FREGATA. PELECAVUS. 203 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxri. p. 443. 1S9S ; Beebe, Our Search for a 

 Wilderness, p. 234. 1910 CMarooka) ; Braboume & Chubb, B. 

 S. Amer. i. p.^ 60, no. 560, 1912. 



Aihilt. Entire plumage above aud below black. 



Total length 870 mm., culmen 109. wing 609, tail 395, tarsus 19, 

 middle toe and clavr 67. 



Breediua-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Sed. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Eafjs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in Sritish Guiana. Pomeroon River (Beebe). 



Bxtralimital Range. Tropical and sub-tropical seas. 



Hahits. Schoraburgk remarks (Reis. Guian. ii. p. 457) that at 

 dusk hundreds of these birds passed over the saud-banks, but always 

 out of shot. It is a glorious sight to see this beautiful bird 

 hovering for minutes against the strongest storm, and then all of 

 a sudden, dart like an arrow into the water after a hsh. As it 

 came every evening over the same sand-banks, he was convinced 

 that it roosted in the woods a little way inland. This conclusion 

 is more than probable, as there are no rocky islands off British 

 Guiana. 



Schomburv;k also stares (Reis. Gnian. iii. p. 763) that this bird 

 occurred at irregular intervals on the coast, but did not breed in 

 the Colonv. 



Family PELECAXIDJ:. 



The Pelicans are large birds with verv long bills and large 

 pouches attached to tlie lower mandibles, big bodies, short tails, 

 short legs, and rather long and fully webbed toes. There are 

 about ten species, which are distributed in Europe, Africa, Asia, 

 Australia, ]S^orth, Central, and South America, aud the Galapagos 

 Islands, as well as the West India Islands. 



Two species occur in South America, one of which is represented 

 in British Guiana. 



Genus PELICANUS Linn. 



Ptiecanui Linne, Syst. Xat. 10th ed. i. p. 132, 17oS. T\ye P. onocrotalus 

 Linn. 



The l*elicans can alwavs be disiinguished from all other birds 

 by their long and hooked bilU and very large guiar pouches. 



