286 BULLETIN 121, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Some of the earlier writers say that this bird lays from three to four 

 eggs, but I think such large sets are exceptional. I have found as 

 many as six eggs in a nest, but I believe that these were laid by two 

 or three birds. The eggs vary in shape from " ovate " to " elongate 

 ovate," and some are nearly " elliptical oval." The shell is thin, 

 soft, and brittle, lusterless and rough on the exterior, with generally 

 more or less calcareous deposit, which cracks or flakes off irregu- 

 larly. The original color is dull white, but the eggs are usually 

 more or less blood stained and sometimes are heavily smeared or 

 streaked with it ; they soon become very much nest-stained and dirty, 

 so that they are far from attractive in appearance. The measure- 

 ments of 62 eggs in the United States National Museum collection 

 average 90 by 56.5 millimeters ; the eggs showing the four extremes 

 measure 103 by 54, 81.5 by 62, 62.5 by 45, and 85.5 by 34 millimeters. 

 Young. — Both sexes share the duties of incubation, which lasts 

 for about a month. Major Bendire (1882) recorded the period of in- 

 cubation as 29 days for eggs hatched under a domestic hen. The 

 young when first hatched are naked, blind, and helpless, of a livid 

 flesh color, and most unattractive in appearance. They remain in 

 the nests for two or three weeks and are fed by their parents on 

 regurgitated food. Mr. Finley (1907) says of this process: 



The parent regurgitated a fishy soup into the front end of its pouch and the 

 baby pelican pitched right in and helped himself out of this family dish. 

 As the young bird grew older and larger, at each meal time he kept reaching 

 farther into the big pouch of his parent until finally, when he was half grown, 

 it was a remarkable sight. The mother opened her mouth and the whole head 

 and neck of her nestling disappeared down her capacious maw while he 

 hunted for his dinner in the internal regions. 



When one-third or half grown the young pelicans are strong 

 enough to leave the nests and wander about their island home in 

 droves. They also learn to swim while still in the downy stage and 

 when less than half grown. The feeding process during this active 

 stage is most interesting and strenuous. Mr. Finley (1907) has well 

 described it as follows : 



Just then another mother dropped into the nursery and she was besieged by 

 several ravenous children. Each began pecking at her bill, trying to make 

 her feed them. But she moved off in apparent unconcern, or perhaps she was 

 making some selection as to which one to feed. She waddled about till one 

 of the youngsters began a series of actions that were very interesting. He 

 fell on the ground before the old bird, gi-unting and flapping his wings as if 

 he were in the last stages of starvation. Still the mother did not heed his 

 entreaties and the youngster suddenly got well and began pecking her bill 

 again. The old bird backed up as if she were getting a good footing and 

 slowly opened her mouth to admit the bill of the little pelican. She drew 

 her neck up till the ends of the upper and lower mandibles were braced against 

 the ground and her pouch was distended to the limit. Jouuh-like, down the 

 mother's throat went the head of the child till he seemed about to be swallowed 



