42 PELICANS 



head with purplish green crests ; neck with loose white filaments ; flank 

 with large circular white patch ; head and body dark glossy green, 

 changing to rich purple on neck and purplish green on wings ; quills and 

 tail black. Post-breeding plumage : crests, white filaments, and white 

 flank patch wanting. Young : dusky brown, lighter on head ; upper parts 

 darker, with a tinge of green. Wing: 10.00-11.40, tail 6.25-8.50, bill 

 1.70-2.10. 



Distribution. Coast of Alaska and British Columbia to Washington. 



Nest. Usually on a ledge of bold-faced rock, large, made of seaweed, a 

 few grass-stalks, and excrement. Eggs : 3 to 4, pale blue to white. 



The Eskimo use this cormorant's skin for clothing, and the white 

 filaments from the flanks for fringes in their ornamental work. 



123b. P. p. resplendens (Aud.}. BAIRD CORMORANT. 



Coloration as in pelagicus, size smaller, bill nearly as long, but slenderer. 

 Wing: 9.30-10.50, tail 5.80-7.00, bill 1.65-2.00. 



Distribution. Pacific coast from Cape Flattery to Mazatlan, Mexico. 



The Baird cormorant is usually less common than the Farallone 

 or Brandt cormorants, breeding apart from them in communities on 

 the islands or rocky points off shore. 



FAMILY PELECANID-SJ : PELICANS. 



GENUS PELECANUS. 



General Characters. Bill much longer than head, upper mandible flat ; 

 a larg'e pouch of elastic, naked skin hung as a fish-net from flexible sides 

 of lower mandible. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Color mainly white erythrorhynckos, p. 42. 



1'. Color mainly grayish brown calif ornicus, p. 43. 



Subgenus Cyrtopelicanus. 



125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmel. AMERICAN WHITE 



PELICAN. 



Tail feathers 24. Breeding plumage : mainly white, primaries and most 

 of secondaries black ; back of head with thin white or yellowish crest, breast 

 and lesser wing coverts with narrow lanceolate yellowish feathers ; upper 



