132 TOTIPALMATE SWIMMEllS — STEGANOrODES. 



Family PELECANID^ : The Pelicans. 



Char. Bill greatly elongated and excessively depressed, the tenninal unguis 

 very prominent and strongly hooked ; gular pouch exceedingly large and greatly 

 distensible; lores and orbital region — sometimes other parts of the head also — 

 naked Toes fully webbed, the outer almost as long as the middle, the inner 

 much shorter. Tail very short, nearly even, or slightly rounded. Size usually 

 very large. 



The Pelicans include about ton sj)ecies, which are found mostly in the warmer 

 parts of the world, although two of them — the common American P. erythrorhynchos 

 ami the Pala^arctic /'. crispus — extend in summer to high northern latitudes. As 

 may Ije seen from tlie synonymy of the genus Pehcanus as given below, these birds 

 have been divided into several genera by authors ; but each species possesses so 

 many i»eculiarities of external structure that it is doubtful whether the differences 

 between the supposed genera are of more than subgeneric importance.^ 



Genus PELECANXTS, Linnjeus. 



Peleeann.1, Linn. S. N. cd. 10, I. 1758, 132 ; cd. 12, I. 1766, 215 (type, P. onncrotaltis, LiNN.). 

 Oiwcrotahis, IJki.ss. Orii. VI. 1760, 519 (type, Pdecanus onocrolaliis, LiSN.). 

 Ciirto])elica litis, Heicii. Syst. Av, 1853, p. vii. (type, Pclecaniis erythrorhynchos, Gmel.). 

 IjCi)topcUcanHs, Kkicii. 1. c. (type, Pclccanus fitsciis, Linn.). 

 C'lloptrojKlicaiins, liiiicil. 1. c. (type, rdccanns conspicillatus, Tkmm.). 



The characters of this fjeniis liaviii^ heeii isufficieiitly iiulicatetl ahove, it is unnecessary to 

 repeat them lierc. It is (luite likely that the genus as here used in a comprehensive sense slioukl 

 be snlKliviiled, as indicated hy the above synonymy. 



The .•'iiecies of this genus which occur in North America may V)e thus di.stinguished : — 



A. Lower jaw densely feathered to the base of the mandible. Tail-feuthei-s, 24. (Cyrtnpelica7uui.) 



1. P. erythrorhynchos. Color white, the primaries blackish. Bill and feet yellow i.sh, deep- 



ening to red in tlie breeding-season. Wing, 22.()()-2r).25 inches; culmen, 11.30-13.85. 

 Hub. North America generally, but rare along Atlantic coa.st ; north in the interior tu 

 alK)ut 01°, south to Central America. 



B. L"W«T jaw whcdiy naked. Tail-featliers, 22. (Lciitojielicrums.) 



2. P. foscus. Prevailing color dusky, the upper parts silvery-striped in adults, grayish brown 



in the yoinig ; bill dull grayisli, or purplish brown, stained with red towanl end (in 

 breeding-season) ; pouch greenish brown, grayish, or dusky. Wing, 19.(K)-21.()() inclies ; 

 culmen, 9.40-12.20. Hah. Coasts of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, including West 

 Indies ; Atlantic cf)ast of South America ? 



3. P. califomious. Similar to P.fitsais, but larger, and with the pouch red in the breeding- 



season. Wing, 20.50-23.25 inches ; cuhnen, 12.25-14.75. Hab. Coast of California, from 

 San Francisco Bay to Cape St. Lucas. Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America? 



> For a more comprehensive review of the Pelicans, the render is referred to the " Proceedings of tlio 

 Zoological Society of London," 1868, p. 264, pis. 25, 26 ; 1869, p. 571, pL 44 ; 1871, p. 631, pi. 51. 



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