Vol. XXXV.] 36 



Australia, and had never since been found in tLat locality. 

 The specimens exhibited were collected by Captain S. A. 

 White and Mr. J. P. Rogers at Wantna Pilla Swamp, 

 al)out 100 miles west of Oodnadatta, Soiitli Central Australia, 

 and are the only examples of Gould's species in existence. 

 The series collected prove that Gould's specimen was im- 

 mature and that the adult bird was the form which was 

 named Xerophila nigricincta by North. This is a most 

 important discovery, as hitherto the determination of the 

 missing specimen lias been the last stumbling-block among 

 Gould's species. Gould's name, of course, had long priority 

 and must supersede North's, and I propose to designate 

 Wantna Pilla Swamp as the type-locality of A. pectoralis. 

 There could be little doubt that the original locality " Port 

 Augusta" is incorrect and that the birds had been procured 

 near Wantna Pilla Swamp by one of the exploring ex- 

 peditions. 



Mr. Gregory M. Mathews also exhibited three new 

 Frigate-Birds, and made the following remarks : — 



''An examination of the birds known as Freyata aquila 

 for my 'Birds of Australia' has shown that three distinct 

 species have been confused under that name. 



"• Pelecanus aquilus Linne, Svst. Nat. 10th ed. p. 133 

 (1758), is based upon a specimen procured by Osbeck at 

 Ascension Island, which has generally been accepted as the 

 type-locality. It has been overlooked, however, that the 

 bird found on Ascension Island is a very different species 

 from that commonly known by the name of Fregata aquila. 

 In the Ascension Island species the male and female are 

 both black, and the immature bird, from the downy nestling 

 onwards, has a white head and neck. This species appears 

 to be restricted to Ascension Island. 



"The adult male of the common widespread species is black 

 throughout, but the adult female has the lower breast and 

 sides of the belly white ; the rest of the plumage resembles 

 that of the male, but is duller. The downy nestling has the 

 entire head and neck rusty-red. This disappears later, and 

 in the next phase the bird assumes a white head and entirely 



