GREATER FRIGATE BIRD. 
Adult female. Head and neck all round and all upper-parts dark ; throat ashy ; lower 
neck, breast, and sides of body pure white ; middle of lower breast, abdomen, 
and flanks black; the feathers of the head are shorter than in the male and are 
comparatively dull ; brown collar on back of neck ; the feathers of the back are 
not conspicuously elongated and lack the brilliant sheen of the lanceolate plumes 
of the male ; innermost secondaries brownish ; the lesser and median-coverts are 
brownish with paler margins, forming a somewhat conspicuous bar parallel to the 
shoulder. Coloration of iris, bill, and feet unrecorded. Culmen 107 mm., wing 599, 
tail 410, middle toe 54. (The female of F. m. listen collected at Christmas Island 
by Dr. C. W. Andrews, F.R.S., and now in my collection.) 
Immature male. Head and neck all round white, pouch showing ; breast with rusty 
patch ; lower breast black as are sides of body ; centre of abdomen, lower flanks, 
and vent white ; under tail-coverts black with small white tips ; rest of upper- 
parts dusky brown and black according to wear ; median wing-coverts brownish 
forming a narrow bar. Coloration of iris, bill, and feet unrecorded. Culmen 
92 mm., wing 570, tail 350, middle toe 49 (New Zealand). (Another collected by 
J. Macgillivray at Oomaga Island, Torres Straits, agrees but is slightly larger.) 
Immature, Younger, and Nestling. Undescribed. 
Nest. Placed in trees or on the ground ; rather bulky, composed of sticks. 
Eggs. Clutch one, white, covered with creamy hme ; axis 66 to 68 mm., diameter 45 to 46 
(Torres Straits). 
“ It was from the same point— Cape Nelson — ^that a coming ‘ blow ’ from 
the southward was always heralded some hours before by the appearance 
of a few Frigate Birds {Fregata aquila) which hovered in the locality, while 
the wind lasted, and as like mysteriously disappeared. It would be more 
appropriate to call them ‘ Prophet Birds.’ During a gale they meet the 
fierce gusts with seeming equanimity, neither wing moving, but with bodies 
rigid and heads to windward they remain almost stationary, except 
occasionally a slightly perceptible swaying and momentarily opening and 
closing of the tail-feathers — a steadying agency probably, besides an aid to 
ascent — of which a few remarks will be added later. Then with a lightning 
turn they gracefully sweep at a downward angle with fearful velocity for any 
given distance with the wind, and then with most consummate ease bring up 
‘ all standing ’ poised as before (see fig. 3), the wings meanwhile remaining 
stiff, but scarcely horizontal, at the time the bird prepares to turn. Such a 
resistance do they offer to a storm that when sometimes a bird is balanced 
a short distance overhead one can almost imagine seeing the wind rushing 
past its form. They have never been observed to approach the water closer 
than 300 feet, while, on the other hand, they often soar upwards to a 
considerable height. The evident method these birds adopt to ascend is 
peculiar, and very interesting to watch at close quarters. For, though the 
bird itself is practically rigid, except for slight movements — ^particular parts 
of which have been alluded to — yet those simple actions really explain how 
the bird rises. Thus, in addition to what has already been stated, they 
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