The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
RHEUMATISM Il; n. I !:
GREAT ROOKERY OF PEuCANs.
Some Interesting Facts About These
Great laundering Birds.
c. F. Holder in Scientific America

BlFns.
c. F. Holder in Scientific American.
1t has always been somewhat of a mys-
terry where the numerous brown pelicans.
so common on the Southern Californian
coast, make their headquarters. During
the summer months these numbering birds,
which bear so grotesque resemblance to
some Of the old pictures of the dodo. come
into the little bays alongshore and engage
in a vigorous warfare upon the small fry
-anchovies, herring, smelt and young
mackerel-which are found there in such
vast quantities.
The pelicans are very tame and pursue
their avocation within a few yards Of yes
sells lying in the bays. Their method of OBJ
tanning food is arduous in the extreme,
and it is only by continual vigilance that
they make a living. In hunting for food
they fly heavily twenty or thirty feet
above the water, the long and singular
bill, from which depends a capacious pouch
pointing downward, the small brown eyes
on the watch for the expectant school of
fish. Should it appear the bird apparent
ly throws itself over then plunges down.
ward, head first, with mandibles apart.
The hight of the dive carries the bird in
many Instances completely out of sight be-
meath the water, from which il rises In a
few seconds, and IL ii has been so fortu-
nate as to engulf a sardine or several In
its capacious mouth, it losses them up,
seemingly from the pouch, by throwing
the bill aloft, then swallows the morsels
with self-congratulatory wagging of the
diminutiYe tail, suggestive of its satisfac-
ton.
The capture Of game is not always a
guarantee of a feast. The laughing gull.
common in these waters, pTeys upon the
pelican or robs it systematically whenever
it can. This it accompHshes by alight-
ing on the pelican's head or back as it
rises, and as the clumsy bird attempts to
arrange the morsel in its mouth prepara-
tory to swallowing, the gull reaches for
ward and snatches it from between the
long mandibles and flies away with ex.
ultaut cries.
1t has been supposed by many that the
brown pelicans make their headquarters
in Lower California, coming north in the
spring, but during the past season the
writer, during a cruise among the islands
off Santa Barbara county, found the rock
cry OF these birds. The islands which
constitutes the group are divided into two
series-the Santa Catalina, off Los Ange-
les county, lying, according to the chart,
in what is called the Santa Catalina chan
mel These islands include San Clemente,
Santa Catalina, San Nicolas and Santa
Barbara. Seventy-fve miles to the north
lies the second division, comprising Santa
Cruz Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Ana
capa- The latter rs a long slender, rocky
island rising from the waters edge to
mesa between 100 and 200 feet in hight a
the east end. The highest portion recalled
the famous enchanted mesa, as it was
evidently inaccessible except by using
ropes and kite.
The island is divided into three distinct
portions by the sea. The extreme end is
fat, terminating in a pinnacle of rock,
while through the center is a lofty arch,
high and broad enough to admit the pas
sage of a 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 a cloud so
vast that it fairly colored the air Every
bird had a long bill, and it suddely dawn
ed upon US that here was the home of
the brown pelican on the Southern Califor-
MIA coast The great ledge of rock, fiat on
top, was colored white by the guano of
the birds, and was distingushable five or
six miles distant. As we approached, the
| side of the cliff, which formed a Slight
angle, was seen to be covered with peli-
cans 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 whirling
! slowly upward in great circles, then slow
| ly settling again.
| The rookery, isolated and inaccessible,
| occupied probably four or 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
| probability the young are reared in May.
| At the time of our visit the middle of
/ tI, .-p1ra rod TO no
| pied by old birds and two-thirds grown
| young.
The pelcans 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 were in man
| grove trees, which We're growing almost
in the water. The nests were of the crud-
| est description. the eggs retaining their
position by virtue of good luck.
Not 10 miles from the rookery of Ana
| capa was seen a series of remarkable
| caves, in the entrance of one of which
was a shay rookery. This was discovered
+! by the aid of the odor some distance Off
| Upon approaching remarkable over
hanging cliff was seen, the summit of
which was possibly 500 feet above the wa
| ter-a stupendous pile of rock. Near the
base it had been eaten away by the sea-
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 We're, in the
main, two-thirds grown.
| After some difficulty the writer landed
and climbed into this rookery. The nests
were of kelp and other sea weed rough
ly 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 a careful eXami-
nation of the surroundings. the writer was
forced to think that, half-starved, the birds
had preyed upon each other and that it
was a case of a literal survival of the fit
| test. on the water In the cave fioated num-
bers Of dead young shags which had evil
| IDENTIFY fallen in. and unable to swim had
been drowned Yet the young handled were
strong and powerful and used their sharp
beal1s to good advantage.
| In the same cave an attractive swallow
with white markings was nesting, its nest
being fastened to the walls. They were
made almost entirely of the feathers of sea
birds, covered on the outside with a light