800 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYS AN, ETC. 



PORZANULA PALMERJ, Froh. 

 Antea, Pt. I. p. 9; Schauinsland, Drei Mon. Korallenins. p. 42 (1899). 



Eggs in Dr. Studer's possession agree with those found by Palmer. Schauinsland 

 says : — " Tliis funny little Hail lias become accustomed to a totally new life ; it lost its power 

 of flight completely, and hardly uses the rudiments of its wings to help it when running 

 like a shadow across the sand with mouse-like speed. Originally more a swamp-bird and 

 dependent on worms, it has here become omnivorous, and the sea-birds must furnish its 

 principal food. Although it cannot open their eggs with its thin beak, I have often seen 

 it partake of the tasty inside of an egg when a Telespiza had broken one. It does not even 

 despise corpses of birds, which are so frequent here, but it tears the flesh off in pieces and 

 devours it ; it feeds also chiefly on flics and the numerous beetles (Dermestes)." 



ANAS LAYS AN E N SIS, Bothsch. 

 Antea, p. 19; Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 199 (1895). 



The series collected by Professor Schauinsland reveals the following facts : — 



The Plate in Part I. of this work is too pale, owing to Palmer's specimens being all in 



rather worn plumage. The crown of the head of the very old male in fresh plumage is quite 



black. 



The adult female differs from the male in being much smaller, and in having the upper- 

 side somewhat more distinctly spotted with pale rufous ; but the speculum is not less 

 developed in the quite adult females. The specimens with the speculum only indicated are 

 younger birds. 



The pullus in doAvn is rufous olive-brown on the back, with the buff spots obsolete and 

 irregular in number. Eorehead and sides of head and neck buffy rufous, a narrow blackish 

 line through the eye ; top of head a little darker than the back. Underside buff; chest more 

 rufous. 



The wing in five males varies from 8*1 to 87 inches ; in five females from 7'5 to 8 2 inches. 



SULA CYANOPS {Sundev.). 

 Antea, p. .25 ; Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 430 (1898). 



Professor Schauinsland's series shows that the youngest birds described by Mr. Grant 

 in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' are really in the first plumage, one of the series still having 

 the feathers mixed with down, though otherwise agreeing with Mr. Grant's description. 



The nestling with the first feathers just showing through the down has, according to 

 Schauinsland, " the iris dark blue; feet mouse-grey with a yellow tinge ; the beak dark grey, 

 with a yelloAV point ; face and gular sac leaden-grey." 



