The City of the Pelicans 
cumulus clouds, that threatened to spoil the 
hght at the critical moment. And now we 
were close enough to take in clearly the 
whole situation. Here was the low, flat islet 
of only about three acres, somewhat triangu- 
lar in form. A few small palmettos, low man- 
grove bushes, and stumps were standing, but 
most of the area was an open expanse, over- 
grown with tall weeds and grass, except for 
two considerable sandy tracts at the east and 
southwest corners. Each of these barren 
places was fairly covered with an army of 
great birds, about the size of geese, of a 
grayish color above and dark brown beneath, 
with long brown and white neck, and enor- 
mous bill with pendant pouch, that was held 
pointed downward in most ridiculously 
solemn, pompous fashion. A few birds were 
located at the northwest end, and there were 
also small, overflow colonies on at least two 
other islands a short distance eastward. These 
brown pelicans are a southern species, en- 
tirely different from the white pelican, the 
only other kind found in North America, 
407 
that occurs mostly in the interior and on the 
Gulf, and breeds on islands in lakes from 
Minnesota northward. 
From time immemorial this little island has 
been the principal, if not the only, breeding- 
ground of all the brown pelicans of the east 
coast of Florida. Though there are hundreds 
of other islands, apparently just as good, 
this one alone attracts the pelicans. Das- 
tardly plume-hunters have, at times, all but 
annihilated them; egg-collectors have robbed 
them of every egg in sight; yet they remain 
faithful to the home-land of their ancestors. 
Creatures of habit, they are, like chickens 
that persist in roosting in the orchard, de- 
spite the advent of winter, cold and storms. 
Our boat was now closely approaching the 
eastern end of the island, and we camerists 
held ready our instruments, expecting at 
every moment to see the birds rise in a cloud 
and leave the vicinity, as do the white peli- 
cans in the North. To make sure of present 
opportunity, we took snapshots of the birds 
as they yet sat upon their nests. Then we 
“Nests on the bushes or trees were built of sticks, lined with grass.” 
