NESTING GROUNDS OF THE PELICAN. 369 



tacle. * Though in general they capture their prey not 

 far from the surface of the water by pouncing upon 

 it from a height, it is also clear that these daring birds 

 do at times descend, by diving, to very considerable 

 depths. Mr. Gray for instance mentions hearing from 

 a boatman, at Ballantrae, " of his having assisted many 

 years ago, in the removal of 128 dead gannets from 

 a train of herring nets, which had been lying at a 

 depth of 1 20 feet ; and as the nets contained a quantity of 

 herrings, it was conjectured that these birds were drawn 

 to them by the sight of their glittering sides." f 



Other kinds of fishing birds are the waders and 

 attendants on shallow waters, like the crane, the heron, 

 and the pelican, which seize their prey as it passes in 

 the shallows. Pelicans during the breeding season 

 form large "rookeries," frequented by assemblies of 

 thousands of these birds, generally in trees or thick 

 bush, surrounded by extensive swamps or other wild 

 lands. We have come upon several such places during 

 our wanderings in the North American wilderness. 

 The migration of pelicans (Pelicanus Onocrotalus] on 

 the Nile is one of the most curious ornithological sights 

 that it is possible to imagine. Thousands of these great 

 heavy looking birds are then seen assembled together 

 in vast flocks on their journey towards more temperate 

 climates in spring, or else when again returning south- 

 wards in autumn. At these times they may be seen, 

 settled for rest in the evenings on sandbanks in the middle 

 of the river, exactly like a regiment of white soldiers 

 formed in column, most of the birds asleep, but each com- 

 pany guarded by alert sentinels with head erect, watching 



* The Birds of the West of Scotland, etc., by Robert Gray, 187 1, p. 460. 

 | Ibid., p. 460. 



VOL. III. 24 



