58 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



the old birds is strewn over and around the nests. The eggs vary in 

 size from 2.30 to 2.55 long by 1.50 to 1.55 broad. Three eggs collected 

 by Dr. Stejneger on Copper Island, July 14, measure 61x40, 63.5x39, 

 66x37 mm.* 



125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmel. [640.] 



American "White Pelican. 



Hab. Temperate North America, north in the interior to about latitude 61^, south to Central America; 

 rare or accidental in the Northeastern States; abundant in the Middle Province and along the Gulf coast; 

 common on the coast of California and Western Mexico. 



The White Pelican is generally common west of the Mississippi, 

 breeding from Utah northward. It was formally known to breed in 

 various parts of Florida. Captain Charles E. Bendire found it nest- 

 ing in large numbers on several small islands of Lake Malheur, in 

 southeastern Oregon. It is common on various lakes in the Red River 

 Valley, in British America. 



I am informed by Prof. Marcus E. Jones that several thousand of 

 White Pelicans are permanent residents of Great Salt Lake, Utah, 

 breeding on the islands twenty miles out in the lake. They begin to 

 lay about the first of May or two weeks earlier, according to the season, 

 and fresh eggs are frequently found as late as July. The usual number 

 of eggs, he says, is two, rarely three or four. 



The birds make their nests on the ground between the clumps of 

 white sage {Atriplex confer tifalia^ that grow on the islands. They 

 scrape the sandy soil into a heap about six inches high on the outside 

 of the nests and arrange dry twigs without system ; the nests are 

 about a foot in diameter with a slight depression at the top. Prof. 

 Jones says the birds travel sixty miles to catch fish for themselves and 

 young, and they often vomit up the contents of their stomach on the 

 ground, which, with the great heat on the islands at the nesting time, 

 soon decay. The stench of the rookeries and the noise of the birds are 

 almost intolerable. 



Captain Bendire found two to be the usual number of eggs laid, 

 although three and four to a nest was by no means rare, and occasion- 

 ally as man}^ as five were found. 



The eggs are dull, chalky white in color, with a calcareous 

 deposit on them, and always more or less blood stained. Captain 

 Bendire gives the average size to be about 3.45x2.30, and measure- 

 ments of a few selected specimens out of several thousand are as fol- 

 lows : 4.08x2.15,4.04x2.20,4.01x2.19, 3.99x2.20, 3.72x2.40, 3.86 x 

 2-55) 3-87x2.32, 3.62x2.40, 3.60x2.40, 3.57x2.35, 3.20x2.51, 3.17 

 X2.23, 3.20x2.21 ; two runt eggs, 2.69X 1.88, 2.46X 1.73. f 



* 2.40x1.57, 2.50x1.51, 2.60x1.16. 



t Ornithologist and Oologist. Vol. VII., p. 130. 



