THE BROWN BOOBY. 
329 
the second, with a black head and white abdomen, has this space much 
broader ; and the third, a bird entirely black with iridescent colours, has 
the naked skin nearly four inches long and one and a half inch wide. 
According to Mr. Gould, the orbits and gular pouch are deep red ; the bill 
bluish horn-colour ; irides black ; feet dark reddish brown. 
The Lesser Frigate-bird appears to be a frequent visitor to the shores of 
Ceylon. It has been observed on the coast of the Malay peninsula, and 
must at times visit Burmah. 
It occurs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from China down to Australia 
and New Zealand ; westwards to the meridian of Ceylon, and eastwards to 
New Caledonia. 
This bird breeds on Raine's Islet in the Torres Straits, making a nest 
of sticks either on the ground or on low plants, and it lays either one or 
two chalky white eggs. 
Family SULIDiE. 
Genus DYSPORUS, Illig, 
599. DYSPORUS SULA. 
THE BROWN BOOBY. 
Pelecanus sula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 218. Sula australis, Steph. Gen. Zool. 
xiii. p. 104 ; Hume^ S. F. v. p. 318, viii, p. 116. Sula fusca (Briss.), aptid 
Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 78. Sula fiber {Linn.), apud Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 851 ; 
Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 369 ; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 324, iv. p. 483. Dysporus sula, 
David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 530. Sula leucogastra (Bodd.), apud Legge, 
Birds Ceylon, p. 1177. 
Description. — Adult. Breast, abdomen, sides of the body, vent and under 
tail-coverts pure white ; sides of the under tail-coverts, the flanks and the 
under wing-coverts slightly marked with brown on the edges of the 
feathers; the whole remaining plumage umber-brown, the feathers of the 
back, scapulars and rump edged with whity brown ; those of the fore neck 
with the white bases showing through in places ; quills and tail dark 
umber-brown. 
The young bird has the upper plumage paler brown, and the lower 
plumage instead of being white is also pale brown. 
Irides white ; bill creamy white with a bluish tinge in veins ; the pouch, 
gape, lores and orbital spaces pale hoary greenish yellow ; the legs and 
feet pale yellow, with a greenish tinge on tarsi ; the claws white with a 
bluish tinge. [Hume.) 
