92 GANNETS. 



Family Sulid^. Gannets. 



The Gannets number about eight species, of which one is northern 

 while the remaining seven are distributed throughout the tropical and 

 subtropical coasts of the world. They are strictly maritime, but, ex- 

 cept when migrating, do not venture far from land. Their flight is 

 strong and rapid, the vigorous strokes of the wing being interrupted 

 lit intervals by a short sail. They obtain their food of fish by plung- 

 ing for it from the air. The northern species is migatory ; the others 

 are rOving, but all return with regularity to their nesting places, gen- 

 erally on some inaccessible islet, where, during the breeding season, 

 they may be found associated in large numbers. 



115. Sula sula {Linn.). Booby. (See Fig. 12.) Ad. — ^Breast and 

 l:^lly white, sometimes washed with grayish ; rest of the plumage brownish 

 fuscous ; head and neck sometimes streaked with grayish brown and white ; 

 bill and feet yellowish. Im. — Entire plumage brownish fuscous, lighter be- 

 low ; bill blackish, feet yellow. L., 30-00 ; W., 15-50 : T., 8-00 ; B., 3-80. 



Range. — " Coasts of tropical and subtropical America, north to Georgia." 



Long Island, A. V., one record. 



Ntst., on the shore of a barren islet, ^ggs^ two, chalky white, 2-30 x 1-55. 



This inhabitant of barren shores and lonely islets is a summer 

 visitant to the Florida keys. It is a strong flier, and when on the 

 wing reminds one of both a Cormorant and a Gull. 



The Blue-faced Booby (^114. Sula eyanops) is found in the " South Pa- 

 cific, West Indies, and northward to Florida," but there are no recent records 

 of its occurrence in the last-named locality. 



The Eed-footed Booby {116. Sula piscator) inhabits the coasts and 

 islands of tropical and subtropical seas, north to western Mexico, and is said 

 to occur in Florida, but, like S. cyanops, it is of accidental occurrence within 

 our limits. 



117. Sula bassana (Z«n.n.). Gannet. jic^.— "White, head and neck 

 tinged with pale straw-yellow ; primaries fuscous, /m.— Throat and upper 

 parts, including wing-ooverts, dark grayish brown, each feather with a small 

 white wedge-shaped spot; breast and belly white, margined with grayish 

 brown. L., 35-00; W., 19-00; T., 9-50; B., 4-00. 



Range.— '^ Coasts of the North Atlantic, south in winter to the Gulf of 

 Mexico and Africa; breeds from Nova Scotia and the British Islands north- 

 ward." 



Long Island, T. V., May ; Oct. and Nov. ; a few winter. 



Nest, on rocky clifiFs. Egg, one, pale bluish white, overlaid by a chalky 

 deposit, more or less soiled and .stained, 3-20 x 1-90. 



" The birds are usually associated in small, straggling flocks, and 

 with outstretched necks, and eyes ever on the lookout for fish, they fly 

 at a height of from seventy-five to a hundred feet above the -water, or 



