CEYLON WATER BIRDS. 291 
FREGATA ARIEL (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 338). 
FREGATA MINOR (Legge, p. 1203). 
The Smaller Frigate Bird. 
Description.—Similar to that of the last species, but the 
bird is smaller, while the male has an irregular white patch on 
the flanks, and the female a whitish collar all round the neck. 
In young birds the breast is sooty-brown ; the abdomen, 
head, and neck white. 
Bill gray ; iris red, black in young birds ; naked skin of 
throat red ; feet black. 
Length about 30 ; wing 20; tail 13 ; depth of fork 6 to 7:5 ; 
tarsus -75 ; bill from gape 3°75. 
Distribution—A not uncommon straggler to our shores ; 
generally observed on the west coast. The species ranges 
over the tropical parts of the Indian Ocean, and in the Pacific 
from the China Seas to New Caledonia. 
Family PHALACROCORACID &. 
Cormorants and Darters. 
The present family are birds either of medium or fairly 
large size and of rather heavy build ; their plumage is wholly 
or mainly black, especially on the upper parts. The neck is 
long ; the bill long and slender ; the tail feathers are stiff and 
harsh. The wings are of moderate length ; the birds rise 
heavily, but have a powerful flight. They are all voracious 
fishers, diving and often swimming for some distance under 
water after their prey. After coming out of the water they 
have a curious habit of alighting on a low rock or tree stump, 
and as it were hanging themselves out to dry with their 
wings half extended. The nest is a platform of twigs, more 
or less lined with grass or water weed, and placed on low trees 
or ledges of rock. The eggs are narrow ovals, with an inner 
texture of green and a rough outer layer of chalky-white. 
The family is divided into two sub-families, distinguishable 
by the shape of the bill, as follows :— 
A.—Bill hooked at the tip, edges of the mandibles smooth. 
Phalacrocoracine (Cormorants). 
B.—Billstraight and pointed, edges of the mandibles serrated. 
Ploting (Darters). 
