RUFOUS-NECKED PELICAN. 411 



plash, and in an instant emerges to the surface 

 with a fish. The beak is held aloft, a snap or 

 two is made, the huge pouch is seen for a mo- 

 ment distended, then collapses as before; and 

 heavily the bird rises to wing, and again beats 

 over the surface with its fellows. It is worthy 

 of observation that the Pelican invariably per- 

 forms a somerset under the surface ; for descend- 

 ing, as he always does, diagonally, not perpen- 

 dicularly, the head emerges looking in the oppo- 

 site direction to that in which it was looking be- 

 fore. When the morning appetite is sated, they 

 sit calmly on the heaving surface, looking much 

 like a miniature fleet. 



In the evening, as I have stated, we see them 

 pursuing their laborious course to repose. Stand- 

 ing at the door of Bluefields, which from a 

 slight elevation, commands a wide prospect of 

 the beautiful Bay, I have often watched, in the 

 evening, — ^while the sun, sinking among his gilded 

 piles and peaks of cloud on the horizon-sea, leaves 

 the air refreshingly cool and balmy, while the 

 dying sea-breeze scarcely avails to break the glassy 

 reflection of the surface, — the straggling flocks of 

 Pelicans, from a dozen to forty or fifty, passing 

 slowly along over the shore. On such occasions, 

 they manifest a decided tendency to form long 

 continuous strings, like ducks. When the flocks 

 are beating for fish, or sailing round and round 

 on the watch, there is no such arrangement, but 

 all circle in a confusion equal to that of the 

 planets of the Ptolemaic system. Yet at any 



T 2 



