THE WHITE PELICAN 
Pelecanus Onocrotalus 
General colour of plumage a rosy white; the larger flight- 
feathers of wing, black ; beak grey ; pouch, a bright yellow ; 
eyes red. Entire length, 60 inches. 
Tue Pelican has the honour of being, in Egypt, as 
far as sheer length of wing goes, the largest bird 
that flies ; for the span of wings from tip to tip has 
been recorded as twelve feet. I believe the span 
of the Griffon Vulture is only about eight feet. 
Thirty years ago Pelicans were more often seen 
than they are to-day. This does not necessarily 
mean that they are less numerous, but only that, 
from some cause or another, they do not come 
within range of observation. I think the traffic on 
the river having so altered is the probable explana- 
tion. I can only recall one case of late, of seeing 
Pelican on a sandbank, and that was very early in 
the morning, practically daybreak. Years ago it 
was not an uncommon thing to see hundreds rest- 
ing and recruiting on some lonely reach of the river. 
Captain Shelley says that in “ April 1870, below 
Edfoo, we met with an immense flock of several 
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