AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 91 
that a portion of the myriads of Ducks, Geese, and other kinds, which 
leave our Southern Districts every spring for higher latitudes, were 
formerly in the habit of remaining and breeding im every section of 
the country that was found to be favourable for that purpose. It seems 
to me that it is now on account of the difficulties they meet with, from 
the constantly increasing numbers of our hostile species, that these 
creatures are urged to proceed towards wild and uninhabited parts of 
the world, where they find that security from molestation necessary 
to enable them to rear their innocent progeny, but which is now de- 
nied them in countries once their own. 
The White American Pelican never descends from on wing upon 
its prey, as is the habit of the Brown Pelican ; and, although on many 
occasions it fishes in the manner above described, it varies its mode 
according to circumstances, such as a feeling of security, or the acci- 
dental meeting with shoals of fishes in such shallows as the birds can 
well compass. ‘They never dive for their food, but only thrust their 
head into the waters as far as their neck can reach, and withdraw it 
as soon as they have caught something, or have missed it, for their 
head is seldom out of sight more than half a minute at a time. When 
they are upon rivers, they usually feed along the margin of the water, 
though, I believe, mostly in swimming depth, when they proceed with 
greater celerity than when on the sand. While thus swimming, you 
see their necks extended, with their upper mandible only above the 
water, the lower being laterally extended, and ready to receive what- 
ever fish or other food may chance to come into the net-like apparatus 
attached to it. 
As this species is often seen along the sea shores searching for 
food, as well as on fresh water, I will give you a description of its 
manners there. While on the Island of Barataria in April 1837, I 
gne afternoon observed a number of White Pelicans in company with 
a flock of the Brown species, all at work, searching for food, the Brown 
in the manner already described, the White in the following. They 
all swam against the wind and current, with their wings partially ex- 
tended, and the neck stretched out, the upper mandible alone appear- 
ing above the surface, while the lower must have been used as a scoop- 
net, as I saw it raised from time to time, and brought to meet the up- 
per, when the whole bill immediately fell to a perpendicular position, 
the water was allowed to run out, and the bill being again raised up- 
