148 PELECANID^. 



after long desuetude has been revived in this country by 

 the well-known falconer, Capt. F. H. Salvin. In * The 

 Field ' of the 27th of May, 1882, will be found an account 

 of the breeding of two of his trained birds, " Kao-wang," 

 the female, aged 19, and the " Sub-inspector," aged 8, in 

 the Zoological Gardens, at the Kegeut's Park, in 1882. 

 The birds paired in March, building a rough nest of sticks 

 on a felled tree in the Gull-enclosure, and by the 25th of the 

 month three eggs had been laid, when both birds took turns 

 at incubation. On the 22nd of April two young ones were 

 hatched, and the task of feeding them was undertaken en- 

 tirely by the male bird. After he had been fed and retained 

 the fish about an hour, he mounted the side of the nest, 

 and as each young bird came out from under the hen, the 

 male opened his great mouth, and in went the nestling as 

 far as the outstretched wings would allow, and helped itself 

 to the now macerated fish in the old one's crop. At this 

 time the young made a great noise, and moved the upper 

 part of their pouches with a rapid fan-like motion, just as 

 the old birds do when too hot from the sun. 



The illustration represents two birds killed at the Isle 

 of Wight ; the bird in front being in the plumage of the 

 breeding-season ; whilst the other is a bird not yet sufi&- 

 ciently matured to assume the breeding-dress. Some ob- 

 servations made upon living Cormorants in the Gardens 

 of the Zoological Society will afford further explanation. 

 Some white feathers on the side of the head and neck 

 began to appear on an old bird on the 4th of January, 1832, 

 and arrived at their perfection by the 26th of February. 

 They remained in this state till the 2nd of April, when 

 they began gradually to disappear, and by the 12th of May 

 were wholly lost, having been fifty-three days arriving at 

 perfection, thirty- six days stationary, and forty days disap- 

 pearing ; making together a period of eighteen weeks three 

 days. These white feathers were new ones, much longer than 

 the black feathers of the same part, rounded in form, and 

 in some degree resembling bristles. Some white feathers 

 began to appear on the thighs of the same bird on the 



