The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-29

They are extremely shy. There are no COW
ers near their feeding grounds, and they can
not be fire.hunted, for they dash into the
darkness at the slightest alarm. During
five winters hunt l have shot only one, and
that with a Remington rifle at six hundred
yards. Last winter DIR. Fox of New Smyr-
ma killed four, which were skinned and
mounted by Mr.. Bryant, son of late emf
nont ornithologist of Massachusetts,. The
Doctor covered canoe with mangrove
boughs and showed it through the shoal wa
ter until within gunshot. The four fell at
the first FIRE.
The gray or silver pelican fishes in deep
water, descending upon its prey like fish
hawk. The ermine bird, on the contrary,
stays on the shoals, and probably picks up
its food. have never seen it plunge as its
sivery sister does. Diving in shoal water it
would break its neck. The two species are
dissimilar in character The gray bird is
social and democratic; the ermine reserved
and aristocratic. The latter seems endowed
with the soul of high caste Brahmin, ,scorn-
ing with the gray. / have seen both species
on sand bar, but the ermine birds invaria-
bly, formed group by themselves and stood
like officers on quarter deck, casting super
| cilious glances at their neighbors. At such
times have driven them off, and sunk otter
traps in the sand, fancying that | might
| catch them on their return, but all in vain
| Whether this was owing to bad luck or the
| superior intelligence of the ermine bird, l
know not. The gray was always the one
caught. The flight of the ermine pelicans
is different from that of the gray. The lat
ter follow their leader in Indian file, soaring
when he scars and moving their wings
at his signal the former generally lay their
course and move steadily ahead regardless of
each others motions.
Natives tell me that ermine pelicans never
breed in Florida. They are said to raise
their young on the border of the Arctic
ocean. An old whaling captain AYERS that
he has frequently seen millions of them nest
ing at the mouth Of the Mackenzie river and
in Athabasca lake. They certainly do not
visit Florida to escape the cold winters, for
they are seen in Mosquito lagoon and Bana-
na river during the entire summer.
With the gradual settlement of the eastern
coast of Florida, all kinds of water fowl de-
crease in number. This is especially true Of
the gray or silver pelican. Eight years age
there were dozen colonies of these bird.
between the mouth of the st. Johns and Key
Biscayne. Last winter | could find only
one-opposite the mouth of the st. Luce
Although democratic by instinct, the silver
pelican is the impersonation of dignity, Il
sits ON the water, head erect, its long bill OF
its breast like a gray-haired Judge on tn,
bench with hands clasped below his breast
The bird moves through the air lik,
an exalted lubber, head drawn in and necl
thrown out in prow-shape, its beak protrud
ing like the spar of a torpedo boat. Its pin
ions creak with every motion. At regula
intervals it scars, as though fulfilling an i'm
portant religious duty. Long lines fly owe
the beach, grave as patrols, all moving thei
wings and soaring at given signals. AS the.
never make graceful motion and never ut
ter cry, their gravity and dignity ar,
amusing. Most people laugh outright oil
seeing flock for the first time. The body
seems to be too heavy for the wings. Whel
diving for fish ON a still day the bird makes
a splash that is audible for three miles. |
strikes the water head first, frequently misse
its object, and turns complete summersault
After apparently rejecting full minute OIL
the ups and downs of this life, it begins t
beat the water with its wings its grea
webbed feet are slowly drawn to the sur
plunge.
During ebb tide thousands of pelicans ar
massed at Mosquito and Indian river inlets
They move over the sands like an army
forming crude echelons and other militar,
manguvres on sight of an enemy. AT tn
crack of rifle all the birds rise, casting
great shadows on the beach and drowning
the roar of the surf in the rushing of thei
wings. They dash around the riheman lik
Sioux around band of emigrants, and afte
second shot they settle upon the sand ou
of range. With the swelling of the tide
schools of cavallo and bluefsh enter the in
let. Frightened swarms of mullet scurry TO
shoal water. Sharks and porpoises folloy
in the wake of the cavallo and bluefsh, an
hunt the hunters Then the army ofpelican
move, The sky is darkened by their lubber
ly bodies. They make no cries, but swee
above the seething mass in wide circles
swooping and plunging until their pouche
are filled with fat mulet. Then they retur
to the bars or bear away to their roosts, an
await digestion.
a Terrified or pleased, a matured pelica
utters no sound. When cornered it become
a aggressive and fights ferociously, but in s.
lence Its long bill is as dangerous as
q tailor's shears. One nip and a strip of flas
y disappears. The bird readily resents an il
dignity. Not long ago Capt r. S. Sheldo
q saw solitary gray pelican on a sand sp
near Mosquito inlet. AT his approach IL
bird manifested no fear One foot was raise
and both eyes were closed. 1t was soup
v asleep. The Captain smiled, hesltated, an
# then kicked it in the most scientific name
. 1t landed on the sand turned round as thoug
n collecting its thoughts, saw Sheldons leg
d and went for its pound of flesh so succes
!. fully that the Captain has kicked no mo
a sleeping pelicans.
Is Curiosity seems to be trait in these sin
r ular birds. While shooting snowy hero
Is under cover of rubber trees on ansisland
r Lake Worth, saw cock pelican perch,
d on low bush twenty feet away, apparent
re regarding me with astonishment. The I
s. port of the gun did not seem to fright
ID him. After few shots / was surprised
T. see him approach me. He came nearer
lie every discharge, until l made rush al
rs caught him by the bill. After jbing him