202 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



inches from the point to the opening of the 

 mouth, which is a good way back behind the 

 eyes. At the base, the bill is somewhat 

 greenish, but varies towards the end, being of 

 a reddish-blue. It is very thick in the be- 

 ginning, but tapers off to the end, where it 

 hooks downwards. The under chap is still 

 more extraordinary; for to the lower edges of 

 it hangs a bag, reaching the whole length of 

 the bill to the neck, which is said to be capa- 

 ble of containing fifteen quarts of water. This 

 bag the bird has a power of wrinkling up into 

 the hollow of the under-chap : but by opening 

 the bill, and putting one's hand down into the 

 bag, it may be distended at pleasure. The 

 skin of which it is formed will then be seen 

 of a bluish ash-colour, with many fibres and 

 veins running over its surface. It is not co- 

 vered with feathers, but a short downy sub- 

 stance, as smooth and as soft as satin, and is 

 attached all along the under edges of the chap, 

 to be fixed backward to the neck of the bird 

 by proper ligaments, and reaches near half 

 way down. When this bag is empty it is 

 not seen ; but when the bird has fished with 

 success, it is then incredible to what an extent 

 it is often seen dilated. For the first thing 

 the pelican does in fishing is to fill up the 

 bag ; and then it returns to digest its burden 

 at leisure. When the bill is open to its 

 widest extent, a person may run his head into 

 the bird's mouth, and conceal it in this mon- 

 strous pouch, thus adapted for very singular 

 purposes. Yet this is nothing to what Ruysch 

 assures us, who avers, that a man has been 

 seen to hide his whole leg, boot and all, in the 

 monstrous jaws of one of these animals. At 

 first appearance this would seem impossible, 

 as the sides of the under chap, from which the 

 bag depends, are not above an inch asunder 

 when the bird's bill is first opened ; but then 

 they are capable of great separation ; and it 

 must necessarily be so, as the bird preys upon 

 the largest fishes, and hides them by dozens 

 in its pouch. Tertre affirms, that it will hide 



bulk and apparent clumsiness, the large extent of their 

 wings, and the extreme lightness of their bones, which 

 are so thin as to be almost transparent, enable these birds 

 to rise to a lofty pitch in the air, to hover at a moderate 

 elevation, or to skim rapidly along the surface of the 

 water with as much facility as they dive into its depths 

 in pursuit of their prey. They sometimes assemble in 

 large numbers, and in this case are said by Buffon to 

 act in concert, and to show no little skill in manoeuvring 

 with the view of securing a plentiful quarry, forming 

 themselves into a circular line, and gradually narrowin* 

 the extent of the space enclosed, until they have driven 

 the fishes into so small a compass as to render them a 

 certain proy ; when at a given signal they all at once 

 plunge into the water and seize upon their terrified vic- 

 tims, filling their pouches with the spoil, and flying to 

 the land, there to devour it at their leisure. This fish- 

 iry is carried on both at sea and in fresh water. 



as many fish as will serve sixty hungry men 

 for a meal. 



Such is the formation of this extraordinary 

 bird, which is a native of Africa and Ameri- 

 ca. The pelican was once also known in Eu- 

 rope, particularly in Russia ; but it seems to 

 have deserted our coasts. This is the bird 

 of which so many fabulous accounts have been 

 propagated; such as its feeding its young 

 with its own blood, and its carrying a provi- 

 sion of water for them in its great reservoir in 

 the desert. But the absurdity of the first ac- 

 count answers itself; and as for the latter, the 

 pelican uses its bag for very different purpo- 

 ses than that of filling it with water. 



Its amazing pouch may be considered as 

 analogous to the crop in other birds, with this 

 difference, that as theirs lies at the bottom of 

 the gullet, so this is placed at the top. Thus, 

 as pigeons and other birds macerate their food 

 for their young in their crops, and then supply 

 them, so the pelican supplies its young by a 

 more ready contrivance, and macerates their 

 food in its bill, or stores it for its own particu- 

 lar sustenance. 



The ancients were particularly fond of giv- 

 ing this bird admirable qualities and parental 

 affections ; struck, perhaps, with its extraordi- 

 nary figure, they were willing to supply it 

 with as extraordinary appetites ; and bav.ng 

 found it with a large reservoir, they were 

 pleased with turning it to the most tender and 

 parental uses. But the truth is, the pelican 

 is a very heavy, sluggish, voracious bird, and 

 very ill fitted to take those flights, or to make 

 those cautious provisions for a distant time, 

 which we have been told they do. Father 

 Labat, who seems to have studied their man- 

 ners with great exactness, has given us a mi- 

 nute history of this bird, as found in America; 

 and from him I will borrow mine. 



The pelican, says Labat, has strong wings, 

 furnished with thick plumage of an ash-co- 

 lour, as are the rest of the feathers over the 

 whole body. Its eyes are very small when 

 compared to the size of its head ; there is a 

 sadness in its countenance, and its whole air 

 is melancholy. It is as dull and reluctant in 

 its motions, as the flamingo is sprightly and 

 active. It is slow of flight; and when it rises 

 to fly, performs it with difficulty and labour. 

 Nothing, as it would seem, but the spur of 

 necessity could make these birds change their 

 situation, or induce them to ascend into the 

 air ; but they must either starve or fly. 



They are torpid and inactive to the last de- 

 gree, so that nothing can exceed their indol- 

 ence but their gluttony ; it is only from the 

 stimulations of hunger that they are excited to 

 labour ; for otherwise they would continue al- 

 ways in fixed repose. When they have raised 

 themselves about thirty or forty feet above the 



