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CHAPTER XVIII. 
Pinnipedes; Swimming Feet. — Pelican — Fable of Drawing its 
Blood explained — Mode of Fishing. — Sea-birds feeding on Fish 
thrown up by Whales. — Cormorants — Voracity of — May be 
tamed — Fierceness of. — Frigate Bird. — Solan Goose — Light- 
ness and Buoyancy of — Nests. — Anhingas, or Darters. 
Table XXVIII. (See page 22.) 
Oedee 6. Palmipedes. Teibe 2. Pinnipedes. 
(Swimming -feet?) 
^FHEbirds of this Table are, like the preceding, web-footed, 
but they differ from tbem in having the back toe so united 
with the others as to 
form one continuous web, 
having, in some instan- 
ces, a toothed claw on 
the second toe; and what 
is very singular, not- 
withstanding this pecu- 
liarity, which it might 
be supposed, while it ren- 
dered them more fit for 
swimming, would en- 
tirely prevent their clinging to a branch, almost all of them 
can, and do frequently, perch on trees. 
The Pelican stands at the head of this list, easily distin- 
guished from all others by his capacious pouch, formed of a 
naked skin, stretched, or rather suspended from the two 
bony branches of his lower mandible. We have already 
given his picture, in speaking of the pouches peculiar to some 
birds. 
Few birds have had more marvellous stories told of them 
