Hamilton. — On the Brotcn Gannet, etc. 129 



matter is not the stranger's visit, but that it has not been re- 

 corded before this, for the Brown Gannet, or Booby (Sula 

 fusca) has been obtained in nearly all the temperate regions of 

 the globe, in many cases doubtless as a straggler ; but now a 

 specimen has been shot here in the bay, and is before you this 

 evening very nicely preserved by Mr. Yuille. Mr. Smith, of 

 the Masonic Hotel, has added the specimen to his collection, 

 which is becoming extremely interesting and valuable. I have 

 had considerable trouble in looking up any description of this 

 species, which is common in the Atlantic, but at last found a 

 good account in a work by Lathom, published in 1785, rather 

 more than a hundred years ago. This I have transcribed, and 

 have added a few particulars from other sources respecting the 

 habits of the bird. 



Lathom's " General Synojjsis of Birds " (17S5), Vol. Hi., Ft. 2,]]. 612. 



Common Booby : — 



Pelecanus Sula. Lin. Syst., 1, p. 218, 7. 



Le Fou. Briss. Orn., vi., p. 495, 1 ; Buf. Ois., viii., p. .368, pi. 29. 



Anseri Bassano congener fusca avis. Eaii. Syn., p. 191, 6; Sloan, 



Jam., p. 322., t. 271, fig. 2. 

 Booby. Brown, Jam., p. 481 ; Catesby, Car. 1, pi. 87. 



Description. — Size of the lesser gannet : length, 2ft. 6in. The bill 

 nearly 4Jin. long, toothed on the edges, and of a grey colour ; base of it 

 pale-brown ; space round the eyes, and the chin, bare of feathers, and 

 co%-ered with a j-ellowish skin ; irides pale-grey ; the head, neck, upper 

 parts of the body, wings and tail, cinereous-brown ; the greater quills 

 much the darkest ; the tail brownish at the end, and in shape greatly 

 cuneiform; the breast, belly, thighs, and vent white; legs pale-yellow; 

 claws grey. 



Catesby observes that these vary — some have white bellies, and others 

 not — and that there is no perceivable difference between male and 

 female. The j'oung birds have the head and neck white, with a slight 

 tinge of brown ; but may be distinguished from having the feathers of 

 those parts downy and soft, and not the usual texture. 



Place. — Inhabits the Bahama Islands ; and we believe likewise very 

 common in many other parts of the world. One specimen came from 

 Cayenne. It probably may be the sort mentioned by Dampier as being 

 so plentiful in the Island of Aves, eight or nine leagues east of Buenos 

 Ayres, which is described as a very simple creature, that will hardly go 

 out of a man's way. These are said to build their nests on the ground 

 in places where no trees grow, but make them on the last whenever they 

 can be found. The flesh is black and fishy, yet is often eaten by the 

 privateers. Is also met with in New Guinea.* This has been seen at 

 Kamtschatka;t is found in the Faeroe Isles ; and has also been met with 

 on our own coasts [England] a few years since. :J 



The term "booby" is applied by navigators more parti- 

 cularly to the Brown Gannet (Sulci fusca), which inhabits the 

 desolate islands and coasts where the climate is warm, or even 

 temperate, throughout the greater part of the globe. The ap- 



* Bosman. " A New Description of the Coast of Guinea." 1721. 



t Ellis., Nar., ii., p. 189. 



\ " Arctic Zoology," by Thos. Pennant. 1784. 



