THE PELICAN. 263 



its neck bears some resemblance to the swan's. The 

 singularity which peculiarly distinguishes this bird, 

 chiefly consists in the form of its bill and the great 

 pouch which hangs underneath it, which has given rise 

 to a variety of fabulous tales. This enormous bill is 

 fifteen inches from the point to the opening of the 

 mouth, which is a good way back behind the eyes ; 

 at the base it is rather greenish, but varies towards the 

 end to reddish blue ; in the beginning it is very thick, 

 but tapers off towards the point in the form of a hook. 

 To the under chap hangs this extraordinary bag, which 

 extends along the whole bill, and reaches to the neck, 

 and is said to be capable of containing no less than 

 fifteen quarts : this bag the bird has the power of wrink- 

 ling up into the hollow of the under jaw; it is not co- 

 vered with feathers, but with a ve*ry soft smooth, down, 

 and when empty is scarcely perceptible ; but when the 

 pelican has been successful in fishing, it is astonishing 

 to see to what a size it will extend : and it has been as- 

 serted, that it would contain as many fish as would sa- 

 tisfy the appetites of sixty hungry men.. 



This bird was once known all over Europe, though it 

 now seems to have deserted our coasts; fabulous writers 

 have asserted that it fed its young with its blood, and 

 that the bag served as a reservoir when it flew over the 

 desert sands. These accounts are equally incredible, as 

 the bag is not used for water but for fish, and the bird 

 never attempts to satisfy its appetite until it is completely 

 filled ; yet as father Labat studied its manners in Ame- 

 rica, from him is borrowed the following account : 



" The pelican has strong wings, furnished with a 

 <* thick plumage of ash-colour ; and the feathers on the 

 " rest of the body are exactly the same : the eyes are 

 ■f small compared to the size of its head, and there \s 



s 4 



