OF SELBORNE. 85 



site name of Vechasse. My specimen, when 

 drawn and stuffed with pepper, weighed 

 only four ounces and a quarter, though 

 the naked part of the thigh measured three 

 inches and an half, and the legs four inches 

 and an half. Hence we may safely assert 

 that these birds exhibit, weight for inches, 

 incomparably the greatest length of legs of 

 any known bird. The flamingo, for in- 

 stance, is one of the most long-legged birds, 

 and yet it bears no manner of proportion 

 to the himantopus; for a cock flamingo 

 weighs, at an average, about four pounds 

 avoirdupois ; and his legs and thighs mea- 

 sure usually about twenty inches. But four 

 pounds are fifteen times and a fraction more 

 than four ounces, and one quarter ; and if 

 four ounces and a quarter have eight inches 

 of legs, four pounds must have one hun- 

 dred and twenty inches and a fraction of 

 legs; viz. somewhat more than ten feet; 

 such a monstrous proportion as the world 

 never saw ! If you should try the experi- 

 ment in still larger birds the disparity 

 would still increase. It must be matter of 



