538 BIRDS F ROM SEYCHELLES AND riCINITY-RIDGWAY. vol. xviii. 



remiges and reotrices mncli daller, more bro^^^^sll, and^^y~ftiintly 

 glossed. "Irides red, bill and feet black." Leugtli (before skimdno), 

 11.25 inches; wing, 5.30; tail, o.o:^- middle featliers, 4.20; ciilnien (froin 

 extreme base), 1.15; depth of bill throiioh nostril, 0.38- tarsus 9'>- 

 middle toe, O.GO. ? • ' 



No. 128722, ddult female, same locality and collector, October 2, 1892: 

 Above dull slate gray, the margins of the featiun^s on forehead and 

 hind neck and lower part of ruiu]) Jipproaching grayish white; wing- 

 coverts dull greenish slate, indistinctly edged wiUrdull brownish white; 

 remiges and rectrices dull grayish brown, edged with paler. Under 

 parts grayish white, the feathers of the breast, belly, etc., dusky grayish 

 beneath the surface; under wing coverts almost wholly pure white 

 Bill, legs, and feet black; "irides reddish brown." Length (before 

 skinning), 9.75 inches; wing, 4.80; tail, 4.80; middle feathers, 4.08; cul- 

 meu(to concealed base), 1.12; depth of bill through nostril, 0.38- tar- 

 sus, 0.90; middle, toe, 0.00. 



Immature males are variously intermediate in color between the adult 

 male and adult female. 



The collection contains three adult males, two immature males, and 

 one adult female, representing dates from October 2-19, inclusive.' 



"Common, noisy, and quarrelsome, pursuing frigate birds, crows, 

 and other large birds that approach their nests. Breeds in November 

 and December, laying three or four eggs. A lavorite situation is on 

 the branch of a casuarina tree. The nest is open, rather Hat, and 

 firmly and neatly constructed of casuarina needles and some snider 

 webs." (Abbott, MS.) 



Family PLOCETD.E. 



45. FOUDIA ALDABP.ANA, Ridgway. 



Foudia aldahrana, Eipgwav, Proc. U. g. Xat. Mas., XVI. 1898 p 508 fAldabri 

 Island); U.S.N.M. ' ' 



Specific cJmrfwters.—Simnav to F. marla</a,caHe»sls (Linnicus), but 

 very much larger. 



^ Tf/pe.-^o. 128092, U.S.N.M., adult male, Aldabra Island, October 

 o, 1892; Dr. AV. L. Abbott: Head, neck, chest, and upper breast bright 

 scarlet (flame-scarlet on under parts); rest of under parts rather light 

 chrome yellow, tinged with orange on abdomen and with scarlet on the 

 crissum. Lores and orbits black. Back and scapulars light yellowish 

 olive broadly streaked with black ; rump plain light tawnv olive-brown ; 

 upper tad-coverts flame-scariet. Wings dull blackish, all the feathers 

 margined with light olive or olive-yellowish; tail, olive grayish, the 

 feathers edged with yedowvsh olive. "Bill black; irides dark brown; 

 feet brownish flesh." Length (before skinning), 6.50 inches; wing, 3.30; 

 tail,2.10; culmen,0.7.-; depth of bill :it base, 0.50; tarsus, 0.92 ; niiddle 

 toe, 0.05. 



No. 128090, [J-S.^.M., adult fe.ualc, same locality and collector, 



