p. TRACHYRHYNCHUS : AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 337 



Family PELECANID^ : Pelicans. 

 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 



PeLECANUS TRACHYRHYNCHUS Lath. 



Chars. Bill several times as long as the head, comparatively slen- 

 der, but strong, straight, broad, flattened, ending with a distinct 

 claw-like hook ; mandibular rami joining only at their apex ; 

 the long, broad interramal space, and the throat, occupied by 

 an enormous membranous sac ; nostrils abortive ; wings ex- 

 tremely long, in the upper and fore-arm portions as well as the 

 pinion, with very numerous remiges ; tail very short, of twenty 

 or more feathers ; feet short, very stout. Size large. Color 

 white ; occiput and breast yellow ; primaries, their coverts, bas- 

 tard quills, and many secondaries, black ; bill, sac, lores and 

 feet yellow. About 5 feet long ; expanse, 7.00-9.00 ; wing, 2.00 ; 

 bill, 1. 00 or more ; tail, 0.50, normally 24- feathered. 



Fig. 73. — Bill of White Pelican ; much Reduced. 



According to Allen (Bull. Nutt. Club, i, 1876, p. 60), 

 the White Pelican was doubtless in early times not 

 uncommon in Massachusetts and other parts of New 



