288 THE BIRDS 



and its powerful bill is long and abruptly hooked at the tip. The 

 legs are short, and feathered down to the toes, and the webs of the 

 feet only extend a short distance up the toes. The wings are very 

 long, and the tail is forked like a swallow's. The plumage of the 

 male is a sooty-brown, relieved with purple and green reflections, 

 and its throat-pouch, which is inflated in flight, is scarlet. Like 

 other Steganopodes, the Frigate-bird is a clever fisher ; it will pursue 

 surface-swimming fish, and deftly seize them with its bill without 

 ruffling the water ; a large portion of its food, however, is obtained 

 by robbing other birds, such as terns and gannets, of their lawful 

 prey ; it will descend suddenly upon them with such fury that in 

 most cases the assaulted bird is glad to drop its fish, and make 

 good its escape while the robber swoops down and catches the fish 

 before it reaches the water. It is said that the Frigate-bird will 

 even seize a recalcitrant gannet by the tail and give it a vigorous 

 shaking if it does not quickly disgorge its prize. 



The Pelicans are distinguished by their enormous bills and the 

 extraordinary membranous pouch which fills the space between 

 the branches of the lower jaw. They frequent tidal rivers, 

 inland lakes and marshes in most of the warmer parts of the 

 world. 



The Auks, Guillemots, Razor-bills and Puffins are included in 

 the family Alcictce. They are all sea-birds, mainly confined to the 

 cold northern regions. All are heavily built birds, with relatively 

 large heads, and legs set far back, giving them an awkward walk ; 

 the wings, though short, are strong, efficient flying organs. They 

 are not gregarious, except in the breeding season, when they fiock 

 in vast numbers to their accustomed haunts with remarkable 

 punctuality, often, it is said, arriving to the exact day. The Little 

 Auk (Mergulus alle), whose breeding ground ranges from Green- 

 land and the Kara Sea to North Iceland, is a not infrequent winter 

 visitor on our coasts, and occasionally migrates as far as New 

 Jersey, the Azores and the Canaries. It is a small black-and- 

 white bird, about seven or eight inches in length, and has a thick, 

 short bill. 



The Guillemots, Razor-bills and Puffins all breed in Great Britain. 

 In the spring they assemble in great numbers with gulls and terns 

 in their regular nurseries on rocky coasts. It is stated in Yarrell's 

 " British Birds " that " about the middle of March in the South 



