Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
23 August 1788
Primary Source Reference:
Pennsylvania Packet, 23 August 1788.
Additional Source Text:
On 23 August 1788, a notice ran in the Pennsylvania Packet (Philadelphia) announcing the Museum's acquisition of a brown pelican, "An American Pelican, entire, and in good Preservation, Killed on Chester river, Maryland, and presented by Col. Tilghman." This is presumably the same specimen that Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) mentioned in a 1792 broadside: "I have a pelican which was shot from a flock of those birds at the entrance of Chester river, in the Chesapeake bay" (Miller 1988: 17, Selected Papers, Vol. 2, part 1, Yale University Press).
Peale wrote, in his 23rd Lecture (ca. 1799): "596. Brown Pelican? Lath: III. 2. p. 580. n. 3. Pelican brun Buff. pl. enl. 957. Pelecanus fuscus Linn.", with no further description. (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
In "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805–1806), Peale mentioned a specimen from Georgia (not Maryland), which indicates that he had multiple specimens in his possession, at various times over the years: "This I believe is the Brown Pelican (P. fuscus). it was taken Georgia. some other displays will be made as soon as room can be made to place such large birds." (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481)
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Brown Pelican
Current Scientific Name
Pelecanidae | Pelecanus occidentalis
