One day as Baldpate was swimming and 
splashing about with the other widgeons he saw 
that a number of pelicans had come up and were 
all about them. These white-feathered giants 
of the lake were not swimming along in the 
usual stately pelican style, but were all flapping 
their wings and striking the water in unison. 
They made such a commotion that they were 
certain to frighten any creature in the neighbor- 
hood. They had formed into a great circle all 
facing inward and were coming gradually to- 
gether. This was one of the famous “pelican 
rings,’ which we may be sure Baldpate had 
never heard about or even dreamed of. It was 
formed for the purpose of driving the fish through 
the shallow water to a common centre. Then 
the ring would close in until only a small space 
was left and the pelicans were sure to have great 
fishing. 
If this sight was new to Baldpate, there were 
others who saw it that knew well what it meant. 
Low down over the water with rapid flight the 
fierce black cormorants of the upper Malheur 
waters were coming as fast as their thrashing 
225 
