THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 325 



Family — Pelecanidii^. 



Genus — Pelccaiins. P. conspicillatus. Australian Pelican. 



An allied species, known as the Frigate Bird, is found 

 in Tropical Australasia. It is endowed with far greater 

 powers of flight than the pelicans, which it resembles in 

 the possession of a large sub-raandibular pouch, but its 

 bill is much smaller than that of the pelicans, and it also 

 has a larger tail, which is rather milviau in appearance, 

 being deeply forked. It is somewhat of a pirate, and 

 prefers despoiling the large gulls of their prey to fishing on 

 its own account. 



The colour is deep black, glossed with the richest shade 

 of metallic green ; the pouch is scarlet ; the wing expanse 

 is about 8 feet, and the length of the bird from the point 

 of the bill to the end of the tail is, or about, 3 feet. The 

 body is comparatively small. 



The female frigate bird is rather brown than black, and 

 light brown streaked with white on the under surface. 



Where such accommodation is available, the nest is built 

 on a ledge of some precipitous rock, but failing this, on a 

 tree, or even among low bushes on the seashore. There is 

 only one ^gg, which is white, and has a rough shell. 



THE HERONS. 



The chief representative of these birds in our Australian 

 colonies is know^n there by the name of the Nankeen 

 Night Herox from its rich buff or light cinnamon colour, 

 and its nocturnal habits. It is pretty well distributed 

 throughout the Continent, but is more abundant in New 

 South Wales than in Western Australia. 



In its manner of flight and of feeding it resembles the 

 true Herons, the head being retracted into the breast, and 



