forked, the wings of extraordinary spread, and the general plumage deficient in that close and downy texture which always characterises a bird whose habitat is the surface of the deep.

"The frigate-bird," says Mr. Darwin, "has a noble appearance when seen soaring in a flock at a stupendous height (at which time it merits the name of the condor of the ocean), or when many together are darting, in complicated evolutions, but with the most admirable skill, at the same floating object. They seem to take their food quietly, for between each descent they raise themselves on high, and descend again with a swift and true aim. If the object (such as offal thrown overboard) sinks more than six or eight inches beneath the surface, it is lost to the frigate-bird. I was informed at Ascension, that when the little turtles break their shells, and run to the water's edge, these birds attend in numbers, and pick up the little animals (being thus very injurious to the turtle fishing) off the sand, in the same manner as they do from the sea."

The frigate-bird is met with hundreds of leagues from land; in fact, it resorts there only for hatching and rearing its young. Under ordinary circumstances it continues ever on the wing over the ocean, reposing on outspread pinions in the higher regions of the air, where, without any effort, it can remain suspended. For such a life, however, it has been expressly fitted by its Creator. Beneath the throat is situated a large pouch, capable of being distended with air from the lungs, with whichas well as the hollow bones of the wings-it immediately communicates. The bones of the wings themselves, besides being hollow, are extremely long and light; and thus the pouch and tubes form an apparatus analogous to a balloon, which requires little else but the wings to be spread to be enabled by its buoyancy to sustain the body in the atmosphere. This, however, is only one of innumerable instances, already observed, of the all-wise and benevolent adaptation of the creature to its circumstances, and to which others will be added as, in the next volume, we examine the structure and habits of REPTILES, INSECTS, FISHES, CRUSTACEANS, ZOOPHYTES, and ANIMALCULES.