Order PELEGANIF0RME8 Family FREGATIDM. 
No. 285. 
FREGATA ARIEL ARIEL. 
EASTERN LESSER FRIGATE BIRD. 
Atagen ARIEL Gray, Genera Birds, Vol. III., p. 669, pi. 183, 1845 (Jan.) : Raine Island, 
North Australia. 
Akigen ariel Gray, Genera Birds, Vol. III., p. 669, pi. 183 (sometimes 185), 1845 ; Gould, 
Birds Austr., Vol. VII., pi. 72, 1848; Macgillivray, Narr. Voy. “ Rattlesnake,” Vol. 
II., App., p. 359, 1852. 
Fregata ariel Reichenbach, Synops. Natat., pi. 57, fig. 375; pi. 64, figs. 2545-6, 1850; 
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXVI., p. 447, 1898 (part) ; Hall, Key 
Birds Austr., p. 103, 1899 ; Campbell, Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, Vol. II., 
p. 991, 1901 ; Hall, Key Birds Austr., 2nd ed., p. 103, 1906 ; Mathews, Handl. 
Birds Austral., p. 38, 1908 ; Campbell and White, Emu, Vol. X., p. 204, 1910 ; 
Macgillivray, ib., pp. 222, 226, pis. xxvi., xxviii., 1910 ; Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. 
XVIII., p. 242, 1912 ; North, Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., no. 1, Vol. III., p. 353, 1912. 
Tadiypetes minor (not Gmelin) Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av., Vol. II., p. 167, 1856; Gould, 
Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 499, 1865 ; Masters, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 
Vol. I., p. 64, 1876 ; North, Austr. Mus. Cat., no. 12, p. 364, 1890. 
Fregata minor Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Vol. VI., Pelec., p. 3, 1863 ; Sclater and Salvin, 
Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1878, p. 650 ; Salvador!, Orn. Papua, e Moll., Vol. III., 
p. 404, 1882. 
Atagen minor Gray, Handl, Gen. Sp. Birds, pt. m., p. 131, 1871 ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. 
Soc. N.S.W., Vol. II., p. 203, 1878 ; id., Tab. List Austr. Birds, p. 25, 1888. 
Fregata ariel ariel Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 100, 1913. 
Tachypetes ariel Macgillivray, Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 148, 1914. 
Distribution. North-eastern Australia. 
Adult male. General coloration black, the under-parts with a brownish tinge ; the head 
with long narrow feathers showing a deep blue sheen, as do also the lanceolate 
breeding plumes on the back ; wing-coverts miiformly black ; a white patch on 
each side of the body ; legs and feet black ; bill grey ; skin of throat red ; eyes 
and eyelids black. Culmen 80 mm., wing 535, tail 270, middle toe 45 (Raine Island). 
Adult female. Coloration as in next subspecies. Feet red ; eyes red ; the skin of the 
throat is of a lighter red in the male than in the female. Culmen 88 mm., wing 
545 (Raine Island). 
Immature. Undescribed. 
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