THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



129 



Plumage and Colouration. — Feathering long and 

 loose ; colour mostly white or grey in adults, brown 

 in young. Quills black. Pouch and face always 

 bare. Little sex-difference, but some small seasonal 

 change. 



Young. — Helpless, naked at first, then clad in pale 

 down. The bill is quite short at first. 



Nest. — A mass of sticks, rushes, etc., placed on trees 

 or on the ground. 



Eggs. — Several ; white, rough. 



Incubation. — A month to about seven weeks. 



Courtship. — The male crouches down and rubs his 

 head to and fro with open bill and expanded pouch. 



Food. — Fish, and occasionally young water-fowl. 



Gait. — A waddling walk. They swim rapidly and sit 

 high in the water, but do not dive. They usually 

 reach down from the surface for their food, but the 

 American Brown Pelican {Pelecanus fiiscus) marks 

 its prey on the wing, and swoops down on it. They 

 perch freely on trees as a rule. 



Flight. — Slow and powerful ; they often soar on 

 motionless wings. The feet are extended in flight 

 and the neck drawn in. 



Note. — ^A croak ; they are very silent birds as a rule. 



Disposition and Habits. — They are sociable, and often 

 fish in company, forming line and driving the fish 

 into shallow water. They are almost constantly 

 pluming themselves. 



Economic Qualities. — They are usually regarded as 

 harmful birds wherever the preservation of fish is 

 important, on account of the quantity they 

 destroy. 



Captivity. — They thrive well confined, attaining to a 

 very great age, and the common White Pelican has 

 bred in Continental zoological gardens. 



Distribution and Important Species. — Pelicans are 

 found almost everywhere, by large bodies of fresh 



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