TRANSACTIONS 



OF 



THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



I. Observations on the Natural History and Anatomy of the 

 Pelecanus Aquilus* of Linn a us. By Edward Burton, Esq. 

 F.L.S. 



Read February 3, 1818. 



J. HIS bird is most commonly met with by ships crossing the 

 Atlantic ocean, at a great distance from land, and soaring at 

 an immense height in the air ; and is known to seamen by the 

 names of Frigate Bird, Man-of-war Bird, Sea Eagle, and Hal- 

 cyon. An opportunity having occurred to me of collecting seve- 

 ral of them at the Island of Ascension, where they are found in 

 vast numbers during the month of September, which appears to 

 be their breeding season, I propose to give some account of 

 their natural history and anatomy ; premising, that the specimens 

 which I procured differ essentially in many particulars from the 

 description of the same bird given by Linnaeus. 

 The average dimensions of five were as follows : 

 Extreme length between the tips of the extended wings, six 

 feet ten inches ; length of each extended wing, three feet two 

 inches and a half ; length of the largest of the wing-feathers, one 



* Tcchypetes aquila of Vieiilot. 

 VOL. XIII. B foot 



