THE BROWN PELICAN. 39 



as it is with me, retires into deeper water, these birds advance farther to sea- 

 ward, and may be seen over all parts of the Gulf of Mexico, and between the 

 Florida Reefs -and the opposite isles, especially during fine weather. They 

 are very sensible to cold, and in this respect are tender birds. Now and 

 then, at this season, they are seen on Lake Borgne and over Lake Pontchar- 

 train, but never on the Mississippi beyond the rise of the tides, the space 

 higher up being abandoned to the White Pelican. The keenness of their 

 sight is probably equal to that of any Hawk, and their hearing is also very 

 acute. They are extremely silent birds, but when excited they utter a loud 

 and rough grunt, which is far from musical. Several persons in the Floridas 

 assured me that the Brown Pelicans breed at all seasons of the year; but as 

 I observed nothing to countenance such an idea, I would give it as my 

 opinion that they raise only one brood in the season. 



Their bodies are greatly inflated by large air-cells; their bones, though 

 strong, are very light; and they are tough to kill. 



Since I wrote my account of the habits of this very interesting bird, I 

 have followed it westward as far as the inland bays of the Texas, where I 

 found it almost as abundant as on the coast of the Floridas. In the former 

 country how r ever, I observed it breeding on the ground, and on the small 

 naked islets of the large bays margining the Mexican Gulf. The nests were 

 formed much in the same manner as when placed on trees, and the eggs 

 were of the same number as stated. Having examined several specimens 

 procured on the nest, in the act of incubation, I found that the plumage of 

 the fully adult female is precisely like that of the male; and I am now con- 

 vinced that birds of both sexes are several years in acquiring their full 

 plumage, although the precise number of years is what I have not yet 

 learned. Some additional observations respecting the habits of this species 

 may now be stated. 



During a severe gale, on the 7th of April, 1836, the wind coming from 

 the north-west, I saw a flock of about thirty of these birds flying only a few 

 feet above the water, and against the gale. Having proceeded a few yards, 

 they plunged into the water, generally to leeward, and threw their bodies 

 round as soon as their bills were immersed, giving a very curious appearance 

 to the wings, which seemed as if locked. On seizing a fish they kept the 

 bill beneath the surface for a short time in a perpendicular direction, and 

 drew it up gradually, Avhen the water was seen to flow out, after which they 

 raised the bill to an horizontal position, and swallowed the fish. In this way 

 the whole flock kept dashing and plunging pell-mell, like Gannets, over a 

 space of about one hundred yards, fishing at times in the very surf, and 

 where the water could not be more than a very few feet deep. Each of 

 them must have caught upwards of a score of fishes. As soon as they were 



