178 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



chicken just out of the egg to the almost fully-feathered young bird. Several of the latter swain away 

 with the old birds. When disturbed, the young pelicans huddled together in a restless, swaying mass, 

 ejecting from their long bills scores of young fish, chiefly carp. During the year 1917 Lake Cowal 

 waters rose higher, and submerged the breeding place, though by that time the young birds were all 

 sufficiently grown to be safe on the water. The old pelicans established another colony on two other 

 banks in October, 191 7, and some eggs were laid, but the lake waters still rising, submerged this 

 breeding place before the eggs were hatched. The old birds then made use of still another couple of 

 tank embankments, about two miles distant, where they built fully seventy nests and reared many 

 young birds. Some of the nests at this spot were washed away by the waves when strong winds 

 prevailed . 



Rounding up young Pelicans. 



The nests generally werp poorly constructed, mainly from lack of suitable material ; usually only 

 a few small sticks were arranged round the eggs laid on the ground. There were some few nests nicely 

 lined with dead leaves and rushes. On this last-mentioned nesting place the eggs were hatched after 

 I2th January, .1918. The birds at this particular colony got very quiet, and would allow parties of 

 sightseers on horseback within thirty yards before leaving their nests. Only two eggs were laid in each 

 of about one hundred nests that came under observation. Two nests contained three eggs each. In 



For Taronga Park. 



