THE PELICAN. 



Pellc.iws Osocrotalus. Linn. 



The family of Swimming Birds to which the Pehcans 

 give name is distinguished from all the other subdi- 

 visions of that order by the extension of the membrane 

 connecting the three anterior toes in such a manner as 

 to include the posterior also, which is thus brought 

 forward as it were into the same series with the rest. 

 The birds of this family consequently offer the most 

 perfect examples of a completely webbed foot. They 

 were all regarded by Ray as forming a single genus, 

 from which Linnaus subsequently withdrew the Tropic- 

 bird and the Anhinga, as the types of two new generic 

 forms. Brisson and later naturalists have with great 

 propriety carried still farther the principle of subdivision 

 adopted by Linnseus ; and the genus Pelecanus of the 



