THE BROWN PELICAN. 43 



Florida of a greater height than twenty-five or thirty feet, and its average 

 height is not above fifteen feet. The land mangrove, of which I have seen 

 only a few, the finest of which were on Key West, is a tall tree, much larger 

 and better shaped than the other, with narrower leaves and shorter fruits. 



Genus V.— SULA, Briss. GANNET. 



Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elongated, 

 conical, moderately compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight 

 and declinate, at the end convex and a little decurved; the ridge very broad, 

 convex, with a slight median carina, and separated on each side from the 

 sides, which are perpendicular, slightly convex, and have an additional nar- 

 row-jointed piece below the eye; edges sharp, direct, irregularly serrate, with 

 numerous slender cuts directed backwards, tip compressed, a little decurved, 

 rather acute; lower mandible with the angle extremely long and narrow, the 

 dorsal line straight, ascending, the sides erect, convex, the edges sharp and 

 serrated, the tip compressed, acute. No external nostrils. Head large, neck' 

 of moderate length, and very thick; body of moderate bulk, rather elon- 

 gated. Feet short, strong, placed rather far behind; tibiae concealed; tarsus 

 very short, rounded before, sharp behind, scaly, with three lines of small 

 transversely oblong scutella, which run down the toes, the latter long and 

 slender, all united by membranes having their margins straight; first toe 

 rather small, directed inwards and forwards; middle toe longest, the outer 

 almost equal. Claws of moderate size, slightly arched, that of the third toe 

 pectinate. Plumage generally close, rather compact, on the head and neck 

 blended. Wings very long, narrow, acute; first quill longest. Tail rather 

 long, cuneate, of twelve or fourteen feathers. Gular sac small, with a small 

 median portion bare; tongue extremely small, blunt; oesophagus extremely 

 wide; proventricular glands forming a broad belt partially divided by in- 

 tervals; stomach extremely small, its muscular coat thin, the inner soft; 

 intestine of moderate length, slender; cceca very small; cloaca globular. 



