PELICAN, | NATURAL HISTORY. 239 
naturally] pierced, and those be better than other; and 
some be pierced by craft. And they have virtue comforta- 
tive, either of all the whole kind, or else, because they 
are besprung [sprinkled] with certain speciality, they com- 
fort the limbs; for by constraining and coarcting, they 
cleanse them of superfluous humours, And the more of 
dew and air that is drawn in, the more and the greater 
they be, but no marguerite groweth passing of half a foot. 
Also if that lightning or thundering fall, when the mar- 
guerite should breed of the dew that is drawn in, the shell 
closeth by sudden fear, and so the gendering faileth, and 
is cast out. Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. xvi. § 62. 
Tue shell that is the mother-of-pearl, as soon as it per- 
ceiveth and feeleth a man’s hand within it, by and by 
she shutteth, for well wotteth she that for her riches she 
is sought for; but let the fisher look well to his fingers, 
for if she catch his hand between, off it goeth. Some say 
that these mother-pearls have their kings and captains as 
bees have. Holland’s Pliny, bk. ix. ch. xxxv. 
Pelican. 
Hamer, iv. 5, 146. 
A Perxican is a bird of Egypt. And there be two 
manner Pelicans : one dwelleth in water and eateth fish, and 
the other dwelleth on land and loveth wilderness, and eateth 
venomous beasts, as lizards and other such. When the 
Pelican’s children be haught [grown], and begin to wax 
hoar, they smite the father and the,.mother in the face, 
wherefore the mother smiteth them again and slayeth them. 
And the third day the mother smiteth herself in her side, 
that the blood runneth out, and sheddeth that hot blood 
upon the bodies of her children, and by virtue of the blood 
the birds, that were before dead, quicken again. The 
Pelican is a bird with great wings, and most lean ; for all 
that he swalloweth passeth forth anon behind ; for he hath 
‘a right slipper gut, and therefore he may not hold meut 
till it be incorporate. And the serpent hateth kindly [7.e., 
by nature] this bird; wherefore when the mother passeth 
out of the nest to get meat, the serpent climbeth on the 
tree, and stingeth and infecteth the birds; and when the 
