414 THE PELICAN. 



occasions: the Pelican extending its wings and flapping 

 the water, while the Cormorant, diving below, drives 

 the fish to the surface; and when, by their joint exer- 

 tions, the shoal is driven into the shallows, and easily 

 taken by the Pelicans, the Cormorant helps himself out 

 of his companion's wide pouch. The very respectable 

 writer*, on whose authority we state this latter part, 

 gives some further account of the concealment of their 

 eggs, which, however extraordinary at first sight, is so 

 well borne out by the instinctive habits of some other 

 birds, that there is no reason for doubting its truth. He 

 says, that if disturbed while sitting, they will hide their 

 eggs in the water, taking them out with their bills when 

 they believe the danger to be over. 



We can vouch for the fact of sea-birds feeding on 

 fish, forced above the surface by the lower part of the 

 shoal, having witnessed a singular scene oif the Hebrides 

 during the herring season. A whale of the smaller 

 species (Delphinus deductor"^) was observed pursuing a 

 shoal of herrings about half a mile off. The fish were 

 evidently in a state of alarm, and it was equally evident 

 that a prodigious flight of Gulls, Gannets, and all the 

 liost of sea-birds, were aware of what might happen, as 

 they hovered over the spot screaming, and now and then 

 darting irregularly downwards to within a yard or two of 

 the surface. As the whale closed upon the shoal, agita- 

 tion seemed to increase, judging by the increased ex- 

 citement of the birds above. His long black back slowly 

 rose, and disappeared as the huge animal rolled on- 

 wards, seldom descending so far below as to bury his 

 back-fin, which rippled along the surface; at length he 

 was in the midst of them, and the confusion was com- 

 plete. At one moment he disappeared altogether; but 

 though unseen by us, it was very clear, by a momentary 



* Dr. E. D. CLARKK'S Travels. 



iThe northern coasts were much frequented by this whale about that 

 time ; at Kirkwall Bay, in Orkney, we saw the remaias of no less than 

 ninety-two, which had been recently driven on shore in a heavy gale. 



