704 Mr. M. J. Nicoll on the Birds collected and 



Thinga subarquata Giildenst. 



Ancylochilus subarquatus Sharpe, Cat. B. B. M. xxiv. p. 164. 



Tringa ferruginea Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 527. 



Adult female. 



Several Curlew Sandpipers were met with in company 

 with Sanderlings, Turnstones, &c. The example obtained was 

 just assuming the breeding-plumage by moult, but the new 

 feathers on the mantle are black with no sign of any rufous 

 on them. This colour on these feathers must therefore 

 be due to an infusion of colouring pigment or some other 

 form of colour-change, as it is not possible that the breeding- 

 plumage could be assumed by a double moult. It seems to 

 me that at present Ave know scarcely anything certain about 

 the changes of plumage of birds. 



Demieoretta sacra (Gm.). 



Demiegretta gularis Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 530 (Aldabra) . 



Demiegretta sacra Sharpe, Cat. B. B. M. xxvi. p. 137. 



One female. 



This Heron is extremely abundant on Aldabra and 

 is very tame. The example obtained is in very curious 

 plumage, nearly every feather being half blue and half white 

 longitudinally. As these Herons are very partial to the 

 shallow wells or pools of fresh water in the coral near the 

 Settlement, all these reservoirs have to be covered with dead 

 bushes to prevent the birds from fouling them. 



Sterna melanauchen Temm. 



Sterna melanauchen Saunders, Cat. B. B. M. xxv. p. 126; 

 Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. p. 526. 



One adult female. 



I saw several of these beautiful Terns in the lagoon at 

 Aldabra. 



Sula piscator (Linn.). 



Sula piscator Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. p. 531. 

 This Gannet is abundant at Aldabra. I did not see any 

 of the " white-tailed "' phase. 



