PELICANS—Family Pelecanide 
WHITE PELICAN 
125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchus. 5 feet. 
White with black primaries. Eye white; bill and 
| feet yellow, the former in the breeding season being 
adorned with a thin upright knob about ‘midway on the 
top of the upper mandible. The large pouch, with which 
pelicans are armed, is used as a dip net to secure their 
food, which consists of small fish. The White Pelican 
scoops up fish as he swims along the surface of the 
water; when he has his pouch partially filled, he tilts 
his head, contracts the pouch, thereby squeezing the wa- 
ter out of the sides of his mouth, and swallows his fish. 
Nest.—Of sticks and weeds on the ground on isiands 
ry shores of inland lakes. They breed in colonies, and 
igs their eggs in June. The two or three eggs are pure 
white (3.45 x 2.30). 
Range.—Breeds in the interior from Utah and Minn. 
northward. Winters on the Gulf coast and in Florida; 
rare on the Atlantie coast. 
