252 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



The Farallon Cormorant, although thought of chiefly as a bird of the 

 seacoast, is well known to visit and nest on a number of the larger inland 

 lakes of California. Small colonies may possibly occur about some of 

 the larger reservoirs in the foothills of the Yosemite region. Three differ- 

 ent times on May 6 and 7, 1919, single individuals were seen flying down 

 the Tuolumne River below Lagrange. As the bird or birds seen all took 

 a course leading toward a reservoir in the hills nearby, it was thought that 

 there might be a small colony established there. 



A single bird of this species on exhibit in the superintendent's office 

 in Yosemite Valley was taken in the Valley by Ranger To"wnsley some time 

 between 1916 and 1919. 



"White Pelican. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin 



Field characters. — Very large size (largest bird of flight seen in the Yosemite 

 region); total length five feet; bill a foot or more long, about three times length of 

 head. Plumage pure white save for black tipping of vpings. Flies in flocks, the indi- 

 viduals either abreast or in echelon, that is, in rows diagonal to line of flight; wing 

 strokes intermittent, the birds alternately flapping and sailing; the head drawn in on 

 body distinguishes pelicans in flight from geese, in which the head and neck are out- 

 stretched. 



Occurrence. — A migrant through the region. Once noted at Snelling. 



The White Pelican is only a transient in the Yosemite region. On 

 May 26, 1915, at Snelling, a flock of about 65 of these impressive birds 

 was seen flying north, high overhead. Five minutes later another flock 

 of about 100 passed over, and then one of 19. Although the birds were 

 fully 1000 feet above the observer, they were easily identified by means of 

 the field characters given above. 



American Merganser. Mergus americanus Cassin 



Field characters. — Size large for a duck; head, neck, and bill slender; large patch 

 on wing, and whole lower surface of body, pure white. Male: head greenish black; 

 middle of back black. Female: head reddish brown; back grayish brown. 



Occurrence. — Casual visitant. Flock of six seen on Merced Eiver about Merced Falls, 

 January 2, 1915. 



The American Merganser is the only species of 'fish duck' we saw in 

 the Yosemite section. Either this species or its relative, the Red-breasted 

 Merganser, is likely to visit any fish-inhabited pond or sluggish stream 

 during the winter months. The American Merganser is known to nest 

 farther north in the Sierra Nevada, but the conditions afforded in the 

 Yosemite region do not seem to attract the birds to remain here during 

 the summer months. 



