AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 93 
charged with buckshot, were in readiness, and my son was lying in the 
bow of the boat waiting for the signal. “Fire!”—The report is instantly 
heard, the affrighted birds spread their wings and hurry away, leaving 
behind three of their companions floating on the water. Another shot 
from a different gun brought down a fourth from on wing; and as a 
few were scampering off wounded, we gave chase, and soon placed all 
our prizes in the after sheets. About a quarter of a mile farther on, 
we killed two, and pursued several that were severely wounded in the 
wing, but they escaped, for they swam off so rapidly that we could not 
propel our boat with sufficient force amidst the tortuous shallows. The 
Pelicans appeared tame, if not almost stupid; and at one place, where 
there were about sixty on an immense log, could we have gone twenty 
yards nearer, we might have killed eight or ten at a single discharge. 
But we had already a full cargo, and therefore returned to the vessel, 
on the decks of which the wounded birds were allowed to roam at large. 
We found these Pelicans hard to kill, and some which were perforated 
with buckshot did not expire until eight or ten minutes after they were 
fired at. A wonderful instance of this tenacity of life was to be seen 
on board a schooner then at anchor in the harbour. A Pelican had been 
grazed on the hind part of the head with an ounce ball from a musket, 
and yet five days afterwards it was apparently convalescent, and had 
become quite gentle. When wounded, they swim rather sluggishly, 
and do not attempt to dive, or even to bite, like the Brown Pelicans, | 
although they are twice as large, and proportionally stronger. After 
being shot at, they are perfectly silent, but when alighted they utter 
a hollow guttural sound somewhat resembling that produced by blow- 
ing through the bung-hole of a cask. 
The White Pelicans appear almost inactive during the greater 
part of the day, fishing only soon after sunrise, and again about an 
hour before sunset; though at times the whole flock will mount high 
in the air, and perform extended gyrations in the manner of the Hoop- 
ing Crane, Wood Ibis, and Vultures. These movements are probably 
performed for the purpose of assisting their digestion, and of airing 
themselves, in the higher and cooler regions of the atmosphere. 
Whilst on the ground, they at times spread their wings to the breeze, 
or to the rays of the sun; but this act is much more rarely performed 
by them than by the Brown Pelicans. When walking, they seem ex- 
ceedingly awkward, and like many cowardly individuals of our own 
