﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  175 
  

  

  Family 
  FFiEOATID 
  A.E> 
  

  

  Man-o'-war 
  Birds 
  

  

  Characters. 
  Steganopodes 
  with 
  long, 
  straight 
  beak 
  hooked 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  ; 
  

   smah 
  pouch 
  and 
  feathered 
  lores; 
  tail 
  long, 
  forked, 
  of 
  12 
  feathers; 
  feet 
  very 
  

   small, 
  the 
  middle 
  toe 
  long 
  and 
  pectinate. 
  Frigate-birds 
  have 
  an 
  expanse 
  

   of 
  wing 
  and 
  power 
  of 
  flight 
  which, 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  their 
  size, 
  surpasses 
  all 
  

   other 
  birds. 
  The 
  common 
  name 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  derived 
  from 
  its 
  swiftness 
  

   of 
  flight 
  and 
  its 
  habit 
  of 
  coursing 
  around 
  other 
  birds 
  and 
  swooping 
  down 
  on 
  

   them 
  to 
  secure 
  their 
  prey. 
  It 
  is 
  often 
  seen 
  soaring 
  with 
  motionless 
  wings, 
  

   in 
  the 
  teeth 
  of 
  the 
  gale, 
  or 
  circling 
  almost 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  above 
  the 
  

   gathering 
  storm. 
  The 
  speed 
  and 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  snatch 
  their 
  prey 
  

   from 
  the 
  water, 
  or 
  rob 
  the 
  gulls 
  and 
  terns, 
  is 
  often 
  marveled 
  at 
  by 
  natural 
  

   history 
  writers. 
  

  

  Man-o'-war 
  bird. 
  Frigata 
  aquila 
  (Linnaeus). 
  

  

  Gardiner 
  Island 
  specimen. 
  American 
  Museum 
  of 
  Natural 
  History. 
  

   Much 
  reduced 
  

  

  