PELICANS. 71 
the eggs have a pale blue shell overlaid with a chalky white coating. 
The closely allied Australian species (S. serrator) (808), also exhi- 
bited, differs in having the two middle pairs of tail-feathers black. <A 
more slender and widely distributed form is the Red-footed Gannet 
(S. piscator) (809); and a different type is shown in the Brown 
Gannet or Booby (S. su/a) (810), which has an almost cosmopolitan 
distribution. 
Family II. Petucanipa. Pervtcans. 
Pelicans (Pelecanus) (811-815) are so extraordinary in their appear- 
ance that, when once seen, they can never be mistaken for any other 
bird. The great ungainly body, long flat bill hooked at the tip, 
enormous gular pouch, short iegs, and waddling gait make up a truly 
remarkable whole. About nine species are known to inhabit the tropical 
and temperate parts of the world, frequenting. not only tidal waters 
but lakes and swampy districts, where, being very gregarious in their 
habits, they often congregate in great numbers. 
In spite of their ungainly appearance they are perfectly at home both 
on the wing and in the water, and with head drawn back between the 
shoulders and legs extended beneath the tail, fly with great power. 
They frequently soar in a spiral to great altitudes, and with alternate 
flapping and sailing movements circle for hours. 
The food, which consists almost exclusively of fish, is generally 
captured by diving, but not infrequently a number of birds combine 
together and forming single, double, or even triple lines across a sheet 
of water, drive the fish before them towards the shallows, where they 
are easily captured. The White Pelican (P. onocrotalus) (811) is the 
most familiar, and in former times was a native of Great Britain. The 
Dalmatian Pelican (P. crispus) (812) is the largest of all and has a 
curious crest of loose curled feathers, and the handsome Brown Pelican 
(P. fuscus) (815) is the smallest. The Australian form (P. conspicil- 
latus) (818) has a bare space round the eye enclosed by a ring of feathers. 
The North American White Pelican (P. erythrorhynchus) (814) is 
remarkable for the curious horny excrescence which is developed on the 
upper mandible during the breeding-season and afterwards shed. Two 
of these horny discs, the castings of previous years, are exhibited with 
the head of this species. 
Family IV. Freearipe®. Fricarn-Birps. 
This family is represented by two species only, which are exhibited in 
the Case. Both the Greater Frigate-Bird or Man-of-war Bird (Fregata 
aquila) (816) and the Lesser Frigate-Bird (F. ariel) (817) inhabit the 
LCase 44, ] 
[Case 44,] 
[Case 44. ] 
