THE LACCADIVES AND THE WEST COAST. 461 
and Cowrattee, and it probably occurs at every single island. 
It does not, however appear to breed in the islands, or to 
remain there during the hot season or monsoons. 
The specimens obtained were all of the European type and 
not of the deeper-colored race resident in Southern India. 
43.—Cuncuma leucogaster, Gmel. 
We only once met with this species anywhere in the group, 
and there we saw a single bird of this species soaring for 
hours high above the island of Amini. The people to whom 
I pointed it out declared that they had never seen a specimen 
of it about the islands before, though several of them knew it as 
common along the coast. We cannot of course quite believe 
that this was a special manifestation for our benefit, but we 
may certainly accept the fact, that it is only a very rare 
straggler to these islands. 
I have already (supra, p. 423,) made some remarks about the 
habits of this species, which I had many opportunities of 
watching closely at Pigeon Island, and I may here record a 
few particulars in regard to specimens there obtained. Three 
adults measured in the flesh :— 
Length; Expanse; Tail,fromvent; Wing; Tarsus; Billfromgape; Weight. 
29”6 82” 1175 23-0 4-0 27°65 6lbs. 
3 26°5 73" 9-9 206 3°75 23 ‘dibs, 
3 26-75 = 74!"B 9°83 210 4’0 2" 4 4'8lbs, 
The irides were brown; the legs and feet white, more or 
less tinged with a greenish brown, sea-weed-like colour on the 
soles and edges of the scales; the claws black; the cere and 
gape pale leaden colour; the lower mandible pale blue, brown- 
ish at the tip ; the upper, pale somewhat leaden brown, bluish 
at junction with cere. 
I noticed that in the very young birds the legs and feet 
are a beautiful white, with the faintest possible pink or blue 
tinge, but as they get older these parts, especially on the soles 
and edges of the scales, acquire a dirty greenish sea-weedy 
appearance. 
The plumage of the adult has been often well described— 
not so I think that of the nestling. A young female from the 
nest, fully fledged but not able to fly, the primaries being 
only half developed, had the whole of the top and the sides 
of the head a rather pale wood brown, every feather tipped 
with yellowish white; the back and sides of the neck, inter- 
scapulary region and scapulars, rich purplish brown, each feather 
tipped with buff, or in the larger scapulars, buffy white; the 
primaries, black; the secondaries and greater coverts, blackish 
