SULIDJK SULA 17 



This genus, containing the Gannets and the Boobies, is found 

 throughout the temperate and tropical seas of the world ; about 

 eleven different species have been described ; only one of these- 

 is at all abundant about the South African coasts, while two others 

 probably occur occasionally. 



Key of the Species. 



A. A narrow bare line of black sldn running down 



the front of the neck for nearly six inches ... S. capensis, p. 17. 



B. Throat naked, but with no bare line running 



down the front of the neck. 



a. Plumage above and below pure white ......... S. cyanops ad. p. 20. 



b. Plumage above deep sooty brown. 



a 1 . Larger, wing 17 to 18 ........................... S. cyanops, juv. p. 20. 



6 1 . Smaller, wing 14 to 15 ........................... S. leucogastra. p. 21. 



569. Sula capensis. Malagash. 



Dysporus capensis, Licht., Verz. Doull. p. 86 (1823). 



Sula capensis, La-yard, B. S. Afr. p. 379 (1867) ; Gurney, in Andersson's 



B. Damaral. p. 365 (1872); Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 87; Butler,- 



Feilden and Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 429 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. 



Afr. p. 775 (1882) ; Swinburne, Pr. E. Phys. Soc. Edin. ix, p. 



201 (1886) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 161 (1896) ; W. L. Sclater, Ibis, 



1896, p. 521 ; 1904, pp. 81-4 ; Grant, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 429 (1898) ; 



Eeichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 84 (1900) ; Harris, Essays and Photos. 



p. 191, pis. xxi, In (1901). 

 " Cape Gannet " of some authors. 



Description. Adult. General colour pure white with a slight 

 straw-coloured wash on the crown, sides of the head and nape ; 

 wing-quills and primary coverts and tail-feathers brownish black, 

 the latter with white shafts. Tail of twelve feathers. 



Iris whitish ; eyelids light blue ; bill pale bluish, naked skin 

 round the eye extending about six inches down the throat as a 

 narrow band, black ; legs black, line of large scales running down 

 the front of the tarsus, and along the front of the toes pale blue, 

 claws horny w T hite. 



Length (in flesh) 350 ; wing 18-75; tail 8-0; culmen 3-75; 

 tarsus 2-10. 



A young bird is dark smoky brown throughout flecked with 

 white, each feather except those of the wing-quills and tail having 

 a triangular white spot at the tip ; in a later stage the feathers 

 2 VOL. iv. 



