COMMON FRIGATE-BIRD. 



tail, very short legs, and by the peculiar form of the 

 beak, both mandibles curving downw^ards. From the 

 extraordinary length of wing v\^ith which they are 

 endowed, they fly to a most surprising distance : 

 instances are on record of individuals being observed 

 at the distance of 1000 miles from land; they are 

 always however observed within, or close to, the 

 tropics : they feed chiefly upon \\\^jiying-jish : they 

 attack the Boobies, and compel them to disgorge their 

 prey, which they instantly devour. As before ob- 

 served, there is an extraordin-ary affinity between these 

 birds and the Falcons. 



I have followed Ray in the appellation given to 

 this genus, although his name is less classical than 

 that of Vieillot, as his name has the right of priority, 

 which ought always to be our guide. 



COMMON FRIGATE-BIRD. 



(Fregatta Aquilus.) 



Fr. corpore nigro, rostro rubro, orhitis nigris ; femina capite 



ahdomineque albis. 

 Frigate bird with the body black, the beak red, the orbits black : 



female with the head and abdomen white. 

 Pelecanus Aquilus. Linn, Si/st, Nat. 1. 216. GmeL Syst. Nat, 



1.572. Lath.Ind. Orn.2. 885. Burton, Linn. Trans.xVn. 1. 

 Pelecanus minor. Gmel. Syst, Nat. 1. 572. Lath. Ind. Orn, 



2. 885. 



Fregatta. Briss. Orn. ^. 50^. pi. A^, 

 Fregatta minor. By-iss. Orn. 6. 509. 



