264 THE PELICAN. 



" something in the countenance very melancholy and 

 " sad. 



" They are torpid and inactive to the greatest degree, 

 " so that nothing can exceed their indolence but their 

 " gluttony ; and it is only by hunger they are excited 

 " to move, or they would continually remain in a stupid 

 " kind of sleep. When they have, with exertion, raised 

 " themselves about forty feet above the surface of the 

 " sea, they turn their head with one eye downwards, 

 " and in that position continue their flight. As soon 

 " as they perceive a fish sufficiently near the surface, 

 " with the swiftness of an arrow they dart down, sur- 

 " prise their victim before it can escape them, and care- 

 " fully preserve it in their pouch : again they rise and 

 " continue hovering over the stream until their bag is 

 " completely filled, when they retire to land, and gree- 

 " dily devour the produce of their morning's toil. As 

 " evening approaches they feel another hungry call, 

 iC and again towards the rivers pursue their flight, where 

 " they remain until their bag is filled, when they take 

 " up their abode on some high tree for the night, and 

 " would remain in a state of torpid stupidity during 

 " the greater part of the succeeding day, were they 

 " not roused by that voracious appetite, which seems 

 " with reluctance to compel them away." 



This habit of indolence attends them through all 

 seasons, for the female will not be at the pains of form- 

 ing an abode for her young, but drops her eggs upon 

 the ground ; and, when sitting, will even suffer them to 

 be taken away. Her young seems to call forth the 

 powers of affection, for Labat tells us he tied two of 

 them by the leg to a post, and the old one came to 

 feed them with great regularity with the contents of 

 her well stored pouch, and did not seem inclined to 

 leave them until each day was drawing to a close. 



