

FEEGATA AQUILA. 



IWA. 



Pelecanus aquilus, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12, i. p. 216 (1766). 



Tachypetes aquila, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xii. p. 143 (1817). 



Tachypetes aquilus, Kittlitz, Kupfertafeln zur Naturgesch. der Vogel, p. 15, pi. xx. (1833) ; id. 



Mus. Senckenb. i. p. 121 (1834 ?) ; Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 358 (1858) ; Dole, Proc. 



Boston Soc. N. H. 1869, p. 308. 

 Attagen aquilus, G. R. Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. p. 61 (1859). 

 Tachypetes palmerstoni, Dole, Haw. Alman. 1879, p. 58. 

 Fregata aquila, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888, p. 102; Wiglesworth, Aves Polyn. p. 71 



(1891); Rothschild, Avif. Laysan, p. 21 (1893) ; Grant, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 443 (1898). 



[The above citations refer chiefly to the Sandwich Islands and some other localities in the 

 Pacific Ocean. This list could easily be extended.] 



As there was at one time some misunderstanding with regard to the species of Frigate- 

 Bird found in the Sandwich Islands, it may be of interest to our readers to peruse the 

 remarks of Dr. Stejneger, which are quoted below. Palmer met with large colonies 

 nesting on bushes both in Laysan and the neighbouring islands from May to July; 

 Mr. Perkins observed it on Oahu ; and Mr. Dole quotes from Kittlitz the statement 

 that it " breeds on Nihoa," while the last-named also found it in the Laysan group. 



Dr. Stejneger says : — 



" In his first edition of his 'Synopsis' (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist, xii.) Mr. Dole 

 enumerated the Frigate-Bird under the above specific name [Tachypetes aquilus], but 

 in 1879 ('Hawaiian Almanac') he corrected the identification as erroneous, and substi- 

 tuted for it the name Tachypetes palmerstoni, without stating his reasons for so doing. 

 It seems, however, as if he made the change under the impression that ' Tachypetes 

 aguila, a similar but much larger bird of the Atlantic Ocean,' is confined to the latter, 

 and that no other species than the small one (the correct name of which is Fregata 

 minor) occurs in the ' tropical belt of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.' This is not quite 

 exact, for while F. minor is restricted to the Pacific, and particularly its southern part, 

 F. aquila is found^ in both oceans, especially north of the Equator, and the specimen 

 from Kauai, sent by Mr. Knudsen, belongs to the large form. As Dr. Streets has 

 found F. minor on the Fanning Islands (Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 7, p. 25), it is quite 

 likely that it may also occur, at least occasionally, in the Hawaiian Archipelago. 

 Knudsen's specimen is a female, with the head, neck, lower breast, and belly 



