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BLACK-TAILED GANNET.

; Sula melanura, Temm.

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WE are indebted to the kindness of M. Temminck for the loan of the fine
the accompanying figure was taken, and which

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specimen of this bird from which
he informed us was killed in Iceland.

In every respect, except ey
q \ in having a black tail, it resembles the Solan Gannet, Swda Bassana, which bird when fully adult has a white tail. eS
7 S Whether this difference be an accidental variation,

or if not, whether the difference is of sufficient importance
a. to justify a specific distinction, we are unable satisfactorily to decide.

as a true species, and as such we publish it, leaving the question still open for further investigation: at all
events it will not be destitute of interest to the scientific naturalist. It may perhaps be said that as the Gan-
nets change from almost black to white in passing from youth to maturity, this bird exhibits an intermediate
state of plumage, the original black colouring still remaining on the tail :
the bird was fully adult, and we may remark that the first change that occurs in the plumage of the young

shows a disposition in all parts to approach towards the colouring of the adults; it is therefore unlikely that
iS the tail should be even of a deeper black than that of the your
- of complete maturity.

The figure is about three fourths of the natural size.

AY,

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M. Temminck regards it, we believe,

 

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Sula melaniui

there can be no doubt, however, that

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