SULID2E. 435 



THE INDIAN TROPIC Brno. 1 



Length, including elongated central tail-feathers which project 

 from 3 to 5 - 9 inches beyond the rest of the tail, 20 to 23 ; 

 expanse, 37 to 40 ; tail, 7'5 to 10'5 ; wing, 1075 to 1175 j tarsus, 

 1 ; bill at front, 2'4, 



Irides deep brown ; legs and hind-toe with web white, tinged 

 bluish and creamy-yellow ; rest of feet and claws black. 



A broad conspicuous black crescent in front of the eye, and a 

 narrow black line, from the gape to nostrils, and nostrils to cul- 

 men, dividing the feathers from the bill ; the whole forehead, 

 front part of the crown, ear-coverts, and entire lower parts, includ- 

 ing wing lining and axillaries, pure white ; a black line from the 

 posterior angle of the eye, running round the back of the nape, 

 where it forms a more or less conspicuous half-collar ; hind-crown 

 and nape inside the half-collar white, each feather with a 

 triangular black bar near the tip ; carpal joint of wing, four or 

 five posterior primaries, all the secondaries, the primary coverts 

 except those of the first five quills, the greater and median 

 coverts pure white ; winglet, greater-coverts, shafts and 

 outer webs of the first five primaries, together with a 

 narrow stripe along the shaft of the inner web, black ; 

 the extreme tips and inner webs of these feathers white ; 

 tertiaries and their greater- coverts black, narrowly margined on 

 the exterior webs and tipped with white ; the lesser secondary- 

 coverts similar ; the entire back, rump, scapulars and upper 

 tail-coverts white, closely barred with black, the bars being 

 slightly cuspidate on the upper back, and the longest scapulars 

 almost devoid of barring ; tail-feathers white, their bases black 

 shafted, and the lateral feathers mostly with an arrow-head bar 

 or spot near the tips. 



The above description is reproduced from " Stray Feathers." It 

 still remains doubtful whether this is an immature phase of 

 P. cethereus or a new species. 



Several specimens have been obtained at different times on the 

 Mekran Coast. 



TRIBE, Piscatores. 



Feet entirely webFect; the hind-toe articulated on the inner 

 side of the tarsus, directed inwards, and in some slightly forwards 

 joined to the inner front-toe by web, forming a most powerful 

 oar ; legs short ; wings long or moderate ; bill varied. 



FAMILY, Sulidae. 



Bill stout, straight ; wings long ; tail moderate, wedged ; feet 

 fully webbed ; size large ; of oceanic habits. 



GENUS, Sula, Brisson. 



Bill lengthened, compressed, straight, thick at base, acute 

 and compressed at tip ; margin serrated ; culmen convex ; upper 



