THE FRIGATE PELICAN. 631 



robs the Pelican in a very ingenious manner. As the industrious bird flies home laden with 

 the finny spoil, the hawk swoops down upon it and ruffles its wings in so threatening a manner 

 that the Pelican screams with terror. The hawk snatches the fish out of the bird's pouch and 

 flies off, leaving the poor Pelican to return and replenish its pouch. It is a rather curious 

 fact, that in the Pelican the tongue, which is so large and curiously constructed in many 

 birds, is almost wanting, and is represented by a little fleshy knob. 



The American White Pelican {Pelecanus erythrorhynchus). This beautiful bird has 

 a range northward as far as latitude 61°, ami possibly farther. It is seldom seen in New 

 England, being properly a Western species. It is abundant west of the Mississippi, and 

 is known along the latter river, southward as far as Texas and Florida. 



Brown Pelican (Pelecanus fuscus). This is the most interesting as it is the most familiar 

 species in America, It is rarely seen farther east than Cape Hatteras, but is exceedingly com- 

 mon on the Florida Reef, and along the Gulf coast of Florida. It was formerly abundant in 

 Charleston (S. G.) harbor, but is now seldom seen there. The editor of this edition had excel- 

 lent opportunities to observe the habits of this bird at the Dry Tortugas. Around the island, 

 on which is situated Fort Jefferson, are small islands or keys, some of which have slender 

 half-grown mangrove trees, mere shrubs in size. On the slender outstretched branches of 

 these small trees were several nests of the Brown Pelican. It is surprising how the eggs 

 or the young are retained at all times in the nests, as the weight of the parent bird when 

 it alights, carries the nest nearly to the ground. The eggs are singularly rough and chalk- 

 like. The old birds remained in the same locality several years, as some of them could by 

 certain marks be recognized. 



J lr>* 



The last bird on our list is the well-known Frigate Bird, Sea Hawk, or Max-oe-War 

 Bird, an inhabitant of the tropical seas. 



The Frigate Pelicax (Tachypetes aquila). This unique bird is the only one of its 

 family known to North America, and is probably the same found in the southern half of this 

 continent. It is strictly a maritime bird, and one that exhibits the most wonderful powers of 

 flight. 



Note by the Editor of this Edition. — During a long residence as United States 

 medical officer at the fortifications on the Florida reef, where this bird is almost limited 

 in its range, we observed its habits very carefully. In the winter season the Frigate Bird, 

 or Man-o'-war Bird, as it is called on the reef, resorts to the Tortugas Island, on which 

 is situated Fort Jefferson. Here it was seen in flocks of twenty or more hovering over 

 the fortress, and quite regularly over the region of the light-house tower. As this bird 

 seemed to present the most remarkable example of the buoyancy or other conditions that 

 serve to sustain them in air for long periods, without, seemingly, any movement of the 

 wings or feathers, we improved the opportunity to observe the birds from the tall tower. 

 Here, with glass of good power, we had as perfect a view as was necessary to witness 

 the exact state of the birds as they swayed over us. Humboldt and Darwin have given some 

 attention to the subject, but express an inability to explain the phenomenon of the birds' com- 

 plete buoyancy. The fact that these and other soaring birds depend upon a strong breeze for 

 their remarkable buoyancy seemed to have escaped their notice. Therein lies the secret. The 

 Tachypetes represents the greatest spread of wing with the smallest body. When there is but 

 little breeze stirring, this bird, like all others, must use its wings to assist in soaring. When a 

 strong wind is blowing, the Frigate Bird is seen facing the wind, and swaying with outstretched 

 but motionless wings, and never passing far away from its present station during the continu- 

 ance of the gale. During the hardest "northers" these birds maintain their position in mid- 

 air as if no force was acting to push them away ; yet we see there is a most powerful agent, the 

 wind, which in nearly its greatest strength, is forcing against the birds, and. naturally, would 

 drive them before it. We know that the bird does not use any force of the wings to prevent 



