IN JERDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 447 



Adult Female.— Undistinguishable from the male in plu- 

 mage. 



Young. — Forehead dull white ; a patch in front of the eye, 

 crown and nape black ; hiud neck white ; upper parts dull 

 ashy, with a brownish tinge, the feathers being washed with 

 dull light brown towards the tips ; forepart of the back nearly 

 black ; wings and tail as in the adult, but rather duller; under- 

 pays white ; the aides of the breast marked with dull blackish. 



Adult in Winter. — Resembles the bird last described, but has 

 the upper parts clearer grey and not marked with brown, and the 

 dark markings on the sides of the breast are wanting. — Dresser, 

 " Birds of Europe.'" 



990 ter. — Gygis alba, Sparrm. 



There is a specimen of this species in the Leyden Museum, 

 which was obtained by Dussumier, in the Bay of Bengal, and 

 I myself have twice seen what I believe to have been this 

 species. 



The bird is recognizable at once by its snow-white 

 plumage, with only the shafts of the quills blackish, its rather 

 large black bill, conical, pointed, large at the base, slightly 

 bent upwards, the augle of the gonys large and projecting. 

 Feet orange, feeble ; tarsi short ; the interdigital membranes 

 deeply incised ; tail graduated, approaching in shape that of 

 Anous. Wing, 9'75 to 10-25; bill at front, 1-6 to 175; 

 tarsus, 0*5. 



1000 bis.— Fregata minor, Gm. 



" This is less than the last, (Fregata aquila), and measures only 

 two feet nine inches in length ; extent from wing to wing, 

 five feet and a half. The bill five inches long, and red ; the 

 base of it, and bare space round the eye, of the same colour ; 

 the nostrils are sufficiently apparent, and appear near the base ; 

 shape of the bill as in the larger one ; the head, hind part of 

 the neck, and upper parts of the body and wings are ferru- 

 ginous brown ; the throat, forepart of the neck, and breast, 

 white ; tail greatly forked, as in the other ; legs of a dirty 

 yellow. 



" In my collection there is a bird very similar to this, if not 

 the same ; general colour of the plumage a full black ; breast 



