THE AUSTRAL AVIATE 

 RECORD. 



A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL DEVOTED PRIMAIITLY 

 TO THE STUDY OF THE AUSTRALIAN AVIFAUNA. 



Vol.. II., No. 6. Decembeb 19th, 1914. 



CONTENTS. - 



PAGE 



Notes ox the Genus Fregata ... 117 



ON THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF THE 



GENUS FREQATA. 



By G. M. Mathews. 



Two species of Fregata are admitted in the Catalogue 

 of Birds in the British Museum, Vol. XXVL, under 

 the names Fregata, aquila and Fregata ariel. No sub- 

 species are recognised, but the most superficial examination 

 showed that such could be determined. Criticism of 

 the British Museum material in order to fix the correct 

 names to be used for the birds occurring in Australia 

 has brought to light much of more than local interest. 

 Details will be given in full in my Birds of Australia 

 and this preliminary synopsis is here given for the 

 purpose of protecting my work, the first work on the 

 subject for over ten years. 



The most interesting discovery was that the widely- 

 used name JFregata aquila was inapplicable. This was 

 based on Pelecanus aquilus Linne (Syst. Nat., Ed. X., 

 p. 133, 1758). 



