PELICAN, in ornithology. See PELICANUS.
PELICAN, in chemistry, is a glass alembic consisting of one piece. It has a tubulated capital, from which two opposite and crooked beaks pass out, and enter again at the belly of the cucurbit. This vessel has been contrived for a continued distillation and co-hobation, which chemists call circulation. The volatile parts of substances put into this vessel rise into the capital, and are obliged to return through the crooked beaks into the cucurbit; and this without interruption, or luting and unluting the vessels.
Although the pelican seems to be a very convenient instru-
Pelicans instrument, it is nevertheless little used, and even much neglected at present; either because the modern chemists have not so much patience as the ancient chemists had for making long experiments; or because they find that two matresses, the mouth of one of which is inserted into the mouth of the other, produce the same effect.