^^'i^lO^^^] Ferry, Summer Birds of Saskatchewan. 191 



(one of them was about a foot long) and some brook sticklebacks (Eucolia 

 inconstans). A number of pelican eggs lay strewn about, and occasionally 

 a nest contained two or three addled eggs. Even while we looked on, 

 some Ring-billed Gulls attacked these eggs, breaking them sufficiently 

 to let out the contents. 



The nests of the pelicans were low mounds of sand, mixed with gravel 

 and mud. The dimensions of two nests, in inches, were as follows: 

 Diam. at base. Diam. at top. Height outside. Inside depth. 



24 12 2\ 2 (about) 



20 9 3 2i 



Usually there was some loose aquatic weed lying about the rim of the 

 nest. The nests were frequently placed side by side, but sometimes three 

 or more feet apart. They were in groups of from twelve to twenty. 

 Often a single cormorant nest was placed among those of the pelicans. 



One pelican nest contained a young bird just hatched, and two eggs. 

 The young bird, which made a noise like a young puppy, was of an orange 

 flesh color. The young, when about the size of a hen, have the eyes slaty 

 brown, bills light bluish gray, feet livid flesh color. The iris of the adult 

 is a light bluish gray. Inside the pouches of both old and young birds 

 were clusters of parasites — beetle-like insects with bodies striped with black 

 and wliite. 



The young pelicans when acting in concert made a noise like the distant 

 honking of Canada Geese. 



This colony was under observation from July 10 to 13, when the above 

 notes were taken. Later it was visited daily from August 1 to 8. During 

 the interval of our absence, the appearance of the island had greatly 

 changed. The young of both cormorants and pelicans had left the nests 

 and were able to leave the island by swimming. In one or two great 

 bodies, they would swim out from shore, and remain a distance from the 

 shore while we were on the island. Their location would vary according 

 to the amount of moving about we did while on the island. When we 

 remained in one spot the flocks of young birds would slowly move towards 

 the island and eventually gather in a compact body on the shore. While 

 we were moving about photographing or collecting material, the flock 

 would remain strung out about one hundred and fifty yards or more from 

 shore. The old birds would gather about a quarter of a mile distant on 

 the shore of the mainland, or in a long line would remain at rest upon the 

 water, three to four hundred yards away. They made a beautiful sight, 

 looking like a fleet of white battle-ships. The spectacle which eclipsed 

 all others in interest was when the young and old gathered upon the 

 island. Then took place all the varied events of their unmolested domestic 

 life. When the observer lay concealed in high rank weeds, the young 

 birds would soon return, and the old birds in the course of an hour. The 

 adults would alight among the young with a swish or swoop, and usually 

 would single out their own young and begin feeding it. The process was 

 very grotesque. The old bird would lower its head, open wide its bill, 



