HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



65 



the water, but the Himantopodes alfo ; with other fifli- 

 ing birds which live chiefly upon the fea fliore, upon 

 the fides of lakes and rivers, and feek their food in 

 the water. Of birds of this kind there is a prodigi- 

 ous number of geefe, at leaft twenty fpecies of ducks, 

 feveral kinds of herons and egrets, with vaft num- 

 bers of fwans, gulls, water-rails, divers, king's fiftiers, 

 pelicans, and others. The multitude of ducks is fome- 

 times fo great as quite to cover the fields, and to appear, 

 at a diftance, like flocks of flieep. Among the herons 

 and egrets, fome are afli-coloured, fome perfeftly white ; 

 and others of which the plumage of the body is white, 

 while the neck, with the tips and upper part of the wings, 

 and a part of the tail, are enlivened with a bright fcarlet, 

 or a beautiful blue. The Pelican, or Onocrotalus, 

 known to the Spaniards of Mexico by the name of Jlca- 

 traz^ is fufEciently known by that great pouch or venter^ 

 as Pliny calls it, which is under its bill. There are two 

 fpecies of this bird in Mexico j the one having a fmooth 

 bill, the other a notched one. Although the Europeans 

 are acquainted with this bird, I do not know whether 

 they are equally well acquainted with the Angular cir- 

 cumfl:ance of its afllfling the fick or hurt of its own fpe- 

 cies ; a circumftance which the Americans fometimes take 

 advantage of, to procure fifli without trouble. They take 

 a live pelican, break its wing, and after tying it to a tree, 

 conceal themfelves in the neighbourhood ; there they 

 watch the coming of the other pelicans with their pro- 

 vifions, and as foon as they fee thefe throw up the fifh 

 from their pouch, run in, and after leaving a little for 

 the captive bird, they carry off the reft. 



But if the Pelican is admirable for its attention to 

 the others of its fpecies, the Toalquachilli^ is no lefs 

 Vol. I. I. wonderful 



