274 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
egg. One, varying considerably in colour and markings, a common 
type being dull white uniformly covered with dots, freckles, spots, and 
a few irregular-shaped blotches of reddish-purple and faint underlying 
markings of dull purplish-grey. Breeding-season: September to 
January (Australia). 
26. Noddy Anous stolidus Linn£ 
An'-dus— Gk, anous , senseless: stol'-i-dus— L., stolidus, stupid. 
distribution. The coast of mid-western, northern, and north¬ 
eastern Australia (Great Barrier Reef); occurs in tropical and sub¬ 
tropical seas (except the west coast of South America), occasionally 
ranging to Bermuda and the British Isles. 
notes. Also called Common Noddy. Usually in immense flocks 
frequenting the seas in the vicinity of its breeding-places. It procures 
its food, consisting of small fishes, squids, and other marine animals, 
mostly from the surface of the open seas beyond the reefs, rarely fishing 
on the calm waters inside. Breeds in very large colonies on islands 
and reefs throughout its range. 
nest. A flat structure, composed of seaweed and dried grass, loosely 
packed together, with a slight depression in the centre; nearly always 
lined with small sea-shells. Placed on the ground, on grass, or upon 
a low shrubby bush. 
egg. One, varying considerably in colour, shape, and the distribution 
of the markings, a common type being dull white or buffy-white, 
spotted and blotched, chiefly at the larger end, with different shades of 
purplish-red and purplish-brown, and smaller underlying markings of 
dull grey. Breeding-season: July to January (Australia). 
27. Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris Temminck 
ten-u-i-ros'-tris— L., tenuis, slender; L., rostrum, bill. 
distribution. South-western Australia; occurs generally in the 
Indian Ocean. 
notes. Usually in very large flocks, frequenting chiefly the seas in 
the vicinity of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, the only known breed¬ 
ing-place of this species in Australia, although it breeds on the 
Seychelle Islands. It is similar in habits and economy to the Noddy, 
from which it may be distinguished by its smaller size, longer bill, and 
almost white cap. 
nest. A loosely made structure, composed of seaweed, placed, with¬ 
out any regard to shape, across a branch of a mangrove tree; often 
long pieces of seaweed hang down beneath the nest giving it the 
appearance of being a much more substantial structure than it really 
is. Nests are built as close together as possible among the branches 
of mangrove trees, at heights up to 10 feet from the ground. 
egg. One, varying considerably in colour, form, and the distribution 
of the markings, a common type being a faint reddish-white, huffy- 
