FRIGATE BIRD 



tail very long and deeply forked, the wings 

 very large, long and pointed, the legs ex- 

 ceedingly short and the feet small. There 

 is a pouch under the b 11 that can be inflated to 

 a considerable size in the case of the male. 



Few birds have more wonderful powers of 

 flight, and they often soar to considerable 

 heights. Often they keep practically motion- 

 less over one spot, heading into the wind, and 

 maintaining their position by scarcely per- 

 ceptible movements of their immense wings. 

 They nest in colonies in trees; the male per- 

 forming his share in the incubation. When 

 on the nest the males inflate the pouch under 

 the bill, which is bright red and very con- 

 spicuous. 



i. Fregata magnificens rothschildi Matthews 

 Frigate Bird 



Fregata minor palmerstoni STONE, Proc. Phila. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci., 1918, p. 248. 



Length about 950 1025 mm. (37.50 40.40 

 in.) ; tail about 450 480 mm. (17.70 18.85 i n -)- 



Male. Brownish black glossed with green or 

 purplish. Bare skin of throat scarlet. 



Female. Brownish black, the breast white. 



Young. Similar to female but head and neck 

 also white. 



This remarkable bird is one of the features of 



the tropical coasts that cannot fail to attract the 



attention of even the least observing visitors. 



The way in which they float in the air almost 



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