1 



298 SULIDiE, GANNETS. GEN. 273. 



cranial characters appear under two aspects, one peculiar to the pelicans, the other 

 common to the rest of the order. (Huxley.) The sternum is short and broad, 

 with transverse, entire or emarginate, posterior border ; the apex of the furculum 

 commonly, if not always, anchyloses with the sternal keel. The upper arm bones 

 are very long ; the tibia does not develop the long proximal apophysis seen in 

 many Pygopodes. The carotids are double. 



The species of this order are few — apparently not over fifty, of which the 

 cormorants represent half — very generally distributed over the world. 



Family SULIDiE. Gannets. 



Bill rather longer than the head, cleft to beyond the eyes, very stout at the base, 

 tajDering and a little decurved toward the tip, which however is not hooked, the 

 tomia irregularly serrate, or rather lacerate. Nostrils abortive. Gular sac little 

 developed, but naked. "Wings rather long, pointed. Tail long, stiff, wedge-shaped, 

 12-14-feathered. Feet more nearly beneath centre of equilibrium than in some other 

 families of this order. General configuration somewhat that of a goose ; body 

 stout ; neck rather long ; head large, uncrested ; plumage compact. 



Gannets are large heavy sea-birds of various parts of the world. There are only 

 five or six well established species, of which the two following, with the S. piscator 

 of the Indian Ocean, and the Australian S. cyanops, are the principal ones. They 

 are piscivorous, and feed by plunging on their prey from on high, when they are 

 completely submerged for a few moments ; but they do not appear to dive from the 

 surface of the water, like cormorants. The gait is firm ; the flight vigorous and 

 protracted, performed with alternate sailing and flapping. Although so hcavj', they 

 swim lightly, owing to the remarkable pneumaticity of the body, already noticed. 

 They are highly gregarious ; the common gannet congregates to breed in almost 

 incredible numbers on rocky coasts and islands, of high latitudes, while the booby 

 similarly assembles on the low shores of warmer seas. The nest is a rude bulky 

 structure of sticks and seaweed, placed on the rock or in low thick bushes ; the egg, 

 generally single, is plain in color and encrusted with calcareous matter. Both 

 sexes appear to incubate ; they are alike in color, the j^oung being different. 



273. Genus SULA Brisson. 



.,5^w Common Gannet. Solan Goose. White, with black primaries, the head 

 washed with amber-yellow ; bill not yellow ; lores, sac and feet blackish. 

 Young : dark brown speckled with white, below from the neck grayish-white, 

 each feather darker-edged ; quills and tail blackish. Length about 31 ; extent 

 60; wing 17-21; tail about 10; bill 4. Atlantic Coast; swarming in sum- 

 mer at certain northern breeding places, S. to the Gulf of Mexico in winter. 

 NuTT., ii, 495 ; Aud., vii, 44, pi. 425 ; Lawe. in Bd., 871. . bassana. 



fW Booby Gannet. Brown; below from the neck white ; bill and feet yellow. 

 Young : grayish-brown, merely paler below ; bill dusky. Rather smaller 

 than the last. S. Atlantic and Gulf States, very abundant. Nutt., ii, 500; 

 Aud., vii, 57, pi. 426; Lawk, in Be, 872 fiber. 



Family PELECANIDiE. Pelicans. 



Bill several times as long as the head, comparatively slender but strong, straight, 

 broad, flattened, ending with a distinct claw-like hook. Mandibular rami joining 



