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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



about two hundred pairs of these birds 

 lay their eggs and raise their ungainly, 

 unlovely offspring. Molly Island is al- 

 most ideal for them ; it is secluded in a 

 long, sheltered arm of the lake, yet is 

 far enough from shore to prevent pre- 

 dacious animals from getting to the 

 young birds; also the waters abound in 

 fish, the food of the pelican. In for- 

 mer years, these birds nested as far 

 east as the Dakota lakes, l)ut the 

 steadily advancing civilization has 

 driven them farther and farther west 

 until these little islands are their "far- 

 thest East." The pelicans are expert 

 fishermen and their search for prey car- 

 ries them to all parts of the lake and 

 even down the Yellowstone Eiver below 

 the lake. From the boat that carries 

 passengers across, at least one pelican 

 is invariably seen and the cry "Swan! 

 Swan!" is always raised. This is not 

 so surprising an error, since the birds 

 are large and white, and make very con- 

 spicuous objects as they move majesti- 

 cally over the water. In flight pelicans 

 are still more striking in appearance. 

 A single one flying past is a sight to be 

 noted, so white, so large, so strong and 



graceful. If a small group of them 

 passes, it will be seen that they are fly- 

 ing in line, each pair of black-tipped 

 wings stroking in perfect time with the 

 leader. Then follows a short glide on 

 set wings, which is broken first by the 

 leader, the second bird takes up the 

 stroke, and after an interval as accurate 

 as if timed, the third one joins in. But 

 to see these wonderful flyers at their 

 best, one must go to the southern end 

 of the lake. At certain periods during 

 the day the males relieve their mates 

 on the nest, and then the arriving and 

 departing birds are in squadrons that 

 wheel and maneuver witli wonderful 

 precision. To see a flock of a hundred 

 of these great, swift-moving, gleaming- 

 white birds against an intensely blue 

 sky is the sight of a lifetime. It is a 

 picture well calculated to remind us of 

 the wonderful series of birds and ani- 

 mals that has been ours in J^'orth Amer- 

 ica in the recent past; and it can but 

 interest us greatly in the work being 

 done by the United States Government, 

 through the National Parks, in preserv- 

 ing parts of our elsewhere-squandered 

 inheritance. 









"Eagle" Nest Rock, a haunt of ospreys in Yellowstoue Park 



