pping their
head beneath the surface, sometimes scoop up a large number of fish at a
time; after allowing the water to run out of the sides of the mouth,
they proceed to swallow their catch. They nest in large communities on
islands in some of the inland lakes.

Great Salt Lake, Utah, and Shoal Lake, Manitoba, furnish breeding ground
for many thousands of Pelicans. They build their simple nests on the
ground, making them of sticks and weeds. They generally lay two eggs,
but often three or four. Size 3.45 x 2.30. Data.--Egg Island, Great Salt
Lake, June 19, 1884. Two eggs. Nest a slight hollow in the ground,
surrounded by a few sticks. Collector, F. F. Leonard.

[Illustration 085: Chalky white.]
[Illustration: deco.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

Page 84

[Illustration 086: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.]

Page 85

126. BROWN PELICAN. _Pelecanus occidentalis._

Range.--Found on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United
States.

Brown Pelicans are about 50 inches in length; they have a blackish and
grayish body and a white head and neck with a brown stripe down the back
of the latter. The pouch is a dark greenish brown. This species is
maritime and is not found inland. They breed in large colonies on many
of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and on Pelican Island on the east
coast of Florida, in which latter place they are now protected from
further depredations at the hand of eggers and gunners. Their fishing
tactics differ from those of the White Pelican. They dive down upon the
school of fish from the air and rarely miss making a good catch. Their
nests are quite bulky structures made of sticks and weeds and grasses.
These are generally located on the ground but occasionally in low
mangroves, these latter nests being more bulky than the ground ones.
They lay from two to five chalky white eggs during May and June. Size 3.
x 1.90. Data.--Tampa Bay, Fla., May 29, 1894. Three eggs. Nest in the
top of a stout mangrove; made of sticks, branches and leaves. Collector,
Geo. Graham.

127. CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN. _Pelecanus californicus._

Range.--Pacific coast from British Columbia south to the Galapagos
Islands.

This bird is similar to the preceding, but larger and the pouch is
reddish. They breed abundantly on the Coronado Islands and southward.
Their habits, nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Brown
Pelican. Size of the three or four chalky white eggs is 3.10 x 1.95.
Data.--Corona