BROWN PELICAN. 213 



and I am now convinced that birds of both sexes are several years in 

 acquiring their full plumage, although the precise number of years is 

 M'hat I have not yet learned. Some additional observations respecting 

 the habits of this species may now be stated. 



During a severe gale, on the 7th of April 1836, the wind coming 

 from the north-west, I saw a flock of about thirty of these birds flying 

 only a few feet above the water, and against the gale. Having pro- 

 ceeded a few yards, they plunged into the water, generally to leeward, 

 and threw their bodies round as soon as their bills were immersed, 

 giving a very curious appearance to the wings, which seemed as if 

 locked. On seizing a fish they kept the bill beneath the surface for a 

 short time in a perpendicular direction, and drew it up gradually, when 

 the water was seen to flow out, after which they raised the bill to a 

 horizontal position, and swallowed the fish. In this way the whole flock 

 kept dashing and plunging pell-mell, like Gannets, over a space of about 

 one hundred yards, fishing at times in the very surf, and where the water 

 could not be more than a very few feet deep. Each of them must 

 have caught upwards of a score of fishes. As soon as they were sa- 

 tisfied, they flew in a line across the channel, and landed on low banks 

 under the lee of the island, opposite our harbour. Dm'ing all the time 

 of their fishing they were attended by a number of Black-headed Gulls, 

 Larus Atricilla, which followed all their movements, alighting on their 

 heads, and feeding as I have already described. These Gulls followed 

 their purveyors to the same low banks to spend the night. 



Notwithstanding all that has been said to the contrary by some Euro- 

 pean writers, I feel perfectly satisfied thatthese Pelicans must make ample 

 use of some oily matter contained in the lu-opygial gland, as their plu- 

 mage is always dry in the midst of their continued plungings. On the 

 14th of the same month, my party happened to shoot a good number of 

 Brown Pelicans, among which was one slightly wounded in the body. 

 The sailors tied its bill with a piece of rope-yarn, and placed it in the 

 stern of the boat ; but while they were again charging their muskets, 

 the bird recovered sufficiently to take to its wings, clear the boat, and 

 fly oflF. In such a condition it must necessarily have perished of hunger. 



Pelecanus fuscus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. L p. 215. 



Voung. Plate CCCCXXI. 



