632 



MR. P. L. SCLATER ON CERTAIN PELICANS. [Nov. 7, 



Since that date, Mr. D. G. Elliot has contributed to our ' Proceed- 

 ings ' his " Monograph of the genus Pelecanus "*, and Prof. Barboza 

 du Bocage has favoured us with the description of a new species of 

 this genusf. I have now a few additional observations to offer to 

 the Society, partly supplementary to my previous notes, and partly 

 in reference to the communications of Mr. Elliot and Prof. Barboza 

 du Bocage on this subject. 



1. Pelecanus onocrotalus. 



The Syrian Pelican received from Mr. E. T. Rogers in February, 

 1868 (of which I spoke, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 265), is now quite adult, 

 and agrees so nearly with the two fine examples of P. onocrotalus 

 which have been in the Society's Gardens for the last twenty years 

 that there can be no doubt, I think, that I was correct in my de- 

 termination of this bird. 



Next to P. onocrotalus and P. minor must be placed Prof. Bar- 

 boza du Bocage's new P. skarpii (described P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 173, 

 409), of which fine species I have now the pleasure of exhibiting 

 one of the typical specimens belonging to the Lisbon Museum. In 

 structure this bird, as has already been pointed out by its describer, 

 approximates closely to P. onocrotalus. The angular projection of 

 the frontal feathers (see fig. 1) corresponds very nearly to what is 

 seen in the last-named species. But the brilliant colouring of the 

 chest and belly, which is quite different from any thing which I 

 have ever seen in P. onocrotalus, and the absence of a pendent crest 

 renders the species easily distinguishable. 



Fig. 1. 



Upper surface of bill of P. sharpii, one fourth the nat. size. 



Last summer, when inspecting the bird-galleries of the Museum 

 of the city of Strasburg, under the guidance of Dr. Schimper, I 

 found a fine example of P. sharpii in the excellent series of Pelicans 

 there exhibited. Prof. Schimper had not determined the specimen, 

 and was not quite certain about its locality. 



Mr. Smit's figure (Plate LI.) represents the typical specimen at 

 one seventh of the natural size, and will serve, I trust, to make 

 this fine species better known. 



* Proc. Zool Soc. 1869, p. 571. 



t Pelecanus sharpii, described Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870 s p. 173 and p. 409. 

 also Jornal de Scienc. Lisbon, 1871, no. xi. 



See 



