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the only character to distinguish them by, if indeed correct. Unfortunately this 

 peculiarity cannot often be seen in skins. However, although the measurementa 

 are often tlie same, we have not seen such small individuals as Mr. Hartcrt shot 

 on Aruba, from tiie west coast of America, for examjile, from California and central 

 America, or from the CJalajiagos Islands. All specimens from the west coast are 

 large, and those from the Galapagos group do not, as a rule, excel those from 

 farther north. 



We have received tliis pelican from Albemarle, and Abingdon Islands only, 

 bnt they were seen near and on some of the other isles. A nest with three eggs 

 was found among the mangroves on Indefatigable Island, on September 3rd. The 

 eggs are like those of other pelicans, measuring 78'5 by 51, T8'5 by 50-5, and 72 by 

 ft2o mm. 



Genus SULA Briss. 



fiwla, Brisson, Oni. VI. p. 495 (1700). 



Temperate and tropical seas. 



1. Sula piscatrix websteri Rothscfa. 



SuUi piscator, Ridgway in Proc. U.S. Sat. Mus. XIX. p. 598. 



S«fa u>e6sten, Rothschild in Bull. B. 0. Club, y II. p. 52 (May 1S9S); Grant, Cat. B. Bril. Mm. 

 XXVI. p. 655 (quotation only). 



When Blr. Rothschild described this form, as S. wchstcri, sp. n., in the Bull. B. 

 O. (lab, VII. p. 52, we had only a few specimens, bnt now we have before us three 

 dozen of them, of which twenty-four are in the white plumage. They are mostly 

 from Clarion Island, only six, in various i)lumages, from tlie Galapagos group. 

 Tjie original diagnosis reads as follows : — 



" Adult, in white jjlumage, closely resembling S. piscatrix, having the same 

 hoary-grey on the primaries, but at once distinguishable by its dark brownish-grey 

 tail ; the bill is also more slender, and the red at the base of the mandible is more 

 extended. Young in grey plumage somewhat variable, very different from the 

 young of -S'. piscatrix, being not so dark above, and the feathers of the back uniform 

 brown, not edged with light grey ; Ijelow darker than the young of S. piscatrix. 

 Size of S. piscatrix." 



Hah. Clarion Island, Galajjagos, and the neighbouring seas. 

 Comparing now our series with a large series from the Nortli Pacific and from 

 the West Indian Islands, we find that none of those ever has a brownish-grey tail 

 when in the white breeding-plumage, nor do we find it described in that plumage 

 from anywhere else. Out of our twenty-four white birds from Clarion and the 

 (tahipagos Islands, however, only one has a white tail, and two others have 

 brownish-grey tails with some admixture uf white. All the other twenty-one white- 

 plumnged adult birds, all in breeding plumage, mostly taken from their nests, have 

 the tail brownish grey or greyish brown, with whitish tips to the middle rectrices. 

 In addition to this remarkable character we find that the average measurements of 

 the wing are longer, S. piscatrix piscatri.c having the wing about lo — 15%j, seldom 

 15'7 — lo'8 in., 6'. piscatrix ivebstcri 16 — 16-.) in. in length. The other differences 

 stated in the original description of *S'. wclstcri are not constant when examining 

 a larger series. The bird considered then to be " young " is not in the first 

 idumagc. We have now young birds whicli are like those from other countries, 

 although jierhaps a little darker. It is remarkable that such a large proportion of 



