New York Zoological Society. 
BROWN PELICANS (Pelecanus occidentalis). Length: 4% feet. Range: Tropical 
America. 
The enormous underslung mouth of the pelican is used as a fish net. In 
captivity pelicans have been known to live for more than forty years. 
Ralph Ue Sola, Federal Writers’ Project. 
EUROPEAN WHITE 
PELICAN (Pelecanus 
ONOCROTALUS). Range: 
Southern Europe and 
North Africa. 
White pelicans often 
band together and drive 
schools of fish into shal¬ 
low water, where they 
devour them in great 
numbers. In summer 
these pelicans are found 
in and about fresh water. 
Unlike the brown peli¬ 
cans they do not plunge 
for their food. 
49 
