58 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Famity FREGATIDA. 
Genus FREGATA. 
Fregata Lacepéde, Tabl. Ois., p. 15, Dec. 1799. Species added by Daudin, in Hist. Nat 
(Buffon), ed. Didot, Quadr., Vol. XIV., p. 317 [1799 =] Oct. 1802. Type (by monotypy) =: 
Pelecanus aquilus = P. minor Gmelin. 
Tachypetes Vieillot, Analyse nouy. Ornith., p. 63, April 14th, 1816. Type (by monotypy) : 
“ Prégate Buff.”’ = Pelecanus minor Gmelin. 
Aquilus Bronn, Zur angewandten Naturg. u. Phys., p. 159, 1824. Nomen nudum, based on 
“ Fregatt-vogel.”’ 
Atagen Gray, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 101, Sept. 1841. Type (by original designation) : 
“A, aquilla (L.) G. R. Gray’? = P. minor Gmelin. 
Not Attagen Kaup, Skizz. Entwick.-Gesch. Nat. Syst., p. 170, (pref. April) 1829. 
Parvifregata Mathews, Birds Austr., Suppl. No. 1, Check List, p. 64, Feb. 16th, 1920. Type 
(by original designation): Atagen ariel Gray. ; 
Large birds with long hooked bills, very long wings, very long forked tails, 
slender bodies, and very small legs and feet, the toes semipalmate, but the hind-toe 
connected with a web. The bill is very long, much longer than the head ; it is 
very strongly hooked, both mandible tips being downward bent ; the upper mandible 
is composed of separate pieces recalling that of a Procellarian bird ; the culmini- 
corn is broad and flattened, a groove extending its length separating it from the 
laterals, which are also broad and flattened ; the edges of the mandible are complete, 
no serration being present. The rami of the lower mandible are straight and deep 
and enclose an unfeathered tract which develops in the male into a huge gular 
pouch. The length of the chord of the culmenis about twice the length of the midde 
toe. The nostrils are Jinear slits placed near the base of the culmen. The wings are 
very long and pointed, the first primary much the longest. The tail is very long 
and very deeply forked ; itis more than half the length of the wing. The metatarsus 
is very short and feathered. The toes are comparatively long and thin, and are 
totipalmate, but the webs are so deeply incised that semipalmate would better 
describe them ; the toes are obscurely scutellate, the middle toe about twice the 
length of the metatarsus and half the length of the chord of the culmen ; the hind-toe 
is long, not much shorter than the inner, the middle toe being longest, the outer 
longer than the inner ; the claw of the middle toe is very long and serrated. 
44. Fregata minor.—FRIGATE BIRD. 
[Pelecanus minor Gmelin, Syst. Nat., Vol. I., pt. m., p. 572, April 20th, 1789: [West Indian 
Seas —] Jamaica. Extra-limital.] 
Mathews, Vol. IV., pt. 3, pl. 229, June 23rd, 1915. 
Freqata minor lisieri Mathews, Austral Ay. Rec., Vol. II., pt. 6, p. 119, Dec. 19th, 1914 =: 
Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. 
DistrRiBuTION.—Australia (visitor). One specimen preserved in Perth Museum, Wesié 
Australia. Cf. Alexander, Emu, Vol. XVII., pt. Iv., p. 238, April Ist, 1918. Probably 
common in North Queensland. 
Adult male—General coloration throughout black ; a brownish tinge observed 
on the under parts ; the feathers of the head long and narrow and showing a dull 
blue-green sheen ; the feathers of the back lanceolate and elongate, showing a shiny 
oil-green gloss ; the primaries and rectrices are tinged with a bluish bloom ; inner- 
most secondaries brownish ; the median wing-coverts dark brown; bill slaty-grey ; 
feet pale flesh ; eyelids bright pink. Culmen 96 mm., wing 558, tail 365, middle 
toe 50. 
Two birds in the British Museum supposed to have been procured in Queensland 
agree fairly well and measure— 
Culmen 100 Wing 550 Tail 420 Middle toe 55 mm. 
3 105 » 565 pod0 5 50 
