HHOWN PELICAN. -"i 



ami undiT wiiii; ami tail coverts, cc.nlrally streaked with white. I'atcli iiu broast, pale straw color. Iris, white, bill, hoary 

 ■with cdsios of lower inaudible andtipoCupper, red. Naked space about head, and g.ular sac, p-eeiiish-hrown. Feet, .slaty- 

 blue. Ynun;j. biniilar, hut lacks the brown on neck, and the colors throu!;;hoiit aro iimeh paler. 



OKSKRVATIONS. 

 Knowa by the coiuparatively small size and dark colors. In winter tlie brown of the neck is replaced liy wliitc and the 

 iris is brown. Distributed as a constant resident in Florida. Rare as far north as XIassacluisetts. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 .\vovaj;c uicasureuients of specimens from Florida. Length, 48'25; stretch, 79"2.'j; winir, 'Jll'dr); tail, 6'13; hill, 12-00; 

 tarsu-, l.'iO. Lon;<esi specimen, .M'OO; greatest extent of wing, 65'1)0; lon'jjest winir, -l 01); tail, 7 DO: hill, 13'50; tansus, 

 3 00. Sliortest specimen, 4r.')0. smallest extent of wing, 73-51); shortest wing, l"?-.™; tail, .'5-25: hill, IV.W; tai-sus. ii-OO. 



DKSCRII'TION OF NESTS AND EtifiS. 

 JVislx. |il:H-cd on tix' irround or in trees, composed of sticks, lined with weeds, grass, cle. Ki/i/x, two in number, oval 

 form, and white in C(dor, covercil with a white c-alc-;ireous deposit. Dimensions from 1 HOx-J-'^O to -2 l.j xl! II). 



HABITS. 



The Brown Pcliciins ui-e exceedingly iibundant in Florida, not only on tin; eoast, but 

 among the Keys and in the .salt water lagoons. Their method of fishing is quite dillerent 

 Iroiu lh;!.t pr;ictii;eil by the preceding species, for they fly along some ten feet over the wa- 

 ter, then when they preceive a school of fish, will drop awkwardly among them, seizing as 

 m;tny ;is they can, after which the water is for("^*d from the j)ouch and the prey swallowed. 

 Tf the fishes whicli they are (-atching, chance to be small, some will esc;ipe, and Iht; Laugh- 

 ing Gulls, taking .idvanttige of this fact, will alight with half-sjjre.id wings, on the huge 

 lieads of the Pelicans, in order to eateh the escaping prey. The good-natuveil Pelicans ap- 

 pear to t.-ike tliis act as a mtitter of course, for I never saw one attempt to ;itt;iek a Gull 

 when it w;is so engtiged. Unlike the White Pelicans, the Brown do not sotir after feed- 

 ing but sit (juietly on the sand bars or perch on the mangroves until the meal is digested, 

 and when thus resting, the liill is held tjuite perpendicularly as is the custom with other 

 Pelicans. When flying, these large birds move in ranks by alternate fl;ip[>iug and sailing, 

 all the members of a flock .-icting in concert. 



When breeding, the Brown Pelicans select particuhir localities antl will return to ihem 

 year after year to nest, gathering for this purpose from miles around. Thus I kiujsv of 

 l)ut one breeding grouml on the east coast of Florida, thtit is Pelican Island in Indian Riv- 

 er, netir the inlet, where thousands congregate, and ene or two on the west coast in tibout 

 the .same latitude; but, singularly, those on the east side of the peninsula <leposit their 

 eggs early in March, :d least a month sooner than those on the west. The bulky nests are 

 pliiced on the grouml or in trees, and the birds are so unsuspicious when sitting, that they 

 niiiy be easily captured. These breeding places are always in a filthy condition. 



FAMILY III. GRACULID^^^. THE CORMORANTS. 



Biil, shorter than Iiead and hooJo'd at tip. Ciiitar sac, smalt. Sternum, comidera- 

 Uy lo/ifjer than wide. Curacoids, nut us as lung as sternum. Keel, projected well J'urward. 

 The oesophagus is straight and somewhtit dilated. Proventrienlus, rather large, with 

 th(! glands arranged in an irregul.-ir, zonular Itand. Stomach, ([iiite large btit not nuiscu- 

 l;ir. Oaica, very small. Sternum, (|uile well urc-hed, with the central posterior margin, 

 imleuted, but liaviiig :i, wide, shallow se;illop on cither side. Keel occupies only iilmul one 

 half the lengh of sternum. Furcnhi, quite long, tit first ascending perpemlicularly, then 

 bent bockwiird to tip of keel. Tail, rather long, rounded, and stillened. Uciul, crested. 



