140 PEEGATIDiE. ■ 



Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. x. p. 578 "; Stone, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1890, p. 203 " ; Richm. 

 Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 532 " ; A. O. U. Check-l. N, Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 46 " ; 

 Ogilvie Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 443 " ; Anthony, Auk, xv. pp. 314 ", 316 ", 

 317=' ; Nelson, N. Amer. Fauna, no. 14, p. 33 "*. 



Omnino niger, pilei cristati et notsei plumis lanceolatis, chalybeo-viridi vel purpurascenti-violaceo iridescentibus ; 



alis caudaque nigerrimis, vix chalybeo nitentibus, rectricum. rachidibus subtus albis : subtus omnino 



niger, vix chalybeo adumbratus : rostro fusco ; gula nuda scarlatina ; pedibus nigris ; iride brunnea. 



Long, tota circa 48-0, alae 24-3, caudse 17-6, culm. 4-4, tarsi 0-8. (Descr. maris adulti ex Belize. Mus. 



nostr.) 

 $ ad. Supra mari simUis, nigra chalybeo vel purpureo nitens, tecfcricibus alarum brunnescentioribus ; 



mento nudo, gutture reliquo nigro ; praepectore tamen et pectore albis ; abdomine, subcaudalibus sub- 



alaribusque nigris : rostro albicante ; pedibus coccineis. Long, tota circa 36-0, alae 24'2. (Descr. feminse 



adultae ex Man-o'- >rar Cay. Mus. uostr.) 

 Juv. feminae adultse simUis, sed pileo undique aut ferrugineo aut albo : subtus albus, pectoris lateribus, 



bypocbondriis et subcaudalibus nigricantibus. (Descr. exempl. ex Belize. Mus. nostr.) 



Eai. Tropical and Subtropical Coasts generally, in America as far north as 

 Florida and Texas, and casually to Nova Scotia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas, and 

 Humboldt Bay, California ^^. — Eevillagigedo Is., San Benedicte I.^i, Socorro 1.22, 

 Clarion I. ^^ (^Anthony) ; Mexico, abundant on both coasts, Ventosa Bay in 

 Tehuantepec ^, Santecomapan and Santa Maria del Mar, Tehuantepec, Tonala, 

 Chiapas (Sumichrasf^), Isabella I., off Mazatlan {Bischoff, Grayson^), Tres 

 Marias Is. [Nelson 2*), San Juanito, Tamaulipas (Bichardson 2"), La Mancha, 

 Vera Cruz {Ferrari-Perez ^^), Yucatan (Cabot ^\ Stone & Baker ^^j, Cozumel I. 

 (Gaumer ^3) ; British Honduras, Belize Coast, Man-o'- War Cay [0. S. ^^) ; Guate- 

 mala, both coasts {0. S.^), Champerico (mus. nostr. ^^); Hondueas, Bay of 

 Fonseca (Taylor ^ i^). Swan I. (Townsend ^^) ; Nicaragua, Coast and Lake of 

 Nicaragua, R. Escondido (Bichmond ^^}, San Juan del Sur, Pacific Coast 

 {Nutting ^) ; Costa Rica, Gulf of Nicoya (Nutting ®) ; Panama (Kellett & Wood, 

 Mus. Brit. 20). — Coasts of Venezuela, Brazil, and Peru 20. 



This species is common on both shores of Central America. Mr. Witmer Stone saw 

 a flock of a hundred off the coast of Yucatan, and Salvin noticed a number of these birds 

 about the Cays of British Honduras. In Nicaragua, Mr. Richmond found F. aguila 

 plentiful on the coast, and not uncommon about the Lake of Nicaragua ; he also 

 observed others fifty miles up the Escondido River. On Isabella and the Revillagigedo 

 Islands they breed abundantly. 



The Frigate- or Man-of-War Bird is remarkable for its powerful flight, frequently 

 ascending to such heights as to be almost invisible. When flying, it opens and 

 shuts its forked tail in exactly the same way as the little Scissor-tailed Tyrant-birds 

 (Milvulus). It does not dive after its food like the Gannet, but seizes on and devours 

 any fish on the surface of the water or those left stranded by the receding tide. 

 Mr. Nutting mentions that one of those he shot disgorged no less than twenty-three 

 small fishes from its pouch. On Socorro Island, Mr. Anthony states that the Frigate- 

 birds live chiefly by robbing the Gannets, and forcing them to disgorge their prey. 



