892 Birds of Celebes: Sulidae. 



+ 379. SULA LEUCOGASTER (Bodd.). 

 Booby Gannet. 



This wide-spread species seems to be smaller in size in the Atlantic than 

 in the Pacific Ocean. There not being sufficient material in the Dresden Museum 

 for a pro]3er geographical study of the species, the following references bear 

 only upon its occurrence in the Celebesian Province: 



a. Sula fiber (nee L.); (1) Schl., Mus. P.-B., Pelecani, 1863, 41; (2) Salvad., Ucc. Borneo 



1874, 3G9; (S) Briigg., Abh. Ver. Bremen 1876, V, 464; (4) Rosenberg, Malay. 

 Ai-cHp. 1878, 279. 



b. Dysporus sula (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, Vni, 106; (2) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 145; 



(3) W. Bias., J. f. 0. 1883, 140. 



c. Sula fusca (1) v. Musscbenbr., N. T. Ned. Ind. 1876, XXXVI, 380. 



Sula leueogaster (Bodd.j; (1) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 1177; (2) Salvad., Orn. Pap. 1882, 



in, 421; (3) Meyer, Isis, Dresden 1884, 6, 57; (4) W. Bias., Ornis 1888, 633; 



(5) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresd. 1896, Nr. 1, p. 15. 

 Adult. Entii'e upper parts, witb tbi'oat and jugulum, warm bistre-brown; remaining under 



parts white (ad., Atlantic Ocean, Nr. 11101). 

 Young. Paler and greyer brown, the under parts whitish brown, instead of white frf juv.. 



Gulf of Boni, 19. I. 95: Sarasin Coll.). 

 Measurements (two young examj^les from Celebes;. Wing 395, 430 mm; tail 215, 215; tarsus 



35, 45; middle toe and claw c. 88; exposed culmen 83, 105. 

 Distribution (as a species). Most of the tropical and subtropical seas of the globe. — In 



the Celebesian Province: Celebes (v. Rosenberg a 4, v. Musschenbroek c 1, 



P. & F. Sarasin 5); Sangi Islands — Great Sangi and Siao (Meyer 3). 



Some half dozen examples of this Gannet have been recorded from Celebes, 

 where, according to v. Rosenberg, it appears at times in flocks of 10 — 12, 

 chasing the shoals of fish swimming near the surface. The habits of the species 

 have been well described by Dr. Bryant and others (see Baird, Brewer and 

 Ridgway, Water B. N. Am. 1884, II, 181; Gould, Hb. B. Austr. 1865, II, 507). 

 The birds breed in colonies, and two white eggs are laid on the sand, rock, etc., 

 or in a nest slovenly made of dried herbage ; the young are at first naked and 

 livid blue in colour, but soon become covered with white down. 



Sula piscatrix (L.). 



This species has not yet, so far as we know, been recorded actually from 

 Celebes, but Biittikofer (Zool. Erg. Weber's Reise 1893, III, 285 mentions the 

 skeleton of a Gannet shot between Madura and Celebes as belonging to this 

 species, and it is certain ultimately to be found on the coasts. The adult is 

 easily distinguishable from ^S. leueogaster by its white plumage (except the remiges 

 and greater wing-coverts, which are dusky grey); the young is not always easy 

 to distinguish, but in life it has red feet, the young of -S. leueogaster greenish 

 yellow legs and feet. 



