40 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Tol. 14-No. 8 



Description of a Supposed New Spe- 

 cies of Gannet. 



[From advance sheets of "Contributions to Science."] 



The following is a description of a species of 

 Gannet that I obtained on the island of Little 

 Cayman, in April, 1888. Misled by circum- 

 stances, and having no convenient opportunity 

 of comparing the specimens taken with other 

 species, I supposed, initil recently, that they 

 were the Blue-faced Gannet (Sula cyanops,); 

 greatly to my surprise, however, ujion looking 

 up the matter, I find that they not only differ 

 very much from that species, but are unlike 

 any other Gannet that I ever saw, or that I find 

 described. This is the species given by Mr. 

 Cory as Sula cyanops, in a list of birds taken 

 by me on Cayman Brae and Little Cayman, 

 published in the Auk for January, 1889, pages 

 .31 and .32. I have dedicated the species to Mr. 

 Charles B. Cory, who has done more than any- 

 one else towards extending our kuov.iedge of 

 West Indian birds. 



SULA COEVI Novo. 

 Cory's Gannet. 



DKSCHIPTIOX. 



Sp. C/i. Color, similar to that of the Com- 

 mon Gannet {Sula haftfiana), but the form and 

 size are those of the Red-faced Gannet {Sula 

 piscator), from which it differs, even in the 

 young of the second year, in having tlie tail 

 wholly white. 



Form, rather slender. Size, small. Bill, 

 quite smooth, without showing the scaling, 

 usually so prominent in members of this 

 genus, very much ; there is a groove extending 

 from the base of the upper mandible to near 

 the tip; an inch from the tip, an oblique 

 groove, about ..30 long, extends to the top of 

 the bill, but does not quite meet its fellow on 

 the opposite side, and there is a notched scale 

 on either side, in front of the gape, with the 

 division from the bill prominent in front, 

 but to which the skin of the face adheres 

 above. The lower mandible is wholly without 

 grooves or scales. In form, the upper mandi- 

 ble is considerably depressed along the cul- 

 men, and but slightly swollen at the base, 

 while terminally, beyond the upward branch- 

 ing groove, it is strongly curved. The outline 

 of the lower mandible shows a slightly upward 

 curve, then is a very little swollen near the tip, 

 below the curve of tlie upper. Both mandibles 

 are depressed on the sides for two-thirds their 

 length, and are toothed for a little more tlian 



one-half their terminal length, the teeth being 

 irregular in size, and pointing backward. The 

 face is naked about .25 on the forehead, and 

 curves back of the forehead about the same 

 distance, then descends obliquely backward to 

 within .05 of the gape,, where the gitla sac 

 begins. The gula sac is not prominent nor 

 much wrinkled, and the feather outline at the 

 base is very nearly straight, being .but slightly 

 curved forward. The feet are rather slender; 

 the tarsus is about half the length of the mid- 

 dle toe and claw; the hind toe is half the 

 length of the inner; the inner, with its claw, is 

 somewhat shorter than the middle without the 

 claw, while the middle and outer, without the 

 claws, are equal; the claws are all strongly 

 curved, and those of the hind and outer toes 

 are equal in size, while tliat of the inner is one- 

 fourth longer, and that of the middle, one- 

 third longer than it. The claw of the middle 

 toe is pectinated, the notches being iiregular. 



The scalings on the tarsi are fine, and five 

 angled, as are those on the webs; on the toes, 

 at the joints, and terminally, the scales extend 

 quite across, elsewhere on the toes they are 

 double. 



The outlines of the webs betw een the front 

 toes are nearly straight, while that between 

 the hind and inner toes is curved outward, and 

 all of the webs grow forward, at point of junc- 

 tion terminally, encroaching on the nail. 



The wings are long, narrow, and pointed; 

 the first quill is longest, and the others shorter 

 in gradual succession, the difference between 

 each being about 1.25. In the closed wing, the 

 longest secondary reaches a point between the 

 4t]i and 5th primaries. The inner scapularies 

 are but slightly elongated, and are not acutely 

 pointed. Tail, pointed, the two central feath- 

 ers being one-fourth longer than the next pair, 

 then the gradation is about .75, but the outer 

 are not quite one-half as long as the middle. 



Birds in tlie mixed dress and in the brown 

 plumage, being younger, have the groovings 

 on the bill deeper, and consequently the scal- 

 ings are more prominent. In this stage, the 

 tail is not as long. 



Birds in the first feathers, which have never 

 flown at all, have the groovings of the bill less 

 strongly marked than the adults, the middle 

 toe is but slightly notched, the 2d primary is a 

 little longer than the 1st, and all of the pri- 

 maries are sharjily pointed, but they are at 

 least .25 narrower than those of the adults, 

 while, on the other hand, the tail feathers are 

 not only (excepting the central) longer, but 

 are, at least, .25 broader than those of the 



