360 PKI.KCANID.'E. 



sit in the water in ambush, under cover of the bushes or suitable o\ erhan-ing trees, etc., and 

 throw empty mussel (Uwo) shells one after another to some considerable distance on the water. 

 The bird thinkin;,' these are fish ' jumping ' on the surface, comes closer to inspect ; at the same 

 time the concealed and otherwise immovable individual taps the water with his fingers to mimic 

 fish splashing. The Pelican more and more convinced of the plenteous supply of fish in and 

 around these very same bushes, etc., swims more and more into danger, and when arrived close 

 enough, is either hit with a boomerang or sometimes even caught with the hands. On the 

 Upper Georgina River Pelicans are caught at night when asleep on the banks— the hunters, their 

 bodies greased with ashes, and heads covered with bushes, the better to conceal themselves in 

 the darkness, will noiselessly swim up to the unsuspecting birds and easily dispatch them. ' 



From Copmanhurst, Clarence River, New Soutli W'ale^, Mr. George Savid-e writes me :— 

 " The .Xustralian Pelican (Pclaauns ron^picillntiis ) may be observed in all parts of the Clarence 

 River. It is plentifully distributed about the waters of the Lower Clarence, also odd ones along 

 the whole length of the river. At Vamba I have seen very large Hocks, especially in the 

 shallow waters of the lake there ; in places they are quite tame, and come after the fishermen 

 have hauled their nets for any iish, etc., that are left ashore. It is amusing to see them 

 congregated on some spit, where one or two of the older birds seem to dominate the rest. They 

 have a very wobbling gait on land, but they are most perfect Hying machines when once mounted 

 in the air. I have never seen or heanl of their breeding on the Clarence River." 



The late Mr. K. H. Bennett, writing from Mossgiel, New South Wales, in 1S84, remarked : — 

 " Pelccanus conspuiUatiis is very numerous on all the permanent lakes and lagoons in good seasons 

 in the creeks and swamps on the plains. Its food does not consist exclusively of fish, for those 

 I have shot in the cane swamps had their pouches crammed with tadpoles and a<iuatic insects. 

 I have never l<nown of an instance of its breeding here." 



In the Australian Museum Collection are eggs taken by Mr. John K. Mackie, on Tolarno 

 Station, Menindie, and at Lake Boolaboulka, in South-western New South Wales, in October, 

 1894. Of this lake a writer remarks:—- "This tine body of water is a striking illustration of 

 the beneficial changes in the direction of water conservation which can be effected in the Western 

 District by means of a comparatively trilling outlay. Lake Boolaboulka, like Lake Menindie, 

 is really a depression in otherwise fiat country surrounding it, which is filled with overflow 

 waters from the Darling River when in flood. In former yeais the water used l<;) drain back as 

 soon as the flood had subsided, and the droughts soon dried up the little remaining water. This 

 has been remedied by damming the inlet, so as to maintain the lake at its flood level, the 

 consequence being that there is now a handsome sheet of permanent water, about seven miles 

 in length. Lake Boolaboulka is notable for its large flocks of Pelicans, which have their 

 headquarters on an island about si.x hundred acres in extent. This is said to be the only spot 

 on which Pelicans breed in New South Wales." 



Relative to Plate A. 17. reproduced from a photograph by the late Mr. II. P. C. Ashworth, 

 the latter wrote me from Melbourne, \'ictoria :— " I had great trouble to get a satisfactory picture 

 of the group of young Pelicans, owing to their habit of huddling together. Whether it was 

 for warmth or through fear I do not know, but the persistency with which they kept together 

 was very striking. The seaman who was with me tried to arrange them while I watched for a 

 favourable opportunity to snap them, but as soon as he would separate one of them it would 

 make a rush back to the others. Their natural grouping seems to be in a circle, with the heads 

 all trending to the centre. This photograph was taken on the Sth March, iSgg." 



From Blackwood, South Australia, Mr. Edwin .Vshby writes me :— " At the end of August, 

 igog, I saw a flock of Pelicans, several hundreds in number, between Lake Alexandrina and 



» Syd. Morn. Her , 141(1 May, 1S96. 



