TZ ALBATROSS—-THE PELICAN. 325

effort and with an almost imperceptible movement of wing.
The Albatross is easily caught from the stern of a ship with
a hook. Mr. Wood says: “It seems rather remarkable that
a bird that lives in or over the sea during its whole life,
should prove a landsman when taken on board. Yet, when
the Albatross is caught and placed on deck, it begins tc
stagger about, and soon becomes as thoroughly sea sick as
the most inexperienced cockney.” Mr. Earl thus describes
the haunt of the Albatross in the heights of the Island of
Tristan d’Acunha: “A death-like stillness prevailed in these
high regions, and to my ear our voices had a strange un-
natural echo, and I fancied our forms appeared gigantic,
whilst the air was piercing cold. The prospect was altogether
sublime, and filled the mind with awe. The huge Albatross
here appeared to dread no interloper or enemy; for their
young were on the ground completely uncovered, and the
old ones were stalking around them.”

The Pelican. The Pelican is one of the largest of swimming
birds. It is distinguished by the possession of a pouch which
is capable of holding two gallons of water, and which it uses
for the purposes of catching fish, and feeding its young. In
this latter operation the bird presses its pouch which hangs
beneath its beak, against its breast, and so disgorges its
contents, This action is said to have given rise to the fable
that pelicans pluck nourishment from their own breasts to
feed their young. The Pelican belongs to the South and
East of Europe and the North of Africa.

A Tame Mr. Hill, of St. Domingo, gives an interesting

Pelican. account of a tame pelican which is quoted by
Mrs. Bowdich. He says:—“The facility with which the
pelican resigns itself to fasting or feasting, was very interest-
ingly exhibited to me in a bird I saw the other day at
Passage Fort. It was a pelican of mature age; it flew back-
wards and forwards, visiting the wild flocks, and feeding
with them in the harbour during the day, and withdrew from