506 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



down the centre of the throat nearly black ; front of the tarsi 

 and toes sickly greenish yellow ; webs brown. 



Total length 33 inches ; bill 5^ ; wing 19 ; tail 10 ; tarsi 2. 



Sp. 662. SULA CYANOPS, Sundevall 



Masked Gannet. 



Sula personata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiv. p. 21. 



cyanops, Sundevall, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de I'Acad. Sci., 1856. 



Sula personata, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. vii. pi. 77. 



In the course of the present work I have had frequent oc- 

 casion to mention in terms of praise the great assistance ren- 

 dered to myself and to the cause of Ornithological science by 

 the officers of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Rear- 

 Admiral Stokes ; and I have now the pleasure of placing on 

 record the services also rendered to me by the officers of 

 H.M.S. Fly, under the command of Captain Blackwood, to 

 whose investigations, while engaged in surveying Torres' 

 Straits, we are indebted for our knowledge of the fine Gannet 

 here represented, as well as for several other interesting 

 species. 



The Masked Gannet was found breeding in considerable 

 numbers on Raine's Island ; the egg, which is rather length- 

 ened in form, is two inches and five-eighths long by one inch 

 and three-quarters broad, and of a dirty white, stained or 

 clouded all over with reddish brown. 



I did not succeed in procuring examples of this bird during 

 my own researches in Australia, but it once came under 

 my observation during my voyage from Hobart Town to 

 Sydney, when on approaching Sydney Heads my attention 

 was attracted by the darkly coloured face of a Gannet, show- 

 ing very conspicuously as the bird flew round the ship, but 

 unfortunately at too great a distance for a successful shot. 



The whole of the plumage of both sexes is pure white, with 



