Pelicans. 



Order, Steganspodes. 

 Family, Pelicanidae. 



125. WHITE PELICAN. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. Almost 

 entirely white but some black feathers on wings. The large yellow 

 pouch hanging from the lower mandible of this bird and his pure 

 white plumage are enough to distinguish him. If more is needed 

 the small hook at the extremity of the upper mandible and the rud- 

 der-like projections above it will make the identification complete. 



The white pelican is one of the strangest looking birds that 

 visit us. In size half way between a goose and a swan, its long 

 neck is terminated by one of the oddest heads among birds, beasts 

 or fishes. The lower jaw or mandible, if you prefer, has hanging 

 beneath it a large pouch that looks as though it had been painted 

 yellow. It can doubtless hold a quart or more of frogs, small 

 fishes and reptiles and such other water food as can be found. 

 The upper mandible has a small hook at its extremity that enables 

 it to hold with certainty whatever it seizes. They are wholly white 

 except upon the wings, the larger feathers of which are nearly 

 black. Why sportsmen should delight in shooting one of these 

 useful and certainly harmless oddities can be explained only on 

 the theory that men love to kill whatever is rare. Pelicans cross 

 the Dakotas in fairly large numbers stopping at the small lakes to 

 load up with provisions before continuing their northern journey. 

 Wounded birds often become very tame, a fact that is characteristic 

 of nearly all wild life. It is doubtless true that we should be 

 greatly surprised at the familiarity of birds and mammals if they 

 could know that we would not harm them. Whether or not the 

 pelican is the taxidermist's delight would be hard to say but 

 most of the dead ones have been mounted I beg your pardon, 

 I should say "stuffed" and most of them miserably so. 



I recently met a lady who is "stuffing" birds as a business 



