173 DALMATIAN TELICAN. 



which was the tallest nest, being about thirty inches 

 high, the two next in line on each side being about 

 two feet high, the two nests forming each arm of the 

 cross a few inches lower, and the two extremes at 

 either end being about fourteen inches from the ground. 

 These latter, it is presumed, were intended for the 

 junior partners of the firm in the same way that the 

 great bear of the nursery tales has a big seat, his 

 wife a middling seat, and the little bears a small 

 seat. The eggs are chalky, like those of the Peleca- 

 nidcB generally, very rough in texture, and some of 

 them much streaked with blood." — "Ibis," vol. ii., p. 395. 



By the kindness of Mr. Tristram I am enabled to 

 figure one of the eggs mentioned in the above interesting 

 account. 



Dr. Baldamus in "Naumannia" for 1852, relates the 

 following capture of this bird: — "On my return from 

 Orsova to Parosova I saw in the steamboat a Pelican 

 fly past near the water, and it went on six hundred 

 paces ahead of us. The captain gave me permission 

 to shoot from the steamer, and I killed it within thirty 

 paces, as it was soaring above the bowsprit. This was 

 in the current of Klissura, and the bird must either 

 have come over the high rocks from the Valley of the 

 Danube or from Wallachia. This bird nests in the 

 swamps between the Danube and the Theiss, and I 

 received two young ones and the old female, which 

 lived some weeks on live and dead fish." 



In the same journal for 1853, p. 23, Dr. J. F, 

 Naumann says: — "'On the Upper Sarpa Ponds (colony 

 of Sarepta) is a most interesting breeding place of this 

 bird. I looked for them unfortunately too early, but 

 the construction of the nest could be well observed. 

 It was placed very deep in the rushes of the pond. 

 After half an hour's trial we succeeded in making a 



