492 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



abundant in the Island of Ascension, India, Ceylon and 

 China. In the South Sea they are seen about the Marque- 

 sas, Easter Isles and New Caledonia, also at Otaheite. 

 Dampier saw them in great plenty in the island of Aves in 

 the West Indies, and they are common off the coast of 

 East Florida, particularly around the reefs or keys, often 

 assembled in flocks of from fifty to a thousand.* They are 

 also not uncommon, during summer, along the coasts of the 

 Union as far as South Carolina, and breed in various places, 

 retiring to warmer latitudes on the approach of cool 

 weather. 



The Frigate Bird is often seen smoothly gliding through 

 the air, with the motions of a Kite, from one to two hundred 

 leagues from the land, sustaining these vast flights with the 

 greatest apparent ease, sometimes soaring so high as to be 

 scarcely visible, at others approaching the surface of the 

 sea, where hovering at some distance, it at length espies a 

 fish, and darts upon it with the utmost rapidity and gener- 

 ally with success, flying upwards again, as quick as it de- 

 scended. In the same manner it also attacks the Doobies 

 and other marine birds which it obliges to relinquish their 

 prey. 



They breed abundantly in the Bahamas, and are said to 

 make their nests on trees, if near : at other times they lay 

 on the rocks; the eggs one or two, are of a flesh color, 

 marked with crimson spots. The young birds covered with 

 a greyish-white down, are assiduously attended by the 

 parents who are then tame, and easily approached. 

 When alarmed, like Gulls, they as readily cast up the 

 contents of their pouch, as those birds do of the stomach. 



The length of the Frigate Pelican is about 3 feet ; the alar stretcli 

 14. The bill is slender, about 5 inches long, and of a dusky color ; 



* Audubon in lit. 



