THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Two “ adult males ” ex the Godman Coll, with the data “ Queensland ” 
pencilled on and enumerated in the Catalogue of the Birds in the British 
Museum as Queensland Coast (J. T. Cockerell),” are obviously skins made 
by that collector. The locality is, of course, very doubtful, but it is certain 
they were procured at no great distance, probably on one of the islands of 
Torres Strait. Macgillivray, on the voyage of H.M.S. ‘‘Rattlesnake,” procured 
an immature male on Oomaga Island, Torres Straits, which suggests a 
breeding locality. 
The two “ Queensland ” males measure : culmen 100-105 mm., wing 
550-565, tail 370-420, middle toe 50-55. These figmes do not agree at all well 
with the immature birds credited to palmerstoni, for allowing them to be 
females the discrepancy in wing measurement is too great. 
I now come to the Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) birds, which really 
induced this detailed investigation. Dr. C. W. Andrews, F.R.S., generously 
gave me four birds from that locality, male and female of the large bird, and 
male and female of the small bird, he found breeding on the island. 
These were identified by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe as Fregata aquila and 
F . ariely but he gave notes which negatived both the associations. For he 
observed, or rather quoted Dr. Andrews’ notes, that the large bird, as regards 
the male, had a white belly, while the female was white from the lower throat 
downwards. No other observer had recorded such a coloration and no other 
birds showing this were preserved in the British Museum. For “ F. ariel ” 
he again quoted Dr. Andrews’ notes, that the male was wholly black, no 
mention being made of the white patch of feathers on the flanks which Ogilvie- 
Grant had observed to be diagnostic of this species. 
Criticism of Dr. Andrews’ specimens enabled me to recognise that the 
large bird was a new distinct species, while the small bird was a form of 
“ Fregata aquila ” Auct. 
The measurements of these Christmas Island birds show that two distinct 
forms are represented without reference to the coloration — 
Culmen. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Middle toe 
d ad. . . 
112.5 
605 
384 
54 mm. 
d ad. . . . . . . 
113 
600 
400 
56 
^ ad. . . • . . . 
115 
625 
375 
60 
d imni. 
96 
573 
365 
53 
$ ad. . . 
127 
643 
430 
60 
$ ad. . . 
136 
635 
450 
60 
$ imm., down showing 
107 
638 
370 
53 
These are the large white-bellied birds. 
260 
