38 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY, 
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 257 (San 
José del Cabo; Cape St. Lucas; La Paz). 
The White Pelican apparently visits the Cape Region only in. winter, and 
then in but small numbers. According to Mr. Ridgway it was found by Mr. 
Xantus at Cape St. Lucas (date not recorded); and in January and February 
at San José del Cabo, where Mr. Frazar also saw a flock of about thirty on 
November 11, 1887. Mr. Belding met with it only once, at La Paz on Feb- 
ruary 17, 1883, when two were observed. Mr. Frazar says that the people at 
San José del Cabo are all familiar with the bird, but consider it of rare occur- 
rence. Mr. Bryant’s only record is of a flock seen ‘‘a little more than one 
hundred miles northward from Magdalena, on the Pacific Coast.” Dr. Cooper 
mentions the species as “ common on the coast of California in winter, though 
few reach San Diego.” It was “ occasionally seen in large flocks on Rio Mazat- 
lan, in Western Mexico,” by Colonel Grayson, and on the “west coast of 
Central America” by Mr. Salvin.t Hence it sometimes passes well to the 
southward of Cape St. Lucas. 
Pelecanus californicus Rivew. 
CALIFORNIA Brown PELICAN. 
Pelecanus fuscus Betpine, Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 545 (mortality at Cape 
St. Lucas and San José; descr.), 548 (San José). Ripeway, Jbid., 545, 
footnote (crit.). 
Pelecanus californicus ANTHONY, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser. II. 1889, 83-85 
(descr. nest, eggs and habits on San Martin Island). Bryant, /bid., 257-260 
(Cape Region; feeding habits at Magdalena Bay). 
Seven specimens of the California Brown Pelican, collected by Mr. Frazar 
at La Paz on January 28, confirm most satisfactorily the characters proposed 
by Mr. Ridgway for P. californicus, at least as far as the relationship of this 
form with P. fuscus is concerned. The most striking points of distinction be- 
tween the two species are the larger size of californicus and the peculiar color- 
ing of its nape. This with adult birds in perfect nuptial condition is so very 
dark brown as to look perfectly black in most lights, there being no apprecia- 
ble tinge of chestnut except on a short space just back of the occiput. The nape 
of fuscus is much lighter and redder, varying in color from chestnut to rich seal 
brown, which is never sufficiently dark to be mistaken for black. The white- 
necked winter adults and plain brown young of calzfornicus appear to be colored 
exactly like those of fuscus, but the two species may be easily separated by size 
provided care is taken to compare birds of the same sex, the males of both 
being considerably larger than the females and the male of fuseus sometimes 
quite as large as the female of californicus. The color of the pouch is always 
lighter in dried skins of californicus than in those of fuscus, but with freshly 
1 Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Amer., II. 1884, 186. 
