438 PELICAN. 



Le Fou blanc, Buf. viii. 371. Tern. Man. Ed. 2, Anal. p. cxi. 

 Lesser Gannet, Gen. Syn. vi. {ill. 



SIZE of a Duck ; length two feet seven inches. Bill five 

 inches long, serrated on the edges, and reddish ; space between the 

 bill and eyes naked, and of the same colour; throat naked, dusky 

 black; the general colour of the plumage white, except the greater 

 wing coverts and quills, which are black ; the scapulars also are 

 black at the ends ; the tail consists of fourteen feathers, cuneiform 

 in shape, the base white, but black the rest of the length ; legs 

 red, the middle claw broad and serrated. 



This is said to inhabit China, where it is called Bubbi,* and has 

 been supposed to be one of the sorts of birds trained by the Chinese 

 for fishing ; which although we cannot deny, yet we are clear that 

 it is not the one commonly used, having to a certainty determined 

 this matter, on the authority of Sir George Staunton, who proves 

 it a species much allied to the Shag.f 



The male of the above is said to be wholly black, with the belly 

 hoary, and to have the bill and legs like the other ; but we may 

 rather suspect it to be the Brown Booby, or next Species; or if re- 

 lated to the first at all, may possibly be a bird in the first year's 

 plumage. We have seen a drawing of this supposed male, said to 

 be common in the Isle of Ascension ; and, in the notes accompany- 

 ing, it is observed, that there is no difference of plumage in 

 either sex. 



The Lesser Gannet is also found in New Holland, and called 

 by the natives Doo ro dang ; but in this the bill is pale blue, the 

 edges serrated as in the other : legs dull yellow ; webs brown. 



* This word seems to correspond so much with our name of Booby, that we may be 

 inclined to think it derived from that source, 

 t See Chinese Shag, No. xx. 



