AVES— MERGANSER. ..PELICAN. 673 



i aches long, of a kind of dusky ash color, the feathers on each side shorten- 

 ing gradually. The female has no crest; the sides of the head red; the 

 wings of a dusky ash color; the throat is white. In other respects it agrees 

 with the male. 



THE HOODED MERGANSER* 



Is a native of North America, and peculiar to that country. It is common 

 on the coasts of New England, and breeds in the arctic regions. It is about 

 the size of a widgeon. The head and neck are dark brown ; the former sur- 

 rounded with a large round crest, the middle of which is white. The back 

 and quills are black, the tail dusky ; and the breast and belly white, undu- 

 lated with black. The female is fainter in the color of her plumage, and 

 has a smaller crest. 



THE PELICAN. 2 



The great white pelican of Africa 3 is much larger than a swan. Its four 

 toes are all webbed together ; and its neck, in some measure, resembles that 

 of a swan ; but that singularity in which it differs from all other birds, is in 

 the bill, and the great pouch underneath, which are wonderful, and demand 

 a distinct description. This enormous bill is fifteen inches from the point to 

 the opening of the mouth, which is a good way back behind the eyes. The 

 base of the bill is somewhat greenish ; but it varies towards the end, being of 

 a reddish blue.- To the lower edges of the under chap hangs a bag, reaching 

 the whole length of the bill to the neck, which is said to be capable of con- 

 taining fifteen quarts of water. This bag the bird has a power of wrinkling 

 up into the hollow of the under chap; but, by opening the bill, and putting 

 one's hand down into the bag, it may be distended at pleasure. It is no. 

 covered with feathers, but a short downy substance, as smooth and soft as 

 satin. Tertre affirms, that this pouch will hold as many fish as will serve 

 sixty hungry men for a meal. Such is the formation of this extraordinary 

 bird, which is a native of Africa and America. It was once also known 



1 Merges cucullatus, Lin. 



2 The genus Pclicanus has the bill long, straight, broad, much depressed ; upper man- 

 dible flattened, terminated by a nail, or very strong hook; the lower formed by two long 

 branches, which are depressed, flexible, and united at the tip ; from these branches is sus- 

 pended a naked skin, in form ot a pouch ; face and throat naked; nostrils basal, in the 

 form of a narrow longitudinal slit ; legs short and stout ; all the four toes connected by 

 a web. 



' Pelicanus onocrotalus, Lin. 



85 57 



