109



THE


Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series. —Vol. IX.—No. 4 .—All rights reserved. FEBRUARY, 1918.



THE WHITE PELICANS OF OREGON.


By Mrs. C. E. Maud.


On Lake Klamath we saw many thousands of the great white

Pelicans, flying, swimming, and nesting. They have a stately

dignity, and, when slowly moving over the waters of this beautiful

mountain lake, remind one of one of our American battleships in

their gleaming, snowy white. When flying the tips of their wings

are black, and they tuck their heavy bald-looking heads down between

their shoulders.Ex-President Roosevelt, when he was in office,

passed a law protecting them, and a heavy fine is imposed on

anyone killing them.


I am told they live on chub, but have seen them snatch and

eat many a good-sized trout. However, as these latter are most

numerous in the lake, they can well be spared to feed these wonderful

birds.


They nest on a small island at the lower end of the lake, where

hot springs keep the water around them quite warm all the year

round.


I know very little of their habits, or whether they migrate or

not, though in the autumn and winter I have seen a few on the

Bay of Monterey, in California; so I presume they go south in the


* [‘‘The wisdom of all bird-ages seems to be centered in the hoary head of a

Pelican.” —Mr. W. L. Finley.]



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