266 



MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE PELICANS 



[May 14, 



Indian Crestless Pelican (the true P.javanicus of Horsfield), which 

 never has a pendent crest or a tumid forehead, has narrow black 

 margins to both the outer and inner webs of the wing-coverts and 

 tertiaries, the bill livid blue and the throat-patch of a much deeper 

 yellow than in P. onocrotalus." If Mr. Blyth's views are correct 

 (which will be proved when the bird becomes fully adult), the range 

 of the latter species will be extended to Syria, whence our specimen 

 was received. 



The drawings now exhibited (figs. 1 and 2) give comparative 

 views of the head of the adult Pelecanus onocrotalus and the 

 Syrian bird, showing the flattened forehead and crestless nape of 

 the latter. 



2. Pelecanus mitratus, Licht. 



Last summer (August 6th) we received from our excellent corre- 

 spondent, the Babu Rajendra MuUick of Calcutta, two white Peli- 

 cans, which (such is the confusion among the Indian species of the 

 group) I had at first some difficulty in determining. Upon re- 

 ferring, however, to Lichtensteiu's valuable paper on the group 

 (Abh. Akad. Berlin, 1838, p. 433), there can be no doubt that they 



Fig. 3. 



Pelecanus mitratus. 



Pelecanus rufescens. 



are referable to his P. mitratus (I. c. p. 436), which is also admitted 

 by Jerdon into the category of Indian birds, although stated to 

 be rare in India. I have also little doubt that this species is the 



