THE FRIGATE BIRD'S POUCH 15 



cell, and, being larger than those on the rest of 

 the body, is more noticeable. 



In the breeding season the pouch is constantly 

 being inflated, and, as a consequence, the skin of 

 the throat becomes stretched to such a degree 

 that when not inflated it hangs down in a loose 

 fold below the bill of the bird. It is only the 

 males that are able to inflate these pouches in this 

 way, the female having a non-inflatable patch of 

 bare skin of a duller colour on the throat. We 

 afterwards found that by inserting a bicycle 

 pump into the larynx of a freshly-killed male 

 frigate bird and pumping air into the throat, 

 the whole of the body, as well as the throat, 

 becomes inflated. 



Along the shore we saw a species of the tropic, 

 or bo'sun, bird. This proved to be Phaethon 

 lepturus, and two fine specimens were obtained 

 by Lord Crawford. Several of them were flying 

 along the face of the cliff. The name " bo-sun " 

 is said to have been given to this bird on 

 account of its cry, which is supposed to resemble 

 the pipe of a boatswain's whistle. It must be 

 confessed, however, that the only cry we heard 

 it utter was a harsh scream not unlike that of a 

 tern. 



A dove known as Zenaida auriculata, which 

 was originally, without doubt, introduced from 

 the mainland of South America, was extraordinarily 

 abundant on this island. They were very tame 



