IQ THE FRIGATE PELICAN. 



towards the curved extremity, the edges irregularly jagged. Upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal line slightly concave, at the tip decurved, its ridge 

 broad and nearly flat at the base, narrowed and more convex towards the 

 end, the sides separated from the ridge by a narrow groove, convex, the 

 edges sharp and inflected, with a prominence at the commencement of the 

 curve of the elongated compressed hooked point. Nostrils basal, linear, in- 

 conspicuous. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long, narrow, the 

 membrane bare and dilatable into a small pouch, the very short dorsal line 

 decurved, the sides erect at the base, convex in the rest of their extent, the 

 edges sharp and much inflected, at the narrow tip decurved. 



Head of moderate size, oblong. Neck of moderate length, stout. Body 

 rather slender. Feet very short, stout; tibia very short; tarsus extremely 

 short, feathered; toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by short 

 reticulated webs with concave margins, but running narrow along the sides; 

 they are scutellate above, broad and papillate beneath; first toe small, second 

 shorter than fourth, third much longer than the latter. Claws strong, com- 

 pressed, curved, acute, that of middle toe long, obliquely flattened, and 

 pectinate on the inner edge. 



Eyelids and gular sac, with the anterior part of the neck, bare. Plumage 

 compact, on the head, neck, breast, and back, shining. The feathers of the 

 head, neck, and back are lanceolate and acuminate; of the breast and sides 

 broader; of the wings small and rounded. Wings extremely long, pointed, 

 the first quill longest, the rest rapidly diminishing; the secondaries very 

 short, obliquely rounded and acuminate, the inner long and tapering. Tail 

 very long, deeply forked, of twelve rounded feathers, the outer narrow and 

 abruptly rounded. 



Bill light purplish-blue, white in the middle, the curved tips dusky. 

 Inside of mouth carmine; gular sac orange. Bare space about the eye 

 purplish-blue; iris deep brown. Feet light carmine above, orange beneath. 

 The general colour of the plumage is brownish-black, the head, neck, back, 

 breast, and sides, splendent with green and purple reflections, the former 

 predominating on the head, the latter on the back. The wings are tinged 

 with grey, the inner secondaries and tail with brown; the shafts of the former 

 black, of the latter brown. 



I have observed in specimens which I considered to be very old, that the 

 gular sac was covered with pustules, similar to those found at times around 

 the base of the mandibles of the Cathartes tflura, and which appear to be 

 the effects of disease, occasioned by their coming frequently in contact with' 

 putrid substances. 



Length to end of tail 41 inches, to end of wings 37; to end of claws 24f; 

 wing from flexure 25, tail 18; extent of wings 86; bill along the back 5^, 



