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Hovea&ejp 22 . 1966 
Dear Kalph, 
I understand the J^egata population Is at a peak now and you are 
interested in working out some kind of a plumage identification, 
suggested I write you concerning the frigate-birds. 
Several months ago I started so® taxonomlcal work on the iregata 
we had here at the Museum. To ^ surprise I found that we have an un¬ 
described supspecies within our study area. The northern birds are 
large and the southern birds smaller, liie northern race, which populates 
Johnston, is described and na®d Fregate jalnor pal®rstoni, the southern 
race has never been described and was thought to be the sa® as the 
northern race, I suspect the two races might possibly »et at Johnston 
since it Is situated between the northern Island race and the southern 
island race. You could help verify w^her or not this is true by taking 
so® ®asure®nts on the live birds yoS can capture or kill. 
There has been very little published about the ft'lgate-birds and I 
have done very little with the plumages so far. I have gone through my 
^^'®d^®8^epby and xeroxed the few articals that give some plumage description 
about the Fregata minor. I am forwarding them and a few other descriptive 
plumage articals on other species of Fregata, with the hopes they might 
assist you in writing up your descriptions of the Johnston Atoll bird 
plumage s. 
I cannot add much to the plumage descriptions already given in 
these articals, because of the lack of varalble plumaged birds here in 
the collection. It would be interesting to know ^ust intence the 
orange-brown gets in the Immatures. Also we have one breeding male, 
from Johnston, which has a light greyish wash on its chest. Could you 
coBmsent on this? The other males we have lack this greyish chest. 
I am including a table of the ®asurments I made from the specl®ns 
here at the Museum and hope you will be able to add to them. Would you 
please collect any exceptionally small looking adult Fregata? 
If I can be of any assistance with the plumages please write. 
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Sincerely. 
S! 
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