ASCENSION ISLAND. 1752. 87 



over the fame place : from whence fome fail- 

 ors have concluded that they continually re- 

 mained in the air at that height. 



The Pelican (Pelecanus Onocratalus c ) 9 with 

 the red bag under its neck, flew up and down, 

 but would never fettle. It is the fame which 

 in hieroglyphical defcriptions is ufed as the em- 

 blem of great tendernefs towards its young. 

 It lives generally in the great African fandy 

 defarts, where no water is to be met with ; 

 but it brings it for many miles in the bag be- 

 low its throat, and fills the nefl of its young 

 ones ; whither camels and other animals like- 

 wife refort to affuage their thirft. People who 

 have feen it emptying its red water bag, have 

 thought that it ripped up its breaft and gave 

 its young ones blood for want of water j but 

 they were miflaken. 



Pelecanus Aqidlus : its bill is more than a 

 hand's breadth long, and is narrow : the up- 

 per-jaw is fomewhat the longeft, with a hook- 

 fhaped point : the cere t which is blue, covers 

 the bill from the eyes to the hook-fhaped 

 point : the mandibles have no fuch ferrated 

 incifions (fupplying the place of teeth) as are 

 ulually found in fea birds : the head is covered 



c Orientals* 



G 4 with 



