PELICANS. 71 



ducing any sound, save a low grunt. Sexes, 

 similar. 



40. WHITE PELICAN. 



Very large, 68. White, large portion of 

 wings black; bill and naked space about face, 

 yellow. There is a central elevation on bill 

 in summer, fig. 40, which is absent in winter. 

 Iris, white in summer, brown in winter. 

 Feet, yellow. 



The White Pelican fishes by swimming 

 and scooping the small fishes, upon which it 

 subsists, into its gular sac by a side move- 

 ment of the head. The sac is then contract- 

 ed and the water forced out on either side of 

 the bill and the fish swallowed at once. Aft- 

 er feeding, many will rise together to a con- 

 siderable height and circle about for an hour 

 or more on nearly motionless wings, cross- 

 ing and recrossing one another constantly. 

 Rests on isolated sand bars by night and oft- 

 en resorts to them by day. Breeds in the in- 

 terior of North America from Utah north- 



