Sept., 1908 BIRDS OF A VOYAGE ON SALTOX SEA 187 



highest hill. This soon proved to be a great colony of American White Peli- 

 cans {Pclccaiitis erythrorhynchos) tho not a bird had been seen on the Sea, and 

 only two or three scouts reconnoitered about our boat just before we made a land- 

 ing in a sandy cove on the northeast side. As soon as possible I got out my 

 camera and sneaked up onto the colony of pelicans. But they were wild, and 

 began to fly by the time I was within 150 yards. I tried several snaps; but later 

 developments showed these to have been improperly focused. So that only a 

 series of pictures of the nests, two of which accompany this article, were obtained. 

 The sight of the great white birds rising in masses from their nesting grounds 

 was exciting in the extreme; for I had never seen this species under such circum- 

 stances before. They wheeled in great circles overhead, crossing and re-crossing 



PORTION OF WHITE PEI^ICAN COLONY ON ECHO ISI,AND, SALTON SEA; THIS COLONV 

 CONTAINED 980 NESTS WITH EGGS ON APRIE 20, 1908 



over their breeding grounds, or glided out to sea in intersecting Vs. When flap- 

 ping, their wings gave out a loud swish, and the many at once produced a roar. 

 But when sailing close overhead on motionless wings they made a whispering, 

 whistling sound, as of the wind blowing thru the chinks of an old building. 

 Occasionally a grunting quack was to be heard, but no other note was uttered. 



We had discovered the southernmost recorded nesting-colony of the American 

 White Pelican, and we set about taking a census of it, as accurately as possible. 

 Three separate divisions of the colony were located: the first on the north prominence 

 of the Island consisted of 44 nests, each containing one or two eggs; in a second 

 division, in the saddle between the two hills and occupying a drift terrace at the 



