THE BE OWN PELICAN. 
195 
Gull at that instant alights on the bill of the Pelican, or on its head, and 
seizes the fry at the moment they were perhaps congratulating themselves 
on their escape. This every body on board the Marion observed as well as 
myself, while that vessel was at anchor in the beautiful harbour of Kej 
West. To me such sights were always highly interesting, and I doubt if in 
the course of my endeavours to amuse you, I ever felt greater pleasure than 
I do at this moment, when, with my journal at my side, and the Gulls and 
Pelicans in my mind’s eye as distinctly as I could wish, I ponder on the 
faculties which Nature has bestowed on animals which we merely consider 
as possessed of instinct. How little do we yet know of the operations of 
the Divine Power ! On the occasions just mentioned, the Pelicans did not 
manifest the least anger towards the Gulls. 
On the ground this species is by no means so active, for it walks heavily, 
and when running, which it now and then does while in play, or during 
courtship, it looks extremely awkward, as it then stretches out its neck, 
partially extends its wings, and reels so that one might imagine it ready to 
fall at each step. If approached when wounded and on the water, it swims 
off with speed, and when overtaken, it suddenly turns about, opens its large 
bill, snaps it violently several times in succession, causing it to emit a smart 
noise in the manner of owls, strikes at you, and bites very severely. While 
I was at Mr. Bulow’s, his Negro hunter waded after one whose wing had 
been broken. The Pelican could not be seized without danger, and I was 
surprised to see the hunter draw his butcher’s knife, strike the long blade 
through the open pouch of the bird, hook it, as it were, by the lower man- 
dible, and at one jerk swing it up into the air with extreme dexterity, after 
which he broke its neck and dragged it ashore. 
The pouch measures from six to ten inches in depth, according to the age 
of the bird after the first moult. The superb male whose portrait is before 
you, and which was selected from among a great number, had it about the 
last mentioned size, and capable of holding a gallon of water, were the man- 
dibles kept horizontal. This membrane is dried and used for keeping snuff, 
gunpowder and shot. When fresh it may be extended so as to become quite 
thin and transparent, like a bladder. 
This Pelican seldom seizes fish that are longer than its bill, and the size 
of those on which it ordinarily feeds is much smaller. Indeed, several 
which I examined, had in the stomach upwards of a hundred fishes, which 
were only from two to three inches in length. That organ is long, slender, 
and rather fleshy. In some I found a great number of live blue-coloured 
worms, measuring two and a half inches in length, and about the thickness 
of a Crow-quill. The gut is about the size of a Swan’s quill, and from ten 
to twelve feet in length, according to the age of the individual. 
