Birds' Skins and Eggs from Ascension Island. 279 



flavour. The eggs are generally of a white or bluish-white 

 ground-colour j but the markings vary to every possible shade 

 of red, brown, and purple. Only recently has it been ascer- 

 tained how these eggs may be distinguished from those of 

 Anous stolidus (see notice of that bird) . The series brought 

 home is a very instructive one. 



The youngest still retains on its beak the shell-breaking 

 knob ; the down on the back is of a uniform brown, but each 

 plumule is tipped with white ; the breast is of pure white 

 down; the primaries, which are just visible, show that they 

 intend to be black, transversely barred with white. On 

 emerging from the downy state the young becomes sooty 

 brown on the underparts ; but in course of time this changes 

 to the full white of the adult. The next in age is about a 

 quarter fledged, and shows very plainly the transverse mark- 

 ings right across the back and wings. The third is nearly 

 fledged ; and the markings on the wings begin to be less con- 

 spicuous, whilst those on the back remain. The rest are in 

 perfectly adult plumage, and are probably just completing 

 their moult, as I find an unequal length in their new outer tail- 

 feathers in both my specimens. These birds after the breeding- 

 season scatter themselves over the waters of the North and 

 South Atlantic, occasionally straggling as far as our own coast. 



They are wonderfully powerful flyers, and must at times 

 be for many days on the wing. Even whilst catering 

 for their young they are supposed to travel great distances, 

 as Mr. Gill, whilst one day at the largest " fair,"" caught a 

 bird in his hand with a small fish in its beak which was not 

 recognized as an inhabitant of Ascension waters. This bird 

 must have been fishing at some distance. 



White Noddy [Gygis Candida). 



Two adult birds, three eggs. 



The birds are in fully adult plumage, and appear to have 

 lately moulted, only the tips of the wings being slightly 

 abraded. This beautiful bird is, in many respects, of pe- 

 culiar interest ; and its geographical position here was first 

 established by skins brought home by the ' Challenger ' 



