Plate CCVII. Male.
Bill and naked parts at its base bright yellow, the former
flesh-coloured toward the end; a dusky spot before the eye; tarsi,
toes, and webs pale yellow, claws white; head, neck all round, upper
parts in general, and lower surface of wings dusky brown, tinged with
grey; breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, pure white. Young when
fledged of a greyish-brown colour all over, the breast and abdomen
being merely a little lighter than the rest; bill and claws dusky;
tarsi and toes with their membranes dull yellow.
_Male_, 31, 49-1/4.
Gulf of Mexico, and as far east as the coast of Georgia. Breeds on the
Fortugas Keys, south of Florida. Abundant. Migratory.
Sula fusca, Bonap. Syn. 408.
Booby, Sula fusca, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 500.
Booby Gannet, Sula fusca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 63.
GENUS VI. PHAETON, Linn. TROPIC BIRD.
Bill as long as the head, stout, very much compressed, slightly
curved, tapering, acute, opening to beneath the eye; upper mandible
with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge narrow, rounded, the
sides sloping and slightly convex at the base, nearly erect towards
the end, the edges sharp, direct, irregularly broken, the tip
acuminate; nasal groove short, near the ridge, lower mandible with the
angle long, and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight and
ascending, the sides erect and slightly convex, the tip acuminate.
Nostrils basal, linear, very small. Head rather large, ovate; neck
short and thick; body rather full. Feet very short; tibia bare for a
considerable space; tarsus extremely short, roundish, covered with
small round scales; toes rather small, placed in the same plane, and
connected by reticulated webs; first very small, third a little longer
than fourth, all scutellate above. Claws small, arched, compressed,
rather sharp, that of the third toe with a thin entire inner edge.
Plumage soft, blended, on the back rather compact. Wings long, acute,
the first quill longest. Tail of twelve feathers, tapering, the two
middle feathers extremely elongated, narrow, and tapering. This genus
appears to be intermediate between Sula and Sterna.