( 92 ) 
'the Pelican. 
rsn HIS Bird ftemed to me to be more than double the Bignels of the largeft Swan ; it mea- 
I fured from the Point of the Bill to the Angle of the Mouth 20 Inches, of our EngUJh Mea- 
fure, which is fix Inches more than any Natural Hiflorian has found it; the Academy of Paris 
.'having meafured one which was but 14 Inches, Paris Meafure I fuppofe; and our Countryman, 
iVilloiighh}\ meafured one brought from Rujfia^ which he makes 14 Inches EngUJh \ fo that I be- 
Jieve this Bird of mine muft be proportionally bigger in all its Parts than what have been before 
de ribed. I thought it fomething incredible \n Willoughby’'& Defcription, that a Man fliould put 
his Head into the Pouch under the Bill, till I faw it performed in this Bird by its Keeper, and am 
lure a fecond Man’s Head might have been put in with it at the fame Time. 
The upper Mandible is ftraight and flat, having a Ridge running along its Middle, and at the 
■Point a l emarkable Hook ; the Skin round the Eye is bare of Feathers, of a light Flelh-colour, as 
is the Bill’s both upper and lower Mandibles, except the upper toward the Point, which is of.a yel¬ 
low Green, with fome Dalhes of a dusky Lead-colour -, the Noftrils are not perceivable ; the Eyes 
are of a dark Hazel-colour the lower Part of the Bill is compofed of two flexible Sides, which it 
can open pretty wide, or draw them together at Pleafure, joined together at the Point; thefe 
Sides are joined the whole length by a loofe Skin of the Confiftence of thin Tripe, of a Yellowilh 
Colour, which it can either draw upclofe to the Bill, or let fall to a confiderable Depth from it; 
this Skin extends itfclf under the Throat; it hath rather the Appearance of the Root of a Tongue 
than what may be called a Tongue ; when it extends its Neck it appears longer in Proportion than 
reprefented in the Figure, and fometimes it is drawn in fliorter: At firfb Sight it feems to be a 
white Bird ; it hath loole Feathers on the hind Part of the Head in Form of a Creft; the whole 
Head, Neck, all the under Side, and covert Feathers within Side of the Wings, are White ; 
the Quills, or prime Feathers of the Wings, are Black ; the firft Row of covert Feathers next 
above them of a greyifh Brown; the Remainder of a lighter Greyifh Colour, intermixed with 
White; the Back and Tail are of a lightilh Grey-colour ; between the Back and Wing a little in¬ 
clining to Reddilh Colour, and fpotted with Black : The Legs and Feet are of a purplifli Flefh- 
coloLir; the Webs between the Toes of a lightifh Lead-colour; it hath four Toes, all webbed 
together, as in the Soland Goofe and Cormerant\ the two inner Toes incline backward, but do not 
Hand fo dircdfly back as in Birds that have them loofe; the Claws are of a Brownilh Colour. 
This Bird was brought from the Cape ol Good Hope by Captain Pelly^ in the India Company’s 
Service, Anno 1745. who obliged me with a Sight of it before it was expofed m London. I find no 
material Difference between this, and what has been dcfcribed by Willoughby.^ and the Academy 
olParis, (except its Sizej fo that I cannot pronounce it fpecifically different from what has been 
defcribed before. The Academy of Paris think the Bird they have defcribed is the Pelican of Ari- 
Jlotle and the Onocrotalus of Pliny ; they are alfo confirmed in the Opinion that this is a long-lived 
Bird ; for, out of a great Number kept at Verfailles, none had died for more than twelve Years, 
being the only Animals kept in Managery, of v/hich fome have not died in that Time:: The 
Wings,-when extended, meafured eleven Feet, {Paris Meafure I fuppofej. The Curious, who defire 
to examine into the Anatomy of this Bird may confult Mem. de I’Academie Royale des Sciences, depuis 
1-666. jufqtf a i 6 ^g. Tom. 3. troifieme Partie, p. 186. Mr. Willoughby has alfo oollefted the 
Accounts of former Authors, and given a Defcription himfelf of this Bird in .his.Ornithology, 
p. 32r7.,/ii(5'.. 63. See alfo Z.^ 5 ri^«’s Travels into Perfia, &c. mol. 2. p. 167. where he 
calls fit Bdbe. The Pelican feems to inhabit the greateft Part of the Old World, it being 
fQu.ndin many Climates both far North and South, as well as the intermediate Latitudes ; it being 
pretty common in Rijfta, abounding in Egypt, and fometimes found at the Cape oPGood Hope, 
:.which Country feems, by the above defcribed Bird, to breed them larger than any other Place. 
.As no Author hath given a tolerab e Figure of this Bird, my Hiflory in that Refped will 
be new, as well as in its extraordinary Magnitude* which all jche Curious in this City are 
Witnefles of, it having been publickly fhewn here. -Xbo 
