574 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1917. 



submerged. Suddenly the cause of the commotion was apparent, for 

 one of them seized a water snake about 2| feet long and tossed it 

 some distance in the air. This act was quickly repeated a number 

 of times by different birds until one of the pelicans swallowed the 

 unfortunate snake. He attempted to keep his prey down by holding 

 his bill close to the body, but his efforts were unavailing, for the snake 

 wriggled up into the gular pouch and eventually forced his way out 

 of the pelican's mouth and escaped. One of the pelicans once swal- 

 lowed a black-bellied tree duck and retained the bird in his stomach 

 for 60 hours, but finally disgorged it, only partially digested. Vari- 

 ous unusual objects have been swallowed at different times by the 

 pelicans; a sharp bamboo cutting about 6 inches long worked its 

 way out of one bird's stomach and was removed after it had pierced 

 the lower body. This pelican did not seem to suffer in the least 

 from his experience and did not miss a meal. Three American white 

 pelicans received at the park October 7, 1897, are still living in good 

 health. 



Xumbers of cormorants {Phalacrocorax auritus -florklanus) regu- 

 larly breed in the flight cage, constructing their nests of sticks in the 

 branches of the larger trees within the inclosure. That these birds 

 are well satisfied with their home is proved by the fact that one 

 which escaped and remained away for more than a day returned to 

 the cage; the keeper found him near the door waiting to be let in. 

 During the winter months numbers of cormorants are kept in an 

 aquarium cage in the bird house where the large plate glass front 

 makes it possible for visitors to watch the birds diving and swimming 

 under water for the fish thrown in at feeding time. 



A near relative of the cormorant is the snakebird, darter, or water 

 turkey, one species of which {Anhinga anhinga) is common in the 

 Southern States and tropical America. This bird also breeds freely 

 in the flight cage. It is an expert diver and has the habit of swim- 

 ming with the body submerged, only the head and neck appearing 

 above the water — hence the common name of snakebird. 



HERONS AND STORKS. 



Several species of stork-like birds are regularly kept in the big 

 flight cage; some hardy kinds like the black-crowned night herons 

 {Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius) and the great blue herons {Ardea 

 herodias) remain out throughout the year. The night herons breed 

 within the inclosure, and wild birds of the same species build their 

 nests on top of the great cage and in the neighboring tree tops. 

 More delicate species, including the snowy egret {Egretta candidis- 

 sima), nearly exterminated in the Southern States for the millinery 

 trade, the curious boatbill {Cochlearhus cocMearius), the white- 



