. Key to North American birds; containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary. Illustrated by 6 steel plates and upwards of 250 woodcuts. Birds. 30f) TACHYPETIDiE, FRIGATES. PHAETHONTIDiE, TROPIC BIRDS. GEN. 277. {Kennicott) ; Fort Thorn, New Mexico {Henry'). Nutt., ii, 507 ; Aud., vi, 443, p]. 420; Lawr. in Bd., 883; P. melanogastei- Wils., ix, 79, 82, pi. 74, f. 1, 2 ANHINGA. ^•^^ Family TACHYPETID^. Frigates, Bill longer than the head, stont, straight, wider than high at the base, th
. Key to North American birds; containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary. Illustrated by 6 steel plates and upwards of 250 woodcuts. Birds. 30f) TACHYPETIDiE, FRIGATES. PHAETHONTIDiE, TROPIC BIRDS. GEN. 277. {Kennicott) ; Fort Thorn, New Mexico {Henry'). Nutt., ii, 507 ; Aud., vi, 443, p]. 420; Lawr. in Bd., 883; P. melanogastei- Wils., ix, 79, 82, pi. 74, f. 1, 2 ANHINGA. ^•^^ Family TACHYPETID^. Frigates, Bill longer than the head, stont, straight, wider than high at the base, thence gradually compressed to the strongly booked extremit}'. Nostrils very small, linear, almost entirely closed, in a long narrow groove. Gular sac small, but capable of considerable distension. Wings exceedingly long and pointed, of about 34 remiges, of which the 10 primaries are very powerful, with stout quadrangular shafts ; upper and middle portion of the wings greatly lengthened. Tail very long, deeplj' forked, of 12 strong feathers. Feet exceedingly small, the tarsus, in particular, extraor- dinarily short (§ 75, p. 45), feathered; middle claw pectinate. Bulk of body slight compared with the great length of the wings and tail. Here only in this order is found the os uncinatum, a peculiar skull-bone occurring in nearly all the petrels, the turacous {Musophagklce, p. 178) and manj' cuckoos. The frigates are maritime and pelagic birds of most warm parts of the globe. Their general contour is unique among water-birds, in the immense length and sweep of the wings, length of the forked tail aud extreme smalluess of the feet. In command of wing they are unsurpassed, and but few birds approach them in this respect. They are more nearly independent of land than any other birds excepting albatrosses and petrels, being often seen hundreds of miles at sea, and delight to soar at an astonishing elevation. They cannot dive, and scarcely swim or walk ; food is pi'ocured by dashing d
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1872
