CHAP. IV STEGANOPODES Fea 
both respects. The bill, which is more or less compound, is 
long, pretty straight, and generally compressed: in Phaéthon 
and Sula it is strong, conical, and pointed; in Phalacrocorax 
either stout with a long hooked nail, or less robust with the 
hook at the tip shorter, the sides being scabrous; in Fregata 
similar, in Plotus slender and tapering, in Pelecanus weak, much 
flattened, hooked, and scaly. The mavxilla is furrowed in Su/a, 
Pelecanus, and Phalacrocorax, with the median part concave in 
the latter, while the cutting edges of both mandibles are serrated 
in Phaéthon, Sula, and Plotus. The legs are placed far back, 
especially in Phalacrocorax, the tibiae being partly bare in 
Phaéthon and Pelecanus, but feathered in the other forms, of 
which Freyata has the clothing continued to the toes. The 
metatarsus is short, stout, and compressed, that of Fregata being 
extremely abbreviated, as in the Spheniscidae; it is entirely 
covered with hexagonal scales, becoming almost reticulated behind, 
while the toes exhibit distinct transverse scutes in Phalacrocorax, 
and have a similar tendency elsewhere. The hallux, which is 
somewhat elevated in Phaéthon, is turned inwards or forwards, 
and is connected with the remaining toes by full webs, except in 
Fregauta, where the membranes are excised to about half their 
extent; this unique “ Steganopodous ” foot giving the name to 
the whole group. The stout curved claws—weaker in Fregatu 
are of medium length, that of the middle digit being serrated 
on the inner side in the last named, Sula, and Phalacrocorax. 
The wings are long and pointed, reaching their maximum in 
Fregata, their minimum in Phalacrocorax, and having a 
very ample spread in Sula and Pelecanus. There are eleven 
primaries, and from fifteen to twenty-nine incurved secondaries, 
which may even exceed the former. In Pelecanus the short, 
broad, roundish tail consists of from eighteen to twenty-four soft 
acute rectrices, but in the remaining genera the feathers are 
strong and stiff, being particularly rigid in Phalacrocoraz and 
-Plotus : Phaéthon has sixteen, which are moderate and graduated, 
with a long filiform median pair in the adult; Sula and Phala- 
crocorax from twelve to fourteen in a more or less wedge-shaped 
formation ; Fregata twelve, arranged in a fork; while Plotus has 
the same number, forming a fan, the webs being very broad and 
showing curious transverse corrugations in mature birds, found 
also on the scapulars. The tail is fairly long in the four last 
5D 
