Birds of Celebes: Fregatidae. ggg 



ORDER STEGANOPODES. 



The Frigate-birds, Cormorants, Gannets, Tropic-birds and Pelicans form an 

 order of natatorial birds, some of which (the Tropic-birds) bear some resemblance 

 to the Terns, others (the Darters) to the Divers and Grebes, others (the Pelicans) 

 to the Duck-family, but the Steganopodes may always be distinguished by their 

 feet which have a continuous web, the hind toe being placed laterally on the 

 inner side and connected with the others by a web (almost absent in the Frigate- 

 birds). They differ further from' other natatorial birds (except the Petrels and 

 Penguins) in having their young hatched blind and helpless, and in other points. 



FAMILY FREGATIDAE. 



The Frigate-birds are well characterized by the bill which is about twice 

 as long as the head, nearly straight, with a terminal hook like that of a Bird- 

 of-prey; by the extremely long wing, coupled with magnificent powers of flight; 

 by the very short tarsus, about 74 the length of the middle toe and claw; by 

 the feet, webbed only towards the base of the anterior toes, with the hallux 

 practically free, and the claw of the middle toe very long and pectinated. The 

 sexes are somewhat different, the old male being ornamented about the inter- 

 scapulary region with glossy hackle-feathers. 



GENUS FREGATA Briss. 



Description as for the family. 



-f 375. FREGATA MINOR (Gm.). 

 Lesser Frigate-bird. 



Fregata minor [Brisson, Orn. 1760, VI, 509]; (1) Schl, Mus. P.-B., Pelecani, 1863, 3; (2) 

 Sclat. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1S78, 650; (3) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 1203; (4) Hume, 

 Str. F. 1880, IX, 119; (5) Salvad., Om. Pap. 1882, m, 404; (6) Gates, B.Br. 

 Bm-mah 1883, H, 228; (7) Pleske, Bull. Ac. So. Petersb. 1884, XH, 137; (8) Brd., 

 Brew. cfeRidgw., Water B. N. Am. 1884, n, 128; (9) Buttik, Notes Leyd. Mus. 

 1886, Vm, 68; (10) Eidgw., Man. N. Amer. B. 1887, 83; (11) Sharpe, Ibis 1888, 

 2(M; (12) W. Bias., t. c. 373; (13) Everett, J. Str. Br. R. A. S. 1889, 187; (14) 

 Whitehd., Ibis 1890, 61; (15) Sh. & Wliitehd., t. c. 149; (16) Sh., ib. 285; (17) 

 Salvad., Agg. Orn. Pap. 1891, 211; (18) Sibree, Ibis 1892, 271; (19) Newt., 

 Diet. B. 1893, p. 294; (20) Bns. & Worces., B. Menage Exped. 1894, 32; (21) 

 Vorderm., N.T.Ned. Ind. 1895, LIV, 324; (22) Grant, Ibis 1896, 128. 



a. Polecanus minor (1) Gm., S. N. 1788, I, 572. 



b. Tachypetes minor (1) VieilL, Nouv. Diet. XH, 144 (1817); (2) Gould, Hb. B. Austr. 



1865, n, 499; (3) Finsch & Hartl., Orn. Centralpolyn. 1867, 267; (4) Sharpe, 



111* 



