FREGATA MINOE. 1205 



Obs. This species, besides being smaller in the wing than F. aqaila, may be distinguished from it, in the adult male 

 plumage, by the white patch on the flanks. 



Distribution. — This fine Frigate-bird is a frequent visitor to the shores of Ceylon, and, as in the case of 

 many other tolerably rare sea-birds, is generally met with on the west coast. Layard, who first recorded it, 

 thus writes (loc. cit.) : — " Mr. Brodie, of the Ceylon Civil Service, first shot this species on Calpentyn Lake ; and 



Sandwich Islands. It has once been procured, in 1863, ou the New-Zealand coasts. Crossing the Pacific we find it 

 frequenting the west coast of Central America from California down to Peru ; while on the eastern side of the continent 

 it is found along the coast from Bermuda to Florida, where it breeds, and thence southwards to the coast of Brazil. 

 It is common throughout the West Indies. In the Central Atlantic it inhabits the waters surrounding Ascension 

 Island and St. Helena : at the former place it is numerous, for I saw many examples in the course of a day spent there ; 

 and at Boatswain-bird Island it breeds plentifully. 



Habits. — The " Frigate Pelican" for the most part frequents the vicinity of land, where numbers of sea-birds are 

 usually to be found fishing, and there successfully plies his robber-trade. Occasionally, however, it is to be seen on the 

 open ocean, and I have myself noticed it two days' steam from the nearest land. At Ascension I had an opportunity of 

 witnessing its marvellous powers of flight in chasing the Boobies and Terns (Sterna fuliginosa) which thronged the waters 

 round the island. 



It is rather an ungainly bird when perched, if one can judge by the appearance of the rather disconsolate-looking 

 captive now in the Zoological Gardens. This individual bobs his head up and down when approached and utters a harsh 

 scream when spoken to by his keeper. The neck is drawn in, and the hind toe is held in rear of the perch. 



Audubon, who wrote a graphic description of the flight and habits of this bird, considered it to be much more swift 

 on the wing than the fastest American Hawks. He remarks that it 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 flying-fishes, 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 about 8 inches in length. The Frigate Pelican 

 mounted with it across its bill about a hundred yards, and then tossing it up caught it as it fell, but not in the proper 

 manner. He therefore dropped it, but before it had fallen many yards caught it again. Still it was not in a good 

 position, the weight of the head, it seemed, having prevented the bird from seizing it by that part. A second time the 

 fish was thrown upwards, and now, at last, was received in a convenient manner, and immediately swallowed." 



Nidification. — The breeding-time of this species on the coast of America is in April ; and it may be concluded that 

 in other tropical situations, either in the Indian or Pacific oceans, its time for nesting will be the same. Mr. Salvin 

 found it breeding in high mangrove-trees on islands in atolls bordering the coast of British Honduras. The nests were 

 made on the tops of the trees, and were frail structures of sticks. The young, which looked like puff-balls of white, were 

 lying helpless in the nests, and the "youngest were guarded," he writes, "by one of the parent birds, which balanced 

 itself on the edge of the nest ;" and from the unhatched eggs the birds could hardly be prevailed upon to move. Audubon 

 remarks that when commencing to repair their nests " they break the dry twigs of trees with ease, passing swiftly on 

 wing, and snapping them off by a single grasp of their powerful bill. It is, indeed," he remarks, " a beautiful 

 sight to see them when thus occupied, especially when several are so engaged, passing and repassing with the swiftness 

 of thought over the trees whose tops are blasted ; their purpose appears as if accomplished by magic. It sometimes 

 happens that the bird accidentally drops a stick while travelling towards its nest, when, if this should happen over 

 the water, it plunges after it and seizes it with its bill before it has reached the waves." 



In shape the eggs of this Frigate-bird are moderately broad or long ovals, the diameter varying somewhat ; they 

 are of a chalky texture, but the surface is not rough. The colour is a uniform dull white, with smears of blood 

 occasionally. The measurements of three specimens in the British Museum are — 2 - 69 by T79, 2-62 by TS7, and 

 2-47 by 1-83 inches. 



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