NATATORES. 



355 



3. Spheniscus minor {Forster). 



Apteno(hjtes minor, Forster, Comm. Gott. Ill, p. 147 (1781). 



Lath. Gen. Syn. Ill, Plate CIII ; Gould, B. of Aust. VII, Plate 

 LXXXIV. 



Of this curious and handsome little Penguin, specimens of male and 

 female are in the collection of the Expedition, though presenting no 

 characters other than have been described by naturalists. It is one 

 of the smallest of the birds of this group. 



Mr. Peale observes : 



" It is quite common in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand ; it is 

 always to be found on salt water, and most plenty near the sea. It 

 swims with greater velocity beneath the surface of the water than it 

 does on it, which is not remarkable nor confined to this species, but is 

 common to the genus. They subsist mostly on fishes, which have to 

 be caught in their native element, so that the structure of the bird 

 must be such as to enable it to pursue its prey with ease. Those 

 killed by us were excessively fat." 



According to Mr. Peale, this bird is called Korora by the natives. 



Spheniscus undina, Gould, though resembling the species now before 

 us in general appearance, is smaller and entirely distinct. Specimens 

 are in Mr. Gould's Australian collection, now in the Museum of the 

 Philadelphia Academy. 



4. Family PELECANID^.— The Pelicans, Cormorants, &c. 

 1. Genus PELECANUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 215 (17G6). 



1. Pelecanus erythrorhynchus, Gmelin. — The American 

 White Pelican. 



Pelecanus erythrorhynclms, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 571 (1788). 

 Pelecanus tracliyrhynchus, Lath. Ind. Orn. II, p. 884 (1790), 

 Pelecanus americanus, AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, p. 88 (1838). 



