446 Contributions towards the Natural History 



neck, a little longer in proportion than it is in that bird when 

 it raises its head. The eye is black and lively, and the head 

 without any crest or tuft. They do not fly, their wings being 

 too short to support the weight of their bodies ; they only use 

 them in beating their sides, and in whirling round ; when they 

 wish to call one another, they make, with rapidity, twenty or 

 thirty rounds in the same direction, during the space of four 

 or five minutes ; the movement of their wings then makes a 

 noise which approaches exceedingly that of a kestrel (Cre- 

 cerelle), and which is heard at more than 200 paces distant. 

 The bone of the false pinion is enlarged at its extremity, and 

 forms, under the feathers, a little round mass like a musket- 

 bullet ; this and their beak form the principal defence of this 

 bird. It is extremely difficult to catch them in the woods; but 

 as a man runs swifter than they, in the more open spots it is 

 not very difficult to take them ; sometimes they may even be 

 approached very easily. From the month of March until 

 September, they are extremely fat, and of most excellent fla- 

 vour, especially when young. The males may be found up to 

 the weight of 4^ lb. ; Herbert even says 50 lb. 



" The female is of admirable beauty. Some are of a blond, 

 others of a brown, colour ; I mean by blond the colour of 

 flaxen hair. They have a kind of band, like the bandeau of 

 widows, above the beak, which is of a tan colour. One feather 

 does not pass another over all their body, because they take 

 great care to adjust and polish them with their beak. The 

 feathers which accompany the thighs are rounded into a shell- 

 like form, and, as they are very dense at this place, produce a 

 very agreeable effect. They have two elevations over the 

 crop, of a somewhat whiter plumage than the rest, and which 

 resemble wonderfully the fine breast of a woman. They walk 

 with so much stateliness and grace combined, that it is impos- 

 sible not to admire and love them ; so much so, that their 

 appearance has often saved their life. 



" Although these birds approach, at times, very familiarly 

 when they are not chased, they are incapable of being tamed ; 

 as soon as caught, they drop tears, without crying, and refuse 

 obstinately all kind of nourishment, until at last they die. 

 There is always found in their gizzard (as well as in that of 

 the males) a brown stone, the size of a hen's egg ; it is slightly 

 tuberculated (raboteuse), flat on one side, and rounded on the 

 other, very heavy and very hard. We imagined that this 

 stone was born with them, because, however young they might 

 be, they always had it, and never more than one; and besides 

 this circumstance, the canal which passes from the crop to the 

 gizzard, is by one half too small to give passage to such a 



