Pelicans of Tampa Bay. 5 



However he came to be the clever fellow that he is, the 

 shy rock-clamberer, with his sprightly manners and clear, 

 ringing trill, is sure to be a favorite with every one that 

 makes his acquaintance. 



PELICANS OF TAMPA BAY. 



BY JOHN W. DANIEL, JR. 



Brown Pelicans [Pelecanus fuscus) are still to be found 

 in fair numbers along the coast of Florida, in spite of 

 the decimating influences with which they have to cope. 

 Although awkward, ungainly birds, one observing them for 

 the first time in their native haunts, is likely to become in- 

 terested at once in their characteristically peculiar maneuvres 

 while fishing, diving and soaring. Most of the time their 

 movements are heavy and clumsy, though often extremely 

 graceful, and at times ludicrous. 



During December, 1898, while on my way to Cuba, I 

 stopped for a couple of days at Port Tampa, Florida. I 

 had very good opportunities for studying the pelicans, which 

 were abundant in the bay. The first pelicans seen were 

 noticed about dawn, the morning of my arrival, perched upon 

 a series of posts, the remains of an old pier which extended 

 parallel with the shore, about seventy-five yards out from 

 the water line. Upon each post sat a pelican, dimly out- 

 lined in the early light. They had probably spent the night 

 perched upon these posts. Later, as the light became 

 stronger, the birds began flying about the bay. Other peli- 

 cans joined them, arriving from north and south, until there 

 were at least a hundred individuals present in the neighbor- 

 hood. Nearly all were intent upon fishing. They flew over 

 the bay in all directions, at the height of from ten to forty 

 feet, scanning the surface for fish. Their flight while fish- 



