f92 A HISTORY OF 



the Great Blown Gull, and all the lesser tribe of gulls and sea 

 swallows. 



The Penguin kind, with appetites as voracious, bills as sharp, and 

 equally eager for prey, are yet unqualified to obtain it by flight. 

 Their wings are shoit, and their bodies large and heavy, so that they 

 can neither run nor fly. But they are formed for diving in a very pe- 

 culiar manner. Their feet are placed so far backward, and their legg 

 so hid in the abdomen, that the slightest stroke sends them head fore- 

 most to the bottom of the water. To this class we may refer the 

 Penguin, the Auk, the Skout, the Sea-turtle, the Bottlenose, and the 

 Loon. 



The Goose kind are easily distinguishable by their flat broad bills, 

 covered with a skin ; and their manner of feeding, which is mostly 

 upon vegetables. In this class we may place the Swan, the Goose, 

 the Duck, the Teal, the Widgeon, and all their numerous varieties. 



In describing the birds of these three classes, I will put the most 

 remarkable of each class at the beginning of their respective tribes, 

 and give their separate history ; then after having described the chiefs 

 of the tribe, the more ordinary sorts will naturally fall in a body, and 

 come under a general description, behind their leaders. But before 

 [ offer to pursue this methodical arrangement, I must give the history 

 of a bird, that, from the singularity of its conformation, seems allied 

 to no species, and should therefore be separately described I mean 

 the Pelican. 



CHAPTER II. 



OF THE PELICAN. 



THE Pelican of Africa is n ach larger in the body than a swap, 

 and somewhat of the same shape and colour. Its four toes are all 

 webbed together, and its neck, in some measure, resembles that of a 

 swan ; but that singularity in which it differs from all other birds, is 

 in the bill and the great pouch underneath, which are wonderful, and 

 demand a distinct description. This enormous bill is fifteen inches 

 f rom 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 beginning, but tapers off to the end, where it hooks downwards. 

 The under chap js 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 capable 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 r. 



