THE BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 
hand, Fregata arid (Gould) must be kept specifically distinct. Dr. Finsch, 
in a very interesting popular article in the Ornithologische Monatssckrift, 1900, 
p. 452, declares that his studies have convinced him that there is only one 
species of Fregata ; but he is entirely mistaken. Either he did not see the 
difference, or the museums in which he made his studies had no specimens 
of the small form. The latter is of a much more southerly distribution, 
except in Borneo, not going as far as the Equator ; it is smaller, the largest 
specimens just reaching the very smallest exceptional ones of F. aquila ; the 
MALE HAS ALWAYS A LARGE WHITE PATCH ON EACH FLANK. The females 
and young of the two do not seem to differ conspicuously in colour. The 
alleged distinctness of having a white collar (ariel) or not {aquila) is not borne 
out by our series.” 
In criticising the above, it must be remembered that the idea of 
geographical isolation producing peculiar forms of such wide-spread species 
as the present was scarcely conceived. Secondly, Rothschild and Hartert 
in 1899 had not the full experience of Ridgway in 1897, and thirdly, their 
knowledge of the literature was not complete. These apologies must be 
made, as their statements are generally inaccurate, as will be fully shown later. 
In the meanwhile, with regard to ariel not going north of the Equator, 
Ogilvie-Grant had catalogued specimens from Hakodadi and Amoy, while I 
have noted that Lesson observed a small Frigate-bird at the Caroline Islands. 
In the Monograph of Christmas Island, Sharpe (p. 42) recorded Fregata 
aquila, observing : “ According to Mr. Andrews, who shot some breeding 
birds, the male of the large Frigate-bird is almost entirely black, being white 
only from the lower breast down to the vent, including the lower flanks and 
upper-parts of the thighs. The female is black above, and has the throat 
black, but is white from the lower throat downwards ; the sides of the body 
black, with a large white patch on the flanks. The young birds have a rusty 
coloured head and throat.” 
On p. 44 he included Fregata ariel, writing : “ According to Mr. Andrews, 
the male is entirely black below, but the female is white on the throat, breast, 
and sides of body. The centre of the lower breast, abdomen, and lower 
flanks are black.” 
Although these colorations disagree with those given in the Catalogue 
of Birds, the discord appears to have escaped notice up to the present time. 
With regard to the Galapagos birds, Snodgrass and Heller {Proc. Wash. 
Acad. Sci., Vol. V., pp. 231-372, 1904) dismiss the present bird thus : 
“ Fregata aquila Linnaeus. 
“Range. Intertropical and subtropical seas. Galapagos Islands. 
Common everywhere about the archipelago : observed at all the islands. 
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