PELECANUS FLSCL'S. 4G7 



water from among tlie fishes which are swallowed at once. During calm weather, they feed 

 in the open waters of the Gulf but when high winds occur, they visit the more quiet la- 

 goons and bayous among the flats. After satisfying their hunger, they will sit for a time 

 on the outer sand-bars or reefs, often gathering by thousands, but will shortly rise in small 

 companies, flying in wedge-shaped flocks, or in ranks like Geese or Swans, but move with 

 alternate flapping and sailing and thus rise to a great height, when they will circle about 

 an hour or more on motionless wings, not, however, in regular order but crossing and re- 

 crossing one another in eccentric gyrations. Later in the day, they return to roost, pass- 

 ing the night on the reefs. They are very shy at all times, equally so at night, for they 

 can see during the hours of darkness nearly or quite as well as Owls, and when approached 

 will rise and fly to the nearest reef. The only way in which I was successful in obtaining 

 a shot at them, was by sailing, when, as they always rise into the wind, I would some- 

 times manage to secure one. These birds, in spite of their large size, are exceedingly gen- 

 tle in disposition and easily tamed, and one that I brought north, he having been slightly 

 wounded in the wing, remained with me for three years, when he died. This bird never 

 attempted to injure any thing, even permitting young chickens to run about him, and as they 

 walked over his huge feet, he merely glanced down at them to see what they were doing. 

 Johnny, as he was called, was very intelligent and always knew those who were kind to 

 him, recognizing them with a grunt, his only note, while he would frequently take their 

 hands in his long bill and gently squeeze them. He allowed every one who came to see 

 him, to caress him, and was always ready to receive company. Johnny ate not only fish 

 but meat, and the quantity which he devoured was surprising, for he often consumed six 

 or eight pounds at a meal. Not that he was a glutton, for when he was satisfied, no temp- 

 tation would induce him to take another morsel. His favorite method of eating was to have 

 his food thrown to him, when he would catch it in his beak, slip it into his pouch, then he 

 would wait until I grasped him by the bill, when I would raise it and shake his head un- 

 til the food passed downward into his stomach. No confinement whatever was necessary 

 for Johnny as he never showed the slightest propensity to wander, excepting in autumn, 

 when, having some idea of migrating, he would waddle away from the house a few hun- 

 dred yards, then, evidently surprised to find himself on strange ground, would raise his 

 head, gaze about him distractedly, when preceiving hh home, would spread his long wings 

 and come back, half running and half flying. This performance would be repeated sever- 

 al times in a season, but always terminated as related. My bird had many quaint, inter- 

 esting habits and during his short life among us made many friends who will long remem- 

 ber Johnny Pelican. The late Captain Dummitt informed me, that upon one occasion, the 

 White Pelicans bred in considerable numbers on a small island, in the lagoon just south 

 of Mosquito Inlet, but this is unusual and they have never repeated it, the species gener- 

 ally migrating northward in April to nest on the inland waters of the North-west. 



PELECAITUS PU3CUS. 



Brown Pelican. 

 Pelecanusfuscui LINN-.. Syst. Nat., I, 1766,215. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill without central elevation. COI.OR. Adult. Head and stripe on neck ad- 

 joining giilnr sac, white, tlie fi inner stonily tinjri'd with yellow. Remainder of neck, dark choNtmit-hmwn. Alxno, lic.:try, 

 with Ihe leathers more or less edged whip dark-bniwu. Beneath, sooty-black, with the leathers olsidr.-. Hanks, 



