276 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Anecdotes by Faber, &c. 



this, they rush to the spot, and, after leaving a 

 small quantity for the bird, carry off the re- 

 mainder. 



The female feeds her young with fish mace- 

 rated for some time in her bag; and when they 

 cry, flies off for a new supply. Labat informs 

 us, that he took two pelicans when very young, 

 and tied them by the leg to a post stuck into the 

 ground ; and he had the pleasure of seeing the 

 old one come for several days to feed them, re 

 maining with them the greatest part of the day, 

 and spending the night on the branch of a tree 

 that hung over them. They all three thus be- 

 came so familiar as to suffer themselves to be 

 handled ; and the young ones always took the fish 

 that he offered to them, storing it first in their 

 bag, and then swallowing it,at leisure. 



The pelican has often been rendered entirely 

 domestic ; and a writer assures us, that he saw 

 one among the Americans so well trained that it 

 would, on command, go off in the morning, and 

 return before night with its pouch distended with 

 prey, part of which it was made to disgorge, 

 and the rest it was permitted to retain for its 

 trouble. 



According to the account of Faber, a pelican 

 was kept in the court of the Duke of Bavaria 

 above forty years. He says that it seemed very 

 fond of being in the company of mankind ; and 

 when any one sang or played on an instrument, 

 it would stand perfectly still, turn its ear t,o the 



