176 WHITE PELICAN. 



At one time almost all Pelicans fell under Brisson's 

 name of onocratulus, and Nuttall has given a long 

 description of this bird as an inhabitant of America. 

 It does not, however, I believe, occur there, the two 

 American species being P. tracliyrhyncus of Latham, 

 and the P. fuscus, or Brown Pelican, of Linnteus. 



The White Pelican is very similar in its breeding 

 habits to its congener and very near ally, P. crispus. 

 It nests among water plants, generally on the ground, 

 or among the thick herbage, and lays two or three 

 large white eggs, the surface of which is rough and 

 calcareous. 



The White Pelicans live on the coasts of the great 

 lakes, and banks of rivers, and coasts of the sea, in 

 small flocks. They live principally on fish. They 

 swim and fly with great agility. They migrate in 

 immense flocks on the approach of winter. 



The male in breeding plumage is white, tinged 

 with rose, and with a long occipital crest; the crop 

 yellowish, and the primaries black; beak bluish grey 

 in the middle and above and below on its posterior 

 half, the rest yellow, becoming whiter near the tip, 

 with the lateral bands, borders of the mandibles, and 

 the nail, red; the naked part on the face flesh-coloured, 

 with the front swollen, forming an oval brick red 

 protuberance: the pouch yellow ochre, veined with bluish 

 red; lower part of thighs, tarsi, and toes rose, shaded 

 anteriorly and in the articulations with orange; iris 

 dark sealing-wax red, with whitish rays, and the con- 

 junction projecting, and of an orange red. 



In winter there is a frontal protuberance; the face 

 whitish; iris brown; the conjunction sealing-wax red; 

 the guttural pouch bright yellow; and the legs livid 

 red. 



