^*"i™] MACC.II-LIXKAV, . lusiralian Pelican. 169 



nests contained only the hrsi egg, and were merely depressions 

 scraped in the sandy soil ; a number contained no Qgg at all. 

 These scraped-out depressions were about 12 inches in cliameter, 

 and 4 to 6 inches in depth in the centre, the first egg was laid 

 in this, and the nesting material was gathered as incubation pro- 

 ceeded (usually from whatever material was close at hand). 



'J'his consisted merely of sticks of dead tobacco bush (Nico- 

 tiatia glauca) ; the hairy rhizomes of the rushes that grow on 

 the island, water-weed dragged up from the water, feathers and 

 even an occasional dead and dried Water-Hen were comman- 

 iieered for the purpose. Some of the birds had i)lucked and 

 carried green branchlets from the three or four red gums 

 (Eucalyptus rostrata) that graced the island. 



Some of the nests were quite imposing structures, and others 

 showed that they were owned by careless and slovenly indi- 

 viduals; a few sticks only sufficing to encircle the original scrap- 

 ing. The larger nests when complete were from 18 to 20 inches 

 in diameter with an egg-cavity 12 inches in diameter. 



By far the greater number of nests contained two eggs, from 

 5 per cent, to 7 per cent, contained clutches of three, and oc- 

 casional ones four. Most of the eggs were at this time fresh, 

 or at an early stage of incubation. Only on the highest part 

 of the island, which had been uncovered about six weeks pre- 

 viously, were there any hatching eggs, and none of these had 

 been hatched for more than a day. 



These newly hatched young were naked except for an indica- 

 tion of whitish down across the lower dorsal and femoral re- 

 gions. The skin is of a fleshy-pink colour, with a salmon-pink 

 gape, with legs and beak fleshy-pink. They had their eyes open 

 before they were free from the shell. The irides were either 

 brown or silvery white, and the pouch was well developed. 

 These small young uttered a little barking chirp. 



Alongside many of the nests were small heaps of disgorged 

 fish, mostly Murray or Macquarie perch, varying in length from 

 one to six inches. Some of the heaps contained as many as 75 

 fishes, and others any number between that and a dozen. Some 

 consisted of fish in size and appearance like Whitebait, and 

 partly digested; these were evidently intended for the newly 

 hatched chicks. Some of these latter were capable of helping 

 themselves from the heaps, and were constantly making attempts 

 to swallow their nest mate's beak or stumpy wings. 



I visited this island again on the 12th February, on the 4th 

 March, and the 9th of /Vpril, and another nesting place on Terya- 

 wynia Lake on the 11th June. On my second visit fourteen days 

 later, the island had enlarged considerably, and the nesting Peli- 

 cans had kept pace with it ; many new nests on the damp sand 

 were either being just scraped out or contained one egg only. 



Many more eggs had hatched out ; several of the three clutches 

 had brought out all three, and the earlier nests had been built 

 up with more material. There was little or no disparity in size 



