AdUe Island, NJV. AaafvaUa. 257 



and of the common Gull of these parts, Lams novte-hol- 

 land'm, Steph. Two or three other species of Terns were 

 observed on the wing, notably the large and powerful Sterna 

 caspia, Pall, (rarely), and Sterna media, Horsf., the 

 latter being abundant and very noisy and restless. One 

 magnificent old Pelican {Pelecanus conspicillatus, Temm.), 

 in full plumage, was most conspicuous among the host of 

 smaller birds, but I could not get within a quarter of a mile 

 of him. I noticed that the shore-haunting Waders {Esacus 

 magnirostris, Haniatopus fuUgimsus, H. longirostris, &c,), 

 usually so abundant on the islands lying off this coast, were 

 either very rare or quite absent ; and only three examples 

 of the Reef-Heron were seen. These, however, were some- 

 what remarkable as to colour, being of a peculiar light 

 greyish ochreous tint, suggesting an intermediate form be- 

 tween the pure white Demiegretta greyi, Gray, and the slate- 

 coloured D.jugularis, Forst. 



On the beach, just above the line of the highest tides, and 

 at intervals of a few yards apart, were little communities of 

 two species of Gannets — the widely-distributed " Booby,'^ 

 Sula fiber, Linn., and the fine dark brown and white S. cya- 

 nops, Suudevall — engaged in incubation. The two species 

 usually kept separate, though occasionally one or two of one 

 kind would be found in a group of the other, apparently not 

 regarded as intruders. Both birds made very similar rude 

 nests of seaweed, about two feet in diameter, and not ex- 

 ceeding three or four inches in height ; but in many cases 

 the eggs were deposited in a mere slight hollow in the sand, 

 without any attempt at a lining. Two eggs were the usual 

 number laid by each bird, those of the S. cyanops (2g^ by 

 1^^ inch) being as a rule rather larger and more elongate 

 in outline than those of the S. fiber, the average measure- 

 ment of which was 2/jj- by l^j^ inch. Both were of the 

 same greenish-white colour, with a dense white chalky 

 coating. Very many of the nests contained young birds — 

 some hatched only that morning and perfectly naked ; others 

 were half the size of the adults, and densely clothed with 

 pure white down. The behaviour of the two birds, when 



SER. VI. VOL. IV. s 



