PELECANIDJE: PELICANS. 957 



headlong into the water from on wing, like a Gannet, and makes a grab, often remaining sub- 

 merged for a few seconds. Neither species often catches large fish ; tliey prefer small fry of 

 which several hundred may be required for a full meal. The prevalent impression that the 

 pouch serves to convey live fish, swimming in water, to the little Pelicans in the nest, is 

 untrue; the young are fed with partially macerated fish disgorged by. the parents from the 

 crop. As Audubon remarks, it is doubtful whether a Pelican could fly at all with its burden 

 so out of trim. 



The gular pouch varies in size with the diff'erent species, reaching its greatest develop- 

 ment in the Brown Pelican, where it extends half-way down the neck in front, is a foot deep 

 when distended, and will hold a gallon. Besides this singular adjunct, the bill of our White 

 Pelican has another curious structure, not found in other species. The culmen is surmounted 

 near tiie middle by a high thin upright comb or crest, the use of which is not known. It is 

 found only during tlie breeding season, being shed and renewed in a manner analogous to the 

 casting of deer's antlers. Its structure explains how this can be : " The crest-like excrescence 

 on the ridge of the upper mandible is not formed of bone, nor otherwise connected with the 

 osseous surface, which is smooth and continuous beneath it, than by being placed upon it, like 

 any other part of the skin ; and wlien softened by immersion in a liquid may be bent a little 

 to either side. It is composed internally of erect slender plates of a fibrous texture, externally 

 of horny fibres, which are erect on the sides, and longitudinal on the broadened ridge; these 

 fibres being continuous with the cutis and cuticle." 



Pelicans are found in most temperate and tropical countries, both coastwise and inland ; 

 they are gregarious birds at all times, and gather in immense troops to breed. A large rude 

 nest is prepared on the ground, or built of sticks in a bush or tree near water; the eggs are one 

 ti) three or four, plain dull whitish, with a thick roughened shell. The gait of these cumber- 

 some birds is awkward and constrained ; but their flight is easy, firm, and protracted, and they 

 swim lightly and gracefully, buoyed up by the interior air-sacs. The sexes are alike; the 

 young difterent; most species are white, with yellow or rosy hue at times, and a crest or length- 

 ened feathers, at the breeding season; while nearly every one of them has a peculiar contour 

 of the feathering at the base of the bill, by which it may be known. There are only 9 un- 

 questionable species, although some authors admit more. The exotic ones are : P. onocrotalus 

 of Europe, Asia, and Africa ; P. roseus of Asia, etc. (including minor and javanicus of 

 authois) ; both of these with frontal feathers extending in a point on culmen ; P. crispus 

 of Europe, Asia, and Africa, largest of the genus ; P. rtifescens of Africa ; P. phiUppensis 

 of India and eastward ; in all three of these the frontal outline concave on base of culmen ; 

 the Australian P. conspicillatus, in which a strip of feathers cuts ofi" a naked circumocular 

 region from base of bill. This is an entirely peculiar feature; and our Wiiite Pelican shows 

 another, having the sides of the under mandible feathered at base for a short distance. 

 Finally, the South American Brown Pelican, P. thnrfus, is believed to be distinct from ours. 

 PELECA'NUS. (Gr. rrtXtKav, pclckan, or neXeKivos, pelckinos, Lat. pelecanus, a pelioau.) 

 Pklicans. Cliaracter as above. 



Annly.tis of Subgenera ami Species. 



Cthtopelecanus. White, with black wing-tips. Tail of 24 feathers. Phimage extending on side of lower mandible. 



eri/throrfii/nr/inj 

 LEPT0PELECANU8. Not white, but of varied dark colors. Tail "i'J-feathered. Plumage restricted from side of lower 

 mandible. 



Length 48.00-50.00; wing 18.r>n-21.flO; bill 9.50-12.00; pouch always dusky /iiscus 



Length 54.00-CO 00 ; wing 20.50-23.00 ; bill 12.00-15.00 ; pouch sometimes reddening cali/omicits 



(Subgenus Cyrtopelecanis.) 



V. erythrorhyn'chus. (Gr. t'pvffpoi, eruthros, red; pvyxos, hrugchos, beak. Fig. WO.) 

 Amkuican Whitf, Pelican. Adult $ 9 '■ Plumage wliite, with black primaries, tlicir 



