THE BROWN PELICAN. 
199 
satisfied, they flew in a line across the channel, and landed on low banks 
under the lee of the island, opposite our harbour. During all the time of 
their fishing they were attended by a number of Black-headed Gulls, Larus 
Atricilla , which followed all their movements, alighting on their heads, and 
feeding as I have already described. These Gulls followed their purveyors 
to some low banks to spend the night. 
Notwithstanding all that has been said to the contrary by some European 
writers, I feel perfectly satisfied that these Pelicans must make ample use of 
some oily matter contained in the uropygial gland, as their plumage is 
always dry in the midst of their continued plungings. On the 14th of the 
same month, my party happened to shoot a good number of Brown Pelicans, 
among which was one slightly wounded in the body. The sailors tied its 
bill with a piece of rope-yarn, and placed it in the stern of the boat ; but 
while they were again charging their muskets, the bird recovered sufficiently 
to take to it's wings, clear the boat, and fly off. In such a condition it must 
necessarily have perished of hunger. 
Pelecanus fuscus, Bonap. Syn., p. 401. 
Brown Pelican, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 476. 
Brown Pelican, Pelecanus fuscus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 376 ; vol. v. p. 212. 
Adult, 52, 80. 
Yery abundant and constantly resident from Texas along the shores east- 
ward to North Carolina. Breeds on trees and also on the ground ; eggs 
three. 
Adult Male. 
Bill more than twice th^ length of the head, rather stout, straight, 
depressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight 
as far as the unguis, the ridge broad and convex, separated from the side 
by a groove on each side, broader and more convex at the base, narrowed 
and flattened towards the unguis, which is curved, stout, convex above, 
sharp-edged, acute ; sides of the bill perpendicular at the base, narrowed 
towards the middle, widened hnd approaching to horizontal towards the 
end ; edges sharp, with a broad furrowed groove beneath for the reception 
of those of the lower mandible. Lower mandible with the angle extending 
to less than half an inch from the tip, and filled by a bare membrane, the 
sides nearly erect and convex, the edges sharp, the tip compressed, deflected, 
obtuse. The membrane of the lower mandible extends down the fore neck 
in the form of a wrinkled pouch. 
Head of moderate size, oblong ; neck long, stout ; body rather slender. 
Feet short, stout, nearly central ; tibia bare, its lower part covered all round 
with small scales ; tarsus short, stout, compressed, covered all round with 
