THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
fact of the white throat, which proves the bird received by Edwards to 
have come from the eastern half of the Indian Ocean.” When I fixed 
Jamaica, I would emphasize the fact that I had studied Edwards’ plate 
and letterpress and I failed to see any evidence as to the origin of 
Edwards’ bird. The only fact is that he received it from Mr. Isaac 
Romilly. I even searched through Edwards to see if I could find other 
gifts from the same donor which would lead to a suggestion of locality, 
but though there were such, none gave any clue whatever. 
I have written most of the details given by Edwards and now add the 
rest, so that anyone can judge for themselves the evidence and see if they 
can find the considerable internal evidence which would justify any type 
locality save the one I fixed : “ They are found only in warm countries, 
and are seen in seas at a distance from land. It appears to me to be 
the same with the Rdbihorcado or Rabojorcado of Willughby : see his 
account and figure, p. 395, Tab. LXXVII. Petiver has the same figure 
in his Gazo'phylacium, Tab. LIV. He calls it the Indian Forked-tail. The 
figures given by these authors (who, by the way, borrowed them from 
Nieremberg, see his Hist. Nat., p. 221) are very imperfect, and can give 
no idea of the bird, and what they say of it amounts to no more than 
that it hath a forked tail. Du Tertre, Hist. Nat. Ins. Antill., has given 
a description of this bird by the name of La Fregate, with an account of 
its long flight over the sea from land, and its combats with other seafowls 
for prey, etc. Ray, in his Synopsis Avium, p. 153-4, has given Du Tertre’s 
description, etc., part of which is translated into Albin’s History of Birds, 
Vol. III., p. 75.” Edwards then concludes with the statement I have 
given previously, that a gentleman who had made several voyages to the 
East Indies had informed him that the males were black. 
This last sentence is the only mention of the East Indies, and it certainly 
refers in no way to the bird Edwards figured. Edwards admits his bird is the 
same as that of Du Tertre, and therefore I arbitrarily selected Jamaica. 
Now, as to the value of the white throat which Mr. Rothschild lays 
stress upon. My own conclusion is that it is not a constant feature but 
simply a seasonal one ; that is, though some races may have a lighter 
throat than others, the races of which the adult females have black 
throats show in immature males and females a whitish throat. The series 
available are not long enough to show all the plumage changes, but this 
fact is clearly seen in connection with Aldabra birds. The set in the 
Rothschild Museum from Seychelles are quite instructive in this respect, 
as the adult female from Aldabra has a black throat while all the other 
immature males and females show a light throat. I have stated that 
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