GEEATER FRIGATE BIRD. 
ad. . . Culmen 96 wing 558 tail 365 middle toe 60 mm. 
cJ ad. . . „ 96 „ 530 „ 385 ,, 53 
$ ad. .. „ 107 „ 599 „ 410 „ 54 
These are Sharpe’s “ F, ariel,^'' and have to be compared with a series 
of “ F. aquila Auct.” from other localities: the larger birds need no comparison 
on account of their distinctive coloration. In the Rothschild Museum 
a large series of this bird from the Seychelles are preserved : they are 
all sexed, and details of soft parts given ; whether these data can be 
faithfully accepted or not I cannot say, but in some cases errors appear to 
have been made. 
Four adult black males measure : 
Cuhnen 96 
wing 
+ 
tail 390 
middle 
toe 
51 mm. 
„ 106 
99 
+ 
„ 390 
99 
53 
„ 100 
99 
603 
„ 390 
99 
52 
,, 101 
99 
585 
„ 395 
99 
48 -h 
Four in female plumage marked males measure : 
Culmen 120 
wing 
605 
tail 410 
middle 
toe 
54 mm. 
„ 114 
»> 
604 
„ 390 
99 
51 
,, 105 
99 
602 
,, 400 
99 
54 
„ 109 
603 
„ 420 
99 
50 
One in female plumage marked female gives : 
Culmen 116, wing 613, tail 420, middle toe 64 mm. 
A black male from Seychelles in the British Museum measures : 
Culmen 98, wing 594, tail 410, middle toe 53 mm. 
It is suggested that the female is not much larger than the male from this 
locality, though none of the birds marked male reaches the solitary adult 
female in wing-length. 
An adult black male, collected by Nicolls at Gloriosa, now in the Bri^tish 
Museum, measures : 
Culmen 106, wing 606, tail 400, middle toe 55 mm. 
In the Rothschild Museum two birds from Aldabra measure : 
ad. Culmen 99 wing 595 tail 392 middle toe 49 mm. 
$ ad. „ 115 „ 621 „ 430 „ 50 
Another bird in the white-headed stage, white underneath to the vent, 
has the bill rose colour, as in the full breeding-plumage : it is marked 
female, and measures : 
Culmen 120, wing 615, tail 395, middle toe 56 mm. 
261 
