NATATORES. 419 



hundreds were daily killed during our stay on the island. As 

 this bird resorts to the upper branches alone, it is secure 

 from the attacks of the lizard, so destructive to the Noddy, the 

 animal not being able to climb the branches with sufficient 

 faciUty to capture it; and this may doubtless be one of the 

 causes why it is more numerous than any of the many other 

 birds inhabiting the islands." 



The egg is of a pale stone or cream colour, marked all over 

 with large irregular-shaped blotches of dull chestnut-red and 

 dark brown, the latter appearing as if beneath the surface of 

 the shell ; the blotches are thinly dispersed except at the 

 larger end, where they are largest and most numerous ; it is 

 one inch and three-quarters long by one inch and five six- 

 teenths broad. 



There is no visible difference in the outward appearance of 

 the sexes. 



Crown of the head and back of the neck light ash-colour, 

 passing into deep grey on the mantle and back ; immediately 

 before the eyes a large patch, and behind a smaller one, of 

 jet-black ; posterior half of' the lower and a smaller space on 

 the upper lash snow-white ; throat, forepart of the neck, and 

 all the under surface deep sooty black ; wings and all the 

 under surface of the same colour, but rather browner ; bill 

 black ; tarsi and toes brownish black. 



Total length 12 to 13 inches; tail 2J; wing 8}; tail 5; 

 tarsi ^ ; middle toe and nail 1 1. 



Sp. 615. ANGUS LEUCOCAPILLUS, Gould. 



White-capped Noddy. 

 Anous leucocupillus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiii. p. 103. 



Anons leucocapillus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. pi. 36. 



Examples of this beautiful Tern were presented to me by 

 the late Commander Ince, R.N., by whom they were pro- 

 cured on Raine's Islet, where it was very abundant. It is 



2 E 2 



