A First Glance at the Birds, 



The California brown pelicans plunge 

 from a considerable height while on the 

 wing, a most interesting performance, 

 which may be frequently observed along 

 the shores of San Francisco Bay. 



The next order of water birds in- 

 cludes the ducks, geese and swans, birds 

 which are amply represented in our 

 midst, as any sportsman can testify. 

 Although there are some twenty species 

 of ducks which frequent our marsh-lands 

 and bay shores, representing a number 

 of genera, only one of them, the cin- 

 namon teal, is peculiar to this coast, all 

 the others being distributed over the 

 entire North American continent, or at 

 least over its northern portions. The 

 mergansers are farthest removed from 

 our typical duck, having a much nar- 

 rower and sharper beak. They are fish 

 eaters, and consequently are not pala- 

 table, most people preferring their fish 

 diet at first hand. The wood-duck is 

 the most beautiful of the group in color- 

 ation, with its shimmering dress of 



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