AUSTRALIAN PELICAN. 
Flat Pelican Island and Upper Pelican Island ; these are but rocky islets 
with a little clay and sand over them, and a very few low bushes here and 
there, but very small, only about 100 yards long and twenty or thirty wide 
the largest. The Pelicans seem to go to one island first, and when sufficient 
have nested there, go to the next, etc., as on one island there were a 
number of young and no fresh eggs, the young being from those without a 
vestige of clothing to fully-fledged birds. It was on the 22nd September 
that we came up to the Pelican Islands, and dropping anchor a mile off, we 
manned the dinghy, and pulled to the shores of Flat Pehcan Island ; as we 
neared the island the old birds started to rise off the ground and mount into 
the air, while others waddled to the water’s edge and slid into the water 
with a cumbersome gait, but none seemed to care to go far away as those 
that mounted heavenwards settled in the water a quarter of a mile off and 
floated about in a disturbed manner. There was a number of young about, 
and these herded together in little flocks like sheep, and as we landed, 
the largest ones gradually edged off into the water and swam to their 
parents on some rocks a short distance away, while the younger ones 
waddled and huddled together in a terrified manner as if expecting the 
worst was going to happen, but our mission was not ‘ head-hunting,’ and 
we disturbed them as little as possible. When worried the young disgorge 
their food in all directions : they start by wobbHng their large cumbersome 
heads and beaks about in a violent manner from side to side, and soon a 
fish or their food is vomited up, and then there is a rush of silver gulls 
to eat up the refuse. I noticed that beside fish the young pelicans are 
largely fed upon crustaceans, such as shrimps and small prawns, and therefore 
I am of the opinion that the young of the destructive fish crabs are also 
used as food, and so the pelican is a benefactor in disguise and should not be 
wantonly killed out by misguided fishermen who only look on the fish side 
of the bird’s habits. It was not a place to wish to stay at long, as the 
repugnant odour given off by the decaying refuse and excreta of the young 
was far from pleasant, and we were glad to get to the boat again apd push 
away into the sweet pure air. The next island was Pehcan Island, which is 
about half a mile distant, and we soon landed there, where we found that 
the breeding was not so advanced, there being less birds here: a few small 
young had hatched out and there were also some clutches of well sat-upon eggs 
dotted about promiscuously on the flat patches of earth, where also a few 
black swans and silver gulls were also nesting in conjunction with the 
pehcans, and all apparently agreeing harmoniously together. The stench was 
also very bad here, and as the sun was nearing the horizon we deemed it 
expedient to get away again and let the old birds come back to their nests 
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