THE WHITE PELICAN 



381 



range. Although my blind had been placed in position the 

 day before, and was visible only as a denser growth in the 

 tides, it was sometime after I entered it before the birds 

 ventured to return to their down covered young, huddled in 

 the reed beds. Some came by air, alighting with a resound- 

 ing -fluff --fluff of their eight-feet of wing-spread ; others, like 



Alert with head erect 



stately ships, sailed into port at a regularly frequented 

 landing place, but all came with much caution. My slightest 

 movement, although unseen, appeared to alarm them ; they 

 seemed to feel my presence. The faint click of the camera 

 shutter, sixty feet distant, placed them on the alert with 

 head erect, and this pose was sufficient to induce birds about 

 to land to turn quickly about and swim back into the lake. 



Finally, they became more at ease and in response to the 

 whining grunts of their offspring, opened their great bills, 

 down which the young at once plunged their heads and 

 necks in search of the fish at the bottom of the parental 

 pouch, where the young birds would prod vigorously about 

 for more than a minute, the parent submitting patiently. I 

 never saw but one fed at a time (the Brown Pelican may 



