RUFOUS-NECKED PELICAN, 413 



distance, his triangular dorsal cutting the water 

 and revealing his progress, and his intentions. The 

 Pelicans were alert, however, and did not choose 

 a near acquaintance with their insidious admirer, 

 each one rising into safety upon the wing as 

 he approached. I fear he went without his sup- 

 per on that occasion. 



The following interesting note, I quote from 

 a valuable paper by Mr. Hill, "'On the aerating 

 powers of birds," read at a meeting of the Ja- 

 maica Society, June 1st, 1840. "The facility with 

 which the Pelican resigns itself to fasting, or 

 rouses itself to feasting, was very interestingly ex- 

 hibited to me in a bird, I saw the other day at 

 Passage Fort. It was a domesticated Pelican, of 

 mature age: it winged backward and forward, 

 visiting the wild flocks, and feeding with them 

 in the harbour during the day, and withdrew 

 from them to roost in its master's yard during 

 the night. In that period of restraint, when it 

 was necessary to observe the caution of drawing 

 its quill feathers, to keep it within very diminish- 

 ed capabilities of flight, until it became familiar 

 and domesticated, it was wholly dependent on the 

 fish provided for it by the fishermen of the beach. 

 Sunday was no fishing day with these men ; and 

 this was regularly a day on which there were no 

 supplies for the Pelican. It became in time so 

 conscious of the recurrence of this fast-day, that 

 although at all other times it went daily down 

 to the sea-side to wait the coming in of the 

 canoes, on the seventh day it never stirred from the 



