184 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



On the whole, the cormorants seem to be the nearest allies, but, as already noted, 

 the (lifTerences are many and important. In regard to alleged relationshij) to mem- 

 bers of other orders, it may suffice to mention that there are jK-culiarities in the skele- 

 ton and the myology which have been iMter]irele(l as indicating allinity to the petrels, 

 — theories which only future investigations will be able to decide ujwii. 



Only one family, Kregatid.k, and one genus, Fn-gata, consisting of two species, 

 comjiose the super-family, which, like the foregoing one, is peculiar to the inter- 

 tropical seas. 



The description of the extreme length of the wings of the ' man-of-war hawk,' as 

 they are often called, indicates the enormous power of flight of the 'hurricane bird,' 

 another name by which they are known to the sailors, and Audubon's graphical 

 account is only one of the many enthusiastic descri]>tions : — 



" The frigate-pelican is possessed of a power of flight which I conceive superior 

 to that of ]ierhaps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne tern, the smaller 

 gulls, or the jaeger move on wing, it seems a matter of mere sjiorl to it to overtake 

 any of them. The goshawk, the peregrine, and the gyrfalcon, which I conceive to 

 be the swiftest of our hawks, are obliged to pursue their victim, should it be a green- 

 winged teal or ])assengcr-pigeon, at times for half a mile, at the highest j>itch of their 

 speed, before they can secure them. The bird of which I sj/eak comes from on high 

 with the velocity of a meteor, and on nearing the object of its j)ursuit, which its keen 

 eye has spied while fishing at a distance, darts on either side to cut off all retreat, and 

 with open bill forces it to drop or disgorge the fish which it has just caught. See him 

 now ! Yonder, over the waves, leaps the brilliant dolphin, as he pursues the flyinic- 

 fishcs, which he e.ic])ccts to seize the moment they drop into the water. The frigate- 

 bird, who has marked them, closes his wings, dives towards them, ami, now ascendintj, 

 holds one of the tiny things across his bill. Already fifty yards above the sea, he 

 8|)ic8 a porpoise in full chase, launches towards the spot, and in passing seizes the 

 mullet that has esca])ed from its dreade<l foe. I observed a frigate-])elican that had 

 forced a Cayenne tern, yet in sight, to drop a fish which the broad-winged warrior 

 had seized as it fell. This fish was rather large for the tein, and might jirobably be 

 about eight inches in length. The frigate-pelican mounted with it across his bill 

 about a h\indrcd yards, and then, to.-siiig it wy, I'aught it as it fell, but not in the 

 proper manner. He therefore dro]>ped it, but before it had fallen many yards caught 

 it again. Still it was not in a good position, the weight of the head, it seemed, 

 having prevented the bird from seizing it by that part. A second time the fish was 

 thrown ujjward, and now, at last, was received in a convenient jioiition (tliat is, with 

 its head downw:nds), and immediately swallowed." 



Dr. Bryant visited several brceding-])l.aces of F. aqvila, in the Bahamas. In one 

 place the nests wore on the bare rock, aii<l closely grfiupcd together; in another, they 

 were built u])on the mangroves, while on the Seal Islaml they were [ilaccd on the tops 

 of jirickly-jiear. Mr. G. C. Taylor describes Iiis visit to a rookery on a small islet on 

 the Pacific coast of Honduras as follows: — 



"At a distance the most conspicuous object was a numerous flight of frigate-birds 

 Bearing over the island. As we a[>|iroached, large white ))atches, caused by the dro|> 

 pings of the birds, became visible. The whole island was appro])riatcd bv the frig.ate- 

 birds. Nearly every tree and bush, both high and low, was covered with biids and 

 their nests. The latter were mostly composed of a few sticks laid crossways, hardly 

 as much in i|uantity as in the nest of the ring-dove {Cohtmba jxtlxinhus). Each nest 



