578 PELICAN. 



foft grafs. It lays two or more white eggs, much like thofe of 

 the Swan, and fits about the fame length of time. If, by chance, 

 any perfon difturbs the bird while fitting, fhe takes the eggs 

 out of the neft with the bill, and drops them into the water, re- 

 turning them to their place as foon as the enemy is out of 

 fight *. 



The chief food of the Pelican is fijh, which, when fingle, it 

 chiefly takes by diving : is frequently obferved hovering over the 

 water, and, as foon as it fees a fifti beneath, dives in an inftant, 

 and feldom mifles its aim, the enormous gape of the bill giving 

 it a greater chance of fecuring its prey. After it has by this 

 means filled the pouch with as great a load as it can carry, it flies 

 off to fome convenient point of a rock, and fwallows the fifti at 

 leifure. When numbers of thefe are together, they have another 

 method of fifhing, and efpecially when in company with the Corvo- 

 rant : thefe two fpread into a large circle, at fome diftance from 

 land; the Pelicans flap with their extenfive wings above, on the 

 furface, while the Corvorants dive beneath ; hence the fijh con- 

 tained within the circle are driven forward toward the land, and, 

 as the circle leflens by the birds coming clofer together, the fijh at 

 laft are driven into a fmall compafs, when their purfuers find no 

 difficulty of filling their bellies. In this they are attended by the 

 large Black-cap., and fometimes other Gulls, who likewife come ia 

 for a fhare. This bird is alfo obferved to make a neft in the 

 dejarts, very far from any water ; but for what reafon, Providence 

 alone can fuggeft, as the bird's only fupply of fuftenance mull arife 

 from that element: hence it muft bring water to fupply the young, 



* Dec. Ruff, i. p. 142. 



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