T H E P E L I C A N. ii^ 



ter; is large enough to contain a man's arm or head. This bag the bird 

 has a power of wrinkling up into thie hollow of the under chap; but by 

 opening the bill, and putting one's hand down into the bag, it may bedif- 

 tcnded at pleafure. The fkin of which it is formed is a blueifh a(h-colour, 

 with many fibres and veins running over itsfurface. Is not cov-credwith. 

 feathers, but with a fhort downy fubftance, as fmooth and as fofc as 

 fattin. When this bag is empty it is not feen ; but when the bird has 

 fiflied with fuccefs, it is often incredibly dilated. The firft thing 

 the pelican does in fifhing is to fill up this bag ; and then it retiirns to 

 digeftits burthen at leifure. It is compofed of two fkins, one the outfide 

 fkin of the neck, the internal that of the gullet. When the bird fwallows 

 his prey, this bag is clofed by two mufcles, to prevent the water pafling 

 into the gullet; alfo, to prevent fuffocation, the wind-pipe quits its ufual 

 place, and is projeded. The noftrils are very fmall, placed at the root 

 of the bill. 



Its legs are (hort, but its wings extend eleven or twelve feet, and are 

 capable of raifing it great heights j at thefe elevations he balances nice- 

 ly, and falls plump on his prey, ftriking the water with his whole ex- 

 tent of wins:, making it foam, and dafhina; fo as to confound the fi(h : thus 

 one proceeds when fingle ; when in troops they range in a line, or fwim 

 in a circle, clofing on the fiOi. They fifn morning and evening. It is 

 pleafant to fee them rife feveral feet above the water, their pouches half 

 full, then dart again for more. To digeft their food they fly to fome 

 rock, where they fit with their heads laid on their Ihoulders : at night 

 perch upon trees. Are very unclean and filthy ; their flefh fmclls infufFer- 

 ably. Preys in frefh water as well as at lea ; yec avoids marfhes, but fre- 

 quents dry countries, as Arabia and Perfia, where it is called "jjater- carrier, 

 for fhe carries to her neft her pouch full of water. The Egyptians call 

 it Rher-camel, from the fame circumftance. 



The bird preys upon fifh of feven or eight pounds weight, and hides 

 them by dozens in its pouch. Du Tertre afHrms, that it will hide as 

 many fifh as will ferve fixty hungry men for a meal. It is faid it will eat 

 rats, &c. 



This bird weighs twenty- four or twenty-five pounds, yet its flceleton 

 not one pound and a halfj his bones are fo thin they are tranfparent : the 

 air which enters this bird, is conveyed manifeflly and evidently even in- 

 to the quills of his feathers, filling a cellular membrane, which fur- 

 rounds the whole body under the m.embrane whence the feathers grow, 

 infomuch that, by prelTure of the parts, the efcape of the air is remark- 



PartIV. No. 27. U able. 



