OCR Text |
Show 1868.] LIVING IN THE SOCIETY'S GARDENS. 265 put on their nuptial dress. A beautiful rosy tint overspreads the whole of the plumage, a fine large lemon-coloured patch appears upon the breast, the colour of the gular pouch becomes bright yellow, the crest attains a greater development, and the point of the bill attains a brighter crimson. These phenomena, however, do not last very long, disappearing gradually about six weeks or two months after they have been attained. A-U the present date thev are already passing* away. On the 3rd of February last we received from our Corresponding Member, Mr. E. T. Rogers, Acting Consul-General for Syria, a bird which I am inclined to consider the young of this species. Mr. Blyth, however, believes that this is an example of the "Large Fig. 1. Head of Pelecanus onocrotalus (adult). Head ol Pelecanus onocrotalus (jr. ex Syria). |