a member of an inferior class, and people of a lower class mixing with a superior only sat on a low stool. Now these distinctions are not acceptable in the society. The number of islands a person leases, or the number of boats they own, was also crucial to their social standing during the sultanates' era. The boat owner took about half the day's catch, while the skipper (keyolhu) earned about one-fifth. The rest was divided equally among the fishermen. The men who make the boats (Maavadi meehaa) were respected craftsmen; the fishermen's lives, and thus the well-being of the community, depended upon their skill. The medicine men (Hakeem) stood on the same social rung. Skilled tradesmen, like blacksmiths and jewelers, also commanded a great deal of respect. At the bottom of the social heap was the toddy-tapper (Raaveria) who looked after the coconuts and tapped sap for toddy and syrup. The sharp division of labor not only reflects the exigencies of island life, but the injunctions of traditional Islam. The rapid economic growth and educational development of Maldives has completely wiped out the traditional class system. White tern The White tern (Gygis alba) locally known as Dhondheeni(ދޮންދީނި), sometimes called as Kandhuvalu dhooni is a small seabird traditionally only confined to the Addu Atoll, the southern uttermost atoll in the Maldives. The White tern is one of the most beautiful and interesting resident birds found in the Maldives. It has its body white with black eye-ring and black bill with blue at the base. Legs and feet are also blue, with yellow to webs. In recent decades the white tern has been proudly used as a symbol by the people of Addu Atoll to represent their atoll in the Maldives. Feeding habits The White tern primarily feed on smaller fish which it catches by plunge diving down on the surface, but it does not submerge fully. It is a long-lived bird, having been recorded living for 18 years. Breeding This small sea bird is well known for laying a single speckled egg on exposed thin branches in a small joint or depression without a nest. The thin branches it chooses is act of predator-avoidance behavior, crows (Corvus splendens maledivicus) and even rats avoid sitting or climbing small branches. However, terns are vulnerable to strong winds and the chicks have sophisticated sharp clawed feet to cling on fragile branches. Addu Kandu