Chap. 66.] THE PELICAN. 527 



taught, and among land animals the mouse ; while on the other 

 hand, the elephant does what it is ordered, the lion submits to 

 the yokej and the sea-calf and many kinds of fishes are ca- 

 pable of being tamed. 



CHAP. 63. (46.) IHE MODE OF DEINKING 'WITH BIEBS. THE 



POBPHTKIO. 



Birds drink by suction ; those which have a long neck taking 

 their drink in a succession of draughts, and throwing the head 

 back, as though they were pouring the water down the 

 throat. The porphyrio^ is the only bird that seems to bite at 

 the water as it drinks. The same bird has also other pecu- 

 liarities of its own ; for it will every now and then dip its food 

 ia the water, and then lift it with its foot to its biQ, using 

 it as a hand. Those that are the most esteemed are found in 

 Commagene. They have beaJis and very long legs, of a red 

 colour. 



CHAP. 64. (47.) THE H.a;MAT0P017S. 



There are the same characteristics in the hsematopous** also, 

 a bird of much smaller size, although standing as high on the 

 legs. It is a native of Egypt, and has three toes on each foot ; 

 flies'* forming its principal food. If brought to Italy, it sur- 

 vives for a few days only. 



CHAP. 65. THE POOD OP biehs. 



AU the heavy birds are frugivorous ; while those with a 

 higher flight feed upon flesh only. Among the aquatic birds, 

 the divers** are in the habit of devouring what the other birds 

 have disgorged. 



CHAP. 66. — THE PELICAN. 



The pelican is similar in appearance to the swan, and it 

 would jbe thought that there was no difference between them 



" The Fulica porphyrio of Linnseiis, the Poule sultane of Buffon. 



.w Literally, " the blood-red foot." Cuvier says that this description may 

 apply to the sea-pie or oyster-eater, the HaBmatopus ostralegns of Linnaeus, 

 or else the long-legged plover, the Charadrius himantopus of Linnaeus, 

 hut most probably the latter, more especially if the reading here is " hi- 

 mantopus," as some editions "have it. 



85 "MusCEB," "flies," is a mistake of the copyists, Cuvier thinks, for 

 "musculi," "mussels." 



89 More cspeciaEy the Larus parasiticus, Cuvier says. 



