PELICAN. 279 



tjuill feathers black : they were said to have been brought 

 from Hungary; a fact we are very much disposed to 

 question, since it is highly improbable that such a per- 

 fectly aquatic and almost maritime bird should inhabit 

 the heart of Central Europe; more especially, as it is so 

 rare on the warmer shores of Sicily and Italy, that, 

 although we were told it had been seen there, we never 

 could procure a specimen during a residence of six years. 

 At the time Mr. Bennett wrote, " the female was there sit- 

 ting upon three eggs, and had built herself a very perfect 

 nest. Should these be brought to maturity," he continues, 

 " as there is every reason to suspect, they will probably 

 be the first that were ever hatched in England. She 

 never quits her charge ; but is fed by the male, who 

 crams his pouch with double his usual allowance, and 

 then proceeds to shovel her fair share into his partner's 

 throat. It is in this manner, also, that the young are fed ; 

 the old bird pressing his full pouch against his chest, and 

 contriving thus to disgorge a portion of its contents; an 

 action which has, no doubt, given rise to the fabulous 

 notion of the pelican feeding its young with its own 

 blood : in fact, its appearance in this attitude, with the 

 bloody spot at the end of the bill, closely pressed against 

 the delicate plumage of the breast, may readily account 

 for the prevalence of such an idea in the minds of super- 

 ficial observers.* 



The quantity of fish necessary to keep a pair of these 

 birds is enormous ; the above two requiring no less than 

 six dozen of small live plaice every day, — a supply which 

 it would be sometimes difficult to procure : so that 

 although a pair might be retained as specimens of fish 

 devourers, their increase would not be very desirable; 

 while it is obvious that they would be altogether un- 

 suited to canals or other artificial waters, thinly stocked 

 with their living food. 



The following authentic account of its manners in a 

 state of nature, has been given by Dr. Richardson f: — 



* Tower Menagerie, 230. + North. Zool. iL 472. 



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