BIRDS— SULIDAE — SULA FIBER, 871 



Family SULIDAE. 



Ch — Bill rather long, straight, sides compressed, very strong, tapering to the point, which is a little decurved ; nostrils 

 hardly observable ; wings very long ; tail long and cuneate ; toes long and all joined by full webs ; gular sac moderate. 



Prince Bonaparte has placed our Booby Gannet in the genus Dysporus, 111., but I have not 

 considered there was sufficient generic distinction to separate it from S. hassana, and have, 

 therefore, admitted but one genus as existing in North America under this sub-family. 



SULA, Brisson. 



Sula, Bkiss. Ornith. 1760. Type PeUcanua hassanus. 



Ch. — Bill rather longer than the head, straight, stout at the base, with the sides compressed, grooved near the tip, which is a 

 little curved, the cutting edges serrated irregularly ; nostrils basal and scarcely perceptible ; wings lengthened ; tail rather long 

 and much graduated ; tarsi short and stout ; toes long and joined together by full webs ; claws moderate, the middle one 

 serrated ; gular sac rather moderate. 



These birds usually frequent almost inaccessible rocky islands, where they congregate in great 

 numbers during the season of reproduction, at other times migrating along the coast. Their 

 flight is rapid, powerful, and long continued. 



The two species of this genus which are found in North America may be thus distinguished : 



Bill bluish grey ; naked skin around the eye and on the throat blackish blue ; plumage 

 white, with the primaries brownish black , S. hassana. 



Bill bright yellow ; bare space around the eye and on the throat yellow ; head, neck, and 

 upper plumage brown ; breast and abdomen white F. fiber. 



SULA, Brisson . 

 SULA BASSANA, (Linnaeus.) 



Common Gannet; Solan Goose. 



Pekcanus bassanus, Linn. Syst Nat. 1766, 217. 



Sula bassana, BriSs. Orn. 1760.— Bon. Synop. 1828, No. 359.— Ib. Cons. Av. II, 1855, 165.— Nott. Man. II, 1834, 495.— 



Add. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 222.— Ie. Syn.. 1839, 311.— Ie. Bird's Am. VII, 1844, 44; pi. ccccxxv. 

 Dysporus bassanus, 111. Prodr. 1811, 279. 

 Svla ameriama, Bon. Comp. List, 1838, 60. 

 Sp. Ch. — General coloi- of the plumage white; bill bluish grey; bare space around the eye and on the throat blackish blue ; 

 primaries brownish black, first longest. 



AduU. The color of the plumage generally is white, the head and hind neck being of a fine buff yellow ; alula and primaries 

 brownish black ; shafts white for about two-thirds their length from the base, thence gradually becoming dark brown ; bill pale 

 bluish grey, greenish at the base, the lines on the upper mandible blackish blue ; bare space in the region of the eye, and down 

 the centre of the throat, blackish blue ; iris white ; tarsi, toes and their webs, blackish brown ; the lines of scutellae on the tarsi 

 and toes green ; claws bluish white. 

 Length, 38 inches ; wing, 19.50 ; bill, 4 ; tarsi, 2.25 ; tail, 10. 

 The female resembles the male, but is rather smaller. 



The young have the head, neck, and upper plumage dark brown, each feather terminating with a ti-iangulai white spot ; under 

 plumage greyish white, the feathers broadly margined with greyish brown. 

 Eab — Atlantic coast, Irom Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico. 



The Gannet breeds in almost incredible numbers on some of the rocky islands near the coast 

 of Labrador. When the breeding season is over, it wanders as far south as the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico. Its mode of flight is powerful, and at times graceful. Its food consists of fish, principally 

 herrings ; these are obtained by plunging from on high, often remaining under water for a 

 minute or more at a time. 



