SULA. 147 
This Gannet, or Booby, is found over the greater part of the tropical and subtropical 
seas, with the exception of the Pacific coast of America, where S. nebouai takes its place. 
Mr. Townsend noticed it on Swan Island throughout the month of March. Salvin 2 
met with specimens of this species in 1862 on the islands off the coast of British 
Honduras, where they were nesting on Half-Moon Cay. He states that there were 
very few mangroves at the place, but the southern portion of the Cay, as well as the 
whole windward side, was covered with “ bush,” where they bred in numbers. Every iree 
had four or five nests. The birds were sitting about, with gaping beaks, completely 
overcome by the intense heat of the sun, so much so that he thought they were dead ; 
others were resting against a branch, with their heads hanging down and eyes shut. 
‘The name of Booby is most appropriate, as they took all interference with the utmost 
indifference, and with a complaisant grave expression that was laughable to watch. 
It was impossible to rouse the birds, even when he pulled their tails or fought them 
for their eggs, nor could he succeed in getting up any excitement in the colony. It 
was too hot to climb many trees, and, after a long search, he only succeeded in securing 
four rotten eggs, which were of a chalky-white colour. 
4. Sula websteri. 
Sula bassana (nec Linn ), Grayson, Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H. xiv. p. 302°. 
Sula websteri, Rothsch. Bull. B. O. C. vii. p. ii (1898)*; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 
xxvi. p. 655°; Anthony, Auk, xv. pp. 314‘*, 316°, 317°. 
Sula piscatrix webster, Rothsch. & Hartert, Nov. Zool. vi. p. 1777. 
S. piscatort similis, quoad magnitudo et colores, sed cauda saturate cana: rostro quoque graciliore, et 
rubedine rostri basali magis extensa distinguenda (teste Rothschild, 1. c.). 
Hab. Revituaeicepo Is. San Benedicte I. (Anthony+4), Socorro I. (Grayson 12, 
Anthony °), Clarion I. (Webster **, Anthony °); Mexico, Isabel I.* (Grayson 1),— 
GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO 7, 
S. webstert, of which we have not been able to examine a specimen, is described by 
Mr. Rothschild as resembling S. piscator in dimensions, and in the white plumage and 
hoary grey on the primaries; but it may be at once distinguished by its dark grey 
tail; the bill is also more slender and the red on the base of the mandible is more 
extended. The young, when in the grey plumage, are somewhat variable, but differ 
much from those of S. piscator, being paler above and darker below, while the feathers 
of the back are a uniform brown and not edged with light grey. Mr. Nelson believes 
this to be the bird which Grayson! reported from Isabel Island as &. lassana, but 
the species was not seen by him. 
Of the three species observed on the Revillagigedo Islands, Mr. Anthony found 
this to be by far the most abundant on San Benedicte, nesting on rocks in the thick 
grass all over the island. He took fresh eggs on May Ist, and on May 17th found a 
* Grayson calls this island “Isabella” and Nelson “Isabel”: the latter is correct. 
19* 
