1868.] LIVING IN THE SOCIETy's GARDENS. 267 



true P. minor of Riippell (Mus. Senck. ii. p. 185, et Syst. Ueb. 

 p. 132, t. 49). It belongs to the same group as P. onocrotalus, 

 having the frontal feathers produced into an acute angle between 

 the eyes, as shown by Lichtenstein, /. s. c. t. iii. fig. 2 a and in fig. 4 ; 

 but no one who has seen the two species alive together would deny 

 their specific distinctness. P. mitratus is at once distinguishable by 

 its smaller size, by the purer white of the whole plumage, and the 

 long pendent crest. 



Bonaparte (Consp. ii. p. 162) has united P. mitratus to P. ru- 

 fescens. This is a great error*, as these birds belong to two distinct 

 sections of the genus. In P. mitratus (see fig. 3, p. 266) the frontal 

 plumes are produced between the eyes and terminate in an acute angle. 

 In P. rufescens (fig. 4, p. 266), as will be seen from the sketches taken 

 from our living specimens, these feathers terminate in a curved line 

 which is concave towards the middle of the culmen. 



On the 16th of April last we received on deposit from a London 

 dealer a third specimen of this species, but a younger bird. It has no 

 crest, and the smaller wing-coverts along the carpus are slightly 

 variegated with black. 



3. Pelecanus crispus. 



Of this bird we have a single fine specimen, purchased in Septem- 

 ber 1853, and believed to have been received from Upper Egypt. 



The chief changes to be noted of this species in the breeding- 

 season are the greater development of the crest, the brilliant orange- 

 colour of the pouch, and a patch of lemon-colour on the breast. 



Pelecanus crispus is usually considered to be the rarest species of 

 European Pelican ; but in Epirus and Western Greece it is cer- 

 tainly much more abundant than P. onocrotalus. See Lord Lilford, 

 'Ibis,' 1860, p. 355, and Mr. W. H. Simpson, ibid. p. 395. 



4. Pelecanus rufescens, Gm. (Plate XXVI.) 



On the 18th of May 1866 we purchased of a dealer the first living 

 specimen of this Pelican 1 ever saw, and, so far as I know, the first 

 that had ever reached this country alive. It was said to have been 

 brought from Western Africa. This bird is not yet in adult plumage ; 

 but I have thought it worth while to have a coloured figure made of 

 it (Plate XXVI. fig. 1), as so little is known of the changes of 

 plumage of these birds, and the only tolerable figure published 

 (Riipp. Atlas, t. 21) represents the adult state. It will be observed 

 that there are as yet no signs of the rufescent tinge on the lower 

 back depicted in Riippell 's figure. The lower back in this specimen 

 is pure white, as is the whole of the body below ; while the head 

 above, scapulars, wings, and tail are of a mottled grey. 



More recently (on the 5th inst.) we have acquired two young 

 Pelicans from Western Africa, which are, I have little doubt, of the 

 same species. One of these is represented in the background of 

 the drawing (Plate XXVI. fig. 2). 



* Cf. Jerdon, B. India, iii. p. 856. 



