THE PELICAN. 19S 



Thus, like some human beings, of equal value to 

 the world, do they spend their lives between eating 

 and sleeping. 



The same indolent habits attend them when they 

 sit upon their eggs and hatch their young, a time when 

 all other birds are particularly active and vigilant. 



The female lays her eggs on the sand, without the 

 least preparation of a nest, and while she is sitting on 

 them, a person may go and take them all from under 

 her, without her shewing any signs of anger, or any 

 attempt at defence. When her young are hatched, 

 she feeds them on fish, but it is only when they utter 

 cries of distress for food, that she is induced to go out 

 and bring them a supply. 



Our author says that he took two of these birds 

 when young, and tied them to a post, when he had 

 the pleasure of seeing the mother come and feed them 

 from her pouch. The young ones first took the fish, 

 and put them into their own pouches, and then eat 

 them at their leisure, or as they became hungry. 



The Pelican is easily tamed, and is a good natured 

 and harmless bird, though very unclean and disagree- 

 able. In some countries, these latter qualities are, 

 however, overlooked, and the Pelicans are trained to 

 catch fish for their masters. The natives of some 

 parts of South America, we are told, have been known 

 to educate them with so much care, that they would 

 go out without any one to direct them, and having 

 caught their pouches full of fish, would bring them to 

 their masters. 



The Chinese train them for the same purpose ; and 

 to prevent them from swallowing any of the fish while 



