366 SWIMMERS. 



6 1 St parallel of northern latitude. Indeed, in these remote 

 and desolate regions they are numerous, but seem to have no 

 predilection for the sea-coast, seldom coming within two hun- 

 dred miles of Hudson Bay. They there, according to Rich- 

 ardson, deposit their eggs usually on small rocky islands, on 

 the banks of cascades where they can scarcely be approached, 

 but still are by no means shy. They live together generally 

 in flocks of from six to fourteen, and fly low and heavily, 

 sometimes abreast, at others in an oblique line ; and they are 

 often seen to pass close over a building, or within a few yards 

 of a party of men, without exhibiting any signs of fear. For 

 the purpose of surprising their prey they haunt eddies near 

 water-falls, and devour great quantities of carp and other fish. 

 They can only swallow, apparently, when opening the mouth 

 sideways and somewhat upwards, like the shark. When gorged 

 with food, they doze on the water or on some sand-shoal pro- 

 jecting into or surrounded by it, where they remain a great 

 part of their time in gluttonous inactivity, digesting their over- 

 gorged meal. At such times they may be easily captured, as 

 they have then great difficulty in starting to flight, particularly 

 when the pouch is loaded with fish. Though they can prob- 

 ably perch on trees, which I have never seen them attempt, 

 they are generally on the wing, on the ground, or in their 

 favorite element. 



In the old continent the Pelican is said to nest on the 

 ground in an excavation near to the water, laying two or three, 

 and rarely four eggs, which are pure white, and of nearly equal 

 thickness at both ends. The report that it nests in deserts re- 

 mote from water, and the story of the parents bringing water for 

 their young in the pouch in such quantities as to afford drink 

 for camels and wild beasts, appears only one of those extrava- 

 gant fictions or tales of travellers invented to gratify the love 

 of the marvellous. Yet so general is the belief in the truth of 

 this improbable relation that the Egyptians styled it the camel 

 of the river, and the Persians, Tacab, or the water-carrier. 

 The pouch of the Pelican is, however, very capacious, and be- 

 sides drowning all attempts at distinct voice, it gives a most 



