THE BROWN BOOBY. 229 



the second, with a black head and white abdomen, has this space much 

 broader ; and the third, a bird entirely black with iridescent colours, has 

 the naked skin nearly four inches long and one and a half inch wide. 

 According to Mr. Gould, the orbits and gular pouch are deep red ; the bill 

 bluish horn-colour; irides black; feet dark reddish brown. 



The Lesser Frigate-bird appears to be a frequent visitor to the shores of 

 Ceylon. It has been observed on the coast of the Malay peninsula, and 

 must at times visit Burmah. 



It occurs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from China down to Australia 

 and New Zealand ; westwards to the meridian of Ceylon, and eastwards to 

 New Caledonia. 



This bird breeds on Rainess Islet in the Torres Straits, making a nest 

 of sticks either on the ground or on low plants, and it lays either one or 

 two chalky white eggs. 



Family SULID^E. 



Genus DYSPORUS, /%. 



599. DYSPORUS SULA. 

 THE BROWN BOOBY. 



Pelecanus sula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 218. Sula australis, Steph. Gen. Zool. 

 xiii. p. 104 ; Hume, S. F. v. p. 318, viii. p. 110. Sula fusca (Briss.), apud 

 Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 78. Sula fiber (Linn.}, apud Jerd. B. 2nd. ii. p. 851 ; 

 Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 369; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 324, iv. p. 483. Dysporus sula, 

 David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 530. Sula leucogastra (Bodd.), apud Legge, 

 Birds Ceylon, p. 1177. 



Description. Adult. Breast, abdomen, sides of the body, vent and under 

 tail-coverts pure white ; sides of the under tail-coverts, the flanks and the 

 under wing-coverts slightly marked with brown on the edges of the 

 feathers ; the whole remaining plumage umber-brown, the feathers of the 

 back, scapulars and rump edged with whity brown ; those of the fore neck 

 with the white bases showing through in places; quills and tail dark 

 umber-brown. 



The young bird has the upper plumage paler brown, and the lower 

 plumage instead of being white is also pale brown. 



Irides white ; bill creamy white with a bluish tinge in veins ; the pouch, 

 gape, lores and orbital spaces pale hoary greenish yellow ; the legs and 

 feet pale yellow, with a greenish tinge on tarsi ; the claws white with a 

 bluish tinge. (Hume.) 



