PELECANID^ — THE PELICANS — PELECANUS. 141 



Honduras — and, indeed, wherever he went in the western tropics. These birds have 

 quite a large breeding-place near Fonseca Bay ; and it was quite an interesting, as well 

 as a beautiful, sight to watch them when engaged in iishing. They fly at a consider- 

 able height, with slowly flapping wings ; on seeing a shoal of fish beneath them they 

 round to and fall like a stone in the water, causing the spray to dash up to a height 

 of several feet. If successful, they sit on the water and dispose of their prey. The 

 spray caused by the dashing into the water may be seen far away — much farther 

 than the bird itself is visible. 



Mr. Salvin subsequently visited Saddle Bay, on the coast of Honduras, where 

 there was a settlement of this species, and found some forty or fifty birds, both 

 old and immature, but could discover no trace of a nest. He was informed by his 

 boatmaii that this bird breeds in November ; and that as soon as the young can fly, 

 the old birds destroy the nests. A bird less adapted than the Brown Pelican for 

 perching on trees he could hardly imagine; yet he found it sitting on mangrove 

 boughs for hours together, preening its feathers with its long hooked bills, all the 

 time keeping its balance with ease — even when a strong wind tried the security of 

 its footing. A portion were resting on a spit of sand that ran out from one end 

 of the island, and others were fishing in the shalloAvs. 



According to Professor Newton, the Brown Pelican is one of the first birds to meet 

 the eye of a stranger arriving at St. Croix. No shooting of any kind is allowed in 

 the roadstead or harbor of Christiansted ; and there it is very tame, and takes no 

 heed of what is going on — often flying within a few yards of the landing-stages or 

 boats. In all other places it was much more wary. A few of these birds might 

 almost always be seen in a rill along the shores of the island, either resting lazily on 

 a stump in the water, or with a clumsy activity diving for fish. When engaged in 

 fishing they fly over the shallows until they find a promising spot; there they alight, 

 begin diving incessantly, and always seem to rise to the surface with their heads 

 turned in a direction contrary to that which they had at the moment of diving. 

 These birds were said to breed near the Island of Tortola, or on some rocks adjacent 

 to it. 



Dr. Cooper states that the Brown Pelican is very abundant along the whole south- 

 ern coast of the Pacific during winter, even as far as Panama, where he has seen 

 it in May. It also extends its migrations northward in summer. He could find no 

 traces of its nesting in the more southern islands, but was informed that a few of 

 these birds breed on the Island of Anacapa — a locality which he was unable to visit. 

 He saw none at the Farallones in June, although there Avere then many about the 

 mouth of the Bay of San Francisco. At San Diego, in February, they were already 

 assuming their mature plumage. 



Birds of this species are said to feed chiefly during the rising tide, wandering in 

 extended trains along the shore, and diving occasionally, one after the other, when 

 they meet with a shoal of fish. They are very regular in their motions when flying, 

 keeping at uniform distances, alternately flapping and sailing, in imitation of their 

 leader. They usually fly very close to the surface of the water, and then merely 

 plunge obliquely, holding the bill so as to scoop up the small fish sideways ; then, 

 closing their wings, they hold up the head with the bill down, so as to allow the 

 water to run out. This permits the escape of some of the fish, and gives the para- 

 sitic Gull a chance to obtain a share of the plunder, without in the least offending the 

 dignified Pelican. Sometimes this bird dives from a considerable height, plunging 

 downward with a spiral motion, although scarcely ever going beneath the surface, 

 but immediately raising its bill from the water — usually with a stock of young fish in 



