220 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



be matter of great curiosity to see the stilt plover move ; 

 to observe how it can wield such a length of lever with 

 such feeble muscles as the thighs seem to be furnished 

 with. At best one should expect it to be but a bad 

 walker: but what adds to the wonder is that it has no 

 back toe. Now without that steady prop to support its 

 steps it must be liable, in speculation, to perpetual vacilla- 

 tions, and seldom able to preserve the true centre of 

 gravity. 



The old name of himantopus is taken from Pliny ; and, 

 by an awkward metaphor, implies that the legs are as 

 slender and pliant as if cut out of a thong of leather. 

 Neither Willughby nor Ray, in all their curious re- 

 searches either at home or abroad, ever saw this bird. 

 Mr. Pennant never met with it in all Great-Britain, but 

 observed it often in the cabinets of the curious at Paris. 

 Hasselquist says that it migrates to Egypt in the autumn : 

 and a most accurate observer of Nature has assured me 

 that he has found it on the banks of the streams in 

 Andalusia. 



Our writers record it to have been found only twice in 

 Great-Britain. From all these relations it plainly appears 

 that these long legged plovers are birds of South Europe, 

 and rarely visit our island ; and when they do are 

 wanderers and stragglers, and impelled to make so distant 

 and northern an excursion from motives or accidents for 

 which we are not able to account. One thing may fairly 

 be deduced, that these birds come over to us from the 

 continent, since nobody can suppose that a species not 

 noticed once in an age, and of such a remarkable make, 

 can constantly breed unobserved in this kingdom. 



