266 PELICANS ON THE NIGER. 



fish, is supported by robbing others, in the man- 

 ner before described, who are better qualified for the 

 task. 



Adanson, in his voyage to Senegal, relates, that 

 on the river Niger, in the way to the island Griel, 

 he saw a great number of pelicans, or wide-throats. 

 They moved with great state, like swans, upon the 

 water, and are the largest bird next to the ostrich. 

 The bill of one he killed was upwards of a foot and a 

 half long, and the bag fastened underneath it held 

 twenty-two pints of water. They swim in flocks, 

 and form a large circle, which they contract after- 

 wards, driving the fish before them with their legs. 

 When they have collected a sufiicient quantity of fish 

 within this space, they plunge their bill wide open 

 into the water, and shut it again with great quick- 

 ness ; laying up, by this means, a store offish in their 

 capacious bag, till they have an opportunity of eating 

 it on shore. Here I ought to remark, that this ac- 

 count may not be applicable to every species of peli- 

 can, as there are several kinds, that differ from each 

 other in size and habits. 



Clavigero relates, in his history of Mexico, that it 

 is a practice amongst the natives to catch a pelican, 

 and, after breaking its wing, to tie it to a tree, where 

 it is amply supplied with fish by other wild pelicans, 

 who humanely feed their wounded companion. By 



