THE ALBATROSS— THE PELICAN. 325 



effort and with an almost imperceptible movement of wing. 

 The Albatross is easily caught from the stem of a ship with 

 a hook. Mr. Wood says : " It seems rather remarkable that 

 a bird that lives in or over the sea during its whole life, 

 should prove a landsman when taken on board. Yet, when 

 the Albatross is caught and placed on deck, it begins to 

 stagger about, and soon becomes as thoroughly sea sick as 

 the most inexperienced cockney." Mr. Earl thus describes 

 the haimt of the Albatross in the heights of the Island of 

 Tristan d'Acunha : " A death-like stillness prevailed in these 

 high regions, and to my ear our voices had a strange un- 

 natural echo, and I fancied our forms appeared gigantic, 

 whilst the air was piercing cold. The prospect was altogether 

 sublime, and filled the mind with awe. The huge Albatross 

 here appeared to dread no interloper or enemy; for their 

 young were on the ground completely uncovered, and the 

 old ones were stalking around them. " 



The Pelican. The Pelican is one of the largest of swimming 

 birds. It is distinguished by the possession of a pouch, which 

 is capable of holding two gallons of water, and which it uses 

 for the purposes of catching fish, and feeding its young. In 

 this latter operation the bird presses its pouch which hangs 

 beneath its beak, against its breast, and so disgorges its 

 contents. This action is said to have given rise to the fable 

 that pelicans pluck nourishment from their own breasts to 

 feed their young. The Pelican belongs to the South and 

 East of Europe and the North of Africa. 



A Tame Mr. Hill, of St. Domingo, gives an interesting 

 Pelican, account of a tame pelican which is quoted by 

 Mrs. Bowdich. He says:— "The facility with which the 

 pelican resigns itself to fasting or feasting, was very interest- 

 ingly exhibited to me in a bird I saw the other day at 

 Passage Fort. It was a pelican of mature age; it flew back- 

 wards and forwards, visiting the wild flocks, and feeding 

 with them in the harbour during the day, and withdrew from 



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