FRIGATE-BIRD. 425 



deed, possess this red pouch, I incline to think it 

 a peculiarity of mature age; for many had the 

 livery of the adult male, whose pouch was incon- 

 spicuous, and of a pale buff hue. At length, as 

 the increased darkness gathered in, they also be- 

 gan one by one to settle, very charily, often mak- 

 ing a feint to alight, and again sailing off. Some 

 slowly wended their way farther down the bay, 

 and some I left still in the air. 



A few days after, I again went between three 

 and four o'clock, but even then the Frigates were 

 reposing in great numbers, but few Boobies, and 

 no Pelicans. I shot a Frigate, which of course 

 aroused the whole flock : and I then had an opportu- 

 nity of ascertaining their numbers. As they sailed 

 gracefully round, I counted them twice, and both 

 times made them about fifty, but of course I could 

 not be quite exact : from other observations, I should 

 estimate the number of those which habitually re- 

 pose there to be about sixty, more or less. Dur- 

 ing an hour and a half that I remained, they did 

 not again alight, and when the sun was close to 

 the horizon they were still soaring in their sublime 

 evolutions. About one sixth of the number were 

 white-headed, their snowy heads and breasts gleam- 

 ing now and then, as the slanting rays were re- 

 flected from them to the observer; and several 

 displayed the inflated scarlet pouch, a little con- 

 stricted in the middle. As the Frigate flies, the 

 form of its wings reminds one of enormous bats, 

 but for the lengthened tail. When about to alight, 

 they sometimes cackle a little, but are generally 



