IN FEATHERS AXD FUR. 109 
of them have. It would be impossible for me to feed so many, 
I'm sure — and have anything to eat myself. 
Our family has its aristocratic members, like most other 
families. One of these is called the Crested Pelican, because he 
wears a sort of crest on his head, but in other respects, he's no 
better than the rest of us. 
Another is called the Spectacled Pelican, because he has a 
piece of naked §kin around the eye, which makes him look as 
though he had on what you call spectacles. It is rather curious, 
but I must say I don't admire it myself. 
There used to be an absurd story about pelicans. Even the 
books written by scientific men, repeated the story. But it is now 
an exploded humbug, and I tell it to you to make you laugh. 
It was said that Mamma Pelican pierced her own breast with 
the hook she has at the end of her beak, and fed her children on 
her own blood. And she was held up as a model mother, above all 
common mothers who feed their babies on fishes, worms, and such 
things. 
But of course that is an absurdity. She presses her beak 
against her breast for the simple purpose of emptying her bag of 
fish — as I should think anybody could see. 
And now you know better than your grandpa did. 
