BIRD KEY * 85 



vigorously along the deck and stand in an attitude of 

 entreaty when fish were landed. 



They made their roost on the bowsprit, and did little but 

 occupy it day and night. At first they wholly declined to 

 be coaxed on deck, and the nature of their retreat made it 

 difficult to dislodge them. If, while on deck, they were ad- 

 vanced upon, the action was at once resented with screams 

 and vigorous waving of wings. As they kept close together 

 on such occasions a wing of the larger bird generally came 

 to rest over the shoulders of the smaller in a truly affection- 

 ate attitude, and here it would remain. Punch and Judy 

 we named them. He of the affectionate wing was Punch, 

 she who abode beneath its shelter was Judy. They had 

 enormous appetites, these young pelicans of Tampa Bay, 

 and as fish abounded in the water about us, they were con- 

 tinually fed to their utmost capacity. When two weeks 

 later our company separated, there were none of the party 

 whose appearance had so much improved by the outing 

 as the young pelicans. 



Our stay at Bird Key was but a short call, a sort of flying 

 visit paid from six to eight o'clock in the morning. For 

 the number of young pelicans seen, the company of adults 

 appeared to be disproportionately small ; a fact which led 

 me to think that probably the parents were away in search 

 of food. Another striking thing was that we saw no old 



