542 BIRDS — PELECANID^. 



and ponds. It is an expert diver, and often resorts to diving rather than 

 flight to escape danger. This species has in common with the Goos- 

 ander the habit of hiding under the exposed roots of trees on the banks 

 of streams. From the fact that it may frequently be discovered in such 

 places, sometimes at quite a distance from water, I incline to think 

 they are ordinarily rather nocturnal in their habits, and commonly con- 

 ceal themselves in the middle of the day. 



Audubon speaks of their breeding on the Ohio and the lakes, and Mr. 

 Brewster notes their breeding in Florida. 



ORDER STEaANOPODES. TOTIPALMATE BIRDS. 



FAMILY PELECANIDiE. THE PELICANS. 



Bill several times longer than the head, slender but strong, depressed, perfectly 

 straight, with small distinct hooked nail at end. Nostrils very small. Gular sac enor- 

 mous. Mandibular rami meeting only at tip. Wing extremely long, with upward of 

 forty remiges. Tail short, rounded, of twenty or more feathers. Legs beneath centre 

 of equilibrium, extremely short and stout. 



Genus PELECANUS. Linnaus. 

 With the characters of the family. 



Pelecanus teachyehynchus Lath. 



AVlxite Ir*elicaii. 



Pelecanus onocrotalws, Kirtlakd, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 166, 187. 



Pelecanus eryihrorhynchw, Whbaton, Ohio Agric Eep., for 1860, 371; Keprint, 1861, 13, 21. 



Peleeanwe trachyrhynchus, Whbaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 574 ; 

 Keprint, 1875, 14.— Langdon, Cat. Birds of Gin., 1877, 17; Journ. Cin.Soc Nat. Hist., 

 i, 1878, 117 ; Reprint, 8; Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 186; Re- 

 print, 20 ; Summer Birds, ib., iii, If-HO, 829. 



Pelecanus erythrorhynchus, Gmelin, Syat. Nat., i, 1788, 571. 

 Pelecanus trachyrhynchus, Latham, Ind. Orn., ii, 1790, 884. 

 Pelecanus onoorotalus, Bonaparte, Sjn , 1828, 400. 



White ; occiput and breast yellow ; primaries, their coverts, bastard quills and many 

 secondaries black ; bill, sac, lores and feet yellow. Length, about 4 feet ; expanse, 

 7-9 ; wing, 2 ; biU, 1 or more ; tail, i ; normally 24- feathered. 



Habitat, North America, up to latitude 61° at least. Rare or casual in the Middle 

 States and New England. Abundant in the interior, especially west of the Mississippi. 

 Texas and Florida. South to Central America. 



Not rare spring and fall migrant, occurring most frequently in the fall. 

 Dr. Kirtland mentions the Pelican as an occasional visitor. Several 

 years ago the skin of a specimen in full breeding plumage was in the pos- 

 session of Mr. Jos. SuUivant, of this city ; this was taken in this State, 



