650 MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN ON BIRDS [Jlllie 4 



5. Reports on the Collections of Birds made during the 

 Voyage of H.M.S. ' Challenger/— No. XI. On the 

 Steganopodes and Impenues. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., 

 Ph.D., F.R.S, and Osbert Salvin, M.A., F.R.S. 



[Received May 24, 1878.] 



«. STEGANOPODES. 



Of this order the collection contains 33 specimens belonging to 9 

 species, as follows : — 



1. Fregatid.e. 



1. Fregata aquila (Linn.). 



a, adult, i 



b, younsr, > Ascension Island (March 18/6). 



c, young, J 



2. Fregata minor (Gin.). 



Attagen ariel, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 72. 



133, male, Raine Island. 



"Legs and feet black; bill grey; skiu of throat red ; eyes red. 

 The skin of the throat is of a lighter red in the male than in the 

 female. The stomach contained remains of cuttlefish, Spirula, and 

 a fish."-/. M. 



134, female, ) 



135, young, female, >• Raine Island. 



136, nestling, female, J 



"Feet red ; eyes red. The bill and feet of the young birds are 

 of a white colour with a shade of blue ; eyes black. 



" In the adult birds the male has the eyelids, feet, and eyes 

 black. The female has these parts red. This holds good in all our 

 specimens." — J. M. 



144, female, Raine Island. 



482, male, Admiralty Island. 



"Eyes black; flesh of throat red. Stomach contained fish. I 

 shot this bird from the pinnace while with several others. It was 

 hovering over a shoal of fish. A Noddy and Black-headed Terns, 

 and a Puffin or Petrel, larger than a Cape-Pigeon, were also fishing." 

 — /. M. 



The series before us. so far as it goes, tends to show that this 

 smaller Frigate-bird may remain distinct from its larger brother, 

 although we are not aware of any other obvious point of difference 

 than that of size. 



The specimens measure as follows : — 



Wing. Bill from gape. 



Fregata aquila, a 23\5 50 



,, jr., b 250 4-5 



„ jr., c 220 44 



