l6 NOTES ON CERTAIN BIRDS 



[Fol. 13.] An onocrotalus or pelican"' shott upon 

 Horsey fenne 1663 May 22 wch stuffed and cleansed I 



^ There is every reason to believe that a species of Pelican, probably 

 from its size P. crispus, was formerly an inhabitant of the East Anglian 

 Fens ; its bones have been found in the peat on three occasions, one of 

 these being the bone of a bird so young as to show that it must have been 

 bred in the locality, and therefore that the species was a true native and 

 not a casual visitant. Bones of a species of Pelican have also been found 

 in the remains of lake-dwellings at Glastonbury, in Somersetshire. 



With regard to the species of the bird recorded by Browne and its origin, 

 he is careful to point out that a Pelican had about that time escaped from 

 the King's collection in St. James' Park, and to surmise that it might be the 

 same bird ; from what follows this seems probable, but as P. onocrotalus is 

 believed to stray occasionally into the northern parts of Germany and 

 France ("Diet, of Birds," p. 702) the occurrence of that species on the 

 East Coast of Britain, where, even at present, it would find a state of things 

 in every way suited to its requirements (guns excepted), would not be very 

 extraordinary. Browne's Pelican was killed in May, 1663, and although 

 Dr. Edward Browne visited St. James' Park in February, 1664, and saw 

 " many strange creatures," including the Stork with the wooden leg (men- 

 tioned by Evelyn), he says nothing of the Pelicans, still it may be that it 

 was from him that his father heard of the escape. Evelyn, in his Diary, 

 mentioned that he visited St. James' Park on February 9th, 1665, and 

 speaks of only one Pelican, which he states was brought from Astrakan 

 by the Russian Ambassador as a present to the King ; Willughby says 

 distinctly that the Emperor of Russia sent the King two Pelicans, and 

 further, that he took the description in his " Ornithology " from a bird in 

 the Royal Aviary, St. James' Park, near Westminster ; it seems therefore 

 highly probable that Browne's bird was one of these which had escaped 

 from confinement. But a rather curious circumstance arises out of this, 

 the bird described by Willughby does not appear to be P. onocrotalus, but 

 a similar species, P. roseus, found chiefly in Indio-China and westward 

 to South-eastern Europe, but occurring as far west as the River Volga 

 ("Cat. of Birds," B. M., xxvi., p. 466). In this Mr. Ogilvie Grant, the 

 author of that section of the Catalogue, whom I consulted, agrees with me, 

 and the locality whence the birds were derived, mentioned by Willughby, 

 renders not unlikely. Onocrotalus in Browne's time was a general term 

 for "the Pelican," and he probably knew but one species and one 

 individual, the escaped bird from Charles II. 's Aviary. Browne's very 

 miscellaneous collection was destroyed by the authorities at the time of the 

 plague (see ninth letter to Merrett), and probably he remains of this 

 Pelican perished with the rest. 



