AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 71 



F. 61. SULIDAE (4 ) ,GANNETS,Booby,Solaii Goose, 11 sp. 



— 4(1)A., 3(0)0., 1(0)P., 3(1)E., 6(l)Nc., 5(2)N1. 

 4 148 Australian Gannet, Takupu, Siila serrator. A., T„ 

 11 N.Z. Stat. c. hays 32 



White; wing-quills black; head, hind-neck buff; f., sim.; 

 young brown spotted. Fish. 

 P. 62. FREGATIDAE (2), FRIGATE BIRDS, Man-o'-war- 

 bird, 2 sp.— 2(0)A., 2(0)0., 1(0)P., 2(0)E.. 

 l(0)Nc., 2(0)N1. (Tropical Seas). 

 2 149 Frigate-Bird, Man-o'-war-Bird, Fregata aquila. 

 2 Stat. r. ocean 40 



Brownish-black; about eyes, pouch on throat deep red; 

 variable m size, color; bill long, hooked; tail forked; 

 wings very long; legs very short; f., browner; breast, 

 flanks whitish. Stolen fish, young turtles. 

 P. 63. PHAETHONTIDAE (2), TROPIC BIRDS, Boatswain- 

 Bird, Straw-Tails, 7 sp.— 4(1)A., 4(1)0., 4(0)E., 

 3(0)Nc., 4(0)N1. 

 F. 64. PELECANIDAE (1). PELICANS, 10 sp.— 1(1)A., 



4(1)0., 3(0)P., 3(1)E., 3(0)Nc., 4(1)N1. 

 1 150 Australian Pelican. Pelccanus conspicillatus, N.G., A., 

 10 T., N.Z. =vt. COS. bird. c. lagoons, hays 60 



White; wings, tail black; bill pink, pouch yellowish; f., 

 sim. Fish, insects. 

 F. 65. Cathartidae, Condor, Turkey (American, New World) 

 Vultures, 9 sp.— 3(l)Nc., 8(6)N1. The largest of 

 flying birds. 



Mast Head Island. Its wings are long, the forked tail also is 

 long, but the legs and feet are very small. It is a creature of 

 the air, and gets its living by compelling hard-working sea-birds 

 to disgorge their prey. 



The last bird in this varied Order is the Pelican. Our Aus- 

 tralian Pelican is one of the largest of its tribe. Its enormous 

 pouch distinguishes it at once. The ten Pelicans are practically 

 world-wide in their distribution. On the trip of the Manawatu 

 last year round the islands of Bass Strait, we visited the Peli- 

 cans' nesting-place on Penguin Island. This bird is practically 

 identical with the "Pelican of the wilderness" mentioned in Holy 

 Writ. The Pelican enjoys a reputation for maternal care of her 

 offspring; indeed, she was said to feed the young with her own 

 blood. This was probably due to the fact that one species of 

 Pelican has a blood-red tip to the bill. Young Pelicans have not 

 the long bill or the pouch. Thus this bird illustrates the truth of 

 the statement that each animal in its development climbs its own 

 ancestral tree, or, to say it in another form, each animal in its 

 development recapitulates the life-history of the race. The Peli- 

 can has evidently descended from birds that possessed a short bill. 



The well-known Birds of Prey, so keen of eye, so rapid of flight, 

 so fearless in courage, and so matchless in fight, have spread over 

 almost the whole known world. The Eagles of one land are, 



