340 



aries reach to within five inches of the former in the closed wing. The tail is long and deeply forked; 

 the lateral tail-feathers are acuminate in form, with rounded tips; the median ones are broader. The 

 feet are small and feeble ; the outer toe is '5 of an inch longer than the inner one ; the claw on the 

 middle toe measures an inch in length, and is pectinate on its inner side ; the hind claw is small, rather 

 broad, and abruptly arched ; the lateral claws are equal, and slightly larger than the hind one ; the 

 interdigital web is deeply cut, and terminates at the third joint of the middle toe. 



So far as I am aware there is only one recorded instance of the occurrence of this " Vulture of 

 the sea," as it has been appropriately termed, on the New-Zealand coast. In February 1863 a 

 fine specimen was taken alive at Castle Point, on the east coast of the Wellington Province, and 

 forwarded to Mr. George Moore, who very generously presented it to me ; and this unique 

 example, of which a description is given above, is now with the rest of my collection in the 

 Colonial Museum. I was unable at the time to get any information about it, beyond the mere 

 fact of its having been brought in alive by a party of natives, who had been on a fishing-excursion ; 

 but, several years afterwards, when travelling through another portion of the province, I happened 

 to meet with the native who had actually caught it. He said he was fishing near Rangiwha- 

 kaoma, when he observed a strange bird sitting on the rocks apparently asleep : creeping stealthily 

 up, he succeeded in catching it with his hands. It made no attempt to escape from him ; but, on 

 being captured, attacked his hands fiercely with its powerful bill. He stated further that a 

 similar bird had been killed by the natives at Ihuraua, on the same line of coast, a short time 

 before, and that all who had seen it pronounced this the true " Hokioi " of Maori tradition — a 

 long-winged bird that is supposed to soar in the heavens, far above the range of human vision, 

 and to descend to the shore at night to feed on shell-fish. It is not unlikely that the wonderful 

 powers of flight possessed by the Frigate bird gave rise to this well-known story of the " Hokioi ;" 

 and the enormous expanse of its wings would seem almost to warrant the most extravagant belief. 

 On this subject thus graphically writes Audubon, the American ornithologist: — 



" The Frigate Pelican is possessed of a power of flight which I conceive superior to that of 

 perhaps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne Tern, the smaller Gulls, or the Jager 

 move on wing, it seems a matter of mere sport to it to overtake any of them. The Goshawk, the 

 Peregrine, and the Gyr Falcon, which I conceive to be the swiftest of our Hawks, are obliged to 

 pursue their victim, should it be a Green-winged Teal or Passenger Pigeon, at times for half a 

 mile, at the highest pitch of their speed, before they can secure them. The bird of which I speak 

 comes from on high with the velocity of a meteor, and on nearing the object of its pursuit, which 

 its keen eye has spied while fishing at a distance, darts on either side to cut off all retreat, and 

 with open bill forces it to drop or disgorge the fish which it has just caught. See him now ! 

 Yonder, over the waves, leaps the brilliant Dolphin, as he pursues the flyingfishes, which he 

 expects to seize the moment they drop into the water. The Frigate bird, who has marked them, 

 closes his wings, dives towards them, and, now ascending, holds one of the tiny things across his 

 bill. Already fifty yards above the sea, he spies a porpoise in full chase, launches towards the 

 spot, and in passing seizes the mullet that has escaped from its dreaded foe. I observed a Frigate 

 Pelican that had forced a Cayenne Tern, yet in sight, to drop a fish, which the broad-winged 

 warrior had seized as it fell. This fish was rather large for the Tern, and might probably be 



