BIRDS. 365- 



the Goose, the Duck, the Teal, the Widgeon, and all their inu 

 merous varieties. 



In describing the birds of these three classes, I will put the 

 most remarkable of each class at the beginning of their respec- 

 tive tribes, and give their separate history ; then, after having 

 described the chiefs of the tribe, the more ordinary sorts will 

 naturally fall in a body, and come under a general description, 

 behind their leaders. But before I offer to pursue this methodi- 

 cal arrangement, I must give the history of a bird, that from the 

 singularity of its conformation, seems allied to no species ; and 

 should, therefore, be separately described — I mean the Pelican 



CHAP. II. 



THE PELICAN.* 



The Pelican of Africa is much larger in the body thu^i a 

 swan, and somewhat of the same shape and colour. Its four 



♦ The pelican affords an excellent illustration of the fifth and last Order 

 of Birds, the Swimmers; the essential character of which consists in the 

 membranous union of the toes, which renders them what is usually termed 

 web-footed, and enables them to propel themselves tipon the surface of the 

 water with g^reater or less rapidity in proportion to the greater or less com. 

 parative extent of the membrane in which their toes are enveloped. They 

 are all consequently inhabitants of marsliy situations, of the banks of rivers 

 and lakes, or of the seacoast ; and most of them seek their subsistence in 

 their mo>t cong-enial element, the water, notwithstanding that by far the 

 greater niunber of them are also endowed with very considerable powers of 

 flight, 



I/mnaeus united under the common title of Pelican':, the Cormorants, the 

 Boobies, and several other bird^, which differ from the typical species of the 

 genus by many important characters, tin' chief point of a^jreement between 

 them consisting in the form and extent of the membrane which unites the 

 toes. The Linnean group hiis subsequently been raised to the rank of a 

 family, and its component parts form several distinct genera, that which 

 comprehends the true Pelicans, the genus OnrKTotalus of Brisson, beiuij 

 cliaracterised as follows. Their bill is of very great length, straight, broad, 

 flattened above, and terminated by a slight hook ; the lower mandible con. 

 si.sts of two lateral branches, united at the point, and having interposed be- 

 tween them a membranous pouch capable of very great dilatation ; their fieir 

 toes are all enveloped to the very apex in the common membrane ; their legs 

 are short, atroiii.', and maintain theboiijin astate of efiMint)rium, tlii'ir lower 

 part beinjf entirely destitute of feather i. 



i< II 3 



