XESTS AA'D EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. ggi 



When, he was on shore, a hmricaue of terrific violence suddenly arose. The 

 mate, who remained on board in charge of the barque, " Don Diego," 

 although short-handed, immediately set sail, bravely clearing the reef, and 

 put to sea. A terrible night followed ; it blew " great gims," as old shell- 

 backs say. It was decidedly an awkwai'd and desperate position. There 

 was the good Captain, an imwilling prisoner among savages, and his ship 

 perhaps, for aught he knew, on the coral pavements at the bottom of 

 the Pacific. But judge his delight, when, after tlu'ee days and three 

 nights of painful suspense, he descried the white sails of his vessel on 

 the horizon, beating in. Still gi-eater was his joy when he stepped on 

 board and shook his mate's rough hand again. 



Professor Moseley. in his interesting book, " A Naturalist on the 

 ' Challenger,' " observed that on the island of Fernando Noronha, oflE the 

 Brazilian coast, the Frigate Birds placed their nests well out of harm's 

 way on the veiy verge of a precipice, which was quite inaccessible. He 

 looked down and saw the nests, five or six of which were biiilt close 

 together, almost touching one another, and contained each a single egg. 

 Date, 1st and '2nd September, 1873. The Frigate Bird was again noticed 

 amongst a crowd of other species of sea birds on Boatswain Bird Rock, 

 off Ascension Island, towards the end of the voyage, March to April, 

 1876. 



731. — Fregata ARIEL, Gould. — (659) 

 LESSER FRIGATE BIRD. 



figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 72. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 447. 



Previous Vescriftions of Eggs. — *Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) ; 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 500 (1865); Campbell: .Southern 

 Science Record (1883), and Victorian Naturalist (1889) ; 

 North : Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 364 (iS8q) ; Walker : Ibis, p. 259 

 (1892). 



Oeographicnl Dhtrihutinn. — Seas of West, North-west Australia, 

 Northern Territory, and Queensland ; also tropical parts of the Indian 

 and Pacific Oceans, ranging west to Madagascar and east to the Society 

 Islands. 



Nei<t. — Somewhat flat on top, composed of herbage and placed upon 

 the ground, or close thereto, on short vegetation, in companies of from 

 five to twenty on certain islands in the tropics. Dimensions, about 

 12 inches in diameter by about 12 inches in height. 



Epgs. — Clutch, one ; lengthened oval in form, or slightly more com- 

 pressed at one end : texture of shell coarse ; surface without gloss : 

 colour, white, washed slightlv in parts with lime. Dimensions in inches : 

 (1) 2-6 X 1-64, ,(2) 2-58 x 1-68, (3) 2-55 x 1-6.5, (4) 2-42 x 1-65. 



Observations.- — .The Lesser Frigate Bird is stated to be fairly abundant 

 in the seas washing the tropical parts of Australia, especially in Torres 

 Strait. 



*No dimensions given. 



