AMONG THE WaTER FowLt 
have I approached a grassy slough in the breed- 
ing-season without finding them in evidence, and 
wherever one drives on the bare dry prairie, sooner 
or later the little dark friend is almost sure to put 
in an appearance, 
For convenience, though it is not scientifically 
one of the Gulls, I may, in. this connection,?spean 
of a bird that is related to them, and in some ways 
resembles them,—the great White Pelican. I have 
never discovered their breeding-place in Dakota, 
which is said to be some low island in a lake, 
where they lay three or four great white eggs in a 
hollow in the sand. But we found them frequent- 
ing most of the large lakes that we visited. The 
size of the bird is impressive. I think that, per- 
haps excepting the Swan, it 1s decidedly the biggest 
bird’ of North’ America. It 11s mearly ‘as: tallwaseea 
man, has a stout, heavy body, and enormous bill, 
and a stretch of wings of between eight and nine 
feet. Riding out on the lake, they look almost 
like yachts at anchor. Such size makes them ap- 
pear near even when they are really far out from 
shore. It was a fine sight one day when I saw 
seventy of them in a V-shaped flock, soar over a 
lake and circle down till they rested upon the 
water. 
One of our company was anxious to secure a 
Pelican for his cabinet, and at last he saw a chance 
to approach one perched on a rock a little way 
out in the lake. A calf that was determined to 
follow him and see the sport very nearly prevented 
his success, but he managed to stalk and secure 
the great bird. It was a sight indeed to see him 
168 
