PELTCANS 



(126) Pelecanus occidentalis 



Linn. 



BROWN-PELICAN. Ad. in sum- 

 mer — Plumage as shown. In win- 

 ter, similar but the back of the neck 

 is white instead of brown. Im. — 

 Similar to the winter adult, but the 

 head and neck are gray. L., 50.00; 

 E.X., 78.00; W., 19.00; T., 7.00 (22 

 feathers); B., 11.00. Neil — Of sticks 

 and weeds, either on the ground, in 

 bushes or low trees; the three to five 

 eggs are white, with the chalky 

 deposit common to eggs of birds of this 

 Order, 3.00 .x 1.95. 



Range — Breeds from Fla. and 

 La. south to Brazil; wanders north 

 to N. Car. and casually to Me. and lU. 



Indian River, Florida, is one of the best known and most 

 accessible nesting places of pelicans. 



The young are naked when hatched and only become 

 fully clothed in white down after about three weeks. It 

 requires about ten weeks for them to acquire full powers of 

 flight and be able to care for themselves. While the adult 

 pelicans are very silent, their only note being a low groan, 

 the young are extremely noisy and continue to be so tuitil 

 able to fly well. They feed by inserting the head and bill 

 down the capacious throat of their parent and selecting smaU 

 half-digested fish; they continue to feed in this way imtil 

 they are larger than their parents. Brown Pelicans catch fish, 

 chiefly menhaden, by diving into schools from the air. while 

 White Pelicans scoop them up while swimming upon the water. 



Family FREGATID^. M.\n-o'-war-birds 



MAN-O'-WAR or FRIGATE BIRDS are remarkable sea- 

 birds, having powers of flight excelled by no other species 

 except perhaps albatrosses. They have a greater expanse 



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