PELICAN, a genus of birds of the family Pelecanidte. The pelican is said to breed on Palmyra trees on the Godavery, in the midst of populous villages, within reach of the hand. l'elicans and a species of stork have for long built their nests in a tope near the village of Pulgumlapully, about 39 miles N.E. of Cuddapah. Dr. Jerdon mentions a pelicanry in the Carnatic, where for ages past the pelicans had built their rude nests on rather low trees in the midst of a village, undisturbed by the presence of the people. The pelican is a favourite food with the Lohanna of Sind. Pelicans feed chiefly on fishes, but do not dive for their food. The Pelicanidm of the E. I ndies are as under :— Yelecanus criepus of E. Europe.
P. inflatifrons, Blyth.
P. Javanicus, Hare., lesser white pelican. P. mitratus, Licht., crested pelican.
P. onocrotalus, Linn., European pelican.
P. Philippensis, Gmel., grey pelican.
P. onocrotalus is a regular visitant to India daring the cold weather, sometimes appearing in considerable flocks, and clearing whole tanks and pills of their fish, to the dismay of the fishermen. They form a dense line across the tank, and regu larly hunt it from one end to the other.
P. mitratus is spread through S.E. Europe, part of Africa and Asia. P. Philippensis is the most abundant in India. P. Philippensis is used by the fishermen in some parts of the E. of Bengal, as a decoy in catching certain kinds of fish (Colisa and Anabas), which are attracted, it is said, by the oily secretion exuding from the birds' skius. They are tied to the boat, some . times with their eyes sewn up.—Adams; Blyth in B. As. Soc. Jo., Nov. 1856 ; Jerdon.