The color of the bill in the three females is bright pink, not far from between France-pink and geranium-pink of Ridgway. The soft parts were described by Governor Forbes on the labels as—"Eyelid bright red: bill light pink, nail white, tip black; feet pale pink." The males all have dark bills, their soft parts were noted on the labels as—"Bill blue-black; feet dull brownish, with a slight reddish tinge."
An adult female of F. minor palmerstoni (Gmelin), shot by Flood, 29 September, 1895 at Molokai, H. I. (115,028 M. C. Z.) has a decidedly pinkish bill, the color of which was noted on the label as "light purple."
Gmelin mentions the red bill in his short diagnosis of minor and Edwards's plate to which he refers shows a female Frigate with a red bill.
I have dwelt at the above length upon the red bill of the female of both minor and palmerstoni because it is a character that I have seen but little mentioned, and because I feel morally certain that the American bird—Fregata magnificans Mathews according to Rothschild, F. minor rothschildi Mathews according to Mathews—does not show it. We have a very large series of Frigate birds from America, and among the females none show any trace of reddish or pinkish on the bills, nor do I find the bill of the female described as pink on any label, or for that matter in any text-book.
This being the case, it is a matter of much interest to know what forms have a pink bill in the female, and what do not.
Fregata ariel ariel Gray.
Three specimens, from Tawi Tawi Island, two adult males and one adult female all taken 21 August, 1921.
Compared with Fregata ariel iredalei Mathews of the western Indian Ocean these are large birds with heavy bills, and appear wholly referable to true ariel of Australia etc.
Measurements.
| No. | Sex | Wing | Culmen to Feathers |
| 86,492 | ♂ ad. | 501 | 87 |
| 86,493 | ♂ ad. | 491 | 89 |
| 86,491 | ♀ ad. | 552 | 92 |