38 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



FOOD. Surface fish, young turtles, etc. ; they force 

 other sea-fowl to disgorge fish, and devour the 

 young of these, and even each other's offspring. 



GAIT. A very feeble walk ; they usually only perch, 

 and very seldom settle on water, though able to 

 swim. 



FLIGHT. Probably the strongest among birds ; they 

 sail for long periods on motionless wings or execute 

 magnificent swoops ; in flight they carry the neck 

 drawn in. 



NOTE. A scream or a cackling sound. 



DISPOSITION AND HABITS. They are thoroughly 

 piratical, but sociable ; they are practically aerial, 

 not aquatic, though always on the sea-coast. 



ECONOMIC QUALITIES. They are eaten in some places, 

 and found to be good. 



CAPTIVITY. They have not often been kept, but one 

 species (F. aquila) has lived a long time in the 

 London Zoo, though requiring to be fed by hand 

 all the time. In some Pacific islands they are often 

 hand-reared and semi-domesticated, flying at large 

 and coming home to roost. 



DISTRIBUTION AND SPECIES. Tropical seas, but only 

 breeding locally, on remote islands as a rule. There 

 are only two species, the Large Frigate-Bird 

 (Fregata aquila), widely distributed round the 

 world, and the Small Frigate -Bird (F. ariel), which, 

 in addition to its smaller size, has a white flank- 

 patch in the male, and white collar in the female. 

 It is confined to the Indian and Pacific oceans. 



FROGMOUTHS OR MOREPORKS (Podargida). 



DIAGNOSIS. Perching birds, with wide short bills, short 

 wings, and short shanks, with the hinder toe smallest. 

 SIZE. From that of a rook to that of a thrush. 



