274 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
or creamy-buff, over which are distributed irregular-shaped spots and 
blotches of reddish-brown or purplish-red, and fainter underlying mark¬ 
ings of lavender or grey. Breeding-season: September to December. 
28. White-capped Noddy Anous minutus Boie 
min-u-tiis —L., minutus , little. 
Distribution. —The coast of Northern Territory and Queensland; 
occurs generally in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 
Notes.— Usually in very large flocks, frequenting the seas in the 
vicinity of its island haunts. During the night it rests in trees, leaving 
at daybreak for feeding-places on the surface of the open seas beyond 
the reefs. It is similar in habits and economy to the other species of 
Noddies, from which it may be distinguished by its smaller size and whiter 
cap. Breeds in large colonies on islands and reefs throughout its range. 
Nest —An almost flat structure, composed of the leaves of the tree 
on which it is built, laid on one another, with a very slight addition of 
seaweed, and cemented together with the bird’s excrement, giving the 
exterior, and especially the egg cavity, a white-washed appearance. Nests 
are placed as close together as possible on the branches of trees, at heights 
up to aO feet from the ground ; also on the ground in rare cases. 
. Eyg- —One, either pure white, creamy, reddish, or huffy-white, over 
which are sparingly distributed irregular-shaped spots and blotches of 
purplish and purplish-grey and underlying markings of dull bluish-grev 
the markings usually predominating on the larger end. Breeding-season: 
September to December (Australia). 
29. Silver Gull Lants novce-hollandice Stephens 
Lar-us — Gk, laros, sea-bird: novce-lwllandia: —of New Holland. 
it Distribution.— -Australia generally, and Tasmania; occurs also in 
New Caledonia and New Zealand. 
Gull n al c d Red ' le ^ ed GuI1 > Crimson-billed Gull, Jameson 
Srou^nmTh G ’ Seagull \ and Sea-pigeon. This species is plentiful 
tiimi k n 6 year on our harbours, inlets, and coastal rivers, and at 
dmnd w T ,n . large fl ° cks ° n lakes and "vers hundreds of miles 
cimllv a m °j t an - vthm S- hut its natural food consists prin- 
Xer eX 1 “ °\ her marin ®-K*e; * also a notorious nest- 
robber, eating the eggs of other sea-birds. As a scavenger it is useful 
Sp^ t n ^ril'r y 5° •ST l ,“ rbo “" rive “S",; 
sciaps ot waste food and offal thrown overboard from shins Breeds 
most^S^^ on in,and ,abe, bn, 
ore compactly made and* Spoked 'Sd”) °" ,erS 
