294 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



"OUR VISIT TO PELICAN ISLAND WAS ON THE 12TH OF DECEMBER." 



ancient Indians are located here and 

 some relics of value have been exca- 

 vated from one of them. 



President Roosevelt, in 1903, set 

 apart Pelican Island as a permanent 

 government reservation where the 

 brown pelicans might be protected, as 

 for years this island had been the 

 natural breeding ground of these birds, 

 and they were at that time in immi- 

 nent danger of being exterminated by 

 the plume hunters. Shortly after pro- 

 tection had been established, however, 

 and the location of their permanent 

 home designated, these birds for some 

 unknown reason — unless it was to show 

 their independence — suddenly deserted 

 the island which they had so long oc- 

 cupied, and sought to establish them- 

 selves in new and unprotected terri- 

 tory. This somewhat alarmed the bird 

 conservationists, but to the delight of 

 all interested in their welfare, the peli- 



cans seemed gradually to capitulate to 

 the old ties and again returned to their 

 ancestral island home. 



This island was originally covered 

 with mangrove trees wherein the birds 

 built their huge nests, and although 

 these operations have gradually de- 

 stroyed the trees so that the island is 

 now entirely bare, they have since con- 

 tinued in its use, placing their nests 

 upon the ground at great peril of floods 

 and storms. 



Our visit to Pelican Island was on 

 the twelfth of December 1913, and 

 nesting operations appeared then at 

 their height. We learned from the 

 warden' that nesting began about the 

 first of October, which was about a 

 month earlier than usual. While still 

 about a quarter of a mile from the 

 colony, in the warden's launch, I was 

 conscious of a low whistling and 

 squeaking sound from the young birds,. 



"A GREAT ARMY OF ADULT BIRDS SEEMED DRAWN UP NEAR THE SHORE.' 



