EASTERN LESSER FRIGATE BIRD. 
Immature with down adhering on under-parts. Head, neck and throat deep msty-red ; 
back brown with lighter tips ; scapulars long, brownish-black ; primaries and 
primary-coverts, bend of wing inside and out black ; secondary-coverts brown 
with pale whitish tips ; breast downy, showing black feathers in the form of a band 
across the lower breast ; abdomen white ; under tail-coverts black ; tail black, 
long and slightly forked ; bill and feet of a white colour with a shade of blue ; 
eyes black (Raine Island). 
Young in down. Pure white ; scapulars and mantle feathers dark brown with lighter 
tips ; secondaries just sprouting (Raine Island). 
Nest. “ Placed on the ground and composed of a few sticks collected from shrubs and 
herbaceous plants ” (Ince). 
Eggs. “ Clutch one, sometimes two, pure white and not so chalky in appearance as 
those of the Gannet, and nearly the same shape at both ends ” (Ince). 
Breeding-season. May, June and July. 
The life-history of this bird is comparatively unknown. Gould wrote : 
“ Commander Ince on Raine Island found this bird breeding in colonies at 
its S.W. corner, the nest being composed of a few small sticks collected from 
the shrubs and herbaceous plants which alone clothe the island, and placed 
either on the ground or on the plants a few inches above it. The eggs, 
which are generally one, but occasionally two in number, are of a pure white, 
not so chalky in appearance as those of the Gannet, and nearly of the same 
shape at both ends. Upon one occasion I killed the old birds from a nest 
that contained a young one ; on visiting the spot I found the young bird 
removed to another nest, the proprietors of which were feeding it as if it had 
been their own. I am sure of this fact, because there was no other nest near 
it containing two young birds. Some of the eggs were quite fresh, while 
others had been so far sat upon that we could not blow them, and many 
of the young birds must have been hatched some two or three weeks. We 
regarded these birds as the Falcons of the sea, for we repeatedly saw them 
compel the Terns, Boobies and Gannets to disgorge their prey, and then 
adroitly catch it before it fell to the ground or water. We never saw them 
settle on the water, but constantly soaring round and round, apparently on 
the watch for what the smaller birds were bringing home. I have found in 
their pouch young turtles, cuttle-fish, and small crabs.” 
The mounted birds in the Sydney Museum Mounted Gallery marked 
aquila are this species. 
The only observations made by Australian ornithologists appear to be 
those following, where, owing to some misunderstanding, little note was made 
and a valuable opportunity missed of making an historic contribution to 
our knowledge ; this still remains to be done. 
“ On the eastern side of the island, near its centre, we come upon the 
nesting-place of the Frigate-Bird {Fregata arid), where about fifty young 
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