138 



TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS — STEOANOPODES. 





J ; 



I -' 



behind tho other; tlieir inaiintT of fliglit hciii)? a succpasion of slow, rogular flappings 

 of the wings, wliicli at intt'ivals are extended to their full length, the hirds sailing 

 thus for a few rod.s, and tho flapi)ing being then resumed. The tloek i)reserves the 

 utmost method and order in its flight. The leader is always tlu! first to extend or 

 Hap his wings, and is followed in these movements by each one in the line in suc- 

 cession. Oei^asionally individuals break the ranks, and alight upon the water, where 

 they often remain for hours. 



Mr. llidgway visited the island at midnight when there was a bright moonlight. 

 The arrival of the party startled the thousands of I'elicaiis slumbering on the betieli, 

 and they all flew away, making, as they rose, a great and confused noise with their 

 wings. When he landed, all the birds had gone, except a few old or sick ones ; but 

 they were plainly seen, like a floating mass, some distance out \ipon the water. As 

 the party moved away, the birds began to swim slowly toward tlu! beach. Their 

 roosting-jdace was very offensive, and the party was obliged to spread their blankets 

 at some distance from it. In the morning the shore was covered with a dense 'nass 

 of these birds, who at first scarcely noticed the intruders ; but as these approached, 

 tho Pelicans pushed one another awkwardly into the water, or rose heavily from the 

 ground and flew out into the lake. Of the thousands of birds seen at that time not 

 one was found possessed of the horny ajjpendage to the upper mandible, so eharnc- 

 teristic of this species at certain seasons. On Mr. Ridgway's visit to thci lake in 

 December not one of these I'elicans was to be found ; all had migrated. About the 

 20th of March immense flocks were seen returning, and moving in the direction of 

 the lake, but deviating from a regular course, as if uncertain of their way. 



In May the lake was again visited, and the Telican' und to be in as great abun- 

 dance as before, more active, flying np and down the nver quite near the ground, 

 by pairs, in small companies, or singly. Many were easily distinguished by their 

 conspicuous process, known as their "centre-board," the ethers having already lost 

 these appendages. At this time both sexes were very highly colored, the naked skin 

 of the face and feet being fiery orange-red instead of pale straw-yellow, as in August. 

 On his first visit to the island all the eggs had been destroyed by the Gulls (L. cti/i- 

 forninis), which were breeding in immense numbers on another portion of the island. 

 Returning a few days later, he found one corner of the island covered with a dense 

 body of Pelicans. The place where they had been was covered with their nests, \\\w\\ 

 which the females had been sitting, the males standing beside them. Each nest was 

 merely a heap of earth and gi'avel raked into a pile about six or eight inches high, 

 and about twenty inches broad on the top, which was only very slightly hollowed. 

 In no instance was there more than one egg in a nest ; but Mr. llidgway was in- 

 formed that the usual lunnber is two, and that three are not infrecpiently i)resent. 

 The Pelicans had evidently laid twice before during the season, and each time upon 

 a different part of the island, as there were two other areas — each of an acre or 

 more — covered by their nests and strewn with fragments of eggs destroyed by the 

 Gulls. Soon after his arrival he found that the number of birds possessing the 

 "centre-boards" began daily to decrease, while a corresponding number of these 

 which had been cast off were found on the ground. Some were quite fresh, others 

 dry, and warped by the sun. By the 25th of May not a bird was to be seen with one 

 of these appendages ; but these were scattered over the gi'ound in all directions. The 

 use of these processes is not easily determined. One hundred and nine eggs were 

 taken from as many nests, which were on a narrow point of the island, only a few feet 

 above the water. 



The Lyons (Nevada) " Sentinel " mentions that the eggs of this bird were brought 



iiiii: 



