I'KI.ECANIDJS — TUB I'ELICANS — I'KLKCAN IS. 



141 



lldiithinis — and, iiuU'cd, wlitn-evor lie went in tlu' wostoru tropics. Thcso birds liavo 

 (liiitc 11 lar>,'»' brci'ding-placo near Koiisiva Hay ; and it was qnito an infi'ivsting, as well 

 iis a boautiinl, siglit to watrli theni wlu'n i-ni^'ajji'd in lisliinf,'. Thoy Hy at a coMsider- 

 alili' lu!ij,'lit, with slowly Happini; wings; on sci'ing a shoal of lish lu'noath tlicni they 

 nnin.l to and fall like a stone in the water, eausing the spray to dash uj) to a height 

 uf several feet. If sneetvssful. they sit on the water and dispose of their prey. The 

 s)iray caused by the dashing into the water may be seen faraway — mueh farther 

 than the bird itself is visible. 



Air. Salvin snbseipiently visited Saddle Hay, on the eoast of Honduras, where 

 there was a settlement of this s]>eeies, and found some forty or tifty birds, bolli 

 nld and immature, but could «liseover uo trace t)f a nest, lie was informed by his 

 boatman that thi- bird breeds in November ; and that as soon as the young can tly, 

 the old birds destroy the nests. A bird less adai>te,d than the Hrown i'elicau for 

 perching on trees he could hardly imagine; yet he fo\ind it sitting on numgrove 

 houghs for hours together, preening its feathers with its long hooki'd bills, all the 

 tinu' keeping its balance with c;ise — even when a stroc; wind tried the security of 

 its footing. A portion were resting on a spit of sand that ran out from one end 

 of the island, and others were tishing in the shallows. 



According to Trofcssor Newton, the Brown Pelican is ono of the tirst birds to meet 

 the eye of a stranger arriving at St. (^roix. No shooting of any kind is allowed in 

 llic roadstead or harlH)r of Ohristiansted ; and there it is very tame, and takes no 

 liced of what is going on — often Hying within a few yards of the landing-stages or 

 boats In all other places it was much more wary. A few of these birds might 

 almost always be seen in a rill along the shores of the island, either resting lazily on 

 11 stumi) in the water, or with a clumsy activity diving for lish. When engaged in 

 lisliing they tly over the shallows until they iind a promising spot; there they aliglil, 

 begin diving incessantly, and always seem to rist^ to tlu' surface with their heads 

 turned in a direction contrary to that which they had at the moment of diving. 

 Tiiese birds were said to breeil near the Island of Tortola, or on sonu' rocks adjaei'iit 

 to it. 



l)r. Cooper states that the Hrown IVlican is very abundant along the whole south- 

 ern coast of the racilic during winter, even as far as Panauia, wlu're he has seen 

 it in May. It ahso extends its migrations northward in summer. He could find no 

 traces of its nesting in the more -southern islands, but was iufornu'd that a few of 

 lliese birds breed on the [sland of .\naeapa — a locality which he was unable to visit. 

 He saw none at the Farallones in ,)une, although there wcih- then many about the 

 mouth of the 15ay of San Kraneiseo. At San !>iego. in February, they were already 

 assuming their mature plumage. 



iUrds of this species are said to feed chieHy during the rising tide, wandering in 

 extended trains along tlte shore, and diving occasionally, one after the other, when 

 they mecl with a shoal of lish. They are vt<ry regidar in their motions when flying, 

 keeping at nniform distatu'cs. alternately llajjping and sailing, in imitation of their 

 leader. They usually Hy very closti to the surface of tlu> w.iter, and th«m nu'rely 

 I'limge ohliipu'ly, holding the bill so as to seooj* up the small !ish , ideways ; then, 

 1 losing their wings, they hold nji the head with the bill down, so as to aUow tlu^ 

 water to run out. This permits the escape of sonu' of the iish, and gives the para- 

 .'-itic (lull a chance to obtain a .share of the plunder, without in the leiust offending tlio 

 tli;4uitied Pelican. Sometinu«s this bird dives from a c )nsiderable height, plunging 

 ilownwiird with a spiral motion, although scari'cly ever going bcuenth the surface, 

 Init inum'diatoly raising its bill from the water — usually with a stock of young tish in 



