AVES—MERGANSER...PELICAN. 673 
mehes long, of a kind of dusky ash color, the feathers on each side shorten- 
mg gradually. The female has no crest; the sides of the head red; the 
wings of a dusky ash color; the throat is white. In other respects it agrees 
with the male. 
THE HOODED MERGANSER! 
Is a native of North America, and peculiar to that country. It is common 
on the coasts of New England, and breeds in the arctic regions. It is about 
the size of a widgeon. The head and neck are dark brown; the former sur- 
rounded with a large round crest, the middle of which is white. The back 
and quills are black, the tail dusky ; and the breast and belly white, undu- 
lated with black. The female is fainter in the color of her plumage, and 
has a smaller crest. 

THE PELICAN, 
Tue great white pelican of Africa? is much larger than aswan. Its four 
toes are all webbed together; and its neck, in some measure, resembles that 
of a swan; but that singularity in which it differs from all other birds, is in 
the bill, and the great pouch underneath, which are wonderful, and demand 
a distinct description. This enormous bill is fifteen inches from the point to 
the opening of the mouth, which is a good way back behind the eyes. The 
base of the bill is somewhat greenish; but it varies towards the end, being of 
a reddish blue. To the lower edges of the underchap hangs a bag, reaching 
the whole length of the bill to the neck, which is said to be capable of con- 
taining fifteen quarts of water. This bag the bird has a power of wrinkling 
up into the hollow of the under chap; but, by opening the bill, and putting 
one’s hand down into the bag, it may be distended at pleasure. It is nv. 
covered with feathers, but a short downy substance, as smooth and soft as 
satin. Tertre affirms, that this pouch will hold as many fish as will serve 
sixty hungry men fora meal. Such is the formation of this extraordinary 
bird, which isa native of Africa and America. It was once also known 
—s 

1 Mergus cucullatus, Lr. 
2The genus Pelicanus has the bill long, straight, broad, much depressed; upper man- 
dible flattened, terminated by a nail, or very strong hook; the lower formed by two long 
branches, which are depressed, flexible, and united at the tip; from these branches is sus- 
nded a naked skin, in form of a pouch; face and throat naked; nostrils basal, in the 
orm of a narrow longitudinal slit; legs short and stout; all the four toes connected bj 
a web. 
3 Pelicanus onocrotalus, Lin. 
57 
