PELICANS. 187 



rior, or even posterior, continuations. This excrescence, which is assumed gradually 

 in the spring, reaches its perfect development in the pairing season, and is dropped 

 before or soon after the young are hatched ; simultaneously with the shedding of this 

 appendage, the nuchal crest falls off, and in its place a patch of short brownish-gray 

 feathers appears; this disappears with the fall moult, when the occiput is entirely 

 unadorned, there being neither crest nor colored patch." 



Mr. Ridgway first made a visit to the island in July, 1867. Thousands of pelicans, 

 slumbering on the beach, were startled, when he landed with his party in the even- 

 ing, " and as they rose into the air the noise caused by their confusion was so great 

 that we could scarcely hear one another's voices. Our blankets were spread upon the 

 higher ground some distance from the boat, in order to avoid the offensive smell of 

 the roosting-ground. In the morning, when we awoke, the whole beach about fifty 

 yards from us was covered with a dense crowd of these gigantic snow-white creatui-cs, 

 who scarcely heeded us as we arose ; as we approached them, however, they pushed 

 one another awkwardly into the water, or rose heavily and confusedly from the 

 ground, and, flying some distance out upon the lake, alighted on the water. The 

 majority of the flock remained upon the water only a short time, when they arose and 

 flew 7 divided into battalions passing over us, each turning its head and looking 

 down upon us as it went by." At that time none of the many thousands possessed 

 the appendage. Mr. Ridgway repaired to the lake again in May of the following 

 year, when he found the pelicans in pairs, and provided with the "conspicuous promi- 

 nence on the top of the upper mandible, known among the white people of the neigh- 

 borhood as the ' centre-board,' so called from the fancied resemblance to the centre- 

 board of a sail-boat. This ornament was observable on quite a large proportion of 

 the birds, and was conspicuous at a considerable distance. At this season both sexes 

 were highly colored, the naked soft skin of the face and the feet being fiery orange 

 red, or almost blood-red, instead of pale ashy straw yellow, as in all, both old and 

 young, in August. 



" In viewing the northern shore from an eminence, it was noticed that the narrow 

 point, which extended some hundred yards or more beyond the main beach, was liter- 

 ally covered with a dense body of pelicans, apparently merely resting, as many of 

 them were standing ; however, upon proceeding to the spot, it was found that the 

 ground was covered with nests, upon which the females had been sitting, each one 

 attended by her mate, Avho stood by her side. The nests occupied fully one half the 

 surface, and consisted of mere heaps of gravel and sand raked into a pile about six or 

 eight inches high, and probably twenty wide on the top, which was only slightly hol- 

 lowed. In each nest we found one egg, and never more. 



" Soon the number of birds distinguished by the ' centre-board ' daily decreased, 

 while, to account for this phenomenon, a corresponding number of cast-off ones was 

 found upon the ground. Some of these loosened ornaments had been but recently 

 dropped, as was plainly shown by their freshness, while others, which had been cast 

 for some time, were dry and warped by the sun. Towards the last of the month no 

 birds possessing this excrescence were to be seen, but the appendages themselves 

 were scattered so numerously over the ground that a bushel could have been gathered 

 in a short time, though upon our first arrival on the island not one was to be seen." 



Mr. D. G. Elliot describes them in their winter haunts as follows : " On the south- 

 ern coast of the United States they are very abundant, and I have witnessed them in 

 winter on the sea-beach of Florida, standing close together in long rows of many hun- 



