1532. Sula cyanops.
The Masked Booby.
Dysporus cyanops, Sundevall, Physiogr. Sallskapets Tidsk. i, p. 218 (1837); id. A. M. N. H. xix, p. 236; Oates, B. B. ii, p._231. Sula cyanops, Butler, S. F. v, p. 303 ; Hume, ibid. p. 307 ; id. Cat. no. 999 bis ; Butler, S. F. viii, p. 383 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 1180; Murray, S. F. x, p. 165; Barnes, Birds Born. p. 436; Sinclair, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. v, p. 306. Sula melanops, Heugl. Ibis, 1859, p. 351, pl. x, fig. 2,
Coloration in adults white, except the quills, greater coverts, and tail-feathers, which are blackish brown.
Birds of the year are said to be greyish brown throughout. At a later stage the upper parts and neck all round are dark brown, the breast and abdomen white. This plumage is probably replaced by that of the adult, some skins with the upper surface mostly white retaining dark spots on the wing-coverts and lower back. S. cyanops m the dark plumage is distinguished from S. leucogaster by having only the neck, not the breast, brown, and by its white wing-lining.
Bill yellow or greenish yellow; loral and facial skin dark slate-colour; irides yellow, reddish, or. greenish yellow; legs and toes dark slaty or plumbeous; webs darker (Legge). Tail-feathers 16 or 18.
Length 32; tail 7; wing 16.5; tarsus 22; bill from gape 5.1. Birds from the South Pacific are larger.
Distribution. Tropical seas. This Booby is of occasional occurrence on the Indian coasts both east and west of India. Specimens have been obtained by Butler off Mekran, by Murray at Karachi, and by Sinclair close to Bombay.
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