. Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 158. (Type locality, Africa, Asia = Rion.) Phasianus torquatus Baker, Sniithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Guam). Geographic range. — Eastern China and northeastern Tonkin. Widely intro- duced into North America, Europe, and New Zealand. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Guam (introduced). Remarks. — On July 4, 1945, fifty-seven Ring-necked Pheasants (sixteen cocks and forty-one hens) were liberated at Guam by per- sonnel of the U. S. Navy. The birds were eleven weeks old when released, having been brought by plane from the hatcheries of the State Division of Game and Fish in California. Twenty-four birds were liberated at the site of CincPoa headquarters near Mt. Tenjo. 116 Univeesity of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Thirty-three were placed near the FEA dairy farm, approximately one and one-fourth miles west of Price School. One month after release the birds were present at the liberation sites, although there were reports that some had drifted as far away as a mile or more. The birds were not banded. This liberation has been reported on by Quinn (1946:32-33) and by the author (1946b :211 and 1948:47). In using the name P. colchicus, I am following Delacour (in McAtee, 1945: 8) and the twenty-third supplement to the American Ornithol- ogists' Union check-list of North American birds (Auk, 65, 1948: 440). Rallus philippensis pelewensis (Mayr) Banded Rail Hypotaenidia -philippensis pelewensis Mayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 609, 1933, p. 3. (Type locality, Palau Islands.) Rallus philippensis Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew) ; Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 37 (Palau); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877, p. 587 (Palau); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Pelew); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459, Palau). Rallus pectoralis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 117, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 107 (Pelew). Eulabeornis forsteri Gray (part). Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 57 (Pelew). Hypotaenidia philippensis Salvador! (part), Omith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 261 (Pelew); Sharps (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 39 (Pelew); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Pelew). Eulabeornis philippensis? Mathews, Birds Australia, 1, 1910-1911, p. 199 (Pelew). Hypotaenidia philippinensis philippensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Palau). Rallus philippensis pelewensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 220 (Babelthuap, Koror) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 48 (Peleliu, Garakayo). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Araka- besan, Garakayo, Peleliu, Angaur. Characters. — Adult: A large, slender rail with black crown streaked with brown; .superciliary stripe ashy-gray, lighter toward bill; eye stripe brown becoming more rufous behind eye and on nape; chin a.shy-gray; throat near "mouse gray" tinged with olive especially toward breast; breast, belly and sides barred with black and white, with a broad "tawny" band on breast; posterior part of belly and vent buffy with some barring; under tail-coverts barred with black, white, and buff; mantle black with feathers subtcrminally barred with white; back, scapulars, inner wing-coverts, and rump black with white spotting and feathers edged with olive brown; outer wing-coverts, sec- ondaries, and primaries barred with black and rufous with some buffy-white on outer webs; under wing barred black and white with some brownish mark- ings; tail with both bars and blotches of black, white, and buffy -rufous; max- illa horn-colored; mandible yellowi.?h; feet light brown. R. p. pelewensis resembles R. p. philippensis Linnaeus of the Philippines, but is darker with nape more rufous-brown ; upper parts marked with nar- rower and darker edgings to feathers and with pronounced whitish spotting. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 117 Resembles R. p. chandleri (Mathews) of Celebes, but with wing shorter; more pronounced band on breast; bird darker above and below; rump and upper tail-coverts less spotted. Measurements. — Specimens in the collection of the United States National Museum measure as follows: four adult males — wing, 130-134 (132); tail, 59- 63 (61) ; full culmen, 30-37 (34) ; tarsus, 38-45 (43) ; four adult females— wing, 125-130 (127); tail, 54-61 (58); full culmen, 29-35 (32); tarsus, 38-42 (40). Mayr (1933c :4) lists the following measurements: twelve adult males — 127- 143 (134.6); tail, 54-65 (60); exposed bill, 25-28 (27.7); tarsus, 41-46 (43.5); three adult females— wing, 129, 136, 136; tail, 56, 57, 58; exposed bill, 23, 24, 25; tarsus, 40, 41, 42. Specimens examined. — Total number, 27 (18 males, 9 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM— Garakayo, 4 (Sept. 18, 19, 20)— Peleliu, 4 (Aug. 27, 28, Sept. 16)— Arakabesan, 1 (Nov. 26); AMNH — exact locality not given, 18 (Oct., Nov., Dec). Nesting. — The condition of the gonads in specimens obtained indicates that the breeding season is principally in the fall and winter. Of adult rails taken by Coultas in October, November and December, 1931, 6 of 12 males and 3 or 4 females had enlarged gonads. In September, 1945, the NAMRU2 party obtained two adult males with swollen testes. Marshall (1949:219) recorded breeding in September and November. Food habits. — Stomachs of rails obtained by the NAMRU2 party contained insects, seeds and small mollusks. Coultas (field notes) notes that the birds eat snails, roots and other vegetable matter. Remarks. — Ralhis philippensis is geographically widespread, being found from Tasmania and Australia north to Malaysia and the Phil- ippines west to Cocos Keeling Island east to ^Melanesia and western Polynesia and north to the Palau Islands. The species is divisible into several subspecies. The one in the Palaus, although distinctive, does not appear to have undergone a higher degree of differentiation (even though isolated as a small population) than any of the sub- species in Malaysia or Melanesia. Perhaps the form on Palau as well as the relatively undifferentiated Poliolimnas cinereus are rather recent invaders of Micronesia, as compared with Ralln^ owstoni and Ayhanolimnas monasa. The Banded Rail is less secretive in habits than Rallus owstoni of Guam, and neither was seen to fly. At Angaur, Peleliu and Gara- kayo, the NAMRU2 party found the rail in areas of swamp and marsh as well as in the rocky uplands; it probably prefers the former habitats. Several rails were observed and shot in open places, but they probably prefer to remain in dense cover. Coultas found the birds at taro patches and swamps. I watched a rail feeding along an open trail on Garakayo. The bird was eating small mollusks and other items which were in the open area. Being a true skulker, the bird would make a quick dash to the feeding place, remain only a 118 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. few moments, hurriedly return to the protective cover, and then repeat the process. The best means that I found of obtaining these birds was using traps baited with peanut butter and oatmeal. The trape had to be visited frequently or the ants made short work of the captured birds. Rallus owstoni (Rothschild) Guam Rail Hypotaenidia owstoni Rothschild, Novit. Zool., 2, 1895, p. 481. (Type locality, Guam.) f Rallus philippinus Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 51 (Marian or Ladrone Is.). Rallus pectoralis Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 157 (Guam). Eulabeornis forsteri Gray (part), Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 57 (Marian). Hypotaenidia philippensis Pelzeln, Ibis, 1873, p. 41 (Marianne Isl.); Salvadori (part), Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 261 (Marianas); Sharpe (part). Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 39 (Guam). Rallus philippinus Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Guam). Hypotaenidia owstoni Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 62 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, pp. 41, 67 (Guam); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 961 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam) ; Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 34, 1927, p. 22 (Guam); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 84 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Guam). Hypotaenidia marchei Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 32 (Type locality, Guam). Hypotaenidia oustini Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 30 (Guam). Rallus owstoni Peters, Check-list Birds Worid, 2, 1934, p. 166 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 220 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Guam); idem, Audubon Mag., 47, 1945, p. 279 (Guam); Watson, Raven, 17, 1946, p. 41 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 1940, p. 536 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no 15, 1948, p. 48 (Guam). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam. Characters. — Adult: A large rail with head, neck, and eye stripe near "mummy brown" with feathers on sides of neck tipped with "russet"; super- ciliary stripe to back of neck, throat and upper breast near "mouse gray"; mantle, back, scapulars, and some upper wing-coverts dark olive-brown be- coming browner on rump and upper tail-coverts; wings dark with brownish spots and barred with white ; lower breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tail blackish with white barrings; bill lead colored; feet dark brown; tibia brown; iris red. Measurements. — Four adult males measure: wing, 120-123 (121); tail, 46- 54 (50) ; full culmen, 37-43 (41) ; tarsus, 47-51 (50) ; si.x adult females measure: wing, 108-118 (112) ; tail, 38-46 (42) ; full culmen, 36-39 (37) ; tarsus, 43-47 (45). Weights. — The NAMRU2 party obtained specimens with the following weights: two adult males 256, 257; four females 147, 153, 210, 252 grams. Specimens examined. — Total number, 13 (5 males, 6 females, 2 unsexed), from Mariana Islands, USNM — Guam (Jan. 29, May 8, June 19, 20, 23, 28, 30, July 14, 19, 23, Sept. 8). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 119 Nesting. — A nest was found by McElroy of the NAMRU2 party at Guam on October 24, 1945, in dense grass on a hillside near Mount Santa Rosa. The nest contained three eggs, which the author (1948:48) describes as "white with a pinkish cast and a scattering of small spots of colors near 'russet' and near 'pear blue' which are concentrated at the large ends. They measure 37.5 by 29.1, 39.1 by 28.0, and 40.7 by 29.0." Downey, black chicks were found on April 1, May 16, and May 26. M. Dale Arvey found a chick on August 2, 1946, near Tumon Bay. A parent bird with young ones was seen near Merizo on October 2. A male taken on January 26 had enlarged gonads. Seale (1901: 30) obtained a black chick in June or July. On the basis of the above obser- vations it seems that the nesting season extends from spring to fall, although Marshall (1949:219) assumes that this rail breeds the year around. Remarks. — The Guam Rail was first reported by Quoy and Gai- mard who called it "Rale tiklin," but was not described as new until 1895 by Rothschild. It appears to be equally at home in upland grassy areas and in jungle areas. The species was not seen fre- quently by the NAMRU2 party, although birds were occasionally observed crossing the roads. Few birds were shot; most of the specimens were taken in rat traps, which may be the most satisfac- tory method of obtaining them. Coultas took his specimens with the aid of a dog. On June 19, 1945, a small patch of woodland was being removed by a bulldozer. Four rails, which were hiding in this thicket, were surrounded and three were captured by hand. These birds tried to escape over the cleared ground by running with wings flapping but made no effort to fly. I am inclined to believe, as the natives do,that these birds are virtually incapable of actual flight. The Guam Rail usually appeared to be a quiet bird, but at Tarague Point on July 12, 1945, 1 heard its loud penetrating cry ; it was a series of rapid screeches. At the same time rapid movement made consid- erable noise in the undercover. The bird making the call suddenly appeared, either rapidly chasing, or being chased by, another rail. The birds had abandoned their usual skulking habits and had little concern for the observer. I took this to be breeding behavior, com- parable to that of some of the North American rails during the mating period. The Guam Rail is probably not in serious danger of extermination. It is utilized by the natives as food; they capture the bird, using dogs and trail snares. Its skulking habits and ability to inhabit most types of cover on the island should insure its existence for a long time to come. Evolutionary history. — Rallus owstoni is endemic to the island of Guam with no closelv related forms nearby. It is one of the several 120 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. rails found in the Pacific which live on isolated islands. In com- parison with other species in the region, it has some resemblance to both R. torquatus and R. philippensis. In general, the underparts of R. owstoni resemble those of the R. philippensis group, although the upper parts resemble somewhat those of R. torquatus. Certain speci- mens of R. owstoni have a slight indication of a pale pectoral band. c wo looo 8000 Miles Po '■zonula O' PennulO Nesophylax Fig. 9. Routes of dispersal of rails in the Pacific area. The bill is shorter and heavier than that of R. torquatus, possibly- more like that of R. philippensis. The short rounded wing is a dis- tinctive character. The bird came from an ancestral stock possibly resembling R. philippensis and probably originated in the Philippine or Papuan areas. It may have invaded Micronesia at an early date and may have had a wider distribution in the islands in former times. Perhaps this same invasion resulted in the establishment of R. wakensis (Rothschild) at Wake. The supposed route of colonization is shown in figure 9. Rallina fasciata (Raffles) Malay Banded Crake Rallus fasciatus Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, pt. 2, 1822, p. 328. (Typo locality, Benkulen, western Sumatra.) Rallina fasciata Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelevv) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 37 (Palau); Salvador!, Oniith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 264 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 60 (Pelew); Sharps, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 75 (Pelew); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Sehulze der Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 121 Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459 (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 88 (Pelew) ; Hand- list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 171 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Palau); Delacour, Birds Malaysia, 1947, p. 77 (Palau). Geographic range. — Burma east and south to Malaysia and the Philippines. In Micronesia: Palau — exact locality unknown. Remarks. — The Malay Ban(ie(i Crake is known in the Palau Is- lands from birds taken by captains Tetens, Heinsohn, and Peters and by Kubary according to Finsch (1875: 37). It has not been taken by later collectors. Two unsexed and undated skins are in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History; these are from the Kubary collection. Rallina eurizonoides eurizonoides (Lafresna3'e) Philippine Banded Crake Gallinula eurizonoides Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool., 1845, p. 368. (No locality; the type agrees with specimens from the Philippine Islands.) Rallina eurizonoides eurizonoides Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev. 1932, p. 196 (Koror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Koror). Rallina eurizonoides subsp. Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau). Geographic range. — Philippine Islands. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Koror. Remarks. — This crake is apparently a straggler to western Micro- nesia from the Philippine area. Aphanolimnas monasa (Kittlitz) Kusaie Black Rail Rallus monasa Kittlitz, Denks. Riese russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 30. (T>'pe locality, Kushai.) Rallus tabuennis? Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutk^, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, p. 286 (Ualan). Ortygometra tabuensis Finsch, Joum. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 297, 307 (Kuschai) ; idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 109 (Kushai); Wiglrsworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 60 (Ualan). Kittlitzia monasa Hartlaub, Abhandl. nat. Ver. Bremen, 12, 1892, p. 391 (Ku- schai); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 17, 1893, p. 1 (Kuschai). Aphanolimnas monasa Sharpe, Bull. British Ornith. Club, 1892, p. 20 (Kuschai); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 457, pi. 4 (Ualan); Wigles- worth, Ibis, 1S93, p. 214 (Kushai); Sharpe, Cat Birds British Museum, 23, 1894, p. 115 (Kushai); Matschie, Joum. f. Ornith., 1901, pp. 110, 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 93 (Caroline Islands); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Kusaie); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 189 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Kusaie); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Kusaie); idem, Audubon Mag., 47, 1945, p. 280 (Kusaie). Porzana tabuensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. Ill (Kushai). Pennula monasa Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 969 (Kuschai). Porzana tabuensis tabuensis Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Kusaie). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Caroline Islands — Kusaie (probably ex- tinct). 122 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Characters. — Sharpe (1894:115) gives the following description: "Adult. Black with a bluish-grey reflexion; quills and tail somewhat browner; inner wing-coverts brownish with white spotting, outer edge of first primary dull brownish, chin and middle of the throat somewhat paler; bill blackish (Hart- laub.)." Remarks. — Two specimens of this rail are known. The two were taken by Kittlitz on his visit to Kusaie in December and January of 1827-'28. Coultas made a search for the bird in 1931 and failed to obtain it; he suggested that the high population of introduced rodents may have been a factor contributing to its extinction. The bird is considered to be extinct by the authors of the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:221). The two known specimens are in Leningrad, and Mayr sent ex- amples of Porzana tabuensis there for comparison. The following is a translation of the letter received by Mayr from Boris Stegmann dated at Leningrad, December 7, 1937. "I have compared the two specimens of Porzana tabuensis with our specimens of Aphanolimnas monasa. The difference is in my opinion of generic value. Aphanolimnas is distinctly larger and more robust. The bill is not only absolutely but also relatively longer. Its length (measured from the forehead) reaches to the end of the second phalanx of the middle toe while it not nearly reaches it in tabuensis. The proportions of feet and toes are the same in both, but the feet are distinctly heavier in Aphanolimnas. The wings are relatively shorter in Aphanolimnas and the wing feathers are very soft. The wing is also much more rounded, the first pri- mary is about 21 mm. shorter than the wing tip. The tail consists of very soft loose feathers which resemble only distantly true tail feathers. It is therefore questionable whether this bird was at all able to fly. "The coloration is in general dull black, brownish black on head and wings, chin and upper throat are dark slate colored lighter in the middle. The under wing and tail-coverts are marked with scattered white spots (querflecken). The first primary has an irregular whitish brown margin on the outer web. The bill is dark and the feet yellowish." Possibly this rail represents an ancient colonization of Kusaie from an ancestral stock of Porzana in Polynesia. Mayr. (1941b: 203) is also of this opinion, and if this is true there is no close relationship between Aphanolimnas and the rails at Guam and Wake, Rallus owstoni and R. wakensis, which are probably colonizers from the Philippines or the Papuan area. Mayr (1943:46) remarks further Bakee: The Avifauna of Micronesia 123 that the Hawaiian flightless rail [Peuula) is of doubtful taxonomic position, but may be related to the "Ap/iawohmnas-Porzanoidea- Nesophylax stock," although there is no evidence that Pennula is not related to Rallus. Supposed colonization routes are shown in figure 9. Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiae Hachisuka White-browed Rail Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiae Hachisuka, Bull. British Ornith. Club, 59, 1939, p. 151. (Type locality. Yap.) Ortygometra quadristrigata Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 107 (Pelew, Uap). Ortygometra cinerea Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 38 (Palau, Yap); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 273 (Yap, Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. and Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 61 (Pelew, Yap, Ruk); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459 (Palau). Ortygometra cinerea = quadristrigata Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk). Poliolimnas cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 130 (Pelew, Yap, Ruk); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 64 (Guam); idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 30 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Mariannes); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Guam, Pelew, Yap, Ruk). Porzana cinerea Stresemann, Novit. Zool., 21, 1914, p. 54 (Guam, Truk). Porzana cinerea ocularis Hartert, Novit. Zool., 31, 1924, p. 264 (Ruk, Guam). Poliolimnas cinereus collingwoodi Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 95 (Pelew, Marianne, Carolines); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Guam, Koror, Yap, Truk); Hachisuka, Birds Philippine Islands, 1, 1932, p. 236 (Marianne, Pelew, Caroline); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 198 (Marianne, Caroline, Pelew); Bryan, Guam Rev., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Guam, Palau, Yap, Truk, Bikini) ; Delacour and Mayr, Birds Philippines, 1946, p. 64 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 48 (Ulithi?, Truk). Porzana cinerea collingwoodi Rensch, Mitt. Zool., 1931, p. 468 (Marianne, Karolinen, Palau). Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiae Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 679 (Bikini); Hand- list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Guam, Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk, Bikini). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Koror, Babelthuap; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi?, Truk; Marshall lislands — Bikini. Characters. — Adult: A slightly built, long-legged rail with forehead and anterior crown light gray with darker, slate-colored feather shafts; color more olive-brown on occiput and nape; eyestripe dark slate extending to occiput; superciliary from bill to eye, and stripe below eye, white; chin and throat ashy- white; sides of head, neck and breast ashy-gray, lighter on breast and whitish on abdomen; sides of abdomen ashy-brown becoming more buffy on tibia and under tail-coverts; mantle olive-colored becoming lighter and more brownish on back, rump, and scapulars; wing-coverts similar in color but feathers with broad dark brown shaft-marks; wings brown, first primary with whitish outer web; under wing gray with some lighter streaks; tail dark brown, lighter on edges; bill horn colored, tan below; feet brown; iris vermillion. Immature : Resembels adult, but head more rufous, upper parts marked with buffy rufous; eye stripe light rufous-brown; underparts tinged with rufous. 124 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. P. c. micronesiae differs from P. c. collingwoodi Mathews of the PhiHppines by having more pale gray and less olivaceous-brown on the nape and shoulder; darker on the under tail-coverts; and having a shorter culmen. P. c. brevipes (Ingram) of the Volcano Islands differs from P. c. micronesiae by being paler on upper parts, particularly back and wing-coverts and more washed with buff below; by having a shorter, thicker culmen; and by having a shorter tarsus. Measurements. — Measurements are shown in table 17. Table 17. Measurements of Three Subspecies of Poliolimnas cinereus Locality No. Wing Tail Culmen Tarsus Poliolimnas cinereus collingwoodi Philippines, Talaut. Celebes Poliolimnaff cinereus micronesiae Guam 13 10 10 5 8 98 92 108 95 91-102 93 89-95 95 94-97 96 94-97 51 50-53 f)l 51-53 51 51-53 22.5 21.0-24.0 21.0 20.0-22.5 21.0 20.0-23. 21.0 20.5-22. 19.0 17.0 20.0 38.0 35.0-41.0 37.0 Palau 34.5-39.0 37.0 Truk 34.0-38.0 36.0 Poliolimnas cinereus brevipes S. Dionisio Island 35.0-37.0 30.0 29.0-32.0 Specimens examined. — Total number, 25 (11 males, 13 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, AMNH — Guam, 10 (July 13, Aug. 1, 5, 7, 13, 19, 23, 31); Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given, 10 (Nov. 11, 13, 15, 23, 25); Caroline Islands, AMNH — Truk, 5 (June 3, 8, 16, 17, 18). Nesting. — Hartert (1900:9) describes two nests found on swampy ground. One contained three eggs, the other four eggs. He writes, "The eggs are pale buff, or cream-colour, speckled all over with brownish rufous, more frequently near the broad end. In some eggs, these spots are larger, in others minute, and there are often some, underlying pale purplish gray spot£." Remarks. — Superficially, the White-browned Rail of Micronesia is distinct from its near relative, P. c. collingwoodi, but the differ- ences are not so well marked as they are between insular populations of other species of rails. It is probably a comparatively recent addi- tion to the Micronesian avifauna, and its pattern of distribution may represent an early stage in the development of endemism in contrast to the pattern of later stages in the development of insular forms shown by the isolated rails, Rallus owstoni and Aphanolimnas mo- Bakek: The Avifauna of Micronesia 125 nasa. The fact that Poliolimnas cinereiis is found only on widely separated islands in Micronesia does not necessarily mean that it has become "extinct" on the intervening islands, but that it may be par- tial to the larger, "high" islands, or that it is actually present but remains to be discovered on these intervening islands when more intensive field investigations are made. Hachisuka (1939a: 151), in naming the Micronesian form, comments that it has a shorter bill than P. c. colUngivoodi of the Philippines and Celebes, and that it is intermediate between this subspecies and P. c. brevipes of the Vol- cano Island to the north. Within these three subspecies there are trends toward a shorter culmen and shorter tarsus and, less markedly, toward a shorter wing. From the evidence at hand, it can be con- cluded that Poliolimnas first colonized Micronesia probably from the Philippine area (or Papuan area) through the Palaus and Carolines, to the Marianas and north to the Volcano Islands. Further, this has probably been a relatively recent invasion, although the subspecies in the Volcano Islands shows marked change in length of tarsus and culmen. This extension of range to the islands north of the Marianas is unusual and resembles somewhat the distribution of Nycticorax caledonicus in the same general area. The Micronesian White-browed Rail is a shy bird with the typical skulking habits of most rails. The NAMRU2 party did not find the bird at Guam, although reports were obtained that it was present in the marsh and swamp areas. Coultas (field notes) tells of observing the rail at Palau at a fresh water lake on Babelthuap, where it was difficult to obtain and apparently rare. Seale (1901:30) obtained a female specimen at Guam from native boys who snared it in a sweet potato patch near the Agafia River. This bird, taken in June or July, had eggs ready for laying. McElroy of the NAMRU2 party observed rails at Truk in brackish swamps, where he found them to be fairly common. A male which was taken in December had en- larged gonads. At Asor in the Ulithi Atoll, the NAMRU2 party learned that a small rail (possibly of this species) was found at taro patches in the early days of occupation, but that it was apparently eliminated by clearing operations. The taking of a bird at Bikini, as reported by Yamashina (1940:679), is further evidence that these birds may subsist on coral atolls as well as on the high volcanic islands; possibly the bird of the Marshalls may have been derived from the south rather than from the west. Unlike Rallus owstoni, this bird is apparently restricted to swampy areas, and may be elimi- nated from its habitat by drainage or clearing by man. It may 126 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist -•) always persist, however, in the taro patches maintained by the natives. Gallinula chloropus subsp. near orientalis Horsfield Gallinule Gallinula orientalis Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, 1821, p. 195. (Type locality, Java.) Gallinula chloropus indicus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Babel- thuap); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 44, 1932, p. 266 (Pelew, Coror). Gallinula chloropus indica Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Babel- thuap). Gallinula chloropus subsp. Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 49 (Peleliu, Angaur). Geographic range. — Malaysia from southern Malay Peninsula to Celebes. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Peleliu, Angaur. Characters. — Adult: Resembles G. c. indica Blyth, G. c. lozanoi Lletget and G. c. guami Hartert, but smaller and paler; upper wing-coverts less olivaceous- brown and more slate-colored; back, rump, and scapulars less richly washed with olivaceous-brown. Resembles G. c. orientalis from Java in size, but much paler. Measurements. — An unsexed adult bird from Angaur measures: wing, 150; bill from rictes, 27.1; bill from nostril, 13.4; tarsus, 46. Specimens examined. — Total number, 3 (2 males, 1 unsexed) from Palau Islands, USNM — Angaur (Sept. 21). Remarks. — Owing to the lack of sufficient material, I am unable to determine the exact status of the resident gallinule in the Palau Islands. On the basis of a single, unsexed adult and two immatures there is not very much that can be said. The adult is smaller and paler than G. c. indica, G. c. lozonoi, and G. c. guami. It resembles specimens of the subspecies G. c. orientalis in size but is also paler than the skins of this race which I have examined. It seems closest to this latter subspecies to which I tentatively refer it. If it is closest to this subspecies, it probably reached Palau from the Cele- bean region, rather than from the Philippines or some other route. Whether specimens taken by the Japanese at Babelthuap and Koror are G. c. indica is questionable, unless the skins were from migrants which may visit Palau from the west or northwest. The Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:177) records G. c. indica from the Bonin Islands. The three Gallinules were taken by the NAMRU2 party at fresh and brackish water swamps at Angaur on September 21, 1945. Sev- eral Gallinules were seen in the area and several were observed also at Peleliu Island. One of the immatures was just growing its wing feathers, indicating that the birds must breed in the Palau Islands. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 127 Gallinula chloropus guami Hartert Gallinule Gallinula chloropus guami Hartert, Novit. ZooL, 24, 1917, p. 268. Type locality, Guam). Fulica chloropus Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. "Uranie," Zool., 1824, p. 703 (Guam); Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 8, 1836, p. 305 (Guahan). Gallinula galeata var. sandwichensis Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 34 (Saypan, Tinian, Guam). Gallinula chloropus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 62 (Guam); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 31 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Marianen) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 177 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 536 (Guam). Gallinula chloropus guami Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 15, 1921, p. 1843 (Guam); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 199 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micro- nesia, 1922, p. 43 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 99 (Mariana Islands); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 44, 1932, p. 226 (Pagan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan); Hachisuka, Birds Philippine Islands, 1, 1932, p. 241 (Guam); Peters, Check- list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 204 (Marianne Islands); Bryan, Guam. Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 222 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Marianas); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 92 (Tinian); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 49 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Pagan, Saipan, Tinian, Guam. Characters. — Adult: Head and neck sooty black; upper back dark, bluish slate-gray; lower back and wing-coverts brownish; tail blackish-brown; wings dark brown, outer edge of first primary white; breast and upper abdomen dark slate-gray, feathers on sides of breast with longitudinal white streak; under wing dark with white edges; lower abdomen grayish with white-tipped feathers; vent black; under tail-coverts white; bill and frontal shield red, tip of bill yellowish; legs and feet olive-green. Adult female : Resembles adult male but usually with smaller frontal shield. Immature: Resembles adult, but forehead mottled white and brown, with sides of head less distinctly speckled with brown ; crown, neck and upper back dusky brown; back, scapulars and upper tail-coverts olivaceous-brown; chin and throat whitish; breast feathers pearly-gray tipped with white; abdomen white; sides gray, washed with buff. Older birds are darker above and more brownish-gray below; frontal shield small. G. c. guami resembles G. c. indica, but upper wing-coverts darker and near "olivaceous black"; back, rump and scapulars darker and less olivaceous brown, although not so dark as in G. c. orientalis. From G. c. lozanoi, G. c. guami differs in: slightly darker upper wing-coverts; richer olivaceous-brown on back, scapulars and rump; thinner culmen with possibly less yellow coloring on tip. G. c. guami resembles G. c. sandvicensis Streets of the Hawaiian Islands, but has less olive wash on the feathers and a smaller frontal shield. Measurements. — Measurements of Gallinula chloropus are presented in table 18. In general, females are smaller than males. 128 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 18. Mr-^surements of Gallinula chloropus Subspecies G. c. indica. G. c. orientalis. G. c. lozanoi. G. c. guami. G^ c. sandvicensis . No. Wing Bill from rictus Bill from nostril Tarsus 15 164 158-173 27 24-29 14.4 13.1-18.1 48 44-50 3 152 146-152 27 26-29 13.8 13.1-14.4 45 44-46 11 164 153-170 27 24-29 14.5 13.1-15.2 50 45-57 11 164 156-171 27 24-28 14.7 13.1-16.2 49 47-56 2 150-158 27 13.4 52-56 Weights. — From Guam an adult male weighed 291 grams and an adult female 256 (Baker, 1948:49). Specimens examined. — Total number, 42 (16 males, 22 females, 4 unse.xed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 5 (Feb. 24, May, June 5, 7, 18— Tinian, 3 (Oct. 12, 18)— Saipan, 3 (Sept. 28, 30); AMNH— Guam, 25 (Feb. 21, April 6, July 13, 28, 30, Aug. 1, 3, 6, 7, 13, 19, 23, 30, 31, Sept. 3, 17, Dec. 11— Tinian, 5 (June 11, Sept. 12, 13, 14). Nesting. — Hartert (1898:63) reports nests of the Gallinule at Guam in grass and on swampy ground in December and March. A male with enlarged gonads was taken by the NAMRU2 party at Guam on June 7. Marshall (1949:219) is of the opinion that this bird breeds all year. Food habits. — Seale (1901:31) found grass, insects, and larvae in stomachs obtained at Guam. Remarks. — The subspecies G. c. indica, G. c. lozanoi, G. c. guami, and G. c. sandvicensis bear a close resemblance to one another in size and color. G. c. guami and G. c. lozanoi resemble each other so closely that it would be difficult to separate unlabeled specimens of the two subspecies. G. c. orientalis differs from all of the gallinules in smaller size and darker color. Study of these forms indicates that the Gallinule has colonized the Marianas from Asia probably by way of Japan and the Bonin and Volcano islands. The Hawaiian sub- species is probably of American origin, as pointed out by Mayr (1943:46), and is not a close relative of the Mariana subspecies. The fact that these insular subspecies have not undergone much dif- ferentiation does not necessarily mean that they are recent arrivals, but probably is a reflection of the lack of plasticity of the species; as a whole the species does not exhibit anywhere a great amount of geo- graphic variaton. A thorough study of all insular populations of this species (including specimens from the Azores, Seychelles, Reunion, Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 129 Mauritus, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles) might reveal the effect of isolation on the species in general. Its ability to become established on isolated islands is apparent, although it is indeed peculiar that the species has not reached the Caroline Islands. The Gallinule in the Marianas is restricted to fresh water lakes, marshes and swamps on the islands of Guam, Tinian, Saipan and Pagan. Coultas (field notes), on visiting the island of Tinian in 1931, comments that the bird is rare and found at only one lake on the island. Downs (1946:92) noted the species in 1945, and Joe T. Marshall Jr. obtained three specimens at Lake Hagoya in October of the same year. Gleise (1945:220) estimated the population of Gallinules on Tinian in 1945 at 70 individuals. Stott (1947:525) reports that the birds were abundant at Lake Susupe, Saipan, in 1945. Scale (1901:31) found the Gallinule to be abundant at Guam in marshes and taro patches. In 1945, the NAMRU2 party found fairly large populations of the Gallinule in fresh water marshes and fallow rice paddies at Guam. The greatest concentration of birds appeared to be in the Agaiia Swamp and along the Ylig River. They seldom ventured out into open water but preferred weedy edges into which they could suddenly dart when disturbed. It was interesting to note such wary behavior, for an observer would think that after the bird had been in an environment virtually devoid of birds of prey (except for an occasional migrant) for a number of generations, it would have lost such behaviorisms as a result of the absence of the selective processes involved in predation. Porphyrio porphyrio pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Purple Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus Temm. var. pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 107. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.) Porphyrio melanotus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 117, 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 64 (Pelew). Porphyrio melanotus pelewensis Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dres- den, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 61 (Pelew); Bolau, Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Ham- burg, 1898, p. 70 (Palau); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 976 (Pelew); Mathews, Birds Australia, 1, 1911, p. 241 (Pelew); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 43 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium ,\ustralasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 100 (Pelew) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Palau) ; Hachisuka, Birds Philippines, 1, 1932, p. 245 (Pelew). Porphyrio pelewensis Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 39 (Palau); Salvadori, Atti Accad. Sci. Torino, 14, 1879, p. 1169 (Pelew); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459 (Palau); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 206 (Pelew); Nehrkorn, Nat. Eiers., 1899, p. 205 (Palau-lnseln) ; Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Reichenow, Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 216 (Palau- inseln); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Pelew). Porphyrio cyanocephalus Elliot, Stray Feathers, 7 1878, pp. 10, 13 (Palau). 9—8131 130 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Porphyria poliocephaltis pelewensis Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 208 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 222 (Koror). Porphyria porphyria pelewensis Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 49 (Angaur). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Palau Islands — Koror, Angaur. Characters. — Adult: A large, purplish-blue, marsh bird with crown and sides of head dusky-black; wing-coverts purplish-blue; rest of upper parts dark, washed with olivaceous-brown ; outer webs of primaries and secondaries tinged with purplish-blue; chin, axillaries and under wing-coverts dusky; under tail- coverts whitish; rest of underparts purplish-blue, blacker on abdomen. Porphyrio p. pelewensis resembles P. p. palliatiis Bruggemann of Celebes and P. p. melanopterus Bonaparte of the Moluccas and New Guinea but upper parts paler and slightly less glossy; lesser and primary wing-coverts more purplsh-blue and less greenish-blue; outer webs of primaries and secondaries lighter purpHsh-blue ; underparts less blue with patch on throat and breast paler blue with less green (patch present on only one specimen from the Palaus). Measurements. — Measurements of one male: wing, 227; tail, 81; culmen and shield, 62.5; tarsus, 77; of three females: wing, 212, 218, 227; tail, 77, 81, 86; culmen and shield, 57, 61, 64; tarsus, 75, 75, 77. Specimens examined. — Total number, 6 (1 male, 3 females, 2 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM — Angaur, 1 chick (Sept. 21) AMNH — exact locality not given, 5 (Nov. 13, 19, Dec. 17-19, undated). Nesting. — A black, downy chick was captured on September 21, 1&45, at the edge of a fresh-water lake on Angaur by Davidson of the NAMRU2 party (Baker, 1948:49). Two females taken by Coultas in December had enlarged gonads. Remarks. — The Purple Swamphen in the Palaus stands out as one of the more distinctive subspecies of P. porphyrio. It also marks the most northeastern extension of the range of this species. The subspecies in the Palaus shows affinities to that found to the south and southwest and probably reached Micronesia via the Papuan area, Celebes or the Moluccas rather than from the Philippines. It is interesting that this bird, as well as several other species, has been able to establish itself at the Palau Islands, but has not ex- tended its range farther into other islands of Micronesia. Perhaps, the bird is now in an early stage in its island occupation. The Purple Swamphen is probably not abundant in the Palaus, It is a large and conspicuous bird, and its restriction to swamps and areas around lakes may allow native hunters to obtain it rather easily, particularly by snares or by organized drives. Coultas (field notes) obtained specimens in taro swamps; he saw only 4 individ- uals and remarks that the birds utter harsh cries at night. The NAMRU2 party flushed an adult from lake side vegetation at An- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 131 gaur on September 21, 1945. This bird was not taken, but a downy- young was obtained in the area the same day. Fulica atra atra Linnaeus Common Coot Fulica atra Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 152. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Fulica atra Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, pp. 64, 69 (Guam); Seale, Ouc. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 32 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mari- anas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 43 (Guam) ; Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam). Fulica atra atra Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 15, 1921, p. 1852 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Tinian, Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 222, (Tinian, Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Micro- nesia). Geographic range. — Breeds in Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. Winters south to Africa, Malaysia, southern Asia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Tinian, Guam. Remarks. — The Common Coot is a straggler to Micronesia in win- ter. It has been recorded from Guam and Tinian. An unsexed speci- men in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History was taken at Guam in the fall of 1896 by one of Owston's collectors. Squatarola squatarola (Linnaeus) Black-bellied Plover Tringa Squatarola Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 149. (Type locality, Europe, restricted to Sweden.) Charadrius squatarola Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 66 (Saipan); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 35 (Micronesia); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas). Squatarola squatarola Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam); Ridg^vay, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 72 (Ruk); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 216 (Saipan, Truk) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 36 (Truk); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 50 (Guam). Squatarola helvetica Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 61 (Marianas, Ruk). Squatarola squatarola hypomelaena Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 43 (Ruk, Saipan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Saf^Jan, Truk). Geographic range. — Breeds in arctic regions of Holarctica. Winters in South- ern Hemisphere. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Saipan; Caroline Islands — Truk; Marshall Islands — Eniwetok. Specimens examined. — One female from Mariana Islands. USNM — Guam (Aug. 27). Remarks. — The Black-bellied Plover is an uncommon visitor to Micronesia. One bird was obtained by Markley of the NAMRU2 party at Guam on August 27, 1945; Flavin recorded five of these birds from November, 1944, to January, 1946. Bryan and Green- way (1944:109) record this species as an occasional visitor to the 132 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Hawaiian Islands. Gleise and Genelly (1945:221) observed the Black-bellied Plover at Eniwetok in 1945. Pluvialis dominica fulva (Gmelin) Pacific Golden Plover Charadrius fulmis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789. p. 687. (Type locality, Tahiti.) Charadrius pluvialis Kittlitz, Obser. ZooL, in Lutke., Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 287, 299, 304 (Ualan, Longounor, Guahan) ; idem, Denkw. Reise russ. Anier. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, pp. 32, 55 (Ualan). Charadrius virginianus Hartlaub, Joum. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen, Caro- linen). Charadrius longipes? Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 47 (Ladrone or Marian Islands, Oualan). Pluvialis fulvus Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 6, no. 29, 1865, p. 52 (Micronesie). Charadrius fulvus Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Central -polynesiens, 1867, p. 196 (Marianen, Ualan); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 117, 118 (Pelews); Finsch and Hartlaub, Joum. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 139 (Pelew) ; Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1872, p. 52 (Pelew, Carolinen) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1872, pp. 89, 104 (Pelew, Mackenzie, Uap) ; Graffe, Joum. Mus. Godef- froy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 31 (Pa- lau); idem, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 38 (Ponape) ; idem. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape); idem., Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); idem., Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 293, 305 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem. Ibis, 1880, pp. 220, 331, 332 (Taluit) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godef- froy, 1881, pp. 281, 353 (Ponape, Ruk); Finsch, Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 106, 109, 113, 115 (Kushai, Ponape); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 395 (Carolines, Pe- lews, Marianas) ; Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 55 (Jaluit, Milli, Ku- schai) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 63 (Marshall Islands, Ualan, Luganor, Ponape, Ruk, Uap, Pelew, Marianne) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 46 (Guam, Hogoleu, Marshalls, Palaos) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool. 5, 1898, p. 66 (Guam); idem, Novit. Zoo!., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 36 (Mi- cronesia); Schnee, Ornith. Monatsber., 1901, p. 132 (Marshalls); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 389 (Marsehall-Insein) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Ponape). Charadrius doviinicus fulvus Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam). Charadrius dominicus Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 195 (Micro- nesia). Pluvialis dominicus fulvus Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 89 (Kuschai, Pelew, Ruk, Marianas, Mackenzie, Ponape) ; Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 177 (Uala, Arhno, Rongelab); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 44 (Guam, Angaur, Ualan, Luganor, Ponape, Ruk, Yap, Arhno) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 216 (Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Babelthuap, Koror, Peliliu, Angaur, Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Ku- saie, Mille, Arhno, Majuro, Likieb). Pluvialis apricarius fulvus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Saipan, Tinian, BabeJthuap, Koror, Pelilieu, Angaur, Yap, Uluthi, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Mille, Arhno, Majuro, Likieb). Pluvialis dominica fulva Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 244 (Oceania); Bryan, Guam, Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 3 (Saipan, Guam, Palau, Ponape, Kusaie, Ruk, Tarawa) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 39 (Oceania); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 93 (Tinian); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 536 (Guam); Borror, Auk, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 50 (Guam, Rota, Peleliu, Garakayo, Ulithi, Truk). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 133 Pluvialis dominica Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 306, 310, 313, 316, 318 (Ulithi, Guam); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, pp. 174, 175 (Guam). Geographic range. — Breeds from Siberia to western Alaska. Winters from India east to Oceania; stragglers occur west to Africa and east to Pacific coast of North America. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Agrihan, Asuncion; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Ngabad, Gara- kayo, Koror, Babelthaup; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor, Pon- ape, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Mille, Arhno, Rongelab, Majuro, Likieb, Bikini. Specimens examined. — Total number, 69 (39 males, 26 females, 4 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 17 (July 8, 19, 24, Aug. 31, Sept. 4, 17, 19, 26, Oct. 5, 8, 23, 24)— Rota, 5 (Oct. 20, 25); AMNH— Guam, 6 (Mar. 7, 8, 27, Aug. 15)— Saipan, 1 (Sept. 8)— Asuncion, 2 (Feb. 16); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 9 (Sept. 6-20)— Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 20); AMNH — exact locality not given, 7 (Oct. 13, Nov. 13, 15; Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 4 (Aug. 16, 21); AMNH— Kusaie, 9 (Mar. 10-30)— Ponape, 2 (Dec. 15)— Truk, 3 (Feb. 6); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 3 (Mar. 4, 7, May 3). Parasites. — Wharton (1946:174, 175) records the following chiggers (Aca- rina) from Pluvialis taken by the NAMRU2 party at Guam: Acariscus pluvius, A. anoiis, Neoschongastia carveri, and N. namrui; and at Ulithi: N. pauensis and N. ewingi. Weights. — Birds taken at Guam and Rota weighed as follows: seven males, 107-125 (117); four females, 109-120 (114). Remarks. — The Pacific Golden Plover is one of the most abundant migratory shore birds to visit IMicronesia. So characteristic of Micronesia is this species that ahnost all ornithologists who have made observations in the area have recorded it. Finsch observed the plover in the Carolines and Marshalls. Coultas made notes on, and collected specimens of, it in the Marianas, Carolines, and Palaus. The Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:216) lists Pluvialis from 17 islands in Micronesia. Stickney (1943:3, 4) discusses the migrations of the Pacific Golden Plover through Oceania, using as a basis for her remarks the data from the extensive collections made by the Whitney South Sea Expedition. She states that the northward migration begins in March from the southern islands (New Zealand and southern Aus- tralia) . At Guam in 1945, the writer observed flocks of plover begin- ning on February 11. Birds were seen in small groups in March and April. In the latter month most of the birds seen were in nuptial plumage. For the year 1945, the latest spring record at Guam was April 28. In the same year, Gleise (1945:220) observed his last spring record at Tinian "between April 26 and 27." In 1946, Mor- rison obtained plover in nuptial plumage at Bikini on May 3. In an effort to obtain dates when shore birds appeared at Guam, field parties of NA]\IRU2 made observations at several beaches in 134 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. late spring, summer, and early fall, as is shown in table 8. Pacific Golden Plovers in post-nuptial molt were first observed and collected on July 8. Following this date, small flocks and later large flocks were more numerous; by September 29, plover were abundant. Sim- ilar findings were obtained at Ulithi (see table 9) and in the Palau Islands (see table 10) in August and September. The birds collected by the NAMRU2 party at Guam, Ulithi, Peleliu, and Garakayo in July, August, September, and early October were in postnuptial molt. Birds taken at Rota on October 20 and 26 were in winter plumage. Downs (1946:93) observed plover in small flocks at Tinian in 1945, beginning after September 5. Borror (1947:417) saw two birds at Agrihan on August 10, 1945. The flocks of plover seen by the NAMRU2 party varied in size from three to 30 birds, the average being less than ten. Coultas (field notes) noted "large flocks" at the Palaus from October to December, 1931. Although plover was often found on the same beach as other birds, the NAMRU2 observers rarely saw plover together with other shore birds. However, on air strips Pluvialis occasionally occurred with small numbers of Arenaria, Heteroscelus spp., and Numenius phaeopus. Pluvialis and N. phaeopus were the only shore birds found to use open grassy flats and other inland areas at Guam and Peleliu in 1945. Stickney (1943) records Pluvialis in late spring and summer from Polynesia, indicating these to be birds remaining in the winter range during the breeding season. The NAMRU2 party observed no Pacific Golden Plovers at Guam which might be regarded as non- migrants, but other species of shore birds were found which might be considered as such. The lingering of individuals in the winter range is not unusual among migratory birds, and as Stickney points out, most of the non-migrants retain their winter dress or assume an incomplete breeding plumage. Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus Bonaparte Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 5, 1825, p. 98. New name for Tringa hiaticula Ord. not Charadrius hiaticula Linnaeus, in Wilson's Amer. Ornith., Ord. repr., 7, 1824, p. 65. (Type locality, Coast of New Jersey.) Charadrius hiaticula Finsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 331 (Taluit) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Taluit or Bonham); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 389 (Marschall-Inseln) ; Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 45 (Taluit). Geographic range. — Breeds from Arctic America south to coastal Canada. Winters from southern United States to South America. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Jaluit. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 135 Remarks.— F'msch (1880d:331) reported this bird (sight record) at Jaluit in the Marshall Islands. Other than this observation, there is no history of the species in Micronesia. Chardrius dubius curonicus Gmelin Ring-necked Plover Charadrius curonicus Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 692. (Type locality, Kurland.) Charadrius dubius curonicus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 194 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 217 (Yap); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 37 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Europe and Asia. Winters from Africa east to Malaysia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Caroline Islands — Yap. Remarks. — The Ring-necked Plover has been recorded at Yap by the Japanese collectors. Mayr (1945a: 37) remarks that the bird is an occasional migrant through IMicronesia. Gleise and Genelly (1945:221) observed four "Papuan" Ring-necked Plovers at Eni- wetok in 1945. Apparently no specimen was obtained. Charadrius alexandrinus nihonensis Deignan Kentish Plov^er Charadrius alexandrinus nihonensis Deignan, Joum. Washington Acad. Sci., vol. 31, 1941, p. 106. (Type locality, Aomori, Hondo.) Charadrius cantianus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soo. London, 1868, pp. 117, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 89 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godef- froy, 8, 1875, p. 31 (Palau). Aegialitis cantianus Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Pelew); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Pelew). Aegialitis alexandrinus dealbatua Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 45 (Pelew). Charadrius alexandrinus dealbatus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 194 (Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 217 (Palau); Mayr, Birds South- west Pacific, 1945, p. 37 (Palau). Geographic range. — Breeds in Japan and possibly on adjacent parts of the Asiatic mainland. Winters south to Malaya. In Micronesia : Palau Islands — exact locality unknown. Remarks. — The Kentish Plover is known from a single record ob- tained by Semper in the Palau Islands. It is tentatively assigned to C. a. nihonensis, which breeds directly north of the Palau Islands on Japan. C. a. dealbatus (Swinhoe) breeds more to the west on the Asiatic mainland and adjacent islands south of Japan. Additional specimens are needed before the subspecific status of migrants to Micronesia can be accurately determined. Chardrius mongolus stegmanni Stresemann Mongolian Dotterel Charadrius mongolus stegmanni Stresemann, Omith. Monatsb., 48, 1940, p. 55. New name for Charadrius mongolus littoralis Stegmann, 1937, preoccupied. (Type lo- cality, Berhing Island.) Charadrius sanguineus Lesson, Man. d'Omith., 2, 1828, p. 330 (No type locality = Mariana Islands, ex Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mua. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 136 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. 48); idem, Traite d'Omith., 1831, p. 544 (no locality =z Mariana Islands); Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen). Charadrius monoglicus Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 48 (Guam, Jaluit, Palaos, Carolines); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 66 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 36 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Guam). Aegialitis mongolus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk). Aegialis mongola Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam). Aegialites mongola Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam). Ochthodromus mongoUcus Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Marianas, Ruk). Charadrius mongolus Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 132 (Ruk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 38 (Micronesia). Charadrius mongolus mongolus Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 11-12, 1920, p. 1543 (Marianen, Karolinen) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev.. 1932, p. 194 (Guam, Truk, luripik, Kusaie, Jaluit, Majuro); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 253 (Carolines, Marianas); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 50 (Guam, Peleliu, Uhthi). Cirrepidcsmus mongolus mongolus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 44 (Guam, Ruk). Charadrius mongolus stegmanni Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 217 (Guam, Peliliu, Truk, luripik, Kusaie, Jaluit, Majuro). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Siberia and Bering Sea area. Winters south to eastern Malaysia, Melanesia, and Australia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam ; Palau Island.s — Angaur, Peleliu ; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Truk, luripik, Ku.saie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Majuro. Specimens examined. — Total number, 10 (4 males, 5 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM — Guam, 2 (June 7, Sept. 1); AMNH — Guam, 3 (Aug. 15, 18, Nov. 30); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 3 (Sept. 7-12); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 22); AMNH— Truk, 1 (Feb. 8). Remarks. — According to Oustalet (1896:48), Lesson used two specimens of this species, which were collected in the Marianas by the expedition in the "Uranie," as types for his Charadrius sangui- neus. The Mongolian Dotterel is a regular visitor to western Micro- nesia. It is recorded also from the Marshall Islands, which it prob- ably reaches from the westward by way of the Carolines, since the species has not been recorded in the Hawaiian Islands. A bird taken by the writer at Guam on June 7, 1945, was in winter plumage and probably nonmigratory. The species was re- corded also at Guam in September. At Peleliu in September, 1945, the Mongolian Dotterel was seen frequently on tidal fiats by the NAMRU2 party. On September 8 there was a flock of approxi- mately fifty birds, in company with Charadrius leschenaultii, at Akarakoro Point. In August at Ulithi, birds were on the beaches in company with Crocethia alba. At Angaur on September 21, 1945, the species was with other shore birds in small groups at fresh water ponds. I am tentatively referring all specimens examined to C. m. steg- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 137 manni although at this writing (1948) I am inclined to the opinion that a critical reexamination of the referred specimens might reveal one or a few individuals of the subspecies C. m. mongolus Pallas. Charadrius leschenaultii Lesson Large Sand Dotterel Charadrius Leschenaultii Lesson, Diet. Sci. Nat., ed. Levrault, 42, 1826, p. 36. (Type locality, Pondichery, India.) Charadrius griseus Lesson, Traite d'Omith., 1831,, p. 544 (Oulan). Charadrius geoffroyi Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 117, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 89 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 31 (Palau). Aegialitis geoffroyi Salvadori, Omith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 299 (Ualan, Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Pelew, Ualan). Ochthodromus geoffroyi Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 217 (Pelew, Ualan); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Pelew). Pagoa leschenaultii Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 44 (Pelew, Kusiae, Yap). Charadrius leschenaultii leschenaultii Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Yap, Kusaie, Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 216 (Yap, Kusaie, Palau). Charadrius leschenaultii Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 38 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 51 (Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds in Asia south to Persia. Winters from Malaysia east to Australia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Yap, Kusaie. Specimens examined.- — Total number, 9 (2 males and 7 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 7 (Sept. 6-12); AMNH— exact locality not given, 2 (Nov. 21, 25). Remarks. — The Large Sand Dotterel is a regular visitor to the Palau Islands. It has been recorded also at Yap and Kusaie in the Carolines, where it may be considered as an uncommon visitor. At Peleliu, the species was seen on several occasions in September, 1945, by the NAMRU2 party. The birds were found on tidal flats in company with Charadrius mongolus stegmanni in flocks of 10 to 30 individuals. Numenius phaeopus variegatus (Scopoli) Whimbrel Tantalus variegatus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., fasc. 2, 1786, p. 92. (Type locality, Luzon, ex. Sonnerat.) Scolopax phaeopus Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 566 (Marianas). Numenitis phaeopus Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 287, 304 (Ualan, Guahan), Hartlaub, Joum. f. Omith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen); Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 129 (Ualan); Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew, Matelotas) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Uap, Pelews) ; Graffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 35 (Palau); idem, Joum. f Ornith., 1880, pp. 294, 307 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 107, 109, 115 (Kushai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 299, 353 (Ponape, Mortlock, 138 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Ruk); Wharton and Hardcastle, Joum. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 308, 316, 318, 320 (Ulithi, Guam); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, pp. 174, 175 (Guam). Numenius tenuirostris Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, and Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 55 (Marianas, Ualan). Numenius uropygialis Gray, Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 43 (Pelew). Numenius variegatui Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 332 (Pelew, Ponape) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Bar. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 66 (Marianne, Pelew, Matalotas, Luganor, Ruk, Ponape, Ualan); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 361 (Micronesia); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam). Numenius phaeopus variegatus Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 39 (Mariannes, Palaos, Carolines, Jaluit) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Guam); idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 34 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Marianas, Carolines, Pelews) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1649 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Marianas, Carolines, Palaus, Marshalls) ; Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 261 (Caroline, Marianne, Pelew); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Guam, Koror, Babelthuap, Ngulu, Yap, Uluthi, luripik, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie, Jaluit, Wotze); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 39 (Micronesia); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 51 (Guam, Angaur, Peleliu, Ulithi). Phaeopus phaeopus variegatus Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 178 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 45 (Palaus, Carolines, Marians). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Asia. Winters from Malaysia east to Oceania. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Koror, Babelthuap; Caroline Islands — Ngulu, Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor, luripik, Ponape, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Wotze. Specimens examined. — Total number, 26 (9 males, 17 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 16 (June 4, 6, July 24, 26, 27, Sept. 1, 19, 25, Oct. 8); Palau Islands, USNM —Peleliu, 5 (Sept. 8, 12, 14)— Angaur, 4 (Sept. 21); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 17). Weights. — At Guam, the NAMRU2 party obtained the weights of two males, 373 and 435, and of six females, 295-426 (384). Parasites. — Wharton (1946:174, 175) lists the following species of chiggers (Acarina) taken from the Whimbrel at Guam: Acariscus pluvins, A. anous, Neoschongastia strongi, and A'^. carveri; and at Ulithi: N. namrui and A''. atollensis. Remarks. — The Whimbrel is an abundant visitor to western Mi- cronesia. It was first taken by Quoy and Gaimard, who found it in the Marianas. It is recorded in the Marshall Islands (Jaluit and Wotze), but apparently reaches these islands from the west, since the species is unknown in the Hawaiin Islands. As shown in table 8, the NAMRU2 party observed the Whimbrel at Guam on spring migration in March, 1945, the last record being on March 21. In June and July, single birds or small groups were occasionally seen on the tidal flats. Some of these birds may have been nonmigratory. Beginning on July 24, more birds were re- corded as they began to migrate south after their nesting season. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 139 Whimbrels were numerous from August until the conclusion of the observations in October. Birds were abundant at the Palaus in September; only a few were noted at Ulithi in late August. The Whitney South Sea Expedition of the American Museum of Natu- ral History made collections of this species at several islands in Micronesia. At Ponape, Coultas (field notes) writes that in No- vember and December, 1930, a few birds were seen on the reefs and at the edges of mangrove swamps. At Peleliu in October to Decem- ber, 1931, he found Whimbrels concentrated on a small islet between Koror and Babelthuap. At both Ponape and Palau Coultas re- ceived reports that the birds remain at the islands throughout the year. Numenius tahitiensis (Gmelin) Bristle-thighed Curlew Scolopax tahitiensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 656. (Type locality, Tahiti, Society Islands, based on the Otaheiti Curlew of Latham, Gen. Syn., 3, pt. 1, 1785, p. 122, no. 4.) Numenius femoralis Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 220, 331, 332 (Jaluit, Arno). Nu7neniiis tahitiensis Seebohm, Geogr. Dist. Charadriidae, 1887, p. 332 (Marshalls) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 66 (Marianne?, Marshalls); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 367 (Marianas, Marshalls); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln) ; Takatsu- kasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Marianas, Pelews) ; Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 49 (Marianas, Marshalls); Bent, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 146, 1929, p. 143 (Jaluit); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Saipan, Marshalls); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 261 (Marshalls); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 677 (Jarchi) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Sai- pan, Jaluit, Arhno, Maloelab, Wotze, Ailuk, Ringelab, Larchi) ; Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 4 (Ponape, Marshalls); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 39 (Marshalls, straggler to Carolines and Marianas). Phaeopiis tahitiensis Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 179 (Rongelab); Ridg^vay, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 407 (Marianas, Marshalls). Geographic range. — Breeds in western Alaska. Winters in eastern and central Polynesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan; Caroline Islands — Ponape; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Arhno, Moloelab, Wotze, Ailuk, Ronge- lab, Larchi, Bikini. Specimens examined. — Total number, 6 (3 males, 3 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, AMNH— Ponape, 2 (Dec. 15); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 4 (Mar. 10, 14, April 2, 30). Remarks. — The Bristle-thighed Curlew is a regular migrant through the Marshall Islands of eastern Micronesia. It is recorded as a straggler to the Caroline and Mariana islands. Stickney (1943: 4, fig. 1) shows a map and discusses the breeding and wintering ranges of this curlew. As can be observed from her map, the prin- cipal wintering areas are east and south of Micronesia. She records the species from the Bonin Islands, which is the westernmost record. It is difficult to offer plausible reasons for the present migratory 140 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. habits of the Bristle-thighed Curlew. It is related to both the Asia- tic form, N. phaeopus, and to the American species, N. hudsonicus, but its origin is not understood. The characteristics of its route of migration resemble that of some continental migrants and might have come about by a slow adjustment of the species to its environ- ment, probably through an expansion of range from the west, Numenius madagascariensis (Linnaeus) Long-billed Curlew Scolopax madagascariensis Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1, 1766, p. 242. (Type locality, Madagascar, error = Manila, Philippine Islands, fide Stresemann.) Numenius cyanopus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 35 (Micronesia); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); idevi, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1645 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 45 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Guam). Numenius madagascariensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 214 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 40 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 51 (Guam, Ngesebus). Geographic range. — Breeds in eastern Siberia. Winters from Malayia east to Australia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Peleliu, Ngesebus. Remarks. — The Long-billed Curlew is a regular visitor to western Micronesia, especially to the Palau Islands. It is apparently a less common migrant in the Marianas, although it has been recorded from Guam. At Guam, the NAMRU2 party observed a single bird on June 6 and two on October 3 at tidal beaches. At Peleliu these large curlews were seen on several occasions between September 9 and 16, 1945. They were found usually as singles feeding on tidal flats in company with other shorebirds. Limosa lapponica baueri Naumann Pacific Godwit Limosa Baueri Naumann, Naturg. Vog. Deutschl., 8, 1836, p. 429. (Type locality, New Holland = Victoria, apud Mathews; Novit. Zool., 18. 1912, p. 220.) Limosa uropygialis Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 299 (Mortlock). Limosa novae-sealandiae Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 66 (Luganor). Limosa lapponica baueri Hartert. Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 34 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Mari- anen); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1641, (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 46 (Caro- lines, Marianas); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Marianas. Carolines); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 5 (Guam, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 41 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 141 (Oceania); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 52 (Guam, Peleliu). Limosa lapponica novazealandiae Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk); Hand- list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 214 (Guam, Truk). Limosa rufa uropygialis Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Marianas, Ruk). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America. Winters from Malaysia east to Oceania. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — PeleHu; Caroline Islands — Truk. Specimens examined. — Total number, 5 (2 males, 3 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, AMNH— Guam, 2 (Sept. 26); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 1 (Sept. 7); AMNH— exact locality not given, 2 (Nov. 21, 23). Remarks. — The principal wintering grounds of the Pacific Gociwit are probably in Australia and New Zealand according to Stickney (1943:5). The bird reaches these areas from Arctic breeding grounds by migrating to a great extent along the edge of the Asiatic Continent. It may also be considered as a regular migrant in west- ern Micronesia, and probably reaches eastern Micronesia as an un- common visitor, since it is occasionally recorded in the Hawaiian Islands. At Guam in 1945, the NAMRU2 party found the Pacific Godwit at tidal beaches on April 26 and October 15. Strophlet (1946:537) recorded one bird from Guam on October 20, 1945. At Peleliu, the NAMRU2 party found birds at beaches on September 7 and 16. Coultas (field notes) reported that "a few" were seen at Peleliu from October to December, 1931. McElroy did not find any of these birds at Truk in December, 1945. Tringa nebularia (Gunnerus) Greenshank Scolopax nebularis Gunnerus, in Leem, Beskr. Finm. Lapper, 1767, p. 251. (Type locality, District of Trondhjem, Norway.) Glottis nebularius Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 47 (Yap) ; Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zas.shi, 44, 1932, p. 225 (Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Yap, Truk). Tringa nebularis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 214 (Yap, Truk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 41 (Yap, Truk) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 52 (Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Eurasia. Winters in Mediterranean area, Africa, southern Asia, Malaysia, Australia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands— Peleliu ; Caroline Islands — Yap, Truk. Specimens examined. — Total number, 4 (1 male, 3 females) from Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu (Aug. 28, Sept. 14, 15). Remarks. — The Greenshank has been recorded at the Palau Islands and at Yap and Truk in the Caroline Islands. It is appar- ently a regular visitor to western Micronesia. It probably reaches the western Carolines as an occasional visitor from the region of the 142 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Palaus to the westward, rather than from the northward, since the bird has not been observed in the Marianas. The NAMRU2 party observed two small flocks of these birds at Peleliu in August and September, 1945. One group of six birds was found wading in the shallow water of a mangrove swamp on August 28. Another group of three birds was seen on a tidal beach on Sep- tember 14 and 15, where they were observed feeding apart from other species of shore birds. Tringa melanoleuca (Gmelin) Greater Yellow-legs Scolopax melanoleuca Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 659. (Type locality, Sandy shores of abrador := Chateau Bay, Labrador.) Tringa melanoleuca Kuroda, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 46, 1934, p. 313 (Jaluit) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 214 (Jaluit). Geographic range. — Breeds in Alaska and Canada. Winters from California east to the Gulf States and the West Indies and south to South America. In Micronesia : Marshall Islands — Jaluit. Remarks. — Kuroda records one specimen of the Greater Yellow- legs from Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands. It is a straggler to Oceania and has not been recorded in the Hawaiian Islands. Tringa glareola Linnaeus Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 149. (Europe, restricted type locality, Sweden.) Totanus glareola Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 43 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, pp. 65, 69 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 34 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Guam); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam). Rhyacophilus glareola Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 48 (Guam, Angaur). Tringa glareola Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Guam, Angaur, Koror) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Guam, Anguar, Koror) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 41 (Guam, Palau) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 52 (Anguar). Tringa glariola Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Eurasia from Norway and Germany east to Siberia, Sakhalin, and Kamchatka. Winters from Africa east to south- ern Asia, Malaysia, and Australia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Anguar, Koror. Specimens examined. — Total number, 2 (1 male, 1 female), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM — Angaur, 1 (Sept. 21); AMNH — e.xact locality not given, 1 (October 26). Remarks. — Marche, in 1877, first recorded the Wood Sandpiper in Micronesia (at Guam). In the Marianas it is apparently an un- common migrant but it is considered to be a regular visitor in the Palau Islands. At the Palaus in September, 1945, the writer found Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 143 the bird at a fresh water pond on Angaur. It was not observed on the tidal beaches at Peleliu. Actitis hypoleucos Linnaeus Common Sandpiper Tringa Hypoleucos Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1> 1858, p. 149 (Europe, restricted type locality, Sweden.) Totanus hypoleucos Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 552 (Marianas). Totanus (Tringoides) hypoleucus Gray, Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 51 (Marianas). Actitis hypoleuca Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 8 (Pelew). Actitis hypoleucus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 36 (Pelew); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 353 (Ruk, Mortlock) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Luganor, Marianne, Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris (3), 8, 1896, p. 43 (Guam, Palaos, Luganor). Tringoides hypoleucos Gray, Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 46 (Pelew, Ladrone) ; Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 318 (Pelew). Tringoides hypoleucus Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 456 (Micro- nesia); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, pp. 51, 62 (Pelews, Marianas). Totanus hypoleucus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Saipan) ; Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 34 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mariannes); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam). Actitis hypoleucos Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 372 (Micro- nesia); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 47 (Marianas, Carolines, Pelews) ; Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 269 (Micronesia) ; Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 1, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 42 (Micronesia); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 52 (Guam, Peleliu, Ulithi). Tringa hypoleucos Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Marianas, Carolines, Pelews); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed, 1942, p. 214 (Saipan, Babelthuap, Koror, Peleliu, Angaur, Ulithi, Truk). Geographic range. — Breeds in Europe and Asia. Winters from Africa east to Polynesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Saipan; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Koror, Babelthuap; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor. Specimens examined. — Total number, 12 (4 males, 7 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 4 (July 16, Sept. 20); AMNH— Saipan, 1 (July 27); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 3 (Sept. 9, 14),— Koror, 1 (Nov. 7); AMNH— exact locality not given, 2 (Nov. 11, 19); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 22). Weights. — The present author (1948:52) recorded the weight of one male taken at Guam as 67 grams, and of two females as 57 and 63 grams. These were fall migrants taken by the NAMRU2 party. Remarks. — The Common Sandpiper has been known from Micro- nesia since the time of Lesson. Tetens, Peters and Kiibary obtained specimens in the Palaus; the latter collector obtained the bird at Lukunor and probably also at Truk. In recent years several col- lectors have taken the birds in western Micronesia, where the species appears to be a regular visitor. Field observations by the NAMRU2 party indicate that the birds are usually found as singles and remain apart from other species of migratory shorebirds which visit the islands. The margins of inland ponds and beaches consisting of 144 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. rocks and pebbles appear to be preferred over the sandy, tidal flats. At Peleliu on September 9, 1945, two birds were taken at a bare bank of coral at an inland pond. These were the only two Common Sand- pipers seen at the island. A specimen taken by the NAMRU2 party at Ulithi on August 22 at a beach, piled with debris from ships, has its entire and underparts stained by fuel oil. Heteroscelus brevipes (Vieillot) Gray-tailed Tattler Totanus brevipes Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., 6, 1816, p. 410. (No locality given, the type is from Timor.) Totanus pedestris Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 552 (Marianne, Ualan). Totanus brevipes Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "he Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 287, 299, 304 (Ualan, Lougounor, Guahan) ; Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 51 (Ladrone or Marian Is.); Pelzeln, Raise "Novara," Vogel, 1865, p. 129, 162 (Puynipet, Ualan). Totanus incanus Finsch and Hartlaub (part). Fauna Centralpolynesians, 1867, p. 187 (Mariannen, Ualan, Puynipet); Salvadori (part), Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 322 (Micronesia); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890- 1891 (1891), p. 65 (Mulgrave, Taluit, Ualan, Ponape, Ruk, Luganor, Uap, Pelew, Marianas); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 41 (Saypan, Guam, Jaluit, Carolines, Palaos). Heteractitis brevipes Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 35 (Marianas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Marianas); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 180 (Uala = Truk); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 170 (Carolines). Heteractitis brevis Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, pp. 47, 101 (Marianen). Heteroscelus brevipes Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 367 (Western Pacific); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 270 (Carolines). Tringa incana brevipes Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1623 (Guam, Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Palaus, Carolines); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Yap, luripik, Faraulep, Truk, Ponape). Heteroscelus incaiius brevipes Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 47 (Pelew, Yap, Ruk); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 177 (Micronesia); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 5 (Saipan, Guam, Palau, Ruk, Kusaie) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 43 (Micronesia) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 52 (Guam, Peleliu, Truk). Heteroscelus incanus Wharton and Hardcastle (part), Journ. Parasitologj', 32, 1946, pp. 296, 316, 318 (Guam, Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds in eastern Siberia and adjacent areas. Winters south to Malaysia and east to Australia and Oceania. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Guam, Saipan; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Koror, Babel- thuap; Caroline Islands — Yap, Truk, luripik, Faraulep, Ponape, Kusaie. Specimens examined. — Total number, 39 (11 males, 27 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 16 (June 4, 6, July 16, 24, Aug. 6, 27, Sept. 4, 6, 27, Oct. 23); AMNH— Saipan, 1 Sept. 8),— Guam, 5 (Feb. 11, Mar. 4, 13, Sept. 14, Dec. 5); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 7 (Sept. 6-8, 16); AMNH — exact locality not given, 4 (Nov. 8); Caroline Islands, USNM— Truk, 1 (Dec. 13); AMNH— Truk, 3 (Feb. 6, 26, Oct. 14),— Kusaie, 2 (Mar., April). Weights. — Weights of birds obtained by the NAMRU2 party were as fol- lows: three males from Guam, 90-104 (95); six females from Guam, 99-116 (104). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 145 Remarks. — It is not clear whether some of the accounts cited above refer to this species or to the species, Heteroscehis incanus. Owing to the fact that specimens used in some of these early re- ports have not been examined by me, the identifications of the birds concerned cannot be verified and consequently it is impossible to be certain to which species some of the references pertain. In list- ing these accounts in the literature, I am following Sharpe (1896: 455) whenever possible. Tattlers were among the first birds observed and taken in Micro- nesia. Quoy and Gaimard found them in the Marianas, and Kitt- litz and Kubary recorded the species in the Carolines. Kubary also reported the birds at the Palaus. The Gray-tailed Tattler apparently does not reach the Marshall Islands but visits only the western part of Micronesia. Stickney (1943:2) shows a map of the known geographic range of this species in Micronesia. The separation of H. brevipes and H. incanus in the field is not always possible. For identification, the NAMRU2 party depended primarily on specimens collected. At Guam, specimens of H. brevipes, thought to be nonmigratory, were taken in early June. These were in winter plumage. Beginning in mid-July there was an increase in the number of tattlers seen; apparently fall migration had begun. At Peleliu in September, 1945, the NAMRU2 party found tattlers to be numerous. Apparently all were of this species ; no H. incanus were taken there. On September 8, approximately 75 individuals in small and large flocks were counted at Akarakoro Point on the tidal flats. The birds remained apart from the other shorebirds which were feeding at the same locality. Heteroscelus incanus (Gmelin) American Wandering Tattler Scolopax incana Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 6.58, (Type locality, Eimeo = Moorea, Society Islands and Palinerton Islands.) Totanus oceanicus Lesson, Mamm. et Ois., 2, 1847, p. 244 (Kusaie) ; Hartlaub, Archiv f. Naturgesch., 1852, p. 135 (Carolinen) ; idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, pp. 167, 168 (Carolinen, Mariannen). Tryanga glareola Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 365, 2, pp. 55, 86 (Ualan). Totanus incanus Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 5, no. 27, 1864, p. 74 (Micronesie) ; Salvadori (part), Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 322 (Ualan, Puynipet, Marshalls, Mariannis); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und. Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890- 1891 (1891), p. 65 (Mulgrave, Taluit, Ualan, Ponape, Ruk, Luganor, Uap, Marianne, Pelew) ; Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 41 (Say- pan, Guam, Jaluit, Carolines, Palaos) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 64 (Guam); idem, Novit. Zool. 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 389 (Marschall-Inseln). Actitis incanus Finsch and Hartlaub (part). Fauna Centralpolynesions, 1867, p. 187 (Mariannen, Ualan, Puynipet); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, 10—8131 146 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. pp. 89, 106 (Uap, Ualan); GriifTe, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 36 (Palau); idem, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 38 (Ponape) ; idem, Joum. f. Omith., 1880, pp. 294, 306 (Ponape, Kuschai, Marshalls) ; idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 109, 115 (Kushai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 299 (Mortlock); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 55 (Jaluit, Arno. Kuschai). Actitis incana Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk) ; idem, Ibis, 1880, pp. 219, 220, 330, 332 Milli or Mulgrave, Taluit). Heteractitis incanus Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1906, p. 455 (Oceania); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Yap, Ruk, Ponape, Kusaie) ; Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 179 (Kusaie); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 70 (westcentral Pacific). Heteroscelus incanus Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 367 (Caro- lines, Marianas); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 270 (Micronesia); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam): Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 42 (Guam); Wharton and Hardcastle (part), Joum. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 296, 316, 318 (Guam, Peleliu); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 93 (Tinian) ; Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, pp. 174, 175 (Guam); Borror, Auk, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan). Tringa incana incana Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1623 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 191 (Marianas, Carolines, Marshalls, Palaus) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 214 (Saipan, Guam, Koror, Angaur, Yap, Faraulep, Lamatrek, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, Jaluit, Mille, Arhno, Majuro, Maloelab, Wotze, Likieb, Ailuk). Heteroscelus incanus incanus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 46 (Kusaie, Ruk, Ponape, Yap, Marianas, Mulgrave, Taluit, Pelew); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 7 (Guam, Palau, Ponape, Ruk, Kusaie); Mayr, Birds South- west Pacific, 1945, p. 42 (Palau, Marianas); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 53 (Guam, Rota Ulithi). Geographic range. — Breeds in Alaska south to Prince William Sound. Win- ters in North and South America and west in Oceania to Melanesia. In Micro- nesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Rota, Saipan. Agrihan; Palau Islands — Angaur, Koror; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Faraulep, Lamatrek, Ponape, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Mille, Arhno, Majuro, Maloelab, Wotze, Likieb, Ailuk, Bikini. Specimens examined. — Total number, 47 (23 males, 20 females, 4 unsexed) as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 13 (May 21-29, Sept. 19-27, Oct. 10, 23),— Rota, 2 (Oct. 23, 25); AMNH— Guam, 4 (April 23, Aug. 16); Palau Islands, AMNH— exact locality not given, 1 (no date); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 3 (Aug. 20, 22); AMNH— Tmk, 1 (June 25), — Ponap6, 1 (Dec. 15), — Kusaie, 19 (Feb., Mar., April 1-10); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 3 (Feb. 26, 28, April 28). Weights.— In 1948 (1948:53) I listed weights of two males from Guam as 175 (May) and 109 (September); weights of two females from Guam were 175 and 192 (both in May). These data were obtained by the NAMRU2 field party. Parasites.— Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:296, 316, 318) list the following chiggers (Acarina) from tattlers taken by NAMRU2 collectors at Guam and Peleliu: Neoschongastia bougainvillensis, N. evoingi, N. carveri, and N. namrui. Wharton (1946:174, 175) records the chiggers, Acari.scus pluvius and A. anous, from tattlers from Guam. It is not certain from which species of Heteroscelus these chiggers were obtained. Remarks. — Records indicate that the American Wandering Tat- tler is a regular visitor to eastern Micronesia, and that it only occas- ionally reaches the Palau Islands in western Micronesia. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 147 The NAMRU2 field parties found H. brevipes as singles or in small groups of five or less. They remained apart from other species and appeared to prefer rocky beaches and coral-reef rocks to the sandy beaches. At Guam in 1945, the latest spring migrants were taken on May 29. These birds were in nuptial plumage. Birds taken at Bikini by Morrison on February 26 and April 28, 1946, were in worn, winter plumage. At Guam, the NAMRU2 observers obtained the first fall migrants on September 19. These observa- tions in 1945, showed that H. incanus arrived at Guam on its south- bound flight fully one month after the first individuals of H. brevi- pes began to appear (mid-July). This difference may partly result from the fact that the distance to the Asiatic breeding grounds of H. brevipes is not so great as that to the American breeding grounds of H. incanus. Whether the two tattlers, H. brevipes and H. incanus, are distinct species (allopatric species insofar as breeding ranges are concerned), or whether they are mere subspecies (geographic races) is open to question. I failed to find evidences of intergradation in the few specimens which I examined critically; however, the final answer to the problem might be obtained by collecting series of birds from breeding grounds where ranges closely approach each other or over- lap (if they do). Stickney (1943:6, 7) lists the distinctive differ- ences in these two birds, particularly the character of the nasal groove, and does not mention having found any evidence of inter- gradation. Wetmore (in Townsend and Wetmore, 1919:180) gives evidence that they belong to two separate species. Arenaria interpres interpres (Linnaeus) Turnstone Tringa Interpres Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 148, (Type locality, Europe and North America, restricted to Gotland, Sweden.) Tringa interpres Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. "Uranie," Zool., 1824, p. 708 (Guam). Strepsila coUaris Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le SeniavLne," 3, 1836, pp. 287, 299, 304 (Ualan, Lougounor, Guahan) ; idem, Denkw. Raise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 32 (Ualan). StrepsUas interpres Kittlitz, Denk. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, pp. 32, 55, 86 (Ualan); Pelzeln, Reise "Novara," Vogel, 1865, p. 117 (Mari- annen) ; Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Ornith. Centralpolynesian, 1867, p. 200 (Mari- annen) ; Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 104 (Pelew, Uap, Mackenzie) ; Griiffe, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 32 (Palau); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape) ; idem. Ibis, 1880, pp. 220, 330, 332 (Taluit) ; idem, Joum. f. Omith., 1880, pp. 294, 306 (Ponape, Kuschai); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 109, 115 (Kushai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 330, 353 (Ponape, Nukuor, Ruk); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 289 (Pelew, Mariannis) ; Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 56 (Jaluit, Ku- schai); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891); 148 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. p. 63 (Ualan, Ponape, Luganor, Nukucr, Ruk, Mackenzie, Pelew, Marianne) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 45 (Guam, Saypan, Hogoleu, Mar- shalls, Mackensie, Palaos) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 66 (Guam) ; idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Ponape); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, p. 489 (Ponape). Cinclus interpres Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 48 (Ladrones). Arenaria interpres Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 92 (Micronesia); Seale, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 37 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 38'9 (Marshall Islands) ; Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam), Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam); Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 316, 320 (Guam, Peleliu); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 194o, p. 105 (Tinian) ; Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, pp. 174, 175 (Guam); Borror, Auk, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 53 (Guam, Rota, Peleliu, Truk). Are7iaria interprex oahuensis Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 66, 1919, p. 177 (Jaluit, Rongelab, Uaia); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micro- nesia, 1922, p. 45 (Guam, Saipan, Pelew, Angaur, Kusaie, Ponape, Luganor, Nukuor, Ruk, Yap, Mackenzie, Taluit, Rongelab). Arenaria interpres interpres Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 45 (Micronesia); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 194 (Guam,, Saipan, Anguar, Kusaie, Ponape, Luganor, Nukuor, Ruk, Yap, Mackenzie, Taluit, Rongelab, Mille, Majuro, Wotze, Likieb); Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Hand- list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 217 (Guam, Saipan, Angaur, Kusaie, Ponape, Luganor, Ruk, Yap, Mackenzie, Taluit, Rongelab, Mille, Majuro, Wotze, Likieb); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 8 (Guam, Palau, Ponape, Kusaie). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Winters to Southern Hemisphere. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Rota, Saipan; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lugunor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kuasaie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Rongelab, Mille, Majuro, Wotze, Likieb, Bikini. Specimens examined. — Total number, 36 (17 males, 16 females, 3 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands. USNM— Guam, 7 (Oct. 10-26)— Rota, 2 (Oct. 20, Nov. 2); AMNH— Guam, 4 (Mar. 22, 27, Aug. 18); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 1 (Sept. 8); AMNH— e.xact locality not given, 3 (Dec. 8); Caroline Islands, USNM — Truk, 1 (Dec. 22); AMNH— Ponape, 4 (Dec. 16)— Truk, 4 (Feb. 5, 7, July 14) — Kusaie, 7 (Mar. 10-30); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 8 (Feb. 26, Mar. 4). Weights — The NAMRU2 party obtained the weights of four males taken at Guam and Rota as 77-99 (92) and one female from Guam as 90. These birda were obtained in October and November. Parables. — Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:316, 320) list the following chig- gers (Acarina) from the Turnstone from Guam and Peleliu: Neoschongastia carveri and A^. sirongi. Wharton (1946:174) records also Acariscus anous from the Turnstone at Guam. Uchida (1918:489) records the bird louse (Malloph- aga), Colpocephalum pediculoides, from this bird at Ponape. Remarks. — The Turnstone is a regular visitor to Micronesia and to most other parts of Oceania. As pointed out by Stickney (1943:8), the material obtained by the Whitney South Sea Expedition yields evidence that the population which winters in Oceania is as wide- spread as that of Pluvialis dominica fulva but less abundant. The writer's observations at Guam, Ulithi and the Palaus are in agree- ment with this evidence. Stickney suggests that the reason the Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 149 Turnstone was not recorded by the Whitney South Sea Expedition in eastern Polynesia was because of "a tendency of the turnstone to hug the continental coasts more closely, avoiding extensive overseas mi- grations." At Guam in 1945, the NAMRU2 party recorded the Turnstone on its northward migration as late as March 19 ; on its southward migra- tion it was first seen at Guam on July 24. On its southward migra- tion the bird was not numerous until September. Our observations indicated that in 1945, the principal waves of migration of the Turn- stone appeared approximately two weeks after those of the Pacific Golden Plover and the Whimbrel. Stickney remarks that the spring migratory season in Oceania is completed in May and that the fall migratory season begins in August. Borror (1947:417) found small flocks on the beaches at Agrihan on August 10 and 11, 1945. Bryan and Greenway (1944:112) indicate that the subspecies, Arenaria interpres morinella, which breeds in North America, east of Point Barrow, Alaska, may reach the Hawaiians. Careful examina- tion of specimens from eastern Micronesia might reveal its presence there also. The name Areneria interpres oahuensis (Bloxham) may apply to specimens from eastern Micronesia but Peters (1934:271) considers oahuensis to be inseparable from Arenaria interpres inter- pres (Linnaeus). Gallinago megala Swinhoe Marsh Snipe Gallinago ynegala Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 343. (Type locality. Between Takoo and Pekin, China. Gallinago heteroeaca Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 36 (Palau). Gallinago megala Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 337 (Pelew) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 67 (Pelew); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 624 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 33 (Mari- annas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Mariannas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 266 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1665 (Palau, Guam) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 44 (Guam, Palau) ; Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 54 (Angaur). Subspilura megala Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 49 (Guam, Pelew). Capclla megala Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Guam, Koror) ; Bryan, Guam Rec., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam) ; Robinson and Chasen, Birds Malay Peninsula, 3, 1936, p. 170 (Pelew, Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 316 (Guam, Koror). Geographic range. — Breeds in east-central Asia. Winters south to Malaysia, Australia, and parts of Melanesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Koror, Angaur. Specimens examined. — One female from Palau Islands, USNM — Angaur (Sept. 21). 150 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Remarks. — The Marsh Snipe is a regular visitor to western Micro- nesia, being recorded from the Mariana and Palau islands. At An- gaur on September 21, 1945, the NAMRU2 party observed four birds at the edge of a brackish water swamp, which was margined with reeds and other vegetation. Birds were not seen on tidal beaches at Peleliu. Strophlet (1946:537) records the Marsh Snipe at Guam on October 21 and December 3, 1945. Gallinago gallinago gallinago (Linnaeus) Common Snipe Scolopax Gallinago Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 147. (Europe, restricted type locality, Sweden.) Capella gallinago roddei Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 44, 1932, p. 224 (Saipan). Capella gallinago gallinago Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Saipan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 216 (Saipan). Gallinago gallinago Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 44 (Saipan). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Eurasia. Winters in southern part of breeding range and south to Africa and east to Malaysia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan. Remarks. — From Micronesia there is a single record of the taking of this bird at Saipan, apparently by Japanese collectors. It is prob- ably an occasional straggler to the area, but owing to its similarity to Gallinago megala it may not often be recognized in the field. Crocethia alba (Pallas) Sanderling Trynga alba Pallas, in Vroeg's Cat., 1764, Adunibr., p. 7. (Type locality. Coast of the North Sea.) Calidris arenaria Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 331, 332 (Taluit) ; idem, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 56 (Jaluit) ; Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 33 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Mariannes); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln). Tringa arenaria Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1390- 1891 (1891), p. 64 (Taluit); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, pp. 65, 69 (Guam). Calidris alba Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 308 (Marshall Islands). Crocethia alba Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 48 (Taluit, Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 193 (Taluit, Guam); Br>'an, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Jaluit, Guam); Stickney, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1248, 1943, p. 9 (Guam, Ja- luit); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 44 (Marianas, Marshalls) ; Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 54 (Ulithi). Geographic range. — Breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Winters to Southern Hemisphere. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Caroline Islands — Ulithi; Marshall Islands — Jaluit. Specimens examined. — Total number, 5 (2 males, 3 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, AMNH— Guam, 4 (Dec. 2-4); Caroline Islands, USNM, 1 (Aug. 21). Remarks. — Stickney (1943:8, 9) summarizes the available infor- mation concerning the Sanderling in Oceania. The bird may be Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 151 classed as a regular visitor in eastern Micronesia; the most western record is from Ulithi in the western Carolines. It has been recorded also at Guam and Jaluit. The NAMRU2 party secured one Sanderling from a flock of ap- proximately thirty birds containing this species and Charadrius mongohis stegmanni at Pau Island, Ulithi Atoll, on August 21, 1945. Calidris tenuirostris (Horsfield) Asiatic Knot Totanus tenuirostris Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, pt. 1, 1821, p. 192. (Type locality, Java.) Calidris tenuirostris Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 54 (Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Siberia. Winters from India east to Malaysia and Australia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Peleliu. Specimens examined. — Four males from Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu (Sept. 16). Remarks. — The Asiatic Knot was observed and obtained by the NAMRU2 party at Peleliu in September, 1945. Flocks containing fifteen to twenty birds were noted at the tidal flats of Akarakoro Point on September 8 and 16. The birds appeared to remain apart from other shore birds in this area. Erolia minuta ruficollis (Pallas) Little Stint Trynga ruficollis Pallas, Reise versch. Prov. Russ. Reicha, 3, l"7fi, p. 700. (Type locality, "Circa lacus salsos Dauriae campestris" =: Kulussutai, southern Transbaikalia.) Tringa miuuta Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pe- lew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, pt. 3, 1871, p. 50 (Pelew) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Pelew) ; Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 36 (Palau). Tringa albescens Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 316 (Pelew) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Pelew). Limonites minuta Takatsukasa and Kudora, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Pelew). Pisobia ruficollis Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 290 (Pelew). Pisobia minuta ruficollis Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 48 (Palau, Ulithi); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Palau, Ulithi). Calidris ruficollis ruficollis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Palau, Ulithi). Calidris minuta ruficollis Mayr, Birds Sauthwest Pacific, 1945, p. 45 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 54 (Rota, Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds from northeastern Siberia to northwestern Alaska. Winters south from the Malay area to Australia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Rota; Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Ulithi. Specimens examined. — Total number, 16 (4 males, 12 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Rota, 1 (Oct. 20); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 14 (Sept. 6-14)— Angaur, 1 (Sept. 21). Remarks. — The Little Stint is apparently a regular visitor to the Palau Islands and a less common visitor to the Mariana Islands. At Peleliu and Angaur the NAMRU2 party found these birds in small 152 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. flocks of 10 to 15 at tidal flats and at inland ponds. On tidal flats the species appeared to remain apart from other kinds of shore birds, but at inland ponds the Little Stint was found in company with other species. On shooting into a mixed flock of shore birds at an island pond at Angaur, the writer secured specimens of this species and also of Erolia acuminata. Erolia subminuta (Middendorff) Least Sandpiper Tringa subminuta Middendorff, Reise Nord. und Ost. Siberien, 2, Th. 2, 1853, p. 222, pi. 19, fig. 6. (Type locality, Western slopes of the Stanovoi Mountains and mouth of the Uda.) Pisobia minutilla subminuta Hand -list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Koror). Calidris minutilla subminuta Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 45 (Palau). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Asia. Winters south to India and east to Malaysia. In Micronesia : Palau Islands — Koror. Remarks. — The Least Sandpiper has been recorded in the Palau Islands by the Japanese investigators. It is probably an uncommon visitor to this area. Erolia melanotos (Vieillot) Pectoral Sandpiper Tringa melanotos Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., 34, 1819, p. 462. (Type locality, Paraguay.) Pisobia melanota Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Ponape). Calidris melanotos Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Ponape). Calidris melanota Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 45 (Ponape). Geographic range. — Breeds on the Arctic coast of northeastern Asia and eastward into Arctic America. Winters to South America. In Micronesia: Caroline Islands — Ponape. Remarks. — The Pectoral Sandpiper has been recorded from Po- nape. Brj'an and Greenway (1944:114) list the species as an "acci- dental" visitor to the Hawaiian Islands from North America. Erolia acuminata (Horsfield) Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Totanus acum-inatus Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soo. London, 13, pt. 1, 1821, p. 192. (Type locality, Java.) Tringa acuminata Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 35 (Palau); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 314 (Pelew); Wigleswbrth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 64 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 65 (Marianne); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 33 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam). Hrteropygia acuminata Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 24, 1896, p. 566 (Pelew); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 153 p. 62 (Marianas, Ruk, Pelew); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 48 (Pagan, Pelew, Ruk). Tringa maculata var. acwninata Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3) 8, 1896, p. 44 (Pagan, Palaos). Pisobia acuminata Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 276 (Caro- line Islands). Erolia acuminata Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 11-12, 1920, p. 1586 (Palau, Karo- linen); Brjan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam). Pisobia acuminatus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 192 (Ponape, Truk, Pagan, Jaluit, Koror). Calidris acum-inata Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 215 (Pagan, Jaluit, Koror, Truk, Ponape); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 45 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 54 (Guam, Angaur). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Siberia. Winters from the Ma- lay Archipelago and Australia to the Southwest Pacific. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Guam, Pagan; Palau Islands — Angaur; Caroline Islands — Truk, Ponape; Marshall Islands — Jaluit. Specimens examined. — Total number, 4 (2 males, 2 females), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 1 (Sept. 17); Palau Islands, USNM— Angaur, 3 (Sept. 21). Remarks. — The Sharp-tailed San(ipiper is a regular visitor to western Micronesia and an uncommon visitor to eastern Micronesia. It was first recorded from the Palau Islands in 1868, where the bird was taken by Tetens, Heinsohn, and Kubary. In 1896 and 1898, records of this bird in the Mariana and Caroline islands were pub- lished by Oustalet and Hartert. The NAMRU2 party obtained one specimen at Guam on Septem- ber 17 and three at Angaur on September 21. At Angaur several birds of this species were seen at fresh water ponds in company with Erolia minuta ruficollis, Limicola falcinellus sihirica, Tringa glare- ola, and other shore birds. Erolia ferruginea (Pontoppidan) Curlew Sandpiper Tringa Jcrrugineus Pontoppidan, Danske Atlas, 1, 17C3, p. 624. (No type locality ^ Denmark.) Calidris ferruginea Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 55 (Peleliu). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Asia. Winters from Africa east to Australia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Peleliu. Specimens examined. — One female from Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu (Sept. 6). Remarks. — The NAMRU2 party obtained one female on Sep- tember 6 at a tidal flat on Peleliu. The Curlew Sandpiper is seem- ingly a rare visitor to the Palau Islands from Asia. In using this specific name, I am following Mayr (in Delacour and Mayr, 1945: 107). 154 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Limicola falcinellus sibirica Dresser Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola sibirica Dresser, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1876, p. 674. (Type locality, Siberia and China.) Limicola falcinellus sibirica Baker, Sniithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 55 (Angaur). Geographic range .—Breeds in northeastern Asia. Winters from India east to Australia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Angaur. Specimens examined. — One male from Palau Islands, USNM — Angaur (Sept. 21). Remarks. — A single male bird was taken by the NAMRU2 party at a fresh water pon(i on Angaur Island on September 21, 1945. This is the only known record for this bird from Micronesia. Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus) Northern Phalarope Tringa lobata Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 148, in Emendanda, p. 824. (Type locality, Hudson Bay.) Geographic range. — Breeds throughout Arctic region. Winters at sea in tropical and subtropical waters. Remarks. — The Northern Phalarope has not been found in Micro- nesia. Mayr (1945a :46) records it in the pelagic areas north of the New Guinea region. The occurrence there suggests that migration is through the Microesian area. Larus argentatus vegae Palmen Herring Gull Larus argentatus Briinn. var. Vegae Palmen, in Nordenskiold, Vega-Exped. Vetensk. lakttag., 5, 1887, p. 370. (Type locality, Pidlin, northeastern Siberia.) Larus vegae Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 56 (Agrigan) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne); Scale, Occ. Papers Bemice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 20 (Marianas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam?). Larus vegae Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Marianas). Larus argentatus vegae Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 49 (Agrigan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Agrigan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 220 (Agrigan). Geographic range. — Breeds in northern Siberia. Ranges east to Alaska and south to the Philippines and the China coast. In Micronesia : Mariana Islands — Agrihan. Remarks. — The Herring Gull is ascribed to Micronesia on the basis of one bird obtained by Marche in January, 1889, at Agrihan in the nothern Marianas and reported on by Oustalet (1896:56). The gull is considered a straggler to the northern Marianas from the northward. Stott (1947:525) observed a gull, which was thought to be this species or Larus ridibundus, at Lake Susupe, Saipan, in 1945. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 155 Chlidonias leucopterus (Temminck) White-winged Black Tern Sterna leucoptera Temminck, Man. d'Ornith., 1815, p. 483. (Type locality. Coasts of the Mediterranean.) Hydrochelidon leucoptera Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 57 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 67 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 20 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas); idem. The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 268 (Guam); Hartert, Vogel pal. Fauna, 13-14, 1921, p. 1686 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 51 (Guam). Chlidonias leucoptera Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 194 (Guam); Hand- list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 217 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 55 (Angaur). Geographic range. — Breeds in central and southern Eurasia. Winters from Africa east to Australia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam; Palau Islands — Angaur. Measurements. — One adult male has the following measurements: wing, 211; tail, 72; exposed culmen, 27; tarsus, 20; one adult female: wing, 210; exposed culmen, 25.5. These specimens were taken at the Palau Islands. Specimens examined. — Total number, 6 (3 males, 3 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM— Angaur, 1 (Sept. 21); AMNH— exact locality not given, 5 (Oct. 13). Remarks. — The White-winged Black Tern was first collected at Guam in October, 1887, by Marche and reported on by Oustalet (1896:57). It was later taken at the Palau Islands by Coultas in 1931, and by the NAMRU2 party at Angaur in 1945. The bird is seemingly an uncommon winter visitor to Micronesia. At Angaur, the NAMRU2 party obtained one of four terns seen at a small fresh water lake. Coultas took five birds at the Palau Islands. He writes (field notes) that a flock of 14 of the terns appeared at the island following a heavy typhoon. All birds ex- amined are in winter plumage (September and October). Sterna hirundo longipennis Nordmann Black-billed Common Tern Sterna longipennis Nordmann, in Erman's Verz. Thier. Pflanz., 1835, p. 17. (Type locality. Mouth of the Kutchui River, Sea of Okhotsk.) Sterna longipennis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 112 (Pelew) ; Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 41 (Palau) ; Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 440 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl, und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dres- den, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 74 (Pelew); Saunders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 67 (Pelew) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Pelew) ; Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 21 (Pelew). Sterna hirundo longipennis Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218, (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pa- cific, 1945, p. 25 (Palau). Geographic range. — Breeds in northeastern Asia. Winters south to Mela- nesia. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — exact locality unknown. Remarks. — Finsch (1875:41) states that Heinsohn and Kubary obtained specimens of this tern from the Palau Islands for the 156 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Godeffroy Museum. These are the only records for the occurrence of the Black-billed Common Tern in Micronesia. Sterna sumatrana sumatrana Raffles Black-naped Tern SterTia Sumatrana Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, pt. 2, 1822, p. 329. (Type locality, Sumatra.) Sterna melanauchen Kittlitz, Obser. Zool.. irk Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 306, 308 (Guahan, Ouleai); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 113 (Pelew, Uap); Graffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch. Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 41 (Palau); idem. Ibis, 1880, pp. 220, 330, 332 (Taluit) ; idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 295 (Ponape) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem, Ibis, 1881, pp. 113, 115 (Ponape); Srlimeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 299, 330, 353 (Ponape, Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 444 (Pelew, Mac- kenzie, Ruk, Ponape, Marshalls) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dres- den, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 74 (Pelew, Uap, Ruk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Taluit); Sanders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 126 (Carolines, Pelews, Mar- shalls); Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers., 1899, p. 222 (Palau); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln) ; Taka- tsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ruk, Ponape); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp, 483, 488 (Ponape). Sterna sumatrana Wetmore, in Townsend and Wefniore, Bull. Mus. Conip. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 186 (Arhno). Gygisterna sumatrana Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 52 (Pelew, Mackenzie, Yap, Ruk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Taluit, Arhno). Gygisterna smnatrana sumatrana Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 192 (Caro- lines, Pelews). Sterna sumatrana sumatrana Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 410 (Aruuo) ; Hachisuka, Birds Philippines, 2, 1932, p. 335 (Caroline, Pelew) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Palau, Guam, Saipan, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Jaluit, Namu, Arhno, Majuro, Aurh); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 336 (Caro- line Islands); Mayr, List New Guinea Birds, 1941, p. 36 (Micronesia); Hand-list Japa- nese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218 (Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Jaluit, Namu, Arhno, Majuro, Aurh); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 24 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 55 (Peleliu, Ulithi). Geographic range. — Micronesia, central Polynesia, northern Australia. Malay- sia, west to India, and north to the Riu Kiu Islands. In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap. Koror, Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi, Truk, Lukunor, Nukunro, Ponape; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Namu, Majuro, Aurh, Bikini. Characters. — Adult: A small tern with a long, forked tail and white plumage often with pinkish cast except for mantle, back, rump, tail, wing-coverts, and scapulars which are pale pearl-gray ; band across nape, spot in front of eye, and outer web of outer primary black; bill and feet black. Immature: Resembles adult, but black and white mottling on upper parts. Measurements. — Measurements are listed in table 19. Specimens examined. — Total number, 15 (8 males, 6 females, 1 female?), as follows: Palau Islands, AMNH- — exact locality not given, 4 (Oct. -Dec.); Caroline Islands, USNM — Ulithi Atoll, 6 (Aug. 15, 16, 20, 22); AMNH— Truk, 1 (Feb. 10); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 4 (March 26, April 30). Nesting. — Nehrkorn (1899:222) recorded eggs taken at the Palau Islands. Yamashina (1932a :410) listed the finding of three nests containing one egg Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 157 each on September 26, 1931, at Arhno in the Marshall Islands. The NAMRU2 party obtained no evidence of nesting at Ulithi or Palau in August and Sep- tember. 1945. Coultas (field notes) obtained reports of the finding of two eggs at the Palau Islands in the period October to December, 1931. Parasites.— [J chida (1918:483, 488) records the following Mallophaga taken at Ponape from this tern: Docophorus albemarlensis, C olpocephalum miUeri, and C olpocephalum imperlunum. Remarks. — -There are no records for the Black-naped Tern from the Mariana Islands, although the species is known from the Palau, CaroUne and Marshall Islands. At Ulithi Atoll, the NAMRU2 party observed these terns at the islands of Potangeras, Mangejang, Pau, and Losiep in August, 1945. They were found in groups of 4 to 15, either sitting on sandy beaches or rocky exposures or flying over the reefs. Unlike the Crested Tern, tiiese birds appeared quite un- afraid of man and would hover over a freshly killed or wounded individual of their own kind, making of themselves easy targets. The writer saw only one Black-naped Tern at the Palau Islands (Peleliu, on September 16, 1945). The birds seem to prefer the "low" atolls to the "high" volcanic islands of Micronesia. Two subspecies of Sterna swtnatrana are recognized by Peters (1934:336) : Sterna sumatrana matheivsi known from islands of the western Indian Ocean and Sterna s. sumatrana from islands of Oce- ania, Australia, Malaysia, and China coast. There is a considerable area separating these subspecies. For populations in the Pacific area, other names which have been proposed are Sterna sumatrana kempi Mathews for birds from Torres Straits and Gygis decorata Hartlaub for birds from the Fiji Islands. A study of 201 specimens of this species from various parts of its range (in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History and the United States National Museum) shows that there is little color variation within the species. This observation is the same as that of Mathews (1912: 372). As listed in table 19, measurements of the length of the wing show little variation. The length of the tail of birds from localities more remote from the continent of Asia (Micronesia, Phoenix, Union, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the islands of the Indian Ocean: Aldabra and Providence) is, on the average, shorter than the length of the tail of birds from islands nearer the Asiatic mainland. This shortness is reflected also in the measurement of the difference between the short- est and longest tail feather. 158 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 19. Measurements of Specimens of Sterna sumatrana Differ- ence: Locality No. Wing Tail Longest and shortest tail feather Exposed culmen Tarsus S. s. sumatrana Micronesia 13 221 211-225 127 117-138 65 54-79 37 35-39 20.5 20.0-21.0 Phoenix and Union 5 228 113 66 37 36-38 19.5 18.5-20.0 Fiji, Samoa, Tonga 29 221 218-229 131 122-142 63 51-74 38 36-41 20.0 18.0-21.0 New Caledonia, Loyalty, New Hebrides 8 224 221-230 141 135-148 72 68-81 39 37-41 19.5 18.5-20.0 Queensland, Torres Straits 4 229 142 139-148 78 71-83 38 36-40 19.5 18.5-20.0 Solomons 52 227 220-232 144 129-162 77 66-95 36 34.0-38.5 19.0 18.5-20.5 New Guinea, Bismarcks 10 224 219-231 143 135-146 76 67-81 34 32.0 36.5 19.5 18.5-20.0 Malay area 49 228 220-234 141 125-153 74 63-84 34 32.0-37.0 20.0 19.0-20.5 China coast, Riu Kiu 21 223 212-234 144 130-151 77 67-85 35 31.5-38,0 19.5 19.0-*20.0 S. S. mathewsi Indian Ocean: Aldabra, Provi- 10 220 125 71 38 35.0-40.0 19.0 18.0-20.0 dence The differences in the length of the exposed culmen of these terns shows that birds from islands more remotely oceanic possess longer bills than do those from islands closer to the Asiatic continent. Mur- phy (1938:538) has written that this phenomenon is characteristic among some species which have both continental and insular popula- tions (or subspecies). Figure 10 shows the southeastern part of the range of the subspecies, Sterna s. sumatrana, and gives the average measurements of the exposed culmen of birds from several localities. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 159 120 140 SO 40 160 I 180 160 . C (371 • • . .• -^ '• .» ~. t ^ 900 1000 I •* f. ®-:. 7 o ^.. ^ 20 20 2000 MILES •,_? ^^ -40 120 140 160 180 160 _^UL Fig. 10. Geographic variation in the average length of the exposed culmen of Sterna sumatrana sumatrana. These localities are given in table 19. Terns with longer bills (37-39) were taken in Micronesia, in the Polynesian islands, and in northern Australia. Terns with shorter bills (34-36) were taken in Melanesia, Malaysia, and the coastal region of China, but there appears to be no abrupt line of demarkation between them. Further evidence of this tendency may be obtained from the literature. Kuroda (1925: 191) gives the measurements of the exposed culmen of seven males and five females from the Riu Kius as averaging 35 mm. (range 31- 40.5). It is also of interest to note that the length of the exposed culmen of the males averages one to two mm. longer than that of the females. The status of Sterna sumatrana mathewsi may be ques- tioned. I find no characters separating my series of mostly poor specimens. The systematic position of this subspecies from the Indian Ocean (and likewise the status of subspecies of other sea birds which range into the Indian Ocean) may not be known with cer- tainty until additional material is obtained. 160 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Sterna lunata Peale Spectacled Tern Sterna lunata Peale, U. S. Expl. Exped., 8, 1848, p. 277. (Type locality, Vincennea Island, Paumotu Group.) Sterna lunata Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. See. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); idejn, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 113 (Pelew); Finsch, Joum. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 41 (Palau); Saunders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 100 (Pelew); Takat- sukasa and Kuroda, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Ruk, Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 26 (Micronesia). Onychoprion lunatus Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 451 (Pelew) ; Wigles- worth, Abhandl. und Bar. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 76 (Pelew). Melanostema lunata Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 52 (Pelew). Geographic range. — Breeds in Oceania from the Hawaiian Group south to Fiji and the Tuamotus and west to the Moluccas. In Micronesia : Palau Islands — exact locality not known. Remarks. — Finsch (1875:41) recorded specimens taken by Tetens, Peters and Kubary at the Palau Islands. Coultas obtained one im- mature male at sea south of the eastern Caroline Islands a't 1° 25' N and 159° E on October 19, 1930. The Spectacled Tern ranges throughout the tropical Pacific, spending considerable time at sea, and probably reaches most parts of Micronesia in its travels. Sterna anaetheta anaetheta Scopoli Bridled Tern Sterna Anaethetus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun, Insubr., fasc. 2, 1786, p. 92. (Type locality, "In Guinea" = Panay, Philippine Islands, ex. Sonnerat.) Sterna anaestheta Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Pelew). Melanostema anaestheta anaestheta Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 52 (Pelew). Sterna anaethetus anaethetus Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Palau); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Bikar) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218 (Palau. Bikar). Sterna anaetheta anaetheta Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 26 (Palau). Geographic range. — Breeds from Malaysia to Australia and Oceania and north to Formosa. Ranges west to Ceylon and north to Japan. In Micro- nesia : Palau Islands — exact locality not known ; Marshall Islands — Bikar. Measurements. — Four adult males from the Palau Islands have the follow- ing measurements: wing 246-254, longest tail feather 147-177, shortest tail feather 71-72, exposed culmen 40-44, tarsus 21-23; one adult female: wing 266, exposed culmen 40.5, tarsus 22.5. Specimens examined. — Total number, 7 (4 males, 3 females) from Palau Islands, AMNH — exact locality not given (Dec. 20). Remarks. — The Bridled Tern is known from the Palau Islands and from Bikar in the Marshall Islands. In Micronesia, the species apparently reaches the northeastern extent of its range. In the Palaus, Coultas found the terns on small outlying islands. He ob- Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 161 served them to fly to sea early in the day and to return to the islands in the evening. Of the seven specimens obtained by him, two males and one female had enlarged gonads (Dec. 20). Sterna fuscata oahuensis Bloxham Sooty Tern Sterna Oahuensis Bloxham, Voy. "Blonde," 1826, p. 251. (Type locality, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands.) Sterna fuliginosa Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 39 (Ponape) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape); idem. Joum. f. Omith., 1880, p. 295 (Ponape) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 62 (Ponape). Onychoprion fuscata infuscata Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 51 (Ponape). Sterna fuscata nibilosa Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Ponape) ; Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 677 (Helen Reef) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218 (Ponape, Helen Reef). Sterna fuscata oahuensis Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 25 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Breeds from the Hawaiian, Marcus, and Benin islands south to the Phoenix Islands and Micronesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Is- lands — Asuncion; Palau Islands — Helen Reef; Caroline Islands — Ponape. Specimens examined. — Total number, 1 unsexed from Mariana Islands, AMNH — .Asuncion (Jan. 18). Remarks. — The systematic position of the Sooty Tern in Micro- nesia is uncertain; in using this name I am following Peters (1934: 338), who comments that the species "is badly in need of revision." Coultas obtained one immature female at 0° 9' S and 159° 50' E, a position south of the eastern Caroline Islands. The bird is tenta- tively placed in the subspecies S. /. oahuensis. The Sooty Tern probably does not breed in large numbers in Micronesia, unless it be in the northern Marianas. Bryan (1903:97) reports that this spe- cies is very abundant at Marcus Island, which is north and east of the Marianas. Sterna albifrons sinensis Gmelin Least Tern Sterna sine7isis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 608. (Type locality, China, ex Latham.) Sterna albifrons Marshall, Condor, 51, 1949, p. 221 (Saipan). Geographic range. — Found on coastal areas from Korea and China south to New Guinea. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Saipan. Specimens examined. — One female from Mariana Islands, USNM — Saipan (Sept. 26). Remarks. — Marshall (1949:221) took one of two Least Terns at Lake Susupe on Saipan on September 26, 1945. The specimen taken, a female, is in post juvenal molt. 11—8131 162 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Thalasseus bergii pelecanoides (King) Crested Tern Sterna pelecanoides King, Surv. Inteitrop. and Western Coasts Australia, 2, 1827, p. 422. (Type locality, Torres Strait, northern Queensland.) Sterna bergii Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 50 (Palau) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape) ; idem. Ibis, 1880, pp. 330, 332 (Ratak Chain); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 295 (Ponape); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 113, 115 (Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 299, 330, 353 (Ponape, Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk); Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 434 (Ruk, Ponape, Marshalls) ; Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 51 (Jaluit); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 74 (Pelew, Luganor, Nukuor, Ruk, Ponape, Marshall Islands); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Saunders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1890, p. 89 (Ponape, Mar.shalls) ; Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ponape); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 483, 488 (Ponape). Sterna bergeri Schnee, Zool. Jahrbiicher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln). Sterna bergii cristata Stresemann, Novit. Zool., 21, 1914, p. 58 (Truk). Thalasseus bergii pelecanoides Oberholser, Pros. U. S. Nat. Mus., 49, 1915, p. 523 (Marshall Islands); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 51 (Luganor, Nukuor, Ruk, Ponape, Marshall Islands); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 188 (Marshall Islands); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 194 (Palau, Faraulep, Truk, Lukunor, Mukuoro, Ponape, Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Maloelab, Ailuk) ; Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 677 (Helen Reef, Babelthuap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 218, (Babelthuap, Helen Reef, Faraulep, Truk, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Maloelab, Ailuk). Thalasseus bergii cristatus Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 342 (Caro- lines, Marshalls); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 26 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 55 (Peleliu, Ngajangel [Kayangel], Truk). Geographic range. — Malaysia and east coast of Australia south to Tasmania, east to Melanesia and Polynesia, north to Phoenix Islands and Microne.sia (see figure 11). In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Helen Reef, Peleliu, Babelthuap; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Truk, Faraulep, Lukunor, Nukuoro. Ponape; Marshall Islands— Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Moloelab, Ailuk, Bikini. Characters. — Adult: A large, white tern with back, rump, tail, wing-coverts, wing, and axillaries pearl gray; outer edges of primaries pearly grayish-black; crown black with crest; bill greenish-yellow with blackish base; feet black. Crown black, mottled with white and mantle paler in postnuptial plumage. Immature: Resembles adult, but crown and back dark, mottled with white and crest small. Measurements. — Measurements of Crested Terns of the Pacific area are listed in table 20. Specimens examined. — Total number, 10 (6 males, 4 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 1 (Aug. 21); AMNH— Truk, 2 (May 7, Dec. 5)--Ponape, 3 (Nov. 1, 7); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 4 (March 4, 11, 12). Parasites. — Uchida (1918:483, 488) obtained the following species of bird lice (Mallophaga) from the Crested Tern at Ponape: Docojphorus alhemarlen- sis and Colpocephalum importunum. Remarks. — Oberholser (1915:520-526, pi. 66) lists five subspecies {T. b. cristatus, T. b. halodramus, T. b. 'pelecanoides, T. b. rectiros- tris, anci T. b. polioceraus) in the region including the coast of Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 163 China, the Riu Kiu Islands, Malaysia, Melanesia, eastern Australia, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Only one subspecies, T. b. cristatus, is recognized in this area by Stresemann (1914:58), Hartert (1921: 1695-1696), and Peters (1934:341-342), who mention that there is much variation in size and coloring. Measurements, as shown in table 20, indicate a wide range of sizes but, in most series, the aver- Table 20. Measurements of Thalasseiis bergii in the Pacific Area Location No. Wing Longest tail feather Shortest tail feather Exposed culmen Tarsus Thalasseus bergii pelecanoides Palaus, Carolines, Marshalls Christmas, Phoenix, Tuamotus, Society, Fiji, Loyalty, New Hebrides Eastern Australia. . New Guinefi, Bismarck Archipelago, Moluccas Totals. . . . 6 48 14 18 86 Thalasseus bergii cristatus Philippines, China, 18 Formosa, Riu Kius 343 334-352 344 329-362 34.5 338-349 342 332-361 344 329-362 332 324-342 Thalasseus bergii givendolenae Western Australia . 14 354 339-369 168 153-184 170 145-198 165 152-174 168 144-194 169 144-198 162 149-182 171 162-182 82 80-85 83 77-92 88 84-92 81 75-87 83 75-92 81 78-87 86 81-91 60 58-65 58 54-64 58 55-63 59 53-64 58 53-65 58 55-64 58 53-65 27 25-29 27 26-29 27 26-28 27 25-29 28 26-30 27 25-29 ages are nearly the same. Nevertheless, it is evident that birds from the coast of China, the Riu Kius, Formosa, and the Philippines have a distinctly shorter wing than birds from the Moluccas, Melanesia, eastern Australia, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Further evidence of this is presented by Kuroda (1925:186) who hsts the measure- ments of the wing of eight Crested Terns from the Riu Kiu Islands as 322 to 340 (average 330). The occurrence of populations with 164 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. shorter wings has already been pointed out in the work of Oberhol- ser (1915:520-526), who divided the short-winged birds into two subspecies. It seems advisable to recognize but one subspecies, T. b. 160 160 120 X A 120 ,-40 20 20 40 160 160 120 Fig. 11. Geographic distribution of Thalasseus bergii. (1) T. b. bergii; (2) T. b. thalassinnics ; (3) T. b. velox; (4) T. b. cristatus; (5) T. b. gwen- dolenae; (6) T. b. pelecanoides. cristatus, for the birds with short wings and another subspecies, T. b. pelecanoides, to include the birds with the longer wings (see fig- ure 11). The average measurements of the length of wings of these two subspecies, 332, and 344, differ significantly, although there is some overlap in measurements. A few specimens at hand from the western part of Malaysia are in poor condition and not measurable. Most specimens of T. b. cristatus and T. b. pelecanoides have lighter-colored upper parts than specimens of T. b. velox, but not so light-colored as specimens of T. b. gwendolenae. Size probably is a better character than color to use in separating these groups. In Micronesia, the NAMRU2 party observed Crested Terns at Ulithi, Peleliu and Truk, in August, September, and December, 1945, respectively. Birds were seen as singles or in small groups flying over the reefs. The birds were wary and difiicult to approach, but they were conspicuous and easily identified. Procelsterna cerulea saxatilis W. K. Fisher Blue-gray Tern Procelsterna saxatilis W. K. Fisher, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 26, 1903, p. 5.59. (Type locality, Necker Island, Hawaiian Islands.) Procelsterna cerulea saxatilis Yaniashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Bikar) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 219 (Bikar); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 27 (Micronesia). Geographic range. — Known from Marcus Island and the western Hawaiian Islands. In Micronesia: Marshall Islands — Bikar. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 165 Remarks. — Yamashina (1940:678) recorded the taking of eight of these terns (5 adult males, 3 adult females) on July 10, 1932, at Bikar in the Marshall Islands. He gives the following measure- ments: wing, 180.5-188; tail, 104-113.5; exposed culmen, 24-26.5. This is the only known record for the species in Micronesia. Anous stolidus pileatus (Scopoli) Common Noddy Sterna pileata Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., fasc. 2, 1786, p. 92. (No type locality r= Philippines, ex. Sonnerat.) Sterna stolida Chamisso, in Kotzebue's Voy. "Rurick," 3, 1821, pp. 150, 157 (Mar- shall Islands); Kittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vogel, 3, 1833, p. 27, pi. 36, fig. 1 (Mordloks-Inseln) ; idem, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 286, 299, 308, 309 (Ualan, Lougounor, Ouleai) ; idem, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 364, 2, pp. 77, 86 (Ualan); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1893, p. 212 (Marshalls). Anous stolidus Hartlaub, Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 137 (Mortlock) ; idem, Journ. f. Omith., 1854, p. 168 (Carolinen) ; Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 59 (Carolines) ; Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 236 (Mordlocks, Puynipet = Ponape) ; Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); idem., Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 112 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 42 (Palau); idem, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 40 (Ponape); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Po- nape); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 295, 307 (Ponape, Ruck, Kuschai); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk, Ponape, Kuschai); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 109, 115, 246, 247 (Kuschai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 330, 353 (Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk); Salvadori, Ornith. Papu- asia, 3, 1882, p. 455 (Pelews, Carolines, Marshalls); Finsch, Mitth. Omith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 51 (Jaluit, Ponape); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 76 (Pelew, Mortlock, Ruk, Nukuor, Ponape, Ualan, Marshalls); Saunders, Cat. Birds British Museum, 25, 1896, p. 136 (Pelew, Carolines, Marshalls); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 59 (Saypan, Guam, Rota, Agrigan, Hogoleu =: Truk, Kushai, Ponapi, Marshalls); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 21 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 66 (Mariannas) ; Bryan, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 2, 1903, p. 101 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marshall-Inseln) ; Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 100 (Marianen); Takastukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Ponape, Ruk); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 484, 488 (Palau, Ponape); Wharton, Ecol. Monogr., 16, 1946, p. 174 (Guam); Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology-, 32, 1946, pp. 292, 296, 306 (Guam, Ulithi). Anous pileatus Pelzeln, Reise "Novara," Vogel, 1865, pp. 155, 162 (Puynipetrr Ponape). Anous stolidus pileatus Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 183 (Kusaie); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 49 (Guam, Saipan, Pelew, Mortlock, Ruk, Wolea, Nukuoro, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Koror, Urukthapel, Angaur, Saipan, Guam, Wolea, Truk, Mortlock, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Kusaie, Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze) ; Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Assongsong, Babelthuap) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 219 (Saipan, Assongsong, Guam, Babelthuap, Koror, Urukthapel, Peliliu, Angaur, Wolea, Truk, Mortlock, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Kusaie, Taluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze); Borror, Auk, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 56 (Rota, Guam, Peleliu, Ngabad, Ulithi, Truk). Anous stolidus unicolorf Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 547 (Guam). 166 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 21. Me.asurements of Anoils stolidus of the Paofic Area Location No. Wing Tail Exposed culmen Anoiis stolidus ridgwayi Isabella, Cocos, Clipperton Islands. . . . 18 278 260-295 158 147-166 41 38-42 Anoils stolidus galapagensis Galapagos Islands 11 277 2 4-282 151 142-160 40 38-42 Anoiis tolidus pileatus Hawaiian Islands: Nihoa to Mi way... 35 281 268-299 162 149-176 42 38-40 Wake Islands 8 278 273-285 159 152-170 41 39-43 Mariana Islands: Guam, Rota 12 280 275-288 167 159-187 41 39-43 Palau Islands 9 278 268-283 161 155-166 41 39-42 Caroline Islands 41 282 270-291 164 : 50-173 42 39-45 Marshall Islands 3 282 270-289 164 154-174 42 41-43 Ellice, Phoenix, Danger, Suvarov Islands 27 284 265-295 162 152-174 41 39-44 Christmas Island 13 287 280-292 162 152-174 43 40-46 Marquesas Islands 19 282 275-291 163 155-170 42 40-43 Tuamotu Archipelago 38 287 277-299 165 154-173 42 39-46 Society, Austral, Cook, Rapa Islands . . 16 290 2S -301 164 155-173 43 40-45 Oeno, Henderson, Ducie, Easter Islands 6 293 285-298 164 154-175 44 41-45 Samoa, Fiji, Tonga 19 285 277-295 164 153-173 42 39 44 Kermadecs, Norfolk 23 276 269-289 158 148-173 41 38-43 New Hebrides, Solomons, New Guinea area 31 278 265-287 158 150-172 41 3 -44 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 167 Table 21. — Concluded LocATioisr Northwest Australia . South China Sea area, Strait of Malacca Riu Kius, Japan. Indian Ocean area: Seychelles. Aid- bra, Providence, Somaliland No. 9 4 5 20 Wing 263 258-267 271 262-278 268 259-275 276 270-286 Tail 145 138-152 153 148-257 148 143-155 154 146-164 Exposed culmen 40 38-42 39 37-40 39 37-40 41 39-42 Geographic range. — Islands in the Indian Ocean east to tropical parts of western and central Pacific. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Agrihan, Asun- cion, Saipan, Rota, Guam; Palau Islands — Kayangel, Babelthuap, Koror, Urukthapel, Ngabad, Peleliu, Angaur; Caroline Islands — UHthi, Truk, Wolea, Mortlock, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Kusaie; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Bikini, Kwajalein. Characters. — Adult: A large, dark-brown tern witli grayish crown and whitish forehead; line above eye white; crescent of white on lower eyelid; lores blackish; bill black; feet brownish, iris dark. Immature: Resembles adult, but lighter and browner and top of head grayish-brown. A. s. pileatus resembles A. s. ridgwayi, but darker and less browni.sh, al- though not so dark as A. s. galapagensis ; forehead and crown usually duller; length of wing and tail average larger (282 and 161) than in A. s. ridgwayi (278 and 158) and A. s. galapagensis (277 and 151). Measurements. — Measurements of the Common Noddy of the Pacific area are listed in table 21. Weights.— In 1948 (1948:56) I listed the weights of specimens from Guam and Rota as follows: four adult males 187-204 (197); three adult females 177- 203 (189). Specimens examined.— Total number, 92 (43 males, 39 females, 10 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 7 (May 24, June 15, July 6, 21)— Rota, 3 (Oct. 18, 24); AMNH— Guam, 4 (April 21, 27, Aug. 18)— Asuncion, 1 (Jan. 18); Palau Islands, USNM— Peleliu, 2 (Sept. 1)— Ngabad, 1 (Sept. 11); AMNH — exact locality not given, 6 (Nov. 3, 8); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 3 (Aug. 15)— Kusaie, 1 (Feb. 8); AMNH— Truk, 15 (Feb. 1, S, 25, March 10, May 6, June 12, 13, Nov. 25, Dec. 25)— Ponape, 20 (Dec. 3. 5, 8, 12, 15)— Kusaie, 24 (Jan., March 10-30, April 1-10); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 5 (Feb. 28, March 2, 19). Nesting.— Murphy (1936:1152) writes that the Atlantic subspecies, A. s. stolidus, breeds in tropical localities every month of the year, although there may be a part of the resident population away at sea at any given time. In 168 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the Pacific area, Kirby (1925:187) found nests "on platforms of sticks built on tufts of grass" at Christmas Island in August. In Micronesia, Coultas ob- tained young birds at Kusaie in January and April and commented (field notes) that they probably nest "spasmodically at all times of the year." At Ponape, Coultas observed nests in high trees in December, and birds obtained by him in that month had enlarged gonads. At Bikini, Morrison obtained eggs on March 2 and 19, and young on March 19. At Palau, Coultas took one female tern in postnatal molt on November 8. Adults obtained by him in that month had enlarged gonads. At Ulithi, the NAMRU2 party recorded one nest containing a single egg on August 21. At the same atoll the NAMRU2 party received reports of a large colony of nesting noddys in May to July, 1945. In the following August few noddies were seen by the NAMRU2 party. McElroy found nests on cliffs and in coconut trees at Truk in December, 1945. Hartert (1900:10) reports on eggs taken at Truk in the period from March to July 1. The NAMRU2 party observed birds carrying nest materials at Peleliu on August 28 but failed to find the nests. At Guam, the writer found terns in numbers varying from 4 to 75 in May to July, 1945, along the rocky cliffs but no evidence of nesting activity was obtained. Strophlet (1946:537) reports that nests may have been present on Orote Peninsula at Guam on December 13, 1945. Coultas (field notes) is of the opinion that the birds do not nest at Guam but do nest farther north in the Marianas. Borror (1947:417) found two colonies at Agrihan on August 10, 1945. Thus, there are records of nesting in nine months of the year in Micro- nesia; although I suspect that the larger flocks of terns have more regular breeding habits correlated with their pelagic feeding activities. "Stragglers" probably nest irregularly. Food habits. — The author (1948:56) records small fish and crustaceans in stomachs of terns taken at Ulithi and Peleliu. At Ypao Point, Guam, birds were seen to fly back and forth in the day from their roosts on the sea-cliffs. On one occasion I saw these birds feeding approximately a half mile from shore. Paro^^es.— Wharton (1946:174) and Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:292, 296, 306) list the following species of chiggers (Acarina) from the Common Noddy from Guam and Ulithi : Neoschongastia bougainvillensis, N. americana solomonis, N. egretta, Acariscus pluvius, and A. anoiis. Uchida (1918:484, 488) found the bird louse (Mallophaga), Nirmus separatus, on terms at Palau and at Ponape he found Colpocephalum milleri on the bird. Bequaert {in litt.) has identified a fly (Hippoboscidae) as Oljersia aenescens from a tern from Rota. Remarks. — Of the Common Noddy Tern of the Pacific area, three subspecies are recognized by Peters (1934:346-347). Anoiis stolidus ridgwayi is known from islands off the western coast of Mexico and Central America; A. s. galapagensis is recorded from the Galapagos Archipelago; and A. s. pileatus is found on tropical islands through- out the Pacific and west to Madagascar and the African coast in the Indian Ocean. These subspecies differ from one another principally Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 169 in color, as noted by Ridgway (1919:545) ; A. s. galapagensis is the darkest form, A. s. ridgwayi is less blackish and more brownish in color of body, and A. s. pileatus is between the two in coloring. A. s. pileatus averages larger in length of wing and tail, but these meas- urements do not appear to be significant from a taxonomic stand- point. As shown in table 21, measurements of length of wing for speci- mens from throughout most of the Pacific area are almost the same. Length of tail is correspondingly uniform. There is a gradual in- crease in size of birds in the Tuamotus and Societies and east to Easter Island. In this region the average measurement for length of wing is 293 millimeters. The lengths of wing and tails are shorter in specimens from the Kermadecs and Norfolk Island, which may indi- cate relationships with the smaller birds of the Australian area, Western Melanesia and possibly Malaysia and the Riu Kiu Islands. I am unable to determine the subspecific status of the birds from the Kermadecs and Norfolk Island, because of the lack of sufficient ma- terial from the Australian region and Malaysia. Possibly Mathews' name, A. s. gilberti, is valid for the noddys of Australia and also for the birds at Norfolk and the Kermadecs. The small-sized birds of the Riu Kiu Islands have been designated as yl. s. pullus by Bangs. When specimens from the type locality of ^. s. pileatus in the Phil- ippine Islands are available, the true relationships of the populations from Micronesia and the other areas in the Pacific can be ascer- tained. The tern found in the Hawaiians has the palest body and the most chalky-white forehead of any of the birds of the Pacfiic. Bryan (1903:101) found terns from Marcus Island to agree with specimens from Guam and to be "slightly darker" than birds from Midway and Laysan in the Hawaiian chain. The birds from the Riu Kius are darker and thus similar to the few specimens seen from Malaysia. Birds from Polynesia and Melanesia possess the most sooty under- parts while those from Micronesia are only slightly less pale. This condition also seems to be true for the birds in the Australian area and for specimens seen from islands in the Indian Ocean. With fad- ing, or wear, or both, there is a change from dusky black to dusky brown in the plumage; effort was made by me to compare specimens with reltaively similar conditions of plumage. In summary, the sys- tematic position of the Common Noddy Terns of the Pacific seem- ingly depends on the characteristics of specimens from the type lo- cality in the Philippines. When topotypes are available for study, 170 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. they may be found to be nearer the darker forms of Malaysia or may tend toward the paler, oceanic forms. The Hawaiian population probably is distinct. In Micronesia the Common Noddy Tern is not a conspicuous bird except during its breeding period. Probably it spends most of its life at sea, being unlike Gygis alba in this respect. Large flocks seem less wary of man than are small groups and singles, which are often easily disturbed. Birds of this species appear to prefer the low atolls and offshore islets where both tall vegetation and bare ground are utilized for nesting or roosting. At Ponape, Coultas (field notes) observed the birds to fly to sea at daybreak and to begin to return to their roosts by 4:00 pm. Wallace (field notes) observed similar activities at Kwajalein in May, 1944, w^here he saw approximately forty individuals in a flock with Gygis alba. Anoiis stolidus is divided naturally into an Atlantic subspecies, which is distinguished by its browner color, and into several sub- species which are distinguished by their blacker color in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Whether the genus and species evolved in the Atlantic or in the Pacific region is not known. If it were the Pacific region, the center of differentiation may very well have been the islands of Oceania. There, relatively little variation is observable within populations covering a large area. To the eastward, birds along the American coast are darker or lighter, to the northward, the birds of Hawaii are paler, to the southward and southwestward, the birds are smaller and to the westward, the birds are smaller and darker. The virtual absence of ground-living, predatory animals which might prey on nesting colonies has probably been a reason for the lack of discrimination by this tern in selecting breeding sites. This is probably true of other birds which nest in colonies. Anous tenuirostris marcusi (Bryan) White-capped Noddy Micranous marcusi Bryan, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 2, 1903, p. 101. (Type locality, Marcus Island.) Sterna tenuirostris Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 286, 308 (Ualan, Ouleai) ; idem, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 64 (Ualan). Anoiis tenuirostris Hartlaiib and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 113 (Pelew, Carolines); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 42 (Palau) ; Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 330 (Mortlock, Nukuor); Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 526 (Saipan). Anous melanogenys Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Palau); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 295, 308 (Ponape, Kuschai) ; idem, Ibis, 1880, pp. 219, 220, 332 (Taluit, Arno) ; idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem. Ibis, 1881, pp. 107, 109, 115 (Kuschai, Ponape); Salvador!, Omith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 456 (Pelew, Ponape, Marshalls); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 52 (Jaluit, Arno, Kuschai) ; Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 171 6, 1890-1901 (1891), p. 77 (Pelew, Ualan, Ponape, Nukuor, Luganor, Ruk); Hartert, Katalog Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 238 (Ualan); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori. 1, 1915, p. 62 (Ruk); Kuroda, in Moniiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 50 (Pelew, Ruk, Wolea, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls). Anous leucocapillus Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 781 (Ponape) ; Nehrkorn, Journ. f. Ornith., 1879, p. 410 (Ponape) ;Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeoffry, 1881, p. 281 (Ponape); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 52 (Jaluit); Tristram, Cat. Coll. Birds, 1889, p. 10 (Pelew); Salvador!, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 457 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dres- den, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 77 (Pelew); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 60 (Saypan, Palaos, Ruk, Luganor, Nukuor, Ponapi, Kuschai, Bonhani) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 68 (Marianne); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 20 (Saipan?); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 66 (Marianas); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln) ; Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Ck)x, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam). Micranous leucocapillus Saunders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 145 (Pelew, Caroline Islands); Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers., 1899, p. 222 (Kusai) ; Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Pelew). Megalopterus minutus marcusi Mathews, Birds Au.stralia, 2, 1912, p. 423 (Mari- anas?); Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 553 (Mariannes?); Mat- hews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 146 (Mariannes); Hachisuka, Birds Philippines, 2, 1932, p. 343 (Mariannes). Megalopterus tenuirostris leucocapillus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 50 (Saipan, Pelew, Ruk, Ponape, Kusaie). Megalopterus minutus minutus Fisher and Wetmore, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 79, 1931, p. 45 (Caroline Islands). Anous minutus worcesteri Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 409 (Coror, Namo, Iringlab); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 195 (Saipan, Babelthuap, Koror, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, Ebon, Namorik, Jaluit, Elmore, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Ailuk) ; Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Assongsong, Saipan); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 219 (Assongsong, Saipan, Babelthuap, Koror, Peliliu, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, Ebon, Namorik, Jaluit, Elmore, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Ailuk). Anous minutus marcusi Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 347 (Caroline Islands). Anous m.inutus Bequaert, Mushi, 12, 1939, p. 82 (Ponape); idem, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 16, 1941, p. 253 (Ponape, Palau). Anous tenuirostris marcusi Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 27 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 56 (Peleliu, Ulithi, Truk). Geographic range. — Marcus, Wake, and Micronesia. In Micronesia: Mari- ana Islands — Asuncion, Saipan, Guam?; Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Peleliu; Caroline Islands — Ulithi, Truk, Ponape, Luganor, Nukuor, Wolea; Marshall Islands — Ebon, Namorik, Jaluit, Elmore, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Ailuk. Characters. — Adult: A small tern with sooty-black plumage, grayer on rump and tail; forehead and crown white becoming grayer on nape to merge with blackish on shoulder; narrow, black superciliary stripe; lores black, lower eye- lid with white streak, upper eyelid with white spot. Resembles A. t. melano- genys but wing and tail longer and superciliary stripe narrower. Resembles A. t. minutus but with narrower,, black superciliary stripe. Immature: Resembles adult, but crown more whitish, this coloration ending abruptly at nape, with mottling in some birds; plumage of body with brownish wash. - ■ - Measurements — Measurements are listed in table 22. Specimens examined. — Total number, 51 (27 males, 22 females, 2 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, AMNH — Asuncion, 1 (Jan. 18); Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu, 2 (Sept. 9, 12) ; AMNH— exact locality not given, 2 (Nov. 3) ; Caroline Islands, USNM — Ulithi, 4 (Aug. 20); AMNH— Truk, 5 (Nov. 16, 21, 22)— Ponape, 15 (Dec. 15)— Kusaie, 17 (Jan. 10, March 10-30, April 1-10); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikmi, 4 (May 2, 14); AMNH— no locality given, 1 (Sept. 3). 172 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 22. Measurements of Anoils tenuirostris of the Pacific Area Location No. Wing Tail Exposed culmen Anoils tenuirostris melanogenys Hawaiian Islands 29 222 210-229 113 105-120 4^ 41-48 Anoiis tenuirostris marcusi Wake Islands 8 227 218-231 118 112-124 45 44^8 Mariana I lands 1 3 223 228 227-228 117 122 117-126 44 Palau Islands 43 41-45 Caroline Islands 32 ?29 220-240 120 113-127 4 40-47 Marshall Islands 5 224 222-229 118 114-123 44 41-46 Anoiis tenuirostris minutus Christmas Island 13 227 220-234 120 108-128 44 41-46 Phoenix, Howland, Union, Danger, Suvarov Islands 9 229 226-233 119 113-124 46 42-48 Marquesas Islands 10 226 220-23 5 117 115-124 45 42-48 Tuamotu Archipelago 17 229 222-234 118 112-126 45 42-47 Society, Cook, Austral Islands 12 230 223-238 118 114-120 46 43-47 Samoa, Fiji, Tonga Islands 6 228 224-231 118 115-121 44 42-47 Kermadec, Norfolk Isl'ds, New Zealand 15 226 21d-235 116 112-121 44 42-47 New Hebrides, Solomon, Bismarck, Admiralty Islands, New Guinea 34 229 222-237 117 109-130 43 40-46 Anoiis tenuirostris diamesus Clipperton, Cocos Islands 14 230 224-237 120 114-127 44 41-47 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 173 Nesting. — Few reports have been obtained concerning the nesting of the White-capped Noddy in Micronesia. Finsch (1881b: 107) recorded nests, and Nehrkom (1899:222) reported on eggs taken at Kusaie. Yamashina (1932a: 409) recorded the taking of eggs at Koror in the Palau Islands on Januar>' 19 and November 10 and in the Marshalls at Namo on October 19, and at Iring- lab on October 21. No evidence of nestings was obtained by the NAMRU2 party in 1945, although a number of birds were seen at Ulithi in August. Coultas (field notes) writes that a colony of approximately 20 birds began nesting about Christmas time on a small offshore island near Ponape. Nests were placed in the crotches of limbs of mangroves, 8 to 15 feet above the ground. Food habits. — The NAMRU2 party found small fish in the stomachs of terns taken at Ulithi and Peleliu. Parasites. — Bequaert (1939:82 and 1941:253) records the fly (Hippobosci- dae), Alfersia aenescens, from the White-capped Noddy taken at Ponape and Palau. I Remarks. — The subspecies of Anoiis tenuirostris are well differen- tiated by color and to a lesser extent by measurements. Table 22 lists measurements which show that the Hawaiian subspecies, A. t. melanogenys, has the shortest wing and the shortest tail whereas the subspecies from Cocos and Clipperton islands, A. t. diamesus, has the longest wing and the longest tail. The exposed culmen varies in length but little among the four subspecies. The systematic position of A. t. worcesteri from Cavilli Island in the Sula Sea has not been determined because of lack of material. In the third edition of the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka et al., 1942:219) the birds from Micronesia are referred to A. t. worcesteri as they are also in other recent publications by the Japanese. Specimens from the Philippines are needed for examination to determine satisfactorily the subspecies status of the birds under consideration. Field observations indicate that the White-capped Noddy is not abundant in the Mariana Islands. According to Oustalet (1896:60) , Marche obtained a female at Saipan in June, 1888, and Yamashina (1940:678) records five adults from Assongsong (Asuncion). Ows- ton's collectors obtained a specimen at Asuncion on January 18, 1904. In the Palaus, Carolines, and Marshalls birds of this species are numerous and have been observed or collected at many of the islands. Coultas with the Whitney South Sea Expedition obtained specimens at Kusaie, Ponape and Palau. He found them along the shores of the large islands and, especially, on the smaller offshore islets. At Ulithi Atoll in August, 1945, the NAMRU2 party ob- served small flocks of four to ten individuals flying offshore and feeding inside the reef. They were frequently observed in company 174 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. with Sterna siimatrana. Fewer birds were seen in September, 1945, at the Palau Islands by the NAMRU2 party. Gygis alba Candida (Gmelin) White Tern Sterna Candida Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 607. (Type locality, Christ- mas Island.) Gygis Candida Finsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 220 (Taluit); Saunders (part). Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 149 (Marshalls) ; Schnee, Zool. Jahrbucher, 20, 1904, p. 390 (Marschall-Inseln). Gygis alba Finsch, Ibis, 1880, pp. 330, 332 (Taluit); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 78 (Marshalls); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 58 (Saypan, Pagan, Agri- gan, Marshalls); Safford, Guam, 1912, p. 19 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 537 (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam); Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan); Baker (part), Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 57 (Guam, Rota, Saipan). Gygis alba kittlitzi Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 67 (Saipan, Guam) ; Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 21 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, 66 (Marianas); idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 267 (Guam); idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 80 (Guam); Mathews (part). Birds Australia, 2, 1912, p. 443 (Marianas); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 100 (Marianaii) ; Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 22 (Guam); Ridgway (part), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 559 (Mariannes)); Kuroda, Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 193 (?Mariannes); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1931, p. 410 (Saipan^ ; Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 409 (Iringlab, Namo, Aruno) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds (part), rev., 1932, p. 196 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan, Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Likieb, Mejit) ; Yamashina (part). Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Assongsong). Gygys alba Wheeler, Report Island of Guam, 1900, p. 13 (Guam). Gygis albus kittlitzi Kuroda (part), in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 50 (Guam, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan, Marshalls). Leucanous albus kittlitzi Mathews (part), Syst. .\vium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 143 (Marianne). Gygis alba microrhyncha La Touche (part), Handbook Birds Eastern China, 2, 1933, p. 335 (Marianne). Gygis alba Candida Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Hand- list Japanese Birds (part), 3d ed., 1942, p. 219 (Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan, Assongsong, Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Likieb, Mejit) ; Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 94 (Tinian); Borror, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan). Geographic range. Northern Pacific from Bonins and Marianas east to Wake and Hawaiian Chain, south to Marshall, Phoenix, Christmas and Fan- ning islands (see figure 12). In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan, Agrihan; Marshall Islands — Jaluit, Mille, Aurh, Wotze, Likieb, Mejit, Eniwetok, Bikini, Kwajalein. Characters. — Adult: A small tern with ivory-white plumage except for black, narrow, orbital ring; shafts of primary quills dark brown; shafts of tail feathers blackish; bill black with bluish base; tarsus dark bluish with yellowish webs; iris and skin black. Immature : Resembles adult, but with light brown mottlings on upper parts, especially on the mantle; feathers softer, bill shorter. Measurements. — Measurements are listed on table 23. Weights.— The NAMRU2 party obtained weights of 11 adult males from Guam and Rota as 110 (97-124); weights of 6 adult females from Guam as 108 (100-116). These specimens were taken from May to October, 1945. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 175 Specimens examined. — Total number, 4l (23 males, 14 females, 4 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM— Guam, 20 (May 24, 29, June 6, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 23, July 10, 19, 20)— Rota, 2 (Oct. 19, 27)— Saipan, 1 (Sept. 26); AMNH— Guam, 4 (March 7, 9, 20)— Tinian, 1 (Sept. 8) — Asuncion, 4 (Jan. 1, 18, 25); MCZ — Saipan, 3 (Jan. 7, March 20, April 17); Marshall Islands, USNM— Bikini, 6 (Feb. 27, March 2, 16, 19). Nesting. — Gygis alba does not construct a nest but places its single egg rather precariously in the crotch of a branch in a tree (or on rock). In Micronesia nesting activities have been observed at various times of the year. Yamashina (1932a :409, 410) reported on eggs taken in the Marianas at Saipan on February 2 and in the Marshalls at Arhno on September 26, at Iringlab on October 21 and at Namo on October 19. At Guam a pair of White Terns was seen in a large tree on March 27, 1945, by the NAMRU2 observers. Because of their behavior, it was suspected that they had an egg or young in the tree. Further inspection revealed, on March 31, a downy young sitting in the tree. The young bird was attended by the parents until it began to fly on April 17. Hartert (1898:68) reports that eggs of the White Tern were taken at Saipan on July 28 and August 11. Morrison obtained a male nestling on March 16 and eggs on March 22 at Bikini in 1946. Remarks. — The White Tern is usually restricted to the remote islands in the Pacific, Indian and South Atlantic oceans; there, ac- cording to the latest treatment, which is that of Peters (1934:348, 349), six subspecies are recognized. In studying the geographical variation of the species, the writer has examined 595 adult specimens, including previously unstudied material collected by the Whitney South Sea Expedition, which is deposited in the American Museum of Natural History. This ivory-white species presents an unsual problem in that there are few characters available to distinguish the subspecies. IMeasure- ments of taxonomic value include those of the wnng, tail, exposed culmen, and depth and the shape of the culmen. There appears to be no significant secondary sexual difference between males and fe- males, and measurements of the two sexes are combined. The chief problem within this species seems to hinge on how to classify isolated, but relatively similar, populations. The examination of the large series of specimens from the Whitney collections has yielded more complete information to assist in the solution of this problem. Gygis alba alba (Sparrman) of the South Atlantic Ocean (Fer- nando de Noronha, South Trinidad, Ascension, and St. Helena islands) and G. a. monte Mathews of the Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Aldabra, Mascarene and Chagos islands) are isolated populations. Specimens examined are those which have previously been studied by other workers; measurements are shown in table 23. With the exception of G. a. microrhyncha, G. a. monte has the smallest average length of wing of all of the subspecies of G. alba 176 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. In G. a. alba the length of wing as well as most of the other measure- ments differ but slightly from those of some of the populations in the Pacific area although the slender bill of the Atlantic bird is a distinc- tive character, as pointed out by Murphy (1936:1166). Table 23. Measurements of SuBSPEaES of Gygis alba From the Atlantic and Indian Ocean Area Subspecies No. Wing Longest tail feather Shortest tail feather Exposed culmen Depth culmen Tarsus Gygis alba alba . . . Gygis alba monte 24 35 246 239-256 232 224-244 99 93-111 106 98-116 71 68-77 71 64-81 40 35-44 39 37-44 8.0 7.5-9.0 8.5 8.0-8.5 14.5 13.0-16.5 13.5 12.5-14.0 The taxonomic position of the White Terns of the Pacific area has been one of uncertainty for a long time; as Peters (1934:349) puts it, "It is obvious that the last word on the Pacific races of Gygis has not yet been said." A principal feature of the problem in this region is the presence in the Marquesas of a well-marked subspecies, G. a. microrhyncha, virtually surrounded by a wide-ranging and rela- tively undifferentiated form, G. a. pacifica (Lesson) (see figure 12). The small cormorant {Phalacrocorax melanoleucus brevicauda Mayr) from Rennell Island, Solomons, is another example of a distinct form surrounded by a widely distributed subspecies. In all, 55 adult specimens of G. a. microrhyncha have been exam- ined from the following islands in the Marquesas Group: Mukahiva, Eiau, Motane, Hivaoa, Uapu, Tahuata, Uahuka, Fatuhiva. The measurements are listed in table 24, and show that the White Tern in the Marquesas is a much smaller bird than the other subspecies and has a shorter bill, wing, and tail. The tail possesses a shallow fork as compared with the deeper fork of the tail of other subspecies. In addition, the depth of the culmen averages two millimeters less in the subspecies in the Marquesas. The presence of a wider, black eye-ring is also a distinguishing character in this subspecies. Gygis a. microryhncha was for a long time treated as a species distinct from G. alba but has recently been considered as a sub- species G. alba by Peters and others. On the islands of Hatutu and Motane in the Marquesas, the Whitney South Sea Expedition ob- tained some birds which appear to be intergrades between the two Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 177 subspecies of White Terns in the area. The measurments of nine birds which show intergradation between G. a. microrhyncha and G. a. pacifica are listed in table 24. Probably the Marquesas popu- lation is tending toward complete reproductive isolation. Peters (1934:348, 349) recognizes three other subspecies from the Pacific area: G. a. rothschildi Hartert from Laysan, Lisiansky, and Krusenstem islands; G. a. Candida (Gmelin) from "the Caro- lines east to Christmas Island and south to the Tonga and Society Islands"; and G. a. royana Mathews from Norfolk and the Ker- madec Islands. Birds from Revilla Gigedo, Cocos and Clipperton islands, although geographically isolated, are placed in G. a. Can- dida. On the basis of a critical study of specimens at hand, the populations in the Pacific fit into three groups. Small birds, G. a. Candida, are found in the North Pacific from the Bonins and Mari- anas east to Wake and the Hawaiian Chain and south to the Mar- shall, Phoenix, Christmas and the Fanning islands (see figure 12). Fig. 12. Geographic distribution of Gygis alba in the Pacific area. (1) G. a. Candida; (2) G. a. pacifica; (3) G. a. microrhyncha ; (4) G. a. royana. Larger birds, G. a. pacifica, are found in the Central Pacific and South Pacific from the Carolines in the west southeastward through Melanesia and eastward through Samoa, to the Tuamotus and Easter to Cocos, Clipperton, and Revilla Gigedo islands. In the Southwest Pacific, at Norfolk and the Kermadec Islands, a longer- winged populations occurs; it is separable as G. a. royana. The measurements of these birds are given in table 24. 12—8131 178 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 24. Measurements op Gygis alba From the Pacific Area Location No. Wing Longest tail feather Shortest tail feather Exposed culmen Depth culmen Tarsus Gygis alba Candida (Gmelin) Japan, Bonins 4 35 10 36 4 8 19 2.38 109 65 36 34-38 38 36-41 38 37-41 37 33-40 39 38-40 39 37-41 38 37-42 Mariana Islands 237 227-246 236 232-243 235 220-246 234 231-238 238 237-240 238 227-242 111 98-120 109 101-118 109 102-118 111 107-115 107 101-116 107 97-119 69 61-75 69 64-77 68 64-74 71 70-73 70 64-76 68 65-72 9.0 8.5 8.0-9.0 13 Wake Islands 12.0-14.0 13 Hawaiian Islands 13.0-14.0 13 Marshall Islands 12.0-14.0 Phoenix, Howland, Hull, Canton Islands 8.5 14 Fanning, Washington, Christmas Islands 8.0 7.5-9.0 13 5 12.0-15.0 Totals 116 33 12 20 13 29 37 118 54 10 236 220-246 109 107-120 69 61-77 38 33-42 8.5 7.5-9.0 13 12.0-15.0 Gygis alba pacifica (Lesson) Caroline, Palau Islands Bismarck Arch., Solomon Islands 245 236-253 247 242-256 247 239-254 245 238-252 247 241-255 249 241-257 245 236-252 247 240-255 245 240-253 116 112-125 116 105-129 115 110-127 115 107-118 114 104-124 113 107-126 114 107-127 113 106-126 115 110-120 73 67-76 74 68-78 71 67-78 73 69-78 73 65-78 71 62-76 72 62-82 73 63-84 72 71-73 42 38-44 42 39-45 42 39-44 41 39-42 42 40-45 42 40-45 42 38-46 41 40-45 40 38-43 8.5 13.5 13.0-13.5 Samoa, Wallis, Fiji, Tonga, Niue Islands Line, Danger Islands Cook, Austral Islands Society Islands 8.5 8.0-9.0 13.5 Tuamotu Arch 12.0-14.0 Rapa, Bass Rocks, Oeno, Henderson, Ducie, Pitcairn, Clipperton, Cocos Islands 8.5 8.5-9.5 13.5 13.0-14.0 Totals 326 246 236-257 114 104-129 72 62-84 42 38-46 8.5 8.0-9.5 13.5 12.0-14.0 Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 179 Table 24.- —Concluded Location No. 9 55 16 12 28 Wing Longest tail feather Shortest tail feather Exposed culmen Depth culmen Tarsus Intergrades between G. a. mi- crorhyncha and G. a. pacifica. . Gygis alba microrhyncha Gygis alba rnyana Mathews 237 230-247 218 211-235 250 242-257 251 244-255 105 93-122 78 72-96 113 105-124 115 110-121 74 67-89 64 60-75 73 68-79 75 71-81 38 36-41 36 32-39 42 41-44 43 40-46 7.5 7.0-8.0 6.5 6.0-8.0 13.0 12.0-14.0 12.0 11.0-12.5 Totals 250 242-257 114 105-124 74 68-81 42 40-46 The measurements indicate that there is a gradient in size from small in the north to large in the south ; however, there is a definite separation in average measurements — ten millimeters in length of wing and four millimeters in length of exposed culmen — between the two populations which are designated as G. a. Candida and G. a. pacifica. In studying material from Micronesia and the Hawaiian Islands, I (1948:57) pointed out the similarities between birds of the Marianas and the Hawaiians and separated these from terns found in the Caroline Islands. The systematic position of the White Tern in the Gilbert and Ellice islands will remain in doubt until specimens are available for examination. G. a. royana is provisionally retained as the name for the Fairy Tern of the Kermadecs and Norfolk Island; there is considerable overlap in measurements between G. a. royana and G. a. pacifica. Measurements have given evidence of the degrees of structural re- semblance of the White Terns of the different islands, but it is not certain that the groupings made on this basis are natural; more data is needed on ecology and life history. Of particular importance is to learn whether these birds fly regularly from island to island. On the basis of eleven months of rather continuous observation in Micronesia, I suspect that the White Tern has little tendency to make inter-island migrations. This might account for the differ- ences in size in the populations at Guam in the Marianas {G. a. Candida) and at Ulithi in the Carolines (G. a. pacifica) where only approximately 400 miles of open water separate the tw^o islands. The occurrence of the distinct G. a. microrhyncha in the Marquesas may be accounted for by such nonmigratory behavior, Mayr 180 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. (1945a:27), however, is of the opinion that White Terns found in the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomons, Santa Cruz and New Heb- rides islands may not breed there, which is another way of saying that they are migrants. Swarth (1934:221) and Murphy (1936: 1268) record the wandering of the White Tern to the Galapagos Is- lands, probably from breeding grounds at Cocos Island. Swarth suggests that the tern is not established at the Galapagos because of the presence of colder water in the area. Murphy (1936:1166) is of the opinion that the South Atlantic White Terns are sedentary, but reports evidence of pelagic migration in the Pacific at the Ker- madecs. The fact that G. alba is restricted in its distribution to widely separated groups of islands in tropical and subtropical areas of the South Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans may indicate that the birds at one time had a more extensive range than at present, probably including even coastal regions of the continents and large continental islands. Gygis alba pacifica (Lesson) White Tern Sterna pacifica Lesson, Ann. Sci. Nat., 4, 1825, p. 101. (Type locality, Society Islands, Paumotu Islands, and Bora Bora.) Sterna alba Kittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vogel, 3, 1833, p. 28 (Carolinen); idem, Obser. Zool., in Lutke, Voy. "Le Seniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 286, 299, 308 (Ualan, Lougounor, Ouleai). Gygis Candida Hartlaub, Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 137 (Carolinen); Hartlaub, Journ. f. Omith., 1854, p. 168 (Carolinen); Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron, und Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 382, 2, 1858, pp. 39, 60 (Ualan); Gray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 59 (Caroline Islands); Saunders (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 25, 1896, p. 149 (Pelew, Carolines); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 51 (Ruk, Pelew). Gygis alba Finsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 233 (Carolinen); Hartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 832 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 9, 118 (Pelew); Finsch and Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 140 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 114 (Pelew, Uap, Ualan); Griiffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 6, 43 (Palau); idem, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 40 (Ponape); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 782 (Ponape); idem., Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 295, 309 (Ponape, Kuschai); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); idem, Ibis, 1881, pp. 105, 106, 109, 115, 246, 247 (Kushai, Ponape); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 299, 330, 353 (Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 52 (Kuschai); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890- 1891 (1891), p. 78 (Pelew, Uap, Luganor, Nukuor, Ruk, Ponape, Ualan); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 58 (Palaos, Carolines; Baker (part), Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 57 (Peleliu, Ulithi, Truk, Kusaie). Gygis alba kittlitzi Hartert, Katalog Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 237 (Type ; locality, Ulea = Wolea) ; idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 10 (Ruk); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 1020 (Carolines); Mathews (part). Birds Australia, 2, 1912, p. 443 \ (Carolines); Ridgway (part), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, pt. 8, 1919, p. 559 (Caro- lines); Kuroda (part), Avifauna Riu Kiu, 1925, p. 193 (Carolines); Hand-list Japanese Birds (part), rev., 1932, p. 196 (Pelew, Yap, Wolea, Luganor, Ruk, Ponape, Kusaie); Yamashina (part). Tori, 10, 1940, p. 678 (Babelthuap). Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 181 Gygii albus kittlitzi Kuroda (part), in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 50 (Pelews, Yap, Wolea, Luganor, Nukuor. Ruk, Ponape, Kusaie). Leucanous albus kittlitzi (Mathews (part), Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 143 (Carolines). Gygi3 alba Candida Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 349 (Carolines); Hand-list Japanese Birds (part), 3d ed., 1942, p. 219 (Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Yap, Wolea, Truk, Lukunor, Nukuoro, Ponape, Kusaie). Geographic range. — Central and southern Pacific from Carolines southeast through Melanesia and east through Samoa to Tuamotus, Easter to Cocos and Clipperton (see figure 12). In Micronesia: Palau Islands — Angaur, Peleliu, Garakayo, Koror, Babelthuap, Kayangel; Caroline Islands — Yap, Ulithi, Wolea, Truk, Lukunor, Ponape, Kusaie. Characters.— Resembles G. a. Candida, but size larger, wing length of adult males and females 236-253 (245) ; length of exposed culmen 38-44 (42). Measurements. — Measurements are listed in table 24. Specimens examined. — Total number, 36 (22 males, 12 females, 2 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM — Peleliu, 1 (Sept. 1); AMNH — exact locality not given, 1 (Nov. 13); Caroline Islands, USNM— Ulithi, 12 (Aug. 14, 15, 16, 20, 21)— Truk, 1 (Dec. 13); AMNH —Truk, 7 (Mar. 8, May 7, June 8, Nov. 11, 26) — Ponape, 1 (undated) — Kusaie, 10 (Jan., Feb., March 20-30, April 1-10); MCZ — Yap, 3 (Jan. 13). Nesting. — The NAMRU2 party learned that in May and June, 1945, several young White Terns were seen at Asor, Ulithi Atoll, by service personnel. These young were observed in breadfruit trees within a recreational area; the presence of the service personnel seemingly had little disturbing effect on the terns. At Bulubul. another island of this atoll, a downy young was obtained on August 22. Hartert (1900:10) reports that eggs of the White Tern were found on the ground and in forks of branches of trees at Truk in June. Food Habits. — The author (1948:58) reports that stomachs of birds taken at Ulithi and Peleliu contained fish, insects and marine crustaceans. Probably the birds feed to a large extent along the edge of the tidal reef. They almost certainly obtain food also on the islands as indicated by the presence of insects in stomach contents; this is not surprising since the birds frequent woodland habitats. Rc?7iarks. — Gygis alba is one of the most characteristic birds in Micronesia. It is seemingly more numerous at the coral atolls than at the high, volcanic islands. At the latter islands the birds prefer the coastal coconut grove environment. At Pau and Bulubul, two small islands in the Ulithi Atoll, the WTiter counted approximately 100 birds on August 21, 1945. Kittlitz was the first to publish an account of these birds in the Caroline Islands. Tetens, Peters, Sem- per and Kubary reported their presence in the Palaus. No doubt, these terns attract the attention of every traveler in the islands owing to their conspicuously white beauty and their seemingly friendly behavior toward man. Their habit of hovering in small flocks close over the head of the observer is indeed spectacular. 182 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Columba Hvia Gmelin Blue Rock Pis;eon Columba domestica P livia Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 769. (No type locality = Europe.) Columba livia Bryan, Guam Rec, vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam) ; Marshall, Condor, vol. 51, 1949, p. 221 (Tinian). Geographic range. — Europe and Asia Minor. Introduced to many parts of the world. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands — Guam, Tinian. Remarks. — In 1945, the NAMRU2 party observed pigeons about the towns on Guam, particularly at the town of Inarajan. Bryan (1936:24) writes that the birds were introduced by the United States Navy and Marine Corps at Guam ; the stock originating from escaped carrier pigeons. Marshall (1949:221) records this bird from Tinian. Ptilinopus porphyraceus ponapensis (Finsch) Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilonopus ponapensis Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 779. (Type locality, Ponape.) Ptilinopus? fasciatus Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 18, 37 Ponape). Ptilopus fasciatus Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 536 (Ponape) ; Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 44 (Ponape). Ptilopus ponapensis Schmeltz, Verhandl. Ver. nat. Unterhatlung Hamburg, 1877 (1879), pp. 178, 179 (Ponape); Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Rule, Ponape); idem, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 291, 303 (Ponape); idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 578 (Ruk, Ponape): idtm, Ibis, 1881, pp. 113, 115 (Ponape); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 583 (Ponape, Rojk) ; idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 50 (Ponape, Ruk); Salvador!, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 93 (Ponape, Ruk); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 222 (Ponape); Nehrkron, Kat. Eiers., 1899, p. 180 (Ruk); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Ruck, Ponape); Reichenow, Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Ruk, Ponape); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ruk, Ponape); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetniore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 189 (Uala, Ponape). Ptilinopus ponapensis Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 7 (Ruk, Ponape); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 42 (Ponape); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Ruck, Ponape) ; Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 32 (Ponape); Bequaert, Mushi, 12, 1939, pp. 81, 82 (Ponape); Mayr. Proc. 6th Pacific Sci. Congr., 4, 1939 (1941), p. 204 (Ponape); Bequaert, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 16, 1941, pp. 266, 290 (Ponape). Ptilnopus Ponapensis Christian, The Caroline Islands, 1899, p. 357 (Ponape). Ptilinopus ponepensis ponapensis Kuroda, in Moiniyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 57 (Ponape, Ruk); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 408 (Ponape); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Ponape, Ruk); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Ruk, Ponape); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Ponape, Truk). Ptilinopus porphyraceus ponapensis Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 7 (Ruk, Ponapi-) ; Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Truk, Ponape); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 59 (Truk). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Caroline Islands — Truk, Ponape. Characters. — Adult male: A green fruit dove with forehead, anterior lores and crown near "pansy purple," faintly margined with j'ellow; occiput, sides of head, neck, upper breast grayish-green with bifid feathers of midbreast more Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 183 olivaceous; chin and midthroat light yellow; breast, sides and tibia green; midpart of lower breast dark bluish-green, tinged with dark purple; lower abdomen, vent, and undertail 3^ellow, under tail-coverts deeper yellow tinged with orange; upper parts dark green; wings metallic green on outer webs and tips, inner secondaries and some posterior scapulars with purple spots near tips; priraarieis and secondaries edged on outer webs with yellowish; under- wing gray with yellow edges on hind, under wing-coverts; upper side of tail metallic green with terminal, broad yellow band; under side of tail gray; bill lead-colored, feet wine-brown, iris whitish to pale brown. Adult female re- sembles adut male, but slightly smaller and duller. Immature : Resembles adult, but entirely green with yellow edgings on feathers and lacking crimson crowTi and colored breast patch. Measurements. — Measurements of subspecies of P. -porphyraceus in Micro- nesia are presented in table 25. Table 25. Me-asuremexts of Ptilinopiis porphyraceus in Micronesia Subspecies Number Wing Exposed cu men Tarsus P. p. ponapensis .... P. p. hernsheimi P. p. pelewensis 12 males 11 females 6 males 5 females 10 males 4 females 137 (133-141) 133 (126-137) 134 (130-138) 127 (125-130) 133 (131-134) 133 (130-138) 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 13 (12-14) 13 (12-13) 15 (13-15) 15 (14-15) 25 (24-27) 25 (24-26) 25 (24-26) 25 (24-25) 25 (23-26) 24 (23-24) Specimens examined. — Total number, 81 (52 males, 26 females, 3 unsexed), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM— Truk, 4 (Feb. 16, Dec. 24); AMNH— Truk, 24 (Jan., June, Oct.)— Ponape, 53 (Nov., Dec). Nesting. — Yamashina ( 1932a :408) reports on eggs taken at Ponape on the following dates: July 10, 12, August 1, 12, 15, 21. Only one egg was found to a ne.st. Hartert (1900:8) records nests containing eggs in May and June at Truk. Coultas (field notes) describes the nest as a flimsy affair. At Ponape in No- vember and December he found nests on low branches (10 to 20 feet from the ground) each containing a single egg. Nests were found also in the tops of tree ferns. Females taken in these months had enlarged gonads. Par(m7es.— Bequaert (1939:81, 82, and 1941:266, 290) records the two flies (Hippoboscidae), Omithoctona plicata and 0. pusilla, from the fruit dove at Ponape. Remarks. — McElroy of the NAIMRU2 party found the birds in mountainous areas at Truk in December, 1945. At Ponape in No- vember and December, 1931, Coultas (field notes) comments that the bird is rapidly disappearing owing to persistent hunting by the natives and, at that time, by the Japanese. He found the birds to be strictly forest-living and to frequent the larger fruit-bearing trees of 184 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, the lowlands and the mountain sides. Coultas writes that the Japa- nese hunters attracted the doves by the use of calls. The natives catch the birds with a gum mixture obtained from bread-fruit gum and coconut oil. Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimi (Finsch) Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilopus Hernsheimi Finsch., Joum. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 303. (Type locality, Kuschai.) Ptilopus hernsheimi Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Kuschai); Reichenow and Schalow, Journ. f. Ornith., 1881, p. 75 (Kuschai); Finsch, Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 107, 108 (Kushai); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 583 (Ualan) ; idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 51 (Ualan); Salvador!, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 94 (Ualan); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 222 (Oualan) ; Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Kuschai); Reichenow, Die Vogel, 1, 1913, p. 355 (Kuschai); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 63, 1919, p. 189 (Kusaie). Ptilinopus hernsheimi Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Kusaie). Ptilinopus ponapensis hernsheimi Kuroda, in Momoyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 57 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Kusaie); Peters, Check- list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Kusaie). Ptilinopus marshallianus Peters and Griscom, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 10, 1928, p. 104 (Type locality, Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Ebon). Ptilinopus ponapensis marshallianus Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Ebon). Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimi Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 6 (Kusaie, Ebon); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Ku- saie). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Caroline Islands — Kusaie; Marshall Is- lands — Ebon (extinct?). Characters. — Adults: Resembles P. p. ponapensis, but occiput, nape, sides of head more gray and less greenish-yellow; chin and midthroat paler; crown coloring very faintly margined with yellow; tail band brighter yellow; under tail-coverts more orange; abdominal spot may be present as a brownish-red tinge; abdomen slightly more yellowish. Immature : Resembles immature of P. p. ponapensis. Measurements. — Measurements are listed in table 25. Ripley and Birck- head (1942:7) give the measurements of the only known specimen from Ebon (Marshall Islands) as: wing, 124; tail, 74; bill from base, 15. Specimens examined. — Total number, 11 (6 males, 5 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM— Kusaie, 1 (Feb. 9); AMNH— Kusaie, 10 (Jan., Feb., March, April). Remarks. — I am following Ripley and Birckhead (1942:6) in identifying the dove from Ebon Island as of the subspecies P. p. hernsheimi. This specimen from Ebon may, however, represent the final vestige of a formerly well-distributed population in the Mar- shall Islands. This distribution is of particular interest because it may show the pathway by which these small fruit pigeons invaded eastern Micronesia from Polynesia. Baker: The Avifauna of Micronesia 185 The small fruit dove at Kusaie has apparently the same habitat requirements as others of the species. Coultas (field notes) com- ments that in 1931 the birds were "quite common." He found them in the high trees on the mountain sides away from the native vil- lages and gardens. Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus ■pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 7. (TjTDe locality, Pelew Islands.) Ptilinopus pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Graffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 1, 1873, pi. 7, fig. 5 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 24 (Palau); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 37 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Eth- nogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113, (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Pelew); Mat- hews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 32 (Pelew) ; Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Babeltop, Korror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Babelthuap, Koror). Ptilonopus pelewensis Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Pelew). Ptilopus pelewensis Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 366 (Pelew); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 531 (Palau); Schmeltz, Verhandl. Ver. nat. Unterhatlung Hamburg, 1877 (1879), p. 178 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 44 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Pelew); idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Pelew); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 86 (Pelew); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Pelew); Reichenow, Die Vogel, 1, 1913 p. 354 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew). Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensis Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 7 (Palau); Mayr. Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 60 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo). Geographic range. — Micronesia: Palau Islands — Babelthuap, Koror, Gara- kayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Anguar. Characters. — Adult male : A green fruit pigeon with anterior lores and crown purple, margined with pale j'ellow; forehead paler than crown; chin and mid- throat pale yellow; neck, sides of head, and breast greenish-gray, darker on occiput; feathers of upper breast cross-banded with partly concealed violet bands; abdomen orange, its lower part and region of vent yellow; sides green- ish; tibia grayish; under tail-coverts near "Indian lake" with yellowish-orange edgings; upper parts green; wings metallic green, secondaries and primaries margined on outer webs with yellow; inner secondaries spotted with violet- blue near tips; under wing gray; upper side of tail green with pale yellow terminal band; under side of tail gray; bill lead-colored; feet dark blood-red. Adult female: Resembles adult male, but upper parts greener with upper side of wing and upper tail-coverts washed with olivaceou.s-brown ; breast duskier. Immature resembles adult, but lacks purple crown, violet breast spot, orange abdomen and maroon under tail-coverts; upper and lower parts mar- gined with yellow; forehead pale green; superciliary stripe pale yellow. P. p. peleivensis resembles P. p. ponapensis, but crown more purple; yellow tail-bar narrower; bifurcated, central breast feathers violet; abdomen orange; and under tail-coverts near "Indian lake". Measurements. — Measurements are presented in table 25. 186 University of Kansas Publs.