NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 73 



themselves and young, and they often vomit up the contents of their stomach on the 

 ground, which, with the great heat on the islands at the nesting time, soon decay. 

 The stench of the rookeries and the noise of the birds are almost intolerable. 

 Major Bendire found two to be the usual number of eggs laid, although three and four 

 to a nest was by no means rare, and occasionally as many as five were found. The 

 eggs are dull, chalky white in color, with a calcareous deposit on them, and always 

 more or less blood stained. Major Bendire gives the average size to be about 3.45 

 x2.30, and measurements of a few selected specimens out of several thousand are 

 as follows: 4.08x2.15, 4.04x2.20, 4.01x2.19, 3.99x2.20, 3.72x2.40, 3.86x2.55, 3.87x2.32, 

 3.62x2.40, 3.60x2.40, 3.57x2.35, 3.20x2.51, 3.17x2.23, 3.20x2.21; two runt eggs, 2.69x1.88, 

 2.46x1.73.* 



126. BROWN PELICAN. Pelecanus fuscus Linn. Geog. Dist. Atlantic coast 

 of tropical and subtropical America, north to North Carolina; accidental in Illinois. 



This Pelican is an abundant bird and constant resident of Florida and south- 

 ward into the tropical regions. It is said, when feeding, to plunge for its prey like a 

 gannet, and does not scoop them while swimming, like the White Pelican. Like 

 the white species, however, it selects particular localities for breeding, and will re- 

 turn to them from year to year. Pelican Island, in the Indian River, Florida, is a 

 noted breeding ground, where thousands congregate for this purpose. Here they 

 breed in March and April. I take the following from an excellent article on the 

 "Nesting Habits of the Brown Pelican in Florida," which appeared in the March 

 number (1894) of The Oolotyist. It is from pen of Dr. Morris Gibbs, the naturalist 

 and ornithological writer: A visit was made to Pelican Island. He says that the 

 Pelicans, which had been studied for some time as they flew back and forth, were 

 the constant target at which all visitors shot, and it is a surprise that the birds do 

 not leave the section. The Brown Pelicans, Dr. Gibbs states, have a love for a 

 nesting spot and they adhere to a chosen site even when persecuted year after year. 

 This rookery has been known to exist for over twenty years and the birds have been 

 shot and robbed of their eggs and young annually for over a decade, and 

 yet they persist in nesting in the same situation each spring. Nearly all the 

 nests were built on the ground, although a few dozen were in the branches of the 

 black mangrove trees which grew scantily on the north shore of the island. The 

 tiests in the trees were more substantial structures than those on the sand, but 

 were of much the same materials, sticks, coarse grass and rank weed stalks. Mr. 

 Stuart says they breed in large communities on the islands along the Gulf coast, 

 most always placing the bulky nests in mangrove trees: often as many as a dozen 

 nests are built in a single tree. They are made of sticks and weeds, lined with 

 grasses. Many nests are also placed on the ground. Along the gulf coast fresh 

 eggs may be found in May and June. From two to five eggs are laid, three being 

 the most common number. Six selected specimens measure: 2.85x1.95, 3.02x2.04, 

 3.03x1.87, 3.08x1.89, 3.00x2.01, 3.12x1.87. They are chalky white, and in every respect, 

 except size, resemble those of the White Pelican. 



127. CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN. Pelecanus calif ornicus Ridgw. 

 Geog. Dist. Pacific coast, from Burrad Islet, British Columbia, to the Galapagos. 



The general habits, nesting and eggs of the Brown Pelican found on the Pacific 

 coast are exactly the same as those of P. fuscus. It is a larger bird and has a red 



* Ornithologist and Oologist. Vol. VII, p. 130. 



