776 BIRDS QF SOUTH AFRICA, 
depth. As it comes sweeping down, its wings are extended and 
motionless, but it tucks them in a moment or two before it touches 
the water.” Senor Anchieta has met with it at the Coroca River. 
General colour throughout white; the larger feathers of the 
wings and tail, black-brown ; the shafts of the former grey; those 
of the latter white; head and neck, and particularly the back of the 
latter, ochreous-yellow ; space round and before the eye, bare, and 
of a dark-blue colour; a bare stripe of the same extends from 
the angle of the mouth, on each side of the head, and from the 
chin, two-thirds of the way down the neck; irides, pale fulvous ; 
legs, dark livid-colour. Length, 36’; wing, 19’; tail, 10’. 
758 PELECANUS mITRATUS, Licht. Mitred Pelican. 
Pelecanus onocrotalus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 381. 
Widely distributed, frequenting vleys and the mouths of rivers. 
Generally associates in small flocks; soars to an immense altitude. 
We have never seen it plunge after its prey. It swims with great 
rapidity, and captures its food while sitting on the water. It breeds 
on all the islands both to the westward and eastward of Tape Point. 
Captain Roe brought us specimens from Dyer’s Island of old birds, 
young birds in all stages, and eggs. The latter are creamy white 
covered with chalk, but very smooth and satiny. Axis, 3” 9’; 
diam., 2” 6’. The yolk is a most beautiful crimson colour, totally 
unlike that of any other egg we ever saw. The young are dark 
brown, almost black, getting lighter by age. Capt. Roe says the 
old birds feed them with fish and young Cormorants and Solan 
Geese, for which reason the guano getters smash all the eggs and kill 
all the young they can find to protect the guano makers. Dr. 
Gueinzius has procured this Pelican in Natal. Mr. Andersson 
writes: ‘This species is very’numerous at Walwich Bay, and is 
also tolerably common at Sandwich Harbour; but south of this port 
its numbers rapidly diminish. On approaching Table Bay the 
Pelican reappears and is abundant in many parts of the Cape seas 
nearly inshore; it is also found at Lake N’gami, Lake Omondara, 
and a few other localities in the interior.” Senor Anchieta has 
procured a male at Humbe on the Cunene River. 
Plumage throughout, white, tinted with rose-colour; the larger 
wing-feathers frosted with grey, and some of the smaller with grey 
edges; on the breast a tuft of stiff bright straw-coloured feather ; 
