HOW PELICANS FISH 217 



its neck and crop with from six to nine fish, each from seven 

 to ten inches in length. At evening, just before sunset, in 

 groups of from three to seven they slowly wing their way 

 back along the beach, flying low over the saw palmettos that 

 fringe the shore. They give about six wing-beats, then sail 

 as far as possible, each little company winging in unison. 

 Several times I have lain low in the palmettos, to watch their 

 flight at a distance of only a few feet as they approached and 

 passed over me. 



Truly they are fine birds — rich in coloring, remarkably 

 odd in form and very well set up. Unfortunately they do 

 not acquire their full colors until in their third year. The 

 neck of the adult bird is in two colors, rich blackish brown 

 and white, and the back is a beautiful silvery gray-brown 

 effect, composed of many tints. The top of the head of the 

 adult bird is yellow. The bill is a foot long, the pouch is of 

 a bluish-purple color, and cafls for about four pounds of fish 

 daily. 



It is very interesting to watch Pelicans fishing. On calm 

 days when the surface of Indian River is like a mirror, the 

 eruption of silvery spray that rises high when the big bird 

 plunges into the water attracts attention at a distance of 

 two or three miles. It is finest, however, to see them fishing 

 in the breakers on the ocean side of the Indian River Penin- 

 sula, about 200 feet from shore. They sail along so near the 

 water it seems a wonder that they do not strike it; but they 

 rise over the incoming waves, and lower again into the trough 

 with the utmost precision, always keenly alert. All of a 

 sudden the wings are thrown out of gear, and a fountain of 



