Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/95

Oct.] All the motions of the pelican are conducted with admirable dexterity: it does not dart head foremot, like mot other birds that eek their food in the water; but placing its feet and neck horizontally and level with each other, it trikes the air above it with its pinions, and then laying them crosways upon its back, o as to afford the leat poible reitance to the atmophere, darts down upon its prey, and eizes it almot the intant it has left the water.

We all of us pitied the poor flying-fih when we oberved the atonihing kill of its enemy, which very eldom mies its aim. As the flying-fih raies itelf but to a very mall ditance from the urface of the ea, the pelican would run the rik of falling into the water, did it not poes the art of breaking its fall by uddenly expanding its wings, o as to be immediately able to mount again in quet of another victim.

Though nature has given the flying-fih the power of living both in the water and in the air, it is very difficult for them to ecape from their numerous enemies. If they evade the puruit of the bonitos and dorados, by quitting the water, the pelican awaits them in the air. Some of them, reduced to this dilemma, were obliged to light upon our veel.

I found in the tomachs of everal bonitos a number