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Show 1869.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PELECANUS. 587 Head with slight occipital crest. Feathers of the forehead forming a concave line upon the culmen. Bare space between the bill and the eye. Gular patch large, extending in nearly a straight line from under mandible halfway down the neck. Feathers of the neck and throat soft and downy, becoming, however, rather stiff on the upper part of the breast. "Tail 22 feathers. Adult male in breeding-plumage.-Fore part of head bright yellow, crown to occiput and a narrow line running down the neck along the edge of the pouch white; rest of neck and a short line between the white in front, at the lower part, deep rich chestnut. The neck at other seasons of the year is yellowish white. Short crest reddish brown. Back and wings ash, with dusky edges, the latter colour becoming almost obsolete on the greater coverts. Primaries blackish brown ; the shafts white for the greater part, black towards the tips. Secondaries greyish brown, margined with pale brown. Tail greyish ash ; shafts of feathers blackish brown, white at their base. At" the end of neck in front a small patch of light yellow. Under parts dark brown; sides marked with narrow longitudinal white Hues. Bill greyish with a brown tinge, spotted irregularly with carmine. Under mandible for half its length and tip of upper mandible blackish. Bare space about the eye blue; gular pouch blackish, streaked with brownish lines. Tarsi and feet black. Length about 50 inches, wing 23 inches, tail 7 inches, bill 13 inches, tarsus 2| inches, middle toe 3| inches. The female is rather larger than the male, and resembles him in colour of plumage. Young.-Upper parts generally dark brown, secondaries and coverts tipped with lighter brown. Primaries and tail brownish black, with white shafts. Bill and gular pouch greyish blue. Under parts white. Tarsus and feet lead-colour. Hab. Shores of the Gulf of Mexico, California. The Brown Pelican is very numerous on the sea-coast of the Southern States, particularly at Key West, in Florida, where it frequents the salt-water inlets and bays that abound there. In its habits it differs somewhat from the White Pelican, especially in its mode of procuring food, which is obtained by plunging obliquely into the water, frequently immersing the whole body. The prey is scooped up and immediately swallowed, and the plunge repeated until its hunger is satisfied. Audubon states that the Black-headed Gulls follow this bird when on a fishing-excursion, and when the Pelican has obtained a quantity of fish some frequently fall out of its pouch when the water is allowed to escape. The Gulls, to obtain these, alight upon the bill or head of the Pelican, and seize them before they reach the water. I have never witnessed this curious fact. The food of this species appears to be entirely fish, small ones being usually selected. The Brown Pelican goes in flocks until the breeding-time, which is about the middle of April, when the old ones separate from the younger birds. The nest, which is constructed of sticks, roots, and plants, is placed on or near the tops of the mangroves; and the eggs, two to three in number, |