The Frigate Bird ranges over the tropical and sub- 

 tropical seas, occasionally straying as far north as Nova 

 Scotia. But one other specimen has been recorded from 

 South Carolina — that taken by our Honorary Curator of 

 Birds, Mr. A. T. Wayne, in the great hurricane of Aug. 

 27th, 1893.* Yet it is not strange that this bird is seldom 

 taken for it is strictly pelagic in habit, seldom visiting the 

 land except to breed or in heavy storms. Both specimens 

 which have been taken here confirm the reputation of the 

 bird as a hurricane signal. 



Frigate Birds have a greater expanse of wing in pro- 

 portion to the weight of the body than any other bird and 

 are unsurpassed in power of flight, soaring for hours with- 

 out motion of the wings. The great wing muscles are sup- 

 ported by a peculiar modification of the pectoral girdle, 

 the furcula having coalesced both with the keel of the 

 sternum and with the coracoids and the latter with the 

 scapulas, forming a frame of unusual rigidity. The buoy- 

 ancy of the body is said to be assisted by inflation of the 

 gular sac, which is also used for the storage of food. 



Frigate Birds capture fish at the surface of the sea or 

 pursue gulls and terns, and force them to disgorge their 

 prey. They are unable to swim, since the feet are incom- 

 pletely webbed. In fact, they seldom even alight on the 

 water for the feathers are not waterproof and the great 

 length of the wings and tail make it almost impossible to 

 take flight from a flat surface. The same difficulty ham- 

 pers these birds on land for their legs are ridiculously 

 short. The thick bushes of the breeding grounds are 

 filled with the bodies of birds which, failing in their efforts 

 to take flight, have been unable to disentangle themselves. 

 It would be diflicult to find a better example of extreme 

 specialization than the Frigate Bird. 



*See the Auk, Vol. 11, Jan. i894, p. 85. 



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