138 The Stork-like Birds 



to be a sort of way of resting. The circles were of about one hundred feet 

 diameter; the flight very regular, slow, and monotonous, with no apparent 

 motion of the wings for hours. It tired me to look at them." 



Of the two species the larger (F. aquila) is found in tropical and subtropical 

 seas of both hemispheres, chiefly north of the equator, coming north in this 

 country regularly to Florida, Texas, and California, and casually to Nova Scotia. 

 A smaller form of this (F. a. minor] is found in the central Pacific and Indian 

 oceans, while the still smaller and quite distinct F. arid, the male of which has a 

 conspicuous white flank-patch, occurs also in the tropical and subtropical por- 

 tions of the same oceans. The Frigate-birds nest in colonies throughout their 

 range, building a very slight nest on mangroves and other low trees, or on the 

 ground. The egg is usually single, pure white, and about two and seventy hun- 

 dredths by one and seventy-five hundredths inches. 



Following is an account, by Mr. J. J. Lister, of a visit to the Phoenix Islands 

 in the South Pacific, where he found the Lesser Frigate-bird (F. a. minor) breed- 

 ing in great numbers. He says: "From the boat I went off to the part of the 

 island over which the Frigate-birds were wheeling. Here I found their nests in 

 great numbers. They were built of small dead twigs of the plants of the island, 

 placed a foot or so above the ground on the spreading branches of the Sida (a 

 shrubby, malvaceous plant two or three feet high) and on the beaten-down 

 tussocks of grass. The nests were placed as near together as supports could be 

 found, and there were well-defined limits to the colonies, although the bushes 

 beyond these limits appeared to be just as well suited for the purpose as those 

 within. Each nest was occupied by a bird. As one approached some of these 

 took flight and joined the whirling crowd overhead, but the rest remained sitting 

 and allowed themselves to be touched with the muzzle of my gun, only chattering 

 their bills by way of remonstrance. Both males and females were to be seen 

 engaged in the duties of incubation. 



"The throat-pouch of the male is a most striking object. When fully distended 

 it reaches forward as far as the end of the bill and downwards so as to completely 

 hide the breast, a great smooth semi-transparent balloon of the most brilliant 

 scarlet, which contrasts finely with the dark metallic tints of the^ plumage. If 

 any of the birds in a group had their pouches distended, there were generally 

 several in this condition, as though they were vying with one another in the 

 exhibition of their attractions. From several parts of the group came a low, 

 vibrating note, a combination of a whistle and a purr, accompanied by the sound 

 of the chattering of their bills. While uttering this note the bird leans back on 

 the nest, with the head thrown right back, the pouch fully extended, and the wings 

 half spread and shaken with a quivering movement. The female birds mean- 

 while were either whirling overhead or sitting on the edge of the nest near their 

 admirers. 



" The pouch is not rapidly filled or emptied ; when a bird with a half-distended 

 pouch takes flight, the latter is carried from side to side with the movement 

 through the air, gradually diminishing in size. In the undistended state the 

 bare, wrinkled skin is completely retracted to the level of the general contour of 



