The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-10-06
PELlCANToWN.
A Seaside Resort Inhabited by Sew.
eral Thousand Birds.

eral 1nOu8unO b1Eu6.
Frank M. Chapman tells the readers
of St. Nicholas how and where the pei
leans of Florida build their nests and
breed.
Why is it, he asks, that all the cave
swallows in a village place their row of
mud tenements under the roof of a GER
tain barn? Every nook in which a nest
could be built is occupied by the clay
apartments-not one is ''to let'-still
none of the birds seem to think Of
building under the equally favorable
roof Of the neighboring barn. Their
cousins, the bank swallows, show the
same strong sociability, and from miles
around they gather to nest in some par
ticular sand bank, the face of which
will be thickly pitted with the en-
frances to their burrows. 1t is not
because the place chosen is the only
one available that the birds nest in
focks. There may be hundreds of barns
and banks just as good as the ones Sc
lected. 1t is not a question of food, for
insects are abundant everywhere, and
these strong flying birds can hunt them
over miles of country. 1t is not because
they find ''safety in numbers" Rather
do they make themselves conspicuous
by gathering in such large bodies. As a
rule. it is sociability-the desire for
companionship-that offers the only
reasonable explanation for the great
colonies which may be observed at nest
ing time.
Certainly no other theory will ex-
plain the origin Of Pelicantown. Its
site, like those often selected by human
%colonists, seems poorly chosen. Its nat
ural advantages are few, but so at
tached to their home are it's inhabitants
that even the most cruel persecution
by their human foes has failed to drive
them from the land Of their ancestors.
But where is Pelican4own? In spite
of its population Of nearly s, 1000, few
maps will show it. Glance with me
therefore at a map of Florida. Find the
Indian river, that long, narrow lagoon
on its east coast, divided from the sea
by only a ribbon Of land. Pelicantown
is situated about midway between its
northern and southern extremities, a
the eastern shore of a bay which here
makes the river about three miles wide.
1t is an island, triangular in shape,
containing about three acres of ground.
A few bushes and low palm trees grow
on it, and there are great patches of
tangled grass, but at least one-fourth
of its surface is bare sand.
During the nesting season this barren
island is the home of probably all the
pelicans of Indian river. Here they
come to build their nests, lay their eggs
and rear their young, and from January
to May life in Pelicantown presents
many novel scenes
In March. 1898. 1 visited this city of
birds. As my BOAT approached l saw
signs of life. Files of birds were return
ing from fishing expeditions, platoons
were resting on the sandy points. some
We're in bathing, others were sailing
about in broad circles high overhead.
and soon one could hear the sound of
many voices, a medley of strange cries.
1t being quite impossible to count
the birds. l determined to count their
nests. of which my census showed there
We're no less than s45, but only 251
were occupied, though all had been
built that spring.
The death rate is high in Pelican
town. Doubtless many young birds die
through injuries received while trying
to escape from tourists who visit the
island and thoughtlessly chase the
young birds about. Eggs and very
young birds are destroyed In hundreds
by fish crows. that daily come over
from the mainland on marauding ex-
petitions. 1t is not probable. therefore,
that in many families three young
pelicans live to leave the nest together;
hence we may reckon about 11s pelicans
to each of the deserted nests. Add to
these two parent pelicans to each nest,
and we have 2,5sl birds on the wing
or on foot. But this number is to be in
creased by the 1914 young that were
still in the nests, making the total pop
u~lation Of P~elicantown 2,T35.
This calculation, however, does not
take into account the egg found. from
which almost hourly come new inhab-
itants of the island.