6 WILD WINGS 



on the bushes were built of sticks, weed-stems, and grass, and 

 were quite bulky, while the ground nests were much smaller, 

 composed largely of soft materials. The contents of the nests 

 were greatly varied. Though the nesting-season of the peli- 

 cans begins as early as November or December, many of the 



nests still had their complements 

 of great, dirty-white eggs, some 

 of them comparatively clean and 

 fresh. These may have been 

 second or third layings, owing 

 to previous deprivations, though 

 to what extent individual peli- 

 cans may be irregular in their 

 nesting-time, I cannot say. In 

 other nests, there were young, 

 in all stages, from the naked, 

 newly hatched, and rather re- 

 pulsive-looking callow bird-life, to the more sightly, yet not 

 altogether handsome, downy stage. Still other nests were 

 empty, but that their mission had not been fruitless was evi- 

 dent from the numbers of well-grown young that were running 

 about in all directions. Evidently they were all but able to 

 fly, as their wing-feathers seemed to be well grown, though 

 on the bodies the feathers were still more or less downy and 

 ragged. In color they were very different from their parents, 

 being of a lighter gray, and mainly white on the under parts. 

 These young pelicans afforded us quite a little amusement. 

 Though they evidently inherited not a little of the true peli- 

 can gravity of demeanor, their childishness could'not but show 

 out. For one thing, they were, like most children, eminently 

 social. They made me think of gangs of bovs upon the street 

 corners, as they congregated here and therein groups, chat- 

 tering away in peculiar, guttural tones, individuals falling 



NEWLY HATCHED YOUNG PELICANS 



