383 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Pimripedes; Swimming Feet. Pelican Fable of Drawing- its 

 Blood explained Mode of Fishing. Sea-birds feeding on Fish 

 thrown up by Whales. Cormorants Voracity of May be 

 tamed Fierceness of. Frigate Bird. Solan Goose Light- 

 ness and Buoyancy of Nests. Anhingas, or Darters. 



TABLE XXVIII. (See page 22.) 



OEDEE 6. PALMIPEDES. TEIBE 2. PINNIPEDES 



( Sitiimming-feet) . 



rpHE birds of this Table are, like the preceding, web-footed, 

 -L but they differ from them in having the back toe so united 

 with the others as to 

 form one continuous w eb, 

 having, in some instan- 

 ces, a toothed claw on 

 the second toe; and what 

 is very singular, not- 

 withstanding this pecu- 

 liarity, which it might 

 be supposed, while it ren- 

 dered them more fit for Toothed Claw of Cormorant's Foot, 

 swimming, would en- 

 tirely prevent their clinging to a branch, almost all of them 

 can and do frequently perch on trees. 



The Pelican stands at the head of this list, easily distin- 

 guished from all others by his capacious pouch, formed of a 

 naked skin, stretched, or rather suspended from the two 

 bony branches of his lower mandible. We have already 

 given his picture, in speaking of the pouches peculiar to some 

 birds. 



Few birds have had more marvellous stories told of them 



