THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 
Hairy Pelican—Pelicans are easily recognized by their enormous beaks, 
on the lower part of which is a hugh pouch which may be compared to a bag- 
net, to which the upper part of the beak acts as a lid. The body is large, the 
neck long and slender, the head small, the legs short, the webbed feet having 
very long toes. The plumage of the crested pelican is white, tinged with 
gray, black wings, and the feathers of the crown crinkled and lengthened 
into a large crest. The eye is silver white, the upper part of the beak grayish- 
yellow, the pouch blood red, shaded with blue, and the feet black. The 
range of the crested pelican is in Europe. Pelicans go in enormous flocks 
in the neighborhood of swamps and rivers. They live on fish. The eggs, two 
to three in number, have thick, bluish-white shells incrusted with chalky 
matter. 
Sooty-Tern—This is the best-known member of the family, sometimes 
known as the black-tern. The under-parts of the plumage are dark red and 
gray, as are also the upper tail coverts and the tail; the beak, the chin, the 
sides of the facfc, and the crown are nearly black. Like other members of the 
family, its beak is straight and rather slender. The black tern breeds in col- 
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