PELICANS. 71 



the eggs have a pale blue shell overlaid with a chalky-white coating. 

 The closely allied Australian species (S. serrator) (808)^ also exhi- 

 bited, differs in having the two middle pairs of tail-feathers black. A 

 more slender and widely distributed form is the Red-footed Gannet 

 {S. piscator) (809) ; and a different type is shown in the Brown 

 Gannet or Booby {S. sula) (810), which has an almost cosmopolitan 

 distribution. 



Family III. Pelecanid^e. Pelicans. 



Pelicans {Pelecanus) (811-815) are so extraordinary in their appear- (Case 44.] 

 ance that, when once seen, they can never be mistaken for any other 

 bird. The great ungainly body, long flat bill hooked at the tip, 

 enormous gular pouch, short legs, and waddling gait make up a truly 

 remarkable whole. About nine species are known to inhabit the tropical 

 and temperate parts of the world, frequenting not only tidal waters 

 but lakes and swampy districts, where, being very gregarious in their 

 habits, they often congregrate in great numbers. 



In spite of their ungainly appearance they are perfectly at home both 

 on the wing and in the water, and with head drawn back between the 

 shoulders and legs extended beneath the tail, fly with great power. 

 They frequently soar in a spiral to great altitudes, and with alternate 

 flapping and sailing movements circle for hours. 



The food, which consists almost exclusively of fish, is generally 

 captured by diving, but not infrequently a number of birds combine 

 together and forming single, double, or even triple lines across a sheet 

 of water, drive the fish before them towards the shallows, where they 

 are easily captured. The White Pelican (P- onocrotalus) (811) is the 

 most familiar, and in former times was a native of Great Britain. The 

 Dalmatian Pelican (P. crispus) (812) is the largest of all and has a [Case 44.] 

 curious crest of loose curled feathers, and the handsome Brown Pelican 

 {P.fuscus) (815) is the smallest. The Australian form (P. conspicil- 

 latus) (813) has a bare space round the eye enclosed by a ring of feathers. 



The North American White Pelican (P. erythrorhynchus) (814) is 

 remarkable for the curious horny excrescence which is developed on the 

 upper mandible during the breeding-season and afterwards shed. Two 

 of these horny discs, the castings of previous years, are exhibited with 

 the head of this species. 



Family IV. Fkegatid^. Frigate-Bikds. 



This family is represented by only two species, which are exhibited in [Case 44.] 

 the Case. Both the Greater Frigate-Bird or Man-of-war Bird {Fregata 

 aquila) (816) and the Lesser Frigate-Bird (F. ariel) (817) inhabit the 



