MAN-O'-WAR-BIRDS 41 



quently one will sit motionless for a long period on a pile over 

 the water, seemingly in a trance. More often they may be 

 seen slowly flapping or sailing a few yards above the water, 

 or diving with a great splash in pursuit of their prey. They 

 frequent sand bars about the outer islands, where they rest 

 in daytime in companies of 50 or more and at night roost in 

 similar situations in much larger flocks. 



Food habits. — This pelican apparently feeds exclusively on 

 fish. Dr. Morris Gibbs examined a number of stomachs and 

 pouches of the bird in Florida and found in them a variety of 

 fishes from 4^/% inches to 11 1^ inches in length. The species 

 identified were mullet, porgy, sailor's-choice, sheepshead, cat- 

 fish, and toadfish.J George Nelson examined a number of 

 fish dropped by young pelicans on Pelican Island, Indian 

 River, Florida, and found that all of them were menhaden 

 (Brevoortia tyrannus) about 8 inches in length.* T. Gilbert 

 Pearson also reports that menhaden composed the principal 

 food of young pelicans in Aransas Bay, Texas.f 



MAN-O'-WAR-BIEDS: Family Fregatidae. 



MAN-O'-WAR-BIRD; MAN-O'-W^R-HAWK ; FRIGATE 

 PELICAN : Fregata magnificens rothscMldi Matthews.$$ 



State records. — The man-o'-war-bird may frequently be 

 seen along the Gulf coast but is nowhere very common. It 

 is not known to nest in the State, but may have done so in 

 former years. Individuals were frequently seen in Missis- 

 sippi Sound in May, and from July 20 to September 5, 1911 ; 

 also in Perdido Bay during September. During July, 1913, 

 small companies were frequently observed in the Sound near 

 Dauphin and Petit Bois Islands, and I saw a flock of 5 near 

 Petit Bois, November 24, 1915. A few were seen by Peters 

 in the Sound and at Alabama Port in early June, 1914. Gol- 

 san and Holt state that one was found dead near Prattville, 

 after a severe storm, about 1905 or 1906.** 



liGibbs, Morris, Forest and Stream, vol. 38, p. 296, 1892. 

 •Nelson, Geo., The Auk, vol. 28, p. 896, 1911. 



tPearson, T. G., The Ank, vol. 88, p. B16, 1921. »u a i i 



itFregata aquila of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 

 85, p. 203, 1918. . .„., 



••Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 216, 1914. 



