Bird -Lore 



BROWN PELICANS 



In i8g8 there were 845 nests on the island, of which 251, or 42 per 

 cent, were occupied at the time the count was made. In igoo only 710 

 nests had been built, of which 179, or 34 per cent, were found to con- 

 tain eggs or young, on April 24, as follows: 



23 nests with i egg each 



38 " 



" 2 eggs " 



26 " 



" 3 " 



43 " 



" I young " 



42 " 



" 2 " " 



7 " 



" 3 " 



A high rate of nest mortality is indicated by the fact that while 26 nests, 

 or 30 per cent, contained three eggs each, only 7, or about 8 per cent, 

 contained three young each, and a similar difference was observed in 

 1898. 



Estimating, as in 1898, that three birds would reach maturity from 



