114 



RED-BACKED PELICAN. 



(Pelecanus rufescens.) 



Pe. cristatus rufescens , capite collogue fuscescente-albis, cauda 



saturate cinerea. 

 Crested reddish Pelican with the head and neck brownish-white^ 



the tail dark ash. 

 Pelecanus rufescens. Gmel. Syst. Nat, 1. 571. Lath, Ind. Orn. 



2. 884. 



Red-backed Pelican. Lath. Gen. Syn. 6. 584. Lath. Gen. Hist, 

 X. 404. 



" Size of a large Swan: length five feet: beak 

 thirteen inches long, and of a pale dirty yellow : space 

 round the eyes and pouch the same ; the last reaches 

 eight inches down the neck : the hind head is crested ; 

 some of the feathers four inches in length : the head 

 and neck dirty brownish-white : the back of a fine 

 pale reddish cinnamon-colour : the wing- coverts like 

 the neck, but darker : scapulars pale greyish lead- 

 colour : lesser quills not unlike the wing-coverts, but 

 the ends dark grey, and the shafts black : prime quills 

 black : tail of a deep grey ; the shafts white at the 

 base, and black towards the ends : the belly, thighs, 

 under wing-coverts, and vent, like the back, but much 

 paler : the feathers of the breast, wing-coverts, and 

 lower part of the neck, are long, narrow, and pointed, 

 especially those of the breast : the legs are yellow." 

 Dr. Latham has given the above description of this 

 bird from a specimen in his own collection : he adds, 

 ** that it was captured on the Gold Coast of Africa, 



