foft graft. It lays two or more white eggs, much like thofe of
the Swan, and fits about the fame length of time. If, by chance,
any perfon difturbs the bird while fitting, lhe takes the eggs
out of the neft with the bill, and drops them into the water, returning
them to their place as foon as the enemy is out of
fight *.
The chief food of the Pelican is fijh, which, when fingle, it
chiefly takes by diving: is frequently obferved hovering over the
water, and, as foon as it fees a fifh beneath, dives in an inftant,
and feldom mifies its aim, the enormous gape of the bill giving
it a greater chance of fecuring its prey. After it has by this
means filled the pouch with as great a load as it can carry, it flies
off to fome convenient point of a rock, and fwallows the filh at
leifure. When numbers of thefe are together, they have another
method of filhing, and efpecially when in company with the Corvo-
rant: thefe two fpread into a large circle, at fome diftance from
land; .the Pelicans flap with their extenfive wings above, on the
lurface, while the Corvorants dive beneath; hence the fijh contained
within the circle are driven forward toward the land, and,
as the circle lefiens by the birds coming clofer together, the fijh at
laft are driven into a fmall compafs, when their purfuers find no
difficulty of filling their bellies. In this they are attended by the
large Black-cap, and fometimes other Gulls, who likewife come in.
for a lhare. This bird is alfo obferved to make a neft in the
defarts, very far from any water; but for what reafon, Providence
alone can fuggeft, as the bird’s only fupply of fuftenance muft arife
from that element: hence it muft bring water to fupply the young,
Dec, Ruff, i. p. 142.
b y
by filling the pouch with it. It is faid that the Camels and other
beads take the advantage of quenching their thirft, by reforting
to their nefts, and, as if grateful for the fupply, never do the lead
injury to the young *. This is faid fometimes to be ufed for
domeftic fijhing, in the fame manner as the Corvorant by the
Chinefe f . I do not find the Pelican much commended for food;
though we are told that it affords better meat than the Booby, or
Man of War Bird\.
Le Pelican à bec dentelé, Brif. Orn. vi. p. 523. A.— Buf. Oif. viii. p. 309.
'J 'H I S differs from the great white Pelican in nothing, except
the having the bill toothed, and of a faffron-colour : the
legs are alfo of the fame colour, inclining to red.
Inhabits Mexico.
Le Pelican rofe de l’Ifle de Lujon, Son. Voy. p. 91. t. 54.
C I Z E of a tame Goofe, Bill black: round the eyes bare and
yellow : pouch the fame : the plumage wholly of a rofe-colour
: legs black.
Inhabits the ifland of Manilla a
# Oßeck Voy.— The Pelican has been remarked for peculiar tendernefs to its
young, in feeding them with the blood from the breaß; but this has arifen from
feeing one of thefe empty the red water bag, which it does by preffing it on the
breaft, and a perfon ignorant of the matter might ealily be miftaken.
f Hiß, des Oif. viii. p. 285.
X Dumpier's Voy. Part II. p. 71 .—-Forbidden to be eaten by the Jews, as wel|
ae the Corvorant. Levi tic. xi. 17,18.
1.
V ar. A.
SAW-BILLED P.
D escription.
Place.
2.
ROSE-COLOURED
P.
D escription.
Place.
4 E a Pelecanus