THE BROWN PELICAN. 41 



hexagonal scales, of which the anterior are much larger; toes in the same 

 plane, all connected by reticulated webs, the first shortest, the third and 

 fourth nearly equal, reticulate at the base, scutellate along the rest of the 

 upper surface, claws short, strong, curved, rather acute, that of hind toe with 

 a sharp pectinate inner edge. 



Feathers of the head and neck exceedingly small and slender, of the fore 

 part of the head stiff, hair-like and glossy; of the upper middle part of the 

 neck behind a little larger and soft, forming a slight longitudinal crest; of 

 the sides and hind part of the neck soft and downy. The feathers of the 

 upper parts in general are remarkably small, narrow, tapering to a point; of 

 the lower part of the neck stiff and pointed, of the breast and sides some- 

 what larger than those above, and softer. Wings long, rounded; primaries 

 much curved, with strong square shafts; the second longest, the third very 

 little shorter, the first a little longer than the fifth, secondaries very nume- 

 rous, rather small, rounded, the inner longer and more tapering. Tail short, 

 slightly rounded, of twenty-two feathers. 



Bill greyish-white, tinged with brown, and marked with irregular spots 

 of pale carmine; upper mandible dusky towards the end, lower blackish 

 from the middle to near the end. Bare space between the bill and the eye 

 deep blue; eyelids pink; iris white. Feet black. The gular pouch is 

 greenish-black, the ridges of its wrinkles lighter. The hair-like feathers on 

 the fore part of the head light yellow, the rest of the head white; a stripe of 

 the same margining the pouch to the middle of the neck, and extending a 

 little beyond, a short space between these two lines anteriorly, and the whole 

 of the posterior and lateral parts of the neck of a dark chestnut-brown, the 

 small crest paler. The back and wings are dusky, each feather with the 

 central part greyish-white; the latter colour prevails on the scapulars and 

 larger wing-coverts. Primaries and their coverts brownish-black, seconda- 

 ries greyish-brown, their outer edges greyish-white; tail light grey; the 

 shafts of the quills and tail-feathers are white in their basal half, black 

 towards the end. The lower parts are brownish-grey; the sides of the neck 

 and body with narrow longitudinal white lines. On the fore neck, below 

 the dark chestnut spot is a smaller pale yellow mark, behind which the 

 feathers for a short space are blackish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 52 inches, to end of wings 52, to end of claws 53^; 

 extent of wings 80; bill along the ridge 13i, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible 14^; depth of gular pouch 10, its extent along the neck 13; wing from 

 flexure 24; tail 7; tarsus 2\\ middle toe 3}|, its claw j%. Weight 6 lbs. 

 4|oz. 



The Female, which is considerably larger, resembles the male in colour, 



Vol. VII. 6 



