74 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



fifteen quarts of water. This bag the bird has a 

 power of wrinkling up into the hollow of the under 

 chap. When the bag is empty, it is not seen : but 

 when the bird has fished with success, it is in- 

 credible to what an extent it is often dilated. The 

 first thing the pelican does in fishing is to fill the 

 bag ; and then it returns to digest its burden at 

 leisure. The bird preys upon the large fishes, and 

 hides them by dozens in its pouch. When the bill 

 is opened to its widest extent, a person may run 

 his head into the bird's mouth ; and conceal it in 

 this monstrous pouch, thus adapted for very singu- 

 lar purposes."* Now this extraordinary conforma- 

 tion is nothing more, say our philosophers, than the 

 result of habit; not of the habit or effort of a sin- 

 gle pelican, or of a single race of pelicans, but of 

 a habit perpetuated through a long series of gene- 

 rations. The pelican soon found the conveniency 

 of reserving in its mouth, when its appetite was 

 glutted, the remainder of its prey, which is fish. 

 The fulness produced by this attempt, of course 

 stretched the skin which lies between the under 

 chaps, as being the most yielding part of the mouth. 

 Every distention increased the cavity. The origi- 

 nal bird, and many generations which succeeded 

 him, might find difficulty enough in making the 

 pouch answer this purpose : but future pelicans, en- 

 tering upon life with a pouch derived from their 

 progenitors, of considerable capacity, would more 

 readily accelerate its advance to perfection, by 



* Goldsmith, vol. vi. p 52, 



