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474 



T H 



NAT 



R AL* 



H 



O R 





every language, in their gabblings. 



They feed generally upon fruits and other ve 

 table productions,' and~are frequently ferved up at table while young. The bill is 



about the length of the middle digits, ftraight, and flightly compreffed at the fides; 



rr 



but the upper part is fomewhat longer than the under one. In the natural pofition 

 of the bird the wings ftretch beyond the middle of the tail. . 



The Savanna Blackbird 



CROTOPHAGUS i. Ater, rojiro breviori com- 



prejjo J'uperne arcuato-cultrato. 



The Savanna Blackbird of Cat. app. t. 3. 



This bird is about the fize of a Barbary Dove, or fomething larger, black 



_ _ _ _ _ a. m. m *m m w A * **»» '» * 



all over, and fplay- footed like a parrot. It has a long fquare tail, a broad compreffed 

 bill, and a fhort thin tongue ; but the beak, or upper part of the bill, is flatted 

 on the fides, arched and fharp above, and ftraight at the edges below. They live 

 chiefly upon ticks and other fmall vermin; and may be frequently feen jumping 

 about all the cows and oxen in the fields : nay, they are often obferved to fly on their 

 backs, unlets they lie down for them, which, if much troubled with ticks, they 

 generally do when they fee the birds about them ; but if the bead: be heedlefs, they 

 hop once or twice round it, looking very earneftly in the face every time they pafs, 

 as if they ftremed to know that it was only requifite to be feen, 

 They are very noify birds, and one of the moft common forts in all the paftures of 



to be indulged 



^Jamaica: their flight is low and fhort. 





PICUS 1. Pullus albo variegatus, vertice coccineo, lin 



gad ad apicem barbatd. 





The Wood-pecke 



Picus niger crijl 



Barr. 143 



I do not know whether it be peculiar to this fpeciesto have a flender bearded point 

 the tongue, not having an opportunity of examining many of the fort ; but, if not, 

 is a very peculiar circumftance omitted in the character of the genus. The bird 



ly of the iize of a Barbary D 



with a long bill and fhort rounded wings 



The tongue is very thin and flender at the top, and furnifhed with feven 



flender ft iff brift 



both fides; but bel 



it is 



d and mufcular 



ke 



a 



worm, and terminates in two long mufcular and tendinous branches, which enable 



to a considerable length, and contract again to its ufual limits, at 



ftretch 



pleafure 



ning in fo many loofe vao; 



on both fides of the fkull 



the 



fore part of the forehead, where they are fixed near the bafe of the bill. The 



divided into pairs, as in the reft of the kind 



d furnifhed with fharp, arched 



nails, which enables it to hold to the trunk or limb of any timber or tree in whatever 

 fituation it pleafes to fix itfelf. It generally lights on decayed trees, and, on knock- 

 ing with its bill, foon finds by the found where it is hollow, and where the fhell is 

 thinned: over the c; 

 fets the bill to wo 



ty : juft there it fixes, and 

 k fo quick that the founds feem to fucceed 



the mufcles of the neck 



one another 



ly as the half notes in a quick-played jig. It foon makes a hoi 



the bill to get in, and then picks out whateve 



if the fpoil mould be too rem 



for the body. It neftles alio 



from both fnakes and hawks. 



tail, which are always fixed againft the body of 



th its 



g 



for 



but 



% it goes again to work, and foon makes a pafTage 

 fuch places, and thereby generally fecures its young 



very beautiful bird ; but the feathers of the 



It 



better to fupport itfelf when in action 



limb or tree it works 



fo many naked flu, lu 

 The bill of thi 



generally much worn,, and look like 



*** 





d much 



11 of this bird is ftraight, tapering, obtufely triangular, 



nger than any of its digits: it is flatted on the fides, and pointed, in the form 

 wed 



of 



& 



are 



at the top. The mouth ftretches pretty high, and the nafal aperture 



ied. low 



d covered 



■ 



The eyes 



fm 



black eyelids. The feathers about the eyes, nof< 



d black, and furrounded 

 and throat, are whitith ; 



but 



/ 



< 



