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ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 
Fregata Aquila. Cuv. 
Pelecanus Aquilus, Linn. 
I had an opportunity, at the Galapagos Archipelago, of watching, on several 
occasions, the habits of this bird, which are very interesting in relation to its 
peculiar structure. The Frigate bird, when it sees any object on the surface of 
the water, descends from a great height, in an inclined plane, head foremost, with 
the swiftness of an arrow ; and at the instant of seizing with its long beak and 
outstretched neck, the floating morsel, it turns upwards, with extraordinary dex- 
terity, by the aid of its forked tail, and long, powerful wings. It never touches 
the water with its wings, or even with its feet ; indeed I have never heard of one 
having been seen on the surface of the sea ; and it appears that the deeply 
indented web between its toes is of no more use to it, than are the shrivelled wings 
beneath the wing-cases of some coleopterous beetles. The Frigate bird has a 
noble appearance when seen soaring in a flock at a stupendous height (at which 
time it merits the name of the Condor of the ocean), or when many together are 
dashing, in complicated evolutions, but with the most admirable skill, at the same 
floating object. They seem to scorn to take their food quietly, for between each 
descent they raise themselves on high, and descend again with a swift and true 
aim. If the object (such as offal thrown overboard) sink more than six or eight 
inches beneath the surface, it is lost to the Frigate bird. I was informed at 
Ascension, that when the little turtles break through their shells, and run to the 
water’s edge, these birds attend in numbers, and pick up the little animals (being 
thus very injurious to the turtle fishery) off the sand, in the same manner as they 
would from the sea. 
