BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. I9I 



FAM. SULID^ 



GANNETS. 



SULA FIBER. (Ltnn.) 

 Booby Gaxnet. 



Adult Male. — Head, throat, upper part of breast, tail, and entire 

 upper plumage, dark olive-brown; under parts, white; gular sack, 

 pale yellow ; upper mandible, greenish ; feet, pale yellowish green ; 

 iris, yellowish. 



Length 27, wing 15.50, tail S, tarsus 1.60, bill 4. 



About the ist of February this species rei^airs to the desolate 

 and uninhabited keys to breed. At the Miraporvos we procured a 

 number of the old birds as well as a few fully fledged j^oung ones, but 

 they were evidently preparing to leave. Dr. Bryant gives an inter- 

 esting account of an earlier visit to these breeding-grounds. He 

 says, " My first visit to one of their breeding-places was made on the 

 loth of April, at St. Domingo Key, which lies thirty-three miles 

 south of Great Ragged Island, and is at the very extremity of the 

 southern point of the bank, entirely out of the range of vessels of 

 any kind, and is probably never visited except occasionally by people 

 from Ragged Island, who go there to collect the eggs of the Noddy. 

 The key is about three or four acres in extent, so low that in storms 



