Jan., 1904 I THE CONDOR 9 
interesting feature regarding these boobies is the coloration of the adult birds. In 
the Galapagos nineteen out of twenty of the breeding birds are of the grayish type 
while in the Revillagigedo Islands, about 1200 miles northwe.st, ninty-nine out of 
a hundred are of the white type. 
Frigate birds which breed commonly on many of the outlying rocks and 
small islands offer many views worthy of reproduction. Nests are placed on the 
ground or in bushes and the absence of fear in this species renders photography 
an easy task. The actions of the frigates during the nesting season afforded me 
much amusement. Imagine one of tho.se great, ungainly birds sitting on the nest 
by his mate, one wing thrown lovingly over her back, while he rubs his bill against 
hers, and utters low beseeching requests for her to notice him. I will say for the 
female I saw, that she seemed quite bored by his attentions during the time they 
were under observation ! The manner in which a female will unceremoniously 
FRIGATE BIRDS ON NEST, BRATTLE ISLAND 
hustle her partner off the nest when she returns from her morning exercise is high- 
ly edifying. It is ({uite possible that the poor henpecked fellow sometimes resents 
her harsh greeting and pulls the egg from the nest in pure spite. We found eggs 
very often on the edge of the nest or on the ground nearby, and it would be an 
easy matter for a bird to pull the egg off the nest as it is flat on top and the egg is 
held between the feet. I am tempted to think that polyandry is practiced by tuese 
birds for more than once when the male was scared from a nest on which a female 
was sitting, another male would swoop down and settle in his place. When a 
nest is once started one biid must remain on it all the time for the moment it is 
left unprotected, males from surrounding nests fly to it and carry off the sticks, so 
that in a few minutes time not a vestige of a structure remains. The young fri- 
gate birds grow slowly and occupy the nest for a long time, sitting on it in a de- 
jected attitude that reminds one of a sick chicken. 
