Four feet, wings, and fins . A writerof the History of Mexico says the natives have a trickof breaking a pelicans wing, then tying the sufferingbird to a tree so they can gain a supply of fish with-out any trouble ; for, you see, the wounded birdbegins to scream pitifully with the pain in her wingand the efforts she makes to escape, until numbersof pelicans are attracted, each one disgorging someof the fish from his well-stocked pouch for theimprisoned bird. Then the men who have concealedthemselves, suddenly spring out and bear awaynearly all the fish. The American pelicans areoften fo
Four feet, wings, and fins . A writerof the History of Mexico says the natives have a trickof breaking a pelicans wing, then tying the sufferingbird to a tree so they can gain a supply of fish with-out any trouble ; for, you see, the wounded birdbegins to scream pitifully with the pain in her wingand the efforts she makes to escape, until numbersof pelicans are attracted, each one disgorging someof the fish from his well-stocked pouch for theimprisoned bird. Then the men who have concealedthemselves, suddenly spring out and bear awaynearly all the fish. The American pelicans areoften found fishing in shallow water; and, sometimesa fish-hawk hidden away on some high tree, watchingall the movements of the fishing pelican, succeedsmany times in stealing the fish that the pelican 256 THE SNIPES NEST. was just about to stow away in her pouch. Thepelican belongs to the PelicaitidcB family, and tothe order Anseres or Natatores. There is a very singular bird I have America, continued Mr. Dumas, which. appears to have the power of walking on water. Itbelongs to the same family as does the rail, and isabout the size of a pigeon except for its long legs,and extraordinary long and wide extended toes. 257 THE SNIPES NEST. Now, you all know of course, that a birds swimmingis simply a walking in water — that the duck orgoose simply keeps putting one leg ahead of theother, just the same as if she was walking on land—but how are you going to account for a bird walkingin water! It cannot be done, cried Frank and May. I will tell you how it appears so. This long-legged, long-toed bird, called the jacana, is so lightof body, and her toes extend over so much surface,that she iinds no difficulty in v/alking over thebroad leaves of aquatic plants, her weight being justenough to sink the leaves a little way under thesurface, making her look precisely as if she waswalking on the water. They walk upon floatingleaves for the sake of obtaining their food whichconsists o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1879
