?•
AFRICAN T.
Br. Mu/.
Description. g I Z E of the laft. Bill black : general colour of the
plumage white: top of the head mottled with black: wings
of a pale blueifh white, inclining to lead-colour, and fpotted
with brown: quills pale blue grey, margined with white, except
the ends of the outer ones : the wings are longer than the tail,
which is forked, the ends of the feathers dufky, mottled' with
Place;
white: legs black.
Inhabits Africa.
6.
NODDY.
Sterna ftolida, Lin. Syß. i. p. 227. i.— Amcen. Acad. iv. p. 240.
Le Fou, Hiß, de Louif. ii. p. 119.
La Mouette brune, Brif. Orn. vi. p. 199. 15. pi. 18. fig, 2.—-P/. Enl. 997.
Le Noddi, Buf. Oif. viii. p. 461. pi. 37.
Pafftr fiultus, foolifli Sparrow, Raii Syn. p. 154.— Will. Orn. p. 385.
Noddy, Raii Syn. p. 132. 10. 190. 2.'— Sloan. Jam. i. p. 31. pi. 6. fig. 2.
—Brown Jam. p. 481.— Cateß. Carl i. pi. 88. — Damp. Voy. iii.
part 1. pi. in p. 123. fig. 6.— Ar£l. Zool. N° 446.
Lev. Muf,
Description. g I Z E of the Black-cap Gull: length fifteen inches: weight
four ounces. Bill two inches long, flender, and black: the
whole plumage of a footy brown, except the top of the head,
which is white, changing at the hind part to afh-colour: the
quills and tail darker than the reft : legs black.
Place and
Manner?.
This bird is met with very frequent at fea; but fcarce ever
except within the tropics. Said to breed in the Bahama Jfiands,
laying
laying the eggs on the bare rocks : on the Roca IJlands, and various
parts of the coaft of Brajil, and Cayenne. Frequently flies
on board the fhips, and may be taken with the hand ; but though
feemingly thus ftupid, will often bite the fingers feverely with
the bill, and fcratch with the claws, fo as to make it'unfafe to
hold by a tender fkin. When flying about in flocks, and particularly
in breeding-time, are very noify. We are told alfo that
they lay their eggs in vail: numbers oif certain fmall rocky ifles
near St. Helena; and that the eggs are good to eat. Some
voyagers affirm that the fight of this bird at fea fhews the mariner
the vicinity of land ; but others aver the contrary *. From
their ftupidity they are called by the failors Noddy. At Otaheite
known by the name of Oiyo.
7-
g I Z E of the Noddy: length fifteen inches. Bill nearly three SIMPLE T.
inches in length, flout, and of a reddifh colour : crown of Description.
the head nearly white : the upper parts o f the neck and back
pale lead-colour; the under white: behind each eye a fpot of
black : the lefier wing coverts, fcapulars, and tail, like the back :
the middle and greater coverts white; but fome of the laft have
the outer margins brown: quills black: tail but little forked,
and the wings much exceed it in length : the legs are red.
This was defcribed from a fpecimen which came from Place.
Cayenne.
* Cook's Voy. i. p. 275,— CateJb. Car. p. 88.—-This laft author has met with
them above one hundred leagues from land.
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Z z 2 L E N G T H