BROWN PELICAN— CARAN— STILT SANDPIPER— SANDHILL CRANE. 



129 



in his attempts at capturing them. On several occasions, when 

 they were fatigued with diving, the mother would receive all the 

 young ones on her back, and swimming deeply and very fast, take 

 them to the shore, where the little ones effectually hid themselves 

 in the tall grass and low tangled bushes. The Scoter flies low 

 upon the water, with a swift and well-sustained flight. He dives 

 with great facility, while on land his movements are unusually 

 awkward. Gregarious, they congregate in large multitudes, and 

 are shot for market, though the flesh is dark and not over savory. 

 The food consists of shell-fish, marine plants, and insects. 



PLATE LXXXIV. 



Brown Pelican. (Pelicanus fuscus.) 

 Fig. i. 



This Pelican is an inhabitant of the coast of California, and on 

 the Atlantic side ranges from Texas to North Carolina. He is a 

 constant resident of Florida, where he breeds on its numerous sand 

 bars and lonely mangrove islands. When once mated he is as- 

 siduous in his attentions to the female, assists her in building her 

 nest, and shares with her the toils of incubation. He breaks with 

 his bill dry branches of the trees, and lays them, one crossing an- 

 other, until a strong platform is constructed. On this platform roots 

 and withered plants are placed, in the centre of which a basin is 

 hollowed for the purpose of receiving the eggs. These eggs, which 

 are usually three, are rather elliptical in shape, and measure about 

 3.12 by 2.12 inches. The shell is thick, pure white, with faint 

 streaks of a rosy tint and blotches of a very pale hue. The youno-, 

 at first, are covered with cream-colored down, and are so abund- 

 antly supplied with food that immense quantities of putrid fish lie 

 scattered around the nest. They rapidly increase in size, and, 

 when the parent birds are away, become the easy prey of Vultures 

 and Crows. Notwithstanding Audubon's prediction that they would 

 soon become extinct, they are still found in immense numbers. 

 Flocks of several hundred are frequently seen, and they fairly 

 break the branches of the mangrove trees with their numbers and 

 weight. They fish regularly with the young flood of the tide, 

 diving from a great height ; and fish weighing two and one-half 

 pounds have been taken from their pouches. This pouch measures 

 from six to ten inches, according to the age of the bird. The flight 

 of the Brown Pelican is remarkably well sustained, the bird at 

 times mounting to immense heights in the air, and remaining for 

 hours on the wing. They propel themselves by alternate flappings 

 and sailing, and glide along with great speed and ease. On the 

 land they are by no means active, walking heavily, and frequently 

 reeling as if unable to stand. They sometimes stray very far from 

 their breeding haunts, as, within the last few years, they have been 

 shot off the coast of Massachusetts. They are not a noisy bird, 

 only uttering a loud rough grunt when excited. The young are 

 two years in arriving at maturity. 



Caran— Crying Bird— Courlan. {Aramus giganteus.) 



Fig. 2. 



The Courlan is confined to the West Indies and to Florida. At 

 the latter place he is rarely found outside of the lagoons and bayous 

 of the great morass known as the Everglades. His nest is placed 

 among the tufts of grass that grow on the borders of these bayous, 

 and are so fastened to these tufts as to defy the effects of the tide. 

 It is composed of rank weeds matted together, forming a large 

 mass, in the center of which a depression is made for the purpose 

 of containing the eggs. These eggs rarely exceed five or six, and 

 are large for the size of the bird. The young are hatched in May, 



and follow the parents soon after birth. They feed largely on a 

 large greenish snail. Their note, when startled, or during the 

 pairing season, which occurs in April, is a harsh sort of cackle. 

 The flight of the Courlan is slow and heavy and of short duration. 

 With head and neck extended to its full length, and with long legs 

 dangling beneath, he barely skims the tall weeds in which he 

 makes his home. In case of danger, he drops instantly into these 

 protecting weeds, where it is difficult to overtake him, even with 

 the assistance of dogs. When accidentally surprised, he rises ob- 

 liquely, and at such times is easily shot, but if only wounded, it is 

 useless to pursue him. His flesh is prized as an article of diet. 



Stilt Sandpiper. (Micropalama himantofus^) 

 Fig. 3- 



The Long-legged Sandpiper inhabits North America generally. 

 As yet he has not been observed west of the Rocky Mountains. 

 He is very rare in the United States, but is more plentiful in the 

 West Indies, Central and South America. In his migrations he is 

 occasionally shot in nearly every state in the Union. He breeds 

 in very high latitudes, and but very little is known regarding his 

 habits in this respect. Two sets of eggs, purporting to belong to 

 this Sandpiper, are in the Smithsonian Institute at Washington ; 

 but Dr. Coues questions their identification, believing them to be- 

 long to the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, with which they are absolutely 

 identical. According to Audubon, they feed after the manner of 

 the Curlews, following the retreating waves along the sand, and 

 probing it with their bills to the full length. The flight of the Stilt 

 is rapid and regular. He moves in a compact body with his fel- 

 lows, and when about to alight inclines his body, thus alternately 

 showing the upper and the lower sides. They feed on worms, mi- 

 nute shell-fish, and vegetable substances, and their flesh is very 

 sweet and delicate. On foot, they move like the Curlews, and 

 when suddenly approached will squat upon the ground. 



PLATE LXXXV. 



Brown or Sandhill Crane. (Grus canadensis.) 



Fig. 1. 



The habitat of the Sandhill Crane extends from Florida through 

 the Mississippi valley and west to the Pacific coast, reaches the 

 interior of the fur countries, and touches upon the west coast of 

 Baffin's Bay. He breeds throughout this entire region. He is 

 found nowhere east of the Mississippi, with the exception of Flor- 

 ida. In Florida, the female lays her eggs all along from the mid- 

 dle of February until the middle of April. Further north, the 

 time of incubation is very much later, on the Yukon river fresh 

 eggs having been taken as late as mid-June. The nests are some- 

 times mere holes in the sand ; at other times they are placed in the 

 midst of tall ferns, on high and open grounds. The Sandhill is s* 

 very shy and suspicious bird, and his favorite breeding places are 

 those which command long distances. The eggs are two in num- 

 ber, light brownish drab in color, with sparse markings, except on 

 the great end, which is covered with large irregular spots of dull 

 chocolate-brown. The shell is rough from numerous elevations, 

 resembling warts, and is punctulate all over. The eggs vary in 

 size and shape, ranging from 3.80 by 2.60 to 4.10 by 2.40 inches. 

 The young are raised from the nest by Indians for food. They 

 are easily domesticated, eating refuse scraps about the settlements, 

 and consuming great numbers of insects. The markets of San 

 Francisco are always supplied with them, where the flesh is very 

 highly esteemed as an article of diet. Late in September they 

 commence their southward migrations, flying chiefly by night, 



