Pelecanid^.- 
BIRDS. The Gannet, 431 
Family VI.— PELEGANID^. 
Tlie birds forming this last family of the order Nata- 
tores, and concluding our review of the class of birds, 
are at once distinguishable from all others by the struc- 
ture of their feet, which have the hinder toe turned 
inwards, and united by a narrow triangular Aveb with 
the inner anterior toe — fig. 137. They have a head 
Fig. 137. 
Foot of Pelican 
of small or moderate size, supported upon a long and 
slender neck, and armed with a bill which is also usually 
elongated in its form, and terminated either by a sharp 
point, or, as far as the upper mandible is concerned, by 
a hooked nail. The legs, which are generally short and 
stout, are not placed very far back, and the wings are 
generally of great extent and power. These birds are 
all great destroyers of fish, which constitute their sole 
nourishment. In other respects their habits exhibit 
much diversity, and will be best understood by referring 
to examples of the difierent forms occurring in the 
family. 
THE COMMON PELICAN {Pelecanus Onocrotalus). 
— The Pelicans are distinguished by their very long 
bills, of which the upper mandible is terminated by 
a hook, and the lower one furnished with an enor- 
mous pouch, formed of a naked leathery skin, in 
which the birds are enabled to stow away the fishes 
which they capture in their excursions over the surface 
of the rivers. They are large and powerful birds, the 
species now under consideration measuring between 
five and six feet in length, and twelve or thirteen in 
expanse of wing. Its plumage is white, with more or 
less of a rosy tinge, and the nail at the tip of the upper 
mandible is bright red. This bird frequents both the 
seas and the fresh waters of Asia, Africa, and Eastern 
Europe, and is generally seen in small flocks. It swims 
and flies exceedingly well, and, notwithstanding its 
large size, perches freely upon the branches of trees. 
When seeking its food, the Pelican sweeps on its enor- 
mous wings at some little height above the surface of 
the water, until it perceives a fish passing beneath it, 
when it instantly dashes down upon its victim with the 
most astonishing velocity, and with such precision, that 
it rarely misses its aim. The fish when captured is 
stowed away in the great yellow pouch under the chin, 
and the Pelican then flies on to seek more prey. The 
nest of this bird consists of a mass of grass, sedges, and 
other aquatic plants; and is usually placed quite close 
to the edge of the water. The eggs are two or three 
in number. During the process of incubation, the male 
is said to furnish his partner with food, and when the 
young are hatched both parents are assiduous in 
attending upon them. In disgorging their prey for the 
nourishment of their young, the birds are described as 
pressing the pouch against the breast; and it is gene- 
rally supposed that the notion which prevailed amongst 
the ancients, and came down nearly to our own day, 
that the Pelican in times of scarcity nourished her 
young with her own blood, must have originated in the 
observation of the gesture above-mentioned, when the 
bright red tip of the bill, strongly contrasted with the 
pure white plumage of the breast, Avould easily produce 
the impression of a spot of blood. About ten otlier 
species of Pelicans are known to naturalists. They are 
scattered over almost the whole World, but agree in 
their general habits. 
THE GANNET {Sula Bassana), also called the So- 
LAND Goose, and sometimes the Booby, is another 
large species of this family, which is found in thousands 
upon certain parts of the coast of Britain, and occurs 
elsewhere on the shores both of Europe and North 
America. One of its best known British stations is 
the Bass rock in the frith of Forth, from which, indeed, 
its specific name is derived. The adult Gannet is nearly 
three feet in length, and is of a white colour, with the 
naked skin of the sides of the face blue, the head and 
neck yellowish or buff, and the primary feathers black. 
The young bird exhibits a blackish plumage, more or 
less spotted with wliite. 
In their mode of life the Gannets much resemble the 
Pelicans. They fly rapidly over the surface of the sea 
in search of the fishes on which they feed, and on seeing 
their prey beneath them, immediately rise into the air 
to gain sufficient impetus to carry them down to the 
requisite depth in the water, and then closing their 
wings, descend perpendicularly upon their intended 
victim, which, indeed, they rarely miss. They are 
very partial to herrings, pilchards, and sprats, which, 
swimming in large shoals, and alwa 3 's near the surface 
of the water, insure them a good supply of food, and 
the fishermen, when they see a flock of Gannets busily 
engaged, know at once where to direct their boats. 
The nest of the Gannet consists of a mass of weeds 
and grass, placed upon a ledge of rock. In this the 
female lays a single white egg, and the young bird when 
liatched is furnished with an abundant supply of food 
by its parents. On the Bass rock the young birds are 
taken in considerable numbers every year, and sold for 
food at a low price. They are clothed with a beautifu. 
white down, said to be quite equal to swan’s-down for 
making tippets, &c. The old birds are taken for the 
sake of their feathers. A method sometimes adopted 
for securing them consists in fixing a herring upon a 
board and towing it along the surface of the sea; the 
Gannets, seeing it, dart down upon it immediately, and 
generally kill themselves by the force with which tliey 
strike the board. On tlie Bass rock, where they are 
protected, they become so tame that they Avill allow 
