Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-04
GREAT swAams o. peucAss.
4 Remarkable Reotsr Discovsvsd on Tho
Ssuthsrn calliesnla Coast.
(From The Scientific American

| mystery Wnerc the numerous Drown
pelicans. so common on the southern
California coast, make their headquar-
tiers. During the summer months
these numbering birds, which bear so
grotesaue a resemblance to some of the
old pictures Of the dodo, come into the
little bays along shore and engage in
vigorous warfare upon the small fry
-anchovies. herring, smells, and young
mackerel--which are found there in
such vast quantities.
| The pelicans are very tame, and pur-
sue their avocation within few yards
of vessels lying In the bays. Their
method OF obtaining food is arduOus In
the extreme. and it is only by contin-
ual vigilance that they make a living.
In hunting for food they fly heavily.
! 20 or 80 feet above the water the long
and singular bill from which depends
capacious pouch, pointing downward.
the small brown eyes on the watch for
expectant school Of fish Should it
appear the bird apparently throws IT.
self over. then plunges downward head
| first, with mandibIes apart. The
| height Of the dive carries the bird in
many instances completely out of sight
| beneath the water. from which 1t rises
in few seconds, and if it has been SO
fortunate as to engulf sardine or sew
| eral In its capacious mouth, ii losses
| them up seemingly from the pouch, by
| throwing the bill aloft. then swallows
the morsels with self-congratulatory
! wagging of the diminutive tail. sug-
| gestive of its satisfaction.
| The capture of game is not always
| guarantee of feast, The laughing
| gull. common in these waters. preys
upon the pelican or robs II systemat
ically whenever IL can. This It accom-
| plishcs by alighting on the pelican's
| head or back as il rises. and as the
| clumsy bird attempts 10 arrange the
| morsel in its mouth preparatory to
| swallowing. the gull reaches forward
| and snatches il from between the long
mandibies and flies away with exultant
| cries
1t has been supposed by many that
| the brown peiicans make their head
| quarters in Lower California. coming
north In the spring. but during the past
season the writer. during a cruise
among the island OF Santa Barbara
county. found the rookery OF these
the group are divided into two series
| the Santa Catalina. off Los Angeles
, county. lying. according to the chart,
| in what is called the Santa Catalina
Channel These island include San
Ciemente. Santa Catalina, San Nicolas.
and Santa Barbara. Seventy five miles
to the north lies the second division.
| comprising Santa Cruz. Santa Rosa.
! San Miguel. and Anacapa. The latter
/ il a long, slender. rocky island. rising
| from the waters edge to a mesa be-
| tween 100 and 200 feet in height at the
east end. The highest portion recalled
| the famous enchanted mesa. as IL was
| evidently inaccessible except by using
ropes and kite.
| The island is divided into three distinct
| portions by the sea The extreme end is
| fiat. terminating in a pinnacle of rock.
| while through the center Is lofty arch,
| high and broad enough to admit the pas
| sage of n large yacht. through which the
| sea runs. The mesa was covered with
| birds, and as We ran near and fired the
| yachts cannon. there arose cloud so
| vast that 1t fairly colored the air. Every
| bird had long bill and it suddenly
| dawned upon us that here was the home
of the brown pelican of the southern Cali
| fornia coast. The great ledge of rock
| fat on top, was colored white by the
guano of the birds, and was distinguish
| able five or six miles distant. AS we ap-
| preached. the side of the cliff, which
| formed a slight angle. was seen TO be
covered with pelicans. They scrambled
| up the rocks from the lower portions.
waddling with bills partly open and
! wings expanded. AS the sound of the
| gun reached them, the very ground
| seemed to rise, the birds wheeling up
| ward in great circles. then slowly settling
I again.
! The rookery. isolated and inaccessible
| occupied probably four five acres.
| where the birds seemed to be packed in;
and that it was an ancient one there was
| every reason to believe. Here in all prob
ability the young are reared in May At
| the time of our visit. the middle of .Au-
gust. the rookery appeared to be occupied
by old birds and two-thirdS grown young.
| The pelicans here nest on the ground
| there being no trees of any kind on this
wind-swept island This is in direct con-
trast to the brown pelican of the Florida
keys. at least in instances observed by the
writer where the nests We're in mangrove
| trees which were growing almost IN the
water. The nests were IL the crudest de-
scription., the eggs retaining their posi-
ton by virtue of good luck
| Not 10 miles off from the pelican rock
cry of Anacapa was seen Il series of re-
markable caves. in the entrance of one of
| which was shag rookery. This was dis
| covered by the aid of the odor some dis
tdLSVoh. oPou ISiHdI hdUlc
| overhanging cliff was seen. the summit
of which was possibly 500 feet above the
water-a stupendous pile of rock. Near
the base it had been eaten away by the
sea, leaving a series of rough shelves or
| lodges. which were occupied by shags,
old and young.
| Leading directly into the cliff was a
| large cave. whose side entrance was also
pre-empted by shags. who were. in the
main. two-thirds grown.
After some difficulty the writer landed
| and climbed into this rookery. The nests
were of kelp and other seaweed roughly
thrown together. and strewn about on the
rocks were numbers of young birds, some
nearly devoured and others partly torn
in pieces. showing that some animal
preyed upon them. After careful exam
ination of the surroundings, the writer
was forced to think that, half starved.
the birds had preyed upon each other and
that 1t was case Of a literal survival of
the fttest.. On the water in the cave
| fiOated numbers of dead young shags
which had undoubtedly fallen in and.
unable to swim. had been drowned. Yet
the young handled were strong and DOW
erful and used their sharp beaks to good
advantage.
! In the same cave an attractive swallow
with white markings was nesting, its nest
being fastened to the walls. The nests
| were made almost entirely Of feathers Of