SULIDiE. 851 



Gen. SuLA, Brisson. 



Syn. Di/sporus, Illiger. 



Char. — Bill lengthened, compressed, straight, thick at the base, 

 acute and compressed at the tip ; margin serrated ; culmen convex ; 

 upper mandible furrowed ; nostrils minute, almost impervious, in 

 along groove, supposed to be wanting; wings very long; tail 

 moderately long, wedge-shaped ; tarsus short ; claw of the middle 

 toe pectinated externally. 



The Gannets are much on the wing, from which they always 

 take their prey, plunging down on it from a considerable height, 

 some into the water, others catching their prey (flying-fishes) in 

 the air. Their legs are not placed very far backwards, and they 

 can walk with the body horizontal. Sundevall remarks that they fly 

 somewhat heavily, with considerable flapping of their wings; that 

 they are found far out at sea, but generally over bauks, where the 

 water is not very deep, and that, like the Tropic-birds, they often 

 look behind them during flight. He also states that he saw them in 

 small flocks in winter, but either alone or in pairs in June and July. 

 They are well known to sailors for their stupidity, alighting on 

 vessels and allowing themselves to be caught easily. They nestle 

 on rocks, and lay a single egg. Two species are occasionally 

 found in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The first 

 species is separated by Bonaparte as Dysporus. 



998. Sula fiber, Linn^us. 



Pelecanus apud Linn^us — Blyth, Cat. 1738 — Gould, Birds 

 of Australia, VII, pi. 78— P. sula Linn. 



The Booby. 



Descr. — Above dark-brown, darkest on the back, quills and 

 tail ; lower parts white. 



Length 26 to 29 inches; wing 16^; tail 7|; bill at front 4 ; tar- 

 sus 1| ; middle toe 3;^. The young has the lower parts also brown. 



This species occurs in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, 

 and I received a specimen from the Malabar Coast. Mr. Blyth in- 

 formed me that one captured on board a Cape Steamer disgorged a 

 quantity of flying-fish; he believes that it occurs chieily where 



