306 . CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



adults there are not more than one or two white feathers on the 

 whole chin and throat ; in others there is a well-marked 

 pure white streak from the tip of the chin down the centre 

 of the throat fully four inches in length, and between these 

 two extremes every intermediate amount of white occurs. 

 There is a broad full occipital crest about an inch long, but 

 without the two or more very elongated feathers, such as 

 J), gularis exhibits ; (as to other differences between the present 

 species and gularis, vide Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 254). 



In some quite young birds only just able to fly, the 

 general color is somewhat duller and less dark. The whole 

 under-surface is paler and duller, the throat streak is much 

 broader, the elongated breast and back feathers are entirely 

 wanting, and the crest is only indicated. Birds are met 

 with apparently not very young in which the back is strongly 

 tinged with brown, in which the quills, especially the seconda- 

 ries, are brown rather than slatey, and in which the under 

 parts and the neck are a good deal mottled with a dull 

 wood brown. One specimen, apparently an old adult, everywhere 

 blackish slatey with about five white feathers only on the throat, 

 has a large pale wood brown patch on the upper breast, at the 

 base of the throat. It is quite clear that the nestlings are 

 sometimes at any rate ashy like the adults ; we shot two such 

 on Trinkut, they are quite young birds with the down still peep- 

 ing out through the feathers, and only just able to fly, with 

 little short beaks about two-thirds the length of that of an old 

 adult ; but as regards color all that can be said is that on the 

 upper surface they are a little paler, and on the lower surface 

 somewhat browner than adults. 



On this subject too I reproduce a note given me some 

 years ago by the late Colonel Tytler. He says :— (l This 

 species is very common on Ross Island and all the rock- 

 bound coasts of the Great Andaman and the minor islands. 

 They are solitary birds, seldom more than one being seen at a 

 time, though occasionally a pair may be seen flitting across the 

 bay together, but invariably separating when they approach 

 the land. They apppear to breed either on the rocks or on 

 stunted bushes, growing amongst, the rocks. They lay as many 

 as five or six eggs, very similar to those of Ardeola leucoptera. 

 The nestlings are covered with a dark slate-colored down, 

 which, as time progresses, is replaced by dark slatey feathers. 

 These again becoming somewhat darker in the breeding season. 

 I have had a dozen young ones at a time and have reared them 

 all on fish." 



