456 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Frigate-birds ai-c remarkable in more wavs than one. To begin with, their general appear- 

 ance may be described as that of a small, long-vvingcd, fork-tailed albatross, mounted upon 

 particularly diminutive legs, so short as to do little more than raise the body oft" the ground. 

 Their flight is wonderfully graceful, and capable of being sustained for considerable periods; 

 for, like the gannets, they pass most of their time on the wing. They feed upon surface-fish, 

 which they capture from the surface of the water without alighting, or upon fish which they 

 take from the gannets of the neighbourhood. 



Frigate-birds build their nests in trees, on low bushes, or on the ground, and sometimes 

 upon ledges of precipitous clifts. The nest is a loose structure composed of sticks, and its 

 construction is accompanied by much pilfering from one another. Only a single egg is laid. 



About the beginning of January the male acquires a \cr\' remarkable pouch of brilliant 

 scarlet skin, which hangs beneath the beak. Frigate-birds are found all over the world within 

 the tropics. 



The Tkoi'K-iurds, or Boatswaix-BIRDS, as they are sometimes called, are more like gulls 

 or the hea\icr species of terns in general appearance, and in no way resemble superficially 

 the forms with which the}' are associated, sa\'e in the fact that all the toes are enclosed in 

 the same weh. A stud\' of their anatom\', however, leaves little doubt that these birds are 

 reall_\- members of the Pelican Tribe. 



Either pure white, relieved with black, or of a beautiful apricot-yellow, with similar black 

 markings, with a powerful bill and long tapering tail, the tropic-bird is one of the most 

 beautiful of sea-birds. There are altogether about six species of tropic-birds, distributed over 

 the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The)' nest in hollows of clifts or holes in trees, and lay a 

 single egg, A\'hich bears some resemblance to that of a kestrel. 



CHAPTER VIII 



SCREJA/ERS, DUCKS, GEESE, AND SJVANS 



F 



■RF,y\MKR, OR CHAKA 



/'-<■ ihr only mcwhen of the family 



FAMILIAR as are most of our readers 

 with all save the first mentioned of 

 these birds, 3'et few probably suspect 

 how great a wealth of forms this group 

 displays. All are more or less aquatic in 

 their habits, of heax'y build, with long necks 

 and small heads, short legs, and short wings 

 and tails. The \'oung are hatched covered 

 with a peculiar kind of down, which more 

 nearl)' resembles that of the Ostrich Tribe 

 than the down of other birds, and they run 

 about or accompany their parents to the 

 water cither immediately or a few hours 

 after hatching. Several species have become 

 domesticated, and in some cases have pi\'en 

 rise to [jeculiar breeds, «'hilst many are much 

 in demand for the purpose of enlivening 

 ornamental waters. 



1 he least-known members of the group 

 are the very remarkable and extremely interest- 

 ing ScRiiAMKks of South America, of which 

 there are thix-e species. These are large birds, 

 presenting some resemblances to the Game- 

 birds on the one hand and the Geese on the 



