GREATER FRIGATE BIRD. 
Forster has identified this reference with Pelecanus onocrotalus,'^' but 
it is obvious that the bird Osbeck observed was the mature male of the 
immature bird he described as Pelecanus aquilus. 
The only conclusion possible is that the type locality of Linne’s species 
must be Ascension Island, and this has been accepted by all workers ; the 
reason for my emphasis will be seen later. 
Gmelin, in the SysL Nat., p. 572, 573, added three names thus: Pelecanus 
minor, leucocephalos and palmerstoni. The definition of the first reads : 
“ P. cauda forficata: corpore ferrugineo, rostro orbitesque rubris. 
“ Fregata minor Briss., av. 6, p. 509, n. 7. 
“ Multum aquilo affinis, gula etiam saccata, at minor, et 2 pedes, 9 pollices 
modo longus ; pedes sordide lutei.” 
The other two are simply based on Latham, whose descriptions I append. 
“ White-headed Fr(igate) P(elican), Gen. Synops. Birds, Vol. III., pt. 2, 
p. 591, 1785. Size of a large Duch : length near three feet. BfU five inches 
long ; colom dusky, except at the tip, where it is very pale, nearly white ; 
both mandibles are hooked : the sides of the head covered with feathers ; 
the head and fore-part of the neck are white, finishing in a point on the last ; 
the breast and belly are also white ; except these, the rest of the plumage 
is brown ; the tail forked ; legs reddish-brown. This is in the Hunterian 
Museum. . . . Not far different from the above is one mentioned by 
Osbeck. . . . This he met with at the Isle of Ascension.^^ 
A similar plumaged bird is described in connection, and Osbeck’s 
description and notes are extracted from Forster’s translation. 
p. 592. ‘‘ Palmerston Fr(igate) P(elican) ” is described : “ Length three 
feet two inches. Bill five inches and a half long, and hooked at the end, as 
in the Cormorant : colour black ; space round the eyes well feathered ; the 
upper part of the head, neck and body brown, with a greenish gloss ; the 
wing-coverts nearest the body dark glossy green ; fore-part of the neck 
mottled brown and white, the rest of the under-parts white ; vent b|ack ; 
tail forked; the shafts of all the feathers white; legs dusky black; the 
middle claw serrated on the inside. 
“Inhabits the island of Palmerston, in th.Q South Seas. In the collection 
of Sir Joseph Banks.” 
In connection with the Lesser Frigate Pelican, Latham (p. 591) wrote : 
‘ This has a large red pouch at the chin and throat, as in the former species. 
It is most likely that mine is the male bird, as others, suspected to be of 
the opposite sex, have little or no traces of the jugular pouch.” The 
footnote reads : “ This supposition seems justified from a pair in the 
Hunteriam, Museum, in both of which the plumage is wholly black : the one 
245 
