BIRDS OF THE OCEAN AND SEASHORE 
273 
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 Anoiis stolidus Li nne 
Ari'dus- —Gk, afiotts , 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 Ber¬ 
muda 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 breeding- 
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, buffy-white, 
