JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



15 



Wilsonia canadensis, Canada Warb- 

 ler — At least a pair bred at Islesboro. 

 Two were si'en on July 9, 1900. 



*Ste Journal Maine 

 Society, Vol. II. No. 3 

 1900. 



Ornithological 

 July, p. 28-32, 



THE BROWN PELICAN. 



Bv Homer R. Dill. 



Read before the Maine Ornithological 



Society at Ltwiston, Dec. 21. 1900. 



During my experience in the taxi- 

 dermy business I have had many rare 

 and beautiful Maine birds in my 

 rooms. The one wliose picture is now 

 before you, although not the most 

 beautiful, was certinly a "record 

 breaker," for being rare and interest- 

 ing. 



This bird, a live Brown Pelican was 

 sent me by Hon. L. T. Carleton, to 

 be mounted for the State Museum. It 

 was captured at Bar Harbor, Maine, 

 in the auaimn of 1900. 



When it came, it was in a large 

 cage, and looked anything but beauti- 

 ful, with its great beak which, when 

 opened, looked like a pair of tongs, and 

 the great pouch on the under sid;' 

 large enough to hold a pick of pea- 

 nuts, a long neck, very shoi't legs, 

 and such feet. The webs extended 

 around to the hind toe, and so broad 

 were tliey that, when standing, part of 

 one foot overlapped the other. 



He seemed very stupid at first and 

 did nothing but preen his feathers, 

 and snap his beak at intruders. He 

 was offered all kinds of food but re- 

 fused everything until a small boy of- 

 fered him a live yellow perch, which 

 "Bill," as we then called him, seized 

 and ate with apparent relish. This 

 settled the prol)lem of keeping him 



alive long enough to stujly him 

 thoi'oughly. 



In a few days he became very tame 

 and would let me stroke his head, and 

 would take fish from my liands. 

 Strange to say ht^ knew better . than 

 to trust women, and he would hiss 

 and snap his beak whenever they ap- 

 pioached. (Bill was a wise bird). 



After a time I took him out of his 

 cage and hitched him • by a, string 

 around his leg. He seemed perfectly 

 contented. One day I took liim to the 

 stream. How he did splash around 

 and swim and dive! You would think 

 he had gone crazy. 



At last he tired of the sport and 

 came out and shook himself. Then, 

 wondei'ful to relate, he swelled his body 

 to twice its natural size. To say that 

 I was surprised would be expressing 

 it mildly. 



Upon investigation I found that 

 "Bill" could inflate his skin and this 

 helped to dry his feathers. After his 

 swim he tat in the suir two hours and 

 pr.'ened each feather careful'ly, and 

 when he was dry, what a change! Why, 

 he looked like a different bird. His 

 plumage shone, and he was clean as 

 could be. A friend came with his 

 camera and Bill posed his prettiest, 

 and was kind enough to swallow a 

 small bass whole so we might make a 

 picture of the pei'formance. He swal- 

 lowed all his food in this way. 



The public learned wliat an interest- 

 ing bird Bill was and how they came 

 to see him. There were crowds and 

 crowds, and Bill soon tired of so much 

 attention. In spite of their wonder 

 and admiration he would tuck his 

 beak under his wing coverts and go to 

 sleep, regardless of company. 



I thought perhaps he might like 

 some straw to sleep on and so I gave 

 him some. He was as pleased as he 

 was with the bath. He ran his beak 

 through the straw and played with it 

 a long time. At last he decided to 



