A Pelican feeding its children with its own blood in front of a Rose Cross. This is a typical image of the 18th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (“Knight Rose Croix”). It can also be found in the “4th Order” of the French Rite higher degrees and the 18th degree of Memphis-Misraim (“Knight Rose Croix”).
On what Feddersen (F/20) describes as a “plan of the lodge in the Scottish degree” (from France) we see a dove in the East, a pelican in the North, a lion in the middle, an ape in the South and a fox in the west. He also says that the fox should be accompanied by a drum, the monkey with a yoke, the lion with crossed swords and the pelican with scales. That does not quite explain if the lion/crossed swords refers to a function or an element in the ritual.
Also see this Scots Master tracing board.
A 1764 Strikte Observanz ritual oddly mentions the other animals on the tracing board, but not the pelican:
Q. How many allegories are presented to a Scottish Master?
A. Four. A lion, a fox, a monkey, a sparrowhawk.
Q. Do you explain?
A. A Scotchman must add to the qualities of a master, the heart of a lion, the cunning of a fox, the wit of a monkey, and the skilfulness of a sparrowhawk in execution.
For a similar image as above, but not the same, see pelican with snake.
Top: Often reproduced in many variations, original image probably halfway the 18th century
Bottom: Frequently reproduced. Feddersen gives as source Les Franc Maçons Ecrase’s 1717. That is actually Les francs-maçons écrasés ; suite du livre intitulé L’ordre des francs-maçons trahi from 1747.