THE INDIAN OCEAN.  3^ 



from the coasts. This bird has great powers of 

 flight, the extended wings covering a space of twelve 

 feet. The throat is dilated into a capacious bag, 

 which can be wrinkled up when not in use, but 

 when the animal is fishing forms a convenient pouch, 

 in which the prey is stored as it is caught, until it 

 is rilled, when the booty is borne to shore, to feed 

 the callow young, or to be eaten at leisure. The 

 pouch of a full-grown Pelican, when distended, will 

 contain ten quarts of water. They fly to a long 

 distance, and at a lofty elevation, and remain un- 

 tired on the wing for a protracted period. A flock 

 of Pelicans beating for prey is a splendid spectacle. 

 Sometimes the whole troop soars upwards to an im- 

 mense height, and then suddenly swoops down with 

 arrowy velocity, splashing the sea in every direc- 

 tion ; presently they emerge, and again soar on high, 

 till again they simultaneously dash down upon the 

 shoals ; and thus the flock perform their evolutions 

 in concert, ranging over a wide bay, or a given space 

 of water, with perfect order and regularity, and with 

 astonishing rapidity. At other times they fly al- 

 most at the very surface, beating the water with 

 their wings, till the whole sea is one undistinguish- 

 able mass of foam. 



In the beautiful poem of Montgomery, " The Peli- 

 can Island," which I have before quoted, the manners 

 of these interesting birds are ably described : — 



" Eager for food, their searching eyes they fix'd 

 On ocean's unroll'd volume, from a height 

 That brought immensity within their scope; 

 Yet with such power of vision look'd they down, 



