ORNITHOLOGY 



295 



which at a little distance blended into 

 a low monotone. (No sound was ob- 

 served at any time from the adult peli- 

 cans.) A strong odor of fish pervaded 

 the surroundings. 



As we neared the island a great army 

 of adult birds seemed drawn up near 

 the shore, as if to give battle at our at- 

 tempt to land. A few groups of half 

 grown young were paddling or flapping 

 about in the shallow water. Before 

 landing on the island we encircled it in 



perched near-by on some of the stubs, 

 or sat gorging themselves upon the 

 dead young pelicans which were lying 

 about. A flock of cormorants arose 

 and left the island at our approach. 



Only a few of the birds left their 

 nests as I landed on the shore and 

 walked carefully about among them. 

 Eggs and young in all stages were at 

 once noticeable. Groups of the larger 

 young were wandering about like so 

 many schoolbovs. while others in the 



AX ADULT BLUE EAGI E WAS SOARING OVER THE COLONY 



the launch, keeping as close as pos- 

 sible to the shore and securing several 

 pictures, as the birds paid but little at- 

 tention to us while we were on the 

 water. The bleached remains of a few 

 trees could be seen sticking up near 

 the center of the island, and there were 

 a couple of old stumps on the shore 

 near the southerly end. Every advan- 

 tage seemed to be taken where a nert 

 could be placed at a slight elevation. 

 though of course, the great majority 

 of necessity placed upon the ground. 



In one photograph an adult bald 

 eagle may be seen soaring over the 

 colony. Many scavengers found here 

 a rich repast with little effort on their 

 part at securing food. Buzzards were 



nests were clamoring for food. Some 

 were bathing near the water's edge. 

 Individuals and small groups of the 

 parent birds were constantly leaving 

 the colony or returning from the fish- 

 ing grounds n< »t far away. 



Some of the nests were well built 

 structures of grass a foot or more in 

 height ; others seemed considerably 

 dilapidated, while many were simply 

 a hollow in the sand where the eggs 

 might be laid. Most of these nests 

 contained three eggs — this being the 

 usual complement of the set. In color 

 they seemed a pale bluish-wdiite, but 

 were mostly covered with a chalky de- 

 posit. A number of eggs lay scattered 

 about on the bare ground, probably 



