HULID.K — TlIK GANNETS — Sl.LA. 



17U 



rlmiiKP from the tintt iiluiim^ju to the porluct iwliilt drum mtiitt be a vuiy j^riMliml i)iu«, since Hcurcely 

 twd iiiiliviiliiulM lire exactly alike. In the yi>uii}{esl H|>i!(:iiiieii!t till! Iietiil iiiul neck are li){lit Mnmky 

 ^iiivi.--li| like the h>\vei' iiailH, uonsjileralily paler than the winj^.t, the renii>;es having' a rtli^lit ^lan- 

 ciiUH iMxt. Tiiu tirxt change tDwanl niatnrity is xeeii in the thirkeiiin;^' of thu lieail ami neck (nr 

 li_hli'riiii;{ of the alMhinn-n), so tiiat the liilference in color l)etween the lower |iartn ami the neck is 

 iiiiiii' or lens iliHtinctly marked. It is ((nite |>oMMil)le tiiat this fipecies sdinetimes iH-ciimes almost 

 wholly white, like S. jtucalor, Hince the Hpecimeii ileHuriUtd aliove hh heiiii^ |irolialily the adult in 

 lull lireediiig-dret»H correM()und8 iiuite closely with some HiiecimeiiH oi S. jiiscittur which have nearly 



assumed the white dn-HS of the ])erfect adult. This sta^;e is represented in the collection by a sinj^le 

 sjM rinicn. A phase intermediate U'tween this and the pluma}{e generally coiisidereil the adult 

 (ilii~ky heail, neck, imd breast, and white U!ider j>arts), is represented by two examples, one from 

 Isiilnlla Island, the other from Manzaniiio l^iy (both Western >rexico). This |ihase is similar to 

 the plinnaj,'e usually considered the adult, but the brown of the breast passes ^Miidually into grayish 

 while oil the head. 



Tilt' IJoohy (liiiiiipt liiLs only a limited claim to a place in the fauna of North 

 Aincrica, whore its appearance i.s chiefly accidental on the southern coast from 

 (ieorfiia southward, and alonj^ tlie shores of the (Stilf of Mexico. It is more common 

 aliiMit the Tortuj,'as and aiiion^' tin' Fh)rida Keys, and is said to hreed in some of the 

 islands about the extreme .scmtliern end of Florida. It is found in the West India 

 I.sImikIs, on the northeast coast of South America, and in Central Anierica; and being 

 a >,M('at wanderer, is of accidental occurrence in various i)arts of the ocean. 



.Mr. Salvin mentions that one of this s])ecies came on hoard the steamer in which 

 lie was a passeiif^er, when off the coast of San Salvador; and .Mr. G. V. Taylor speaks 

 (it tills bird as not uncommon aloii}^ the coast of Honduras. If(! saw an imlivifltial 

 (if tills species in Fonseca Hay; and one Hew on board the steamer, on the pas.sago 

 from Tanama to La Union, which had kept company with the vessel for some tim(», 

 ami tlually, after repeated attempts to alight, bad perched in the rigging, where it 

 was caiigiit by a l)oy, 



Professor Alfred Newton states that this s])ecie9 was occasionally met with in tht^ 

 Island of St. Croix ; but he is (piite sure that it does not breed in that vicinity, as it 

 I'vimed altogether too great a partiality for the deejvsca fishery to be seen often on 

 land. One was brought alive to Mr. Kdward Newton in Sc)' nber, 18fl8, which had 

 been taken asleep by a negro. It Wiis of an exceedingly li. i re disposition, refused 

 all fodd, and at last died ; at no time, however, exblbiting anytbing like fear. When 

 between St. Croix and St. Thomas, one of this species flew within a few yards of the 

 sclidniier on whi(;h Mr. Newton was; and he was informed of another that flow go 



L 



