PKLKCANDS. 3(51 



Lake Albert, near the mouth of the Murray River, in South Austraha. A small ilock may 

 usually still he seen near tlio mouth of the Fort Adelaide Ruer." 



From Abhotsford, Melbourne, Victoria, Mr. Joseph Gabriel wrote me as follows:-" On 

 20th October, I8.J5, while waiting for a chance to land on Albatros Rock, in company with the 

 late Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth, we managed to get on to Penguin Island, a little islet lying a few 

 miles to the south-east of the West Hunter Group, off the North-western Coast of Tasmania 

 and here we found the Pelicans and their nests. The rookery was a small one, their being 

 about eight or ten birds nesting, and the space was fringed with tall tussocks of grass, which 

 hid the birds nicely from seaward ; the birds were very timid, and made ofT at our approach. 

 The nests were mere apologies, a few sticks and scraps of grass on the bare ground ; we found 

 one, two and three eggs in the nests. As we left the island we saw the Pelicans return from 

 the sea. The too frequent visits of xNaturalists caused these birds to leave this rookery, as they 

 were absent the following two seasons, but I heard that they returned and have been seen 

 breeding the last few years. 



" During one of our trips to Western Port, Victoria, 1 had the opportunity of seeing Pelicans 

 catching f^sh. Five of them were standing in a row slantways from the bank, the deeper 

 one being in about si.x inches of water, thus :— 



4 ■ 



3 



2 



1 



Number one would thrust down his beak, two would follow, then three, four, f^ve in succession ; 

 they worked quite systematically and satisfactorily no doubt, for they kept at it the whole time 

 1 was passing." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland writes me from Melbourne, as follows :—" The Pelican appears 

 to be equally at home on the sea coast or fresh water lakes or rivers. I have seen them 

 at the mouth of the Yarra River, standing with wings outstretched for a length of time, whilst 

 their plumage was drying. On the Fitzroy River, West Kimberley, North-west Australia, 

 over one hundred miles mland, a large flock standing on a sandbank resembled a collection of 

 tombstones, as they remained motionless, perfectly erect, with their bills hanging down their 

 breasts. When flying they often form into two lines, joined like a letter V. To the south of 

 Victoria they breed on several islands in Bass Strait." 



While resident at Point- Cloates, in North-west Australia, Mr. Tom Carter wrote me :— 

 Pekcanus conspiallatus is fairly common on large inland pools and salt water creeks on the coast. 

 They breed regularly on Pelican Island, in Shark Bay, and the natives informed me they used 

 to breed on a small island in E.xmouth Gulf." 



Dr. Lonsdale Holden, while a resident of Circular Head, Tasmania, wrote me as follows :— 

 "On theSth October, i886, Mr. E. D.Atkinson visited a Pelican rookery near the Hunter 

 Group, lying ofT the north-west coast of Tasmania, and obtained a number of nests with eggs. 

 The nests were on the highest part of the island, and although each one was made separately 

 they were all close together. They were very flat and consisted of a mere bed of dry herbage, 

 about fifteen inches in diameter, and without much grass around them, the rest of the island 

 being covered with a dense scrub. There was much dry excrement around the nests, emitting 

 an unpleasant odour. The birds would not admit an approach within gunshot, and flew right 

 away after a few circles overhead. There were about twelve nests, and each contained two fresh 

 eggs. On the 2nd November, i886, I waded ofT to Pelican Island, Woolnorth, at low water; a 

 number of Pelicans and Black Swans swam away as we drew near, and remained about a quarter 

 of a mile from us. There were thirteen nests altogether, containing seventeen eggs, three in 



