224 cassell's book of biros. 



composed in a great measure of seaweeds, shrink up in dry weather and decompose in wet ; and 

 when seated close together have frequent quarrels. I saw one seize its neighbour by the back of 

 the neck, and hold fast until the assaulted bird, I may say, roared out ; but in general they are 

 satisfied with menacing each other with their open bills and loud clamour." Owing to their so often 

 interfering with each other, a constant noise is kept up amongst them. Their cry is hoarse and 

 harsh, and may be expressed by the syllables, " Carra, carra," or " Kirra, kirra;" sometimes it is "Crac, 

 crac," or " Cra, era," or " Cree, cree." The cry varies considerably in different individuals, some having 

 a sharper voice than others, and when unusually irritated they repeat it with great rapidity. 



When first hatched they have a smooth, bare, black skin ; this soon becomes covered with 

 white down, which thickens until the nestlings present the appearance of a powder-puff; through 

 this down the true feathers, which are black, appear, and are followed by the adult white plumage. 



" The old bird," says Macgillivray, " at first feeds its young with a kind of fish-soup, prepared 

 in its own gullet and stomach, and which it introduces, drop by drop as it were, into its throat ; 

 but when its nursling is pretty well grown, it places its bill within its mouth and disgorges the fish, 

 either whole or in fragments. It never carries fish to the rock in its bill. Upon the Cornish coast 

 these birds are most abundant in autumn and winter." 



" The fishermen," says Mr. Couch, " learn by their actions when shoals of pilchards are present, 

 and what course they are pursuing. The Gannet takes its prey in a different manner from any other 

 of our aquatic birds ; for, traversing the air in all directions, as soon as it discovers the fish, it rises 

 to such a height as experience shows best calculated to carry it by a downward motion to the 

 required depth, and then, partially closing its wings, it falls perpendicularly on the prey, and rarely 

 without success, the time between the plunge and immersion being about fifteen seconds." 



THE FRIGATE BIRD. 



The Frigate Bird (Tachypetes aquild) has deservedly been called the "Eagle of the Sea." The 

 most conspicuous feature whereby it may be distinguished among all allied species, is the enormous 

 development of its wings. Its body is slim, the neck powerful, and the head of moderate size ; the 

 beak is half as long again as the head, somewhat depressed at its base, vaulted above, and strongly 

 hooked at the tip ; the apex of the under mandible is bent downwards in a corresponding manner ; 

 the space beneath the lower mandible is large, broad, and denuded of feathers ; the gape extends 

 backwards to beneath the eyes ; the tarsus is very short, powerful, and covered -with feathers as far as 

 the feet ; the web between the toes is extremely narrow, looking as if a portion of it had been cut 

 away ; the toes are furnished with strong, sharp, curved claws, that on the inner side being toothed ; 

 the wing is of inordinate length, and sharply pointed at the tip, the first quill being the longest ; the 

 tail consists of twelve feathers, and is very long and deeply forked ; the general plumage is compact, 

 smooth, and glossy ; upon the head, neck, and breast the feathers are elongated, upon the mantle 

 round, and upon the breast fur-like ; the throat and a space around the eyes are naked. The colour 

 of the plumage of the adult male is brownish black, shimmering with metallic green and purple on 

 the head, nape, back, and sides; upon the wings it is shaded with grey; and upon the secondary quills 

 and tail with brown ; the eye is deep or greyish brown, the naked space around the eye purple-blue, 

 the beak light blue at the root, white in the middle, and dark horn-colour at the point ; the sac 

 beneath the throat is orange-yellow. The length of the Frigate Bird is forty-one inches, the spread 

 of the wings twenty-five inches, length of tail eighteen inches. The weight of the entire bird is only 

 a little more than three pounds. The female is distinguishable by her lighter tint and duller colours, 

 and by her breast being more or less covered with white feathers. 



The Frigate Bird is to be found in the same latitude as the " Sons of the Sun," braving with 



