AYES. 387 



Descriptions et Icones Animalium Rossic&mm novor., Av., Fasc. i. Petropoli, 

 1836, pp. 53, 54. Of this genus two species occur in Europe, of which the 

 one was first distinguished by BRUCH (OKEN'S /'*, 1832, p. 1109) under the 

 name of P. crispus, a species which some of the earlier writers had before 

 them, but whose descriptions and figures were referred by LINNJSUS and 

 later writers to Pelecanus Onocrotalus. P. Onocrotalus BRUCH (L. in part) is 

 light rose-coloured, BUFF. PL enl. 87, NAUM. Taf. 282, BRANDT 1. 1. Tab. 

 v. ; Pel. crispus NAUM. Taf. 283, BRANDT, Tab. vi. is larger, more of 

 a greyish white, and has at the sides and back of the head curled feathers. 

 Both species occur in the south-eastern parts of Europe and at the Caspian 

 sea, P. onocrotalus also in Egypt. In the west of North America Pelec. 

 trachyrhynchus LATH, (see fig. in LICHTENSTEIN 1. 1.) lives, as is reported, 

 as far as 61 N. L. 



Sula BEISS., Dysporus ILLIG. Bill compressed, elongato-conic, 

 acuminate, with margins crenate. Face and throat featherless. 

 Claw of middle toe winged internally, incised pectinately. Wings 

 long, narrow, with the first or the first two quills the longest. Tail 

 cuneate. 



Sp. Sula alba METER, Pelecanus bassanus L., BUFF. PI. enl. 278 (and 986 

 young bird), LESS. Ornith. PI. 116, fig. 2, NAUM. Taf. 278; the John of 

 Gaunt, or common gannet; the adult bird is white with the exception of the 

 primary flag-feathers and the bastard winglet, which are black ; the size is 

 about that of a goose. This sea-bird flies high above the sea and darts 

 rapidly down when it descries a fish. This species is found in the northern 

 regions of both hemispheres, in Norway, the Hebrides, &c. On the unin- 

 habited island on the Scotch coast (the Bass Rock} the number of these 

 birds is very great, and in May and June their nests and eggs cover the 

 base of the steep rock to such a degree that it is difficult to make a footstep 

 without treading on them (HARVEJI De general, animal. Exercitat. XI. ; 

 a drawing of the rock is to be found as a title-plate to the tenth part of 

 NAUMANN'S Naturgesch. d. Vog. Deutschl.). Each female, however, deposits 

 at each brood only a single egg, which, as in most birds of this family, is 

 much elongated and of a dull white; the young birds are eaten. Sula 

 piscatrix, Pelecanus piscator L., smaller than the preceding, with red bill 

 and legs, in the Indian sea and at China ; this species is taught by the 

 Chinese to catch fish. The nostrils are difficult to discover in this genus ; 

 see the note above at p. 364. 



Sula variegata, Dysporus variegatw TSCHUDI, lives by thousands on the 

 island San Lorenzo, and is the principal (rMano-maker. V. TSCHUDI Peru. 

 Reiseskizzcn, i. s. 59. 



Plotus L. Bill elongate, straight, subulate, very acute, with 

 margins obliquely incised towards the tip. Nostrils very small, 

 placed in a groove at the base of bill. Neck very long, slender. 

 Wings long, with second and third quills equal, longest of all. Tail 

 long, rounded. 



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