446 STEBNID^ MICBANOUS 



wing, the outer feathers considerably shorter than the central ones, 

 the fourth pair from the outside the longest ; tarsus short, clearly- 

 less than the middle toe and claw. 



The Noddies, two species of which are recognised by Saunders, 

 are found throughout the tropical and semitropical seas of the whole 

 world. As a rule they are met with in the open sea or near oceanic 

 islands ; they seldom resort to the coasts of the continents. 



771. Anous stolidus. Noddy. 



Sterna stolida, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 227 (1766). 



Anous stolidus, Qould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 34 (1848) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's 



B. S. Afr. p. 706 (1884) ; Saunders, Cat. B. M. xxv, p. 136 (1896) ; 



Shelley, B. Afr. p. 164 (1896) ; Beichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 74 (1900). 



Description. Adult. — Forehead and crown lavender grey becom- 

 ing slightly darker on the neck ; lores and round the eye almost 

 black ; upper parts dark brown, the primaries and tail a good deal 

 darker ; below dark brown with a leaden tinge on the throat, paler 

 on the under wing-coverts. 



Eyes, beak and legs blackish ; webs which extend to the tips 

 of the toes, ochraceous. Length about 15'0 ; wing 10-6 ; tail 6-4 ; 

 culmen 1-80 ; tarsus 1-0. The sexes are alike ; the young have less 

 lead colour on the throat and a dark line along the upper wing 

 coverts. 



Distribution. — The Noddy, so called by sailors from its tameness, 

 and therefore supposed stupidity, is found throughout the tropical 

 and subtropical seas of almost all the world. It breeds on the 

 rocky islets off 8t. Helena and Ascension and on Inaccessible Island 

 near Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic, also on Sandy Island near 

 Madagascar whence its eggs were obtained by Mr. Layard in 1856 

 during his voyage on H.M.S. " Castor." There are two examples 

 from " Cape Seas " in the British Museum. 



Genus IV. MICBANOUS. 



Type. 

 Micranous, Saunders, Bull. B. 0. C. iv, no. 23, p. 



19 (1895) M. tenuirostris. 



Bill long and slender, the distance from the angle of gonys to 



the tip of the bill longer than that to the gape ; the third pair of 



rectrices from the outside the longest ; in other respects resembling 



Aiiotis. 



