. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. THE BROWN PELICAN 285 It is an amiable bird, sociable to an unlimited degree, harms no one, and makes no enemies. Pelican Island, in Indian River, Brevard County, Florida, is the most interesting sight in the land of flowers. On an area of about three acres, raised only two or three feet above high-water mark, destitute of trees because the Pelicans have nested them to death, live about 2,000 Brown Pelicans, and in 1G02 they made 976 nests. During every breeding-season th
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. THE BROWN PELICAN 285 It is an amiable bird, sociable to an unlimited degree, harms no one, and makes no enemies. Pelican Island, in Indian River, Brevard County, Florida, is the most interesting sight in the land of flowers. On an area of about three acres, raised only two or three feet above high-water mark, destitute of trees because the Pelicans have nested them to death, live about 2,000 Brown Pelicans, and in 1G02 they made 976 nests. During every breeding-season they babies, as large as their parents, but covered all over with down as white as cotton. It is no uncommon thing for a young Pelican to have from six to nine mullet in its neck and crop at one time, as we have discovered by catching some of them with a search-warrant, and searching their premises. To feed these hungry and appallingly capacious pouches, the old birds fly about fifteen miles up the coast to fishing-grounds where silver. Photographed by R. J. Beck. ages Islands. CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN. inhabit that islet, nesting in small nests of grass plucked on the spot, and arranged on the ground. The few dead mangroves that still stand are loaded with stick-made nests, to the point of breaking down. Egg-laying begins about the first of February, and straggles along until the end of May. By March 15, the breeding-grounds contain in close proximity, unfinished nests, and nests with fresh eggs (usually three); young just out of the shell; half-grown young, and, finally, full- grown young. The latter are great hulking mullet are plentiful and cheap; and there each old bird fills its neck and crop with from six to nine fish, each from seven to ten inches in length. At evening, just before sunset, in groups of from three to seven they slowly wing their way back along the beach, flying low over the saw palmettos that fringe the shore. They give about six wing-beats, then sail as f
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
