184 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



On the whole, the cormorants seem to be the nearest allies, but, as already noted,, 

 the differences are many and important. In regard to alleged relationship to mem- 

 bers of other orders, it may suffice to mention that there are peculiai-ities in the skele- 

 ton and the myology which have been interpreted as indicating affinity to the petrels, 

 theories which only future investigations will be able to decide upon. 



Only one family, FREGATID^E, and one genus, Fregata, consisting of two species, 

 compose the super-family, which, like the foregoing one, is peculiar to the inter- 

 tropical seas. 



The description of the extreme length of the wings of the ' man-of-war hawk,' as 

 they are often called, indicates the enormous power of flight of the ' hurricane bird,' 

 another name by which they are' known to the sailors, and Audubon's graphical 

 account is only one of the many enthusiastic descriptions : 



" The frigate-pelican is possessed of a power of flight which I conceive superior 

 to that of perhaps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne tern, the smaller 

 gulls, or the jaeger move on wing, it seems a matter of mere sport to it to overtake 

 any of them. The goshawk, the peregrine, and the gyrfalcon, which I conceive to- 

 be the swiftest of our hawks, are obliged to pursue their victim, should it be a green- 

 winged teal or passenger-pigeon, at times for half a mile, at the highest pitch of then- 

 speed, before they can secure them. The bird of which I speak comes from on high 

 with the velocity of a meteor, and on nearing the object of its pursuit, which its keen 

 eye has spied while fishing at a distance, darts on either side to cut off all retreat, and 

 with open bill forces it to drop or disgorge the fish which it has just caught. See him 

 now ! Yonder, over the waves, leaps the brilliant dolphin, as he pursues the flying- 

 fishes, which he expects to seize the moment they drop into the water. The frigate- 

 bird, who has marked them, closes his wings, dives towards them, and, now ascending, 

 holds one of the tiny things across his bill. Already fifty yards above the sea, he 

 spies a porpoise in full chase, launches towards the spot, and in passing seizes the 

 mullet that has escaped from its dreaded foe. I observed a frigate-pelican that had 

 forced a Cayenne tei'n, yet in sight, to drop a fish which the broad-winged warrior 

 had seized as it fell. This fish was rather large for the tern, and might probably be 

 about eight inches in length. The frigate-pelican mounted with it across his bill 

 about a hundred yards, and then, tossing it up, caught it as it fell, but not in the 

 proper manner. He therefore dropped it, but before it had fallen many yards caught 

 it again. Still it was not in a good position, the weight of the head, it seemed, 

 having prevented the bird from seizing it by that part. A second time the fish was 

 thrown upward, and now, at last, was received in a convenient position (that is, with 

 its head downwards), and immediately swallowed." 



Dr. Bryant visited several breeding-places of F. aquila, in the Bahamas. In one 

 place the nests were on the bare rock, and closely grouped together ; in another, they 

 were built upon the mangroves, while on the Seal Island they were placed on the tops 

 of prickly-pear. Mr. G. C. Taylor describes his visit to a rookery on a small islet on 

 the Pacific coast of Honduras as follows : 



"At a distance the most conspicuous object was a numerous flight of frigate-birds 

 soaring over the island. As we approached, large white patches, caused by the drop- 

 pings of the birds, became visible. The whole island was appropriated by the frigate- 

 birds. Nearly every tree and bush, both high and low, was Covered with birds and 

 their nests. The latter were mostly composed of a few sticks laid crossways, hardly 

 as much in quantity as in the nest of the ring-dove (Columba palumbus) . Each nest 



