THE CRANE KIND. 



563 



sage of some sad event ; and generally found 

 or made one to succeed it. I do not speak 

 ludin-ously ; but if any person in the neighbour- 

 hood died, th-'V supposed it could not be other- 

 wise, for the night-raven had foretold it ; but 

 if no body happened to die, the death of a cow 

 or a sheep gave completion to the prophecy. 



Whatever terror it may inspire among the 

 simple, its flesh is greatly esteemed among the 

 luxurious. For this reason, it is as eagerly 

 sought after by the fowler, as it is shunned by 

 the peasant ; and, as it is a heavy-rising slow- 

 winged bird, it does not often escape him. 

 Indeed, it seldom rises but when almost trod 



upon, and seems to seek protection rather from 

 concealment than flight. At the latter end of 

 autumn, however, in the evening, its wonted 

 indolence appears to forsake it. It is then 

 seen rising in a spiral ascent, till it is quite lost 

 from the view, making at the same time a 

 singular noise very different from its former 

 boomings. Thus the same animal is often 

 seen to assume different desires ; and while 

 the Latins have given the bittern the name of 

 the star-reaching bird, (or the stellaris,) the 

 Greeks, taking its character from its more con- 

 stant habits, have given it the title of the 

 or the lazy bird. 



CHAPTER CXV1II. 



OF THE SPOONBILL, OR SHOVELER. 



AS we proceed in our description of the 

 crane kind, birds of peculiar forms offer, not 

 entirely like the crane, and yet not so far dif- 

 ferent as to rank more properly with any other 

 class. Where the long neck and stilt-like legs 

 of the crane are found, they make too striking 

 a resemblance not to admit such birds of the 

 number ; and though the bill, or even the toes, 

 should entirely differ, yet the outlines of the 

 figure, and the natural habits and dispositions, 

 being the same, these are sufficient to mark 

 their place in the general groupe of nature. 



The Spoonbill is one of those birds which 

 differs a good deal from the crane, yet ap- 

 proaches this class more than any other. The 

 body is more bulky for its height, and the bill 

 is very differently formed from that of any 

 other bird whatever. Yet still it is a compa- 

 ratively tall bird ; it feeds among waters ; its 

 toes are divided ; and it seems to possess the 

 natural dispositions of the crane. The Euro- 

 pean spoonbill is of about the bulk of a crane ; 

 but as the one is above four feet high, the 

 other is not more than three feet three inches. 

 The common colour of those of Europe is a 

 dirty white ; but those of America are of a 

 beautiful rose colour, or a delightful crimson. 

 Beauty of plumage seems to be the prerogative 

 of all the birds of that continent; and we here 

 see the most splendid tints bestowed on a bird, 

 no. 47 & 48. 



whose figure is sufficient to destroy the effects 

 of its colouring ; for its bill is so oddly fash- 

 ioned, and its eyes so stupidly staring, that its 

 fine feathers only tend to add splendour to de- 

 formity. The bill, which in this bird is so 

 very particular, is about seven inches long, 

 and running out broad at the end, as its name 

 justly serves to denote, it is there about an 

 inch and a half wide. This strangely fashion- 

 ed instrument in some is black ; in others of a 

 light gray ; and in those of America, it is of a 

 red colour, like the rest of the body. All round 

 the upper chap there runs a kind of rim, with 

 which it covers that beneath; and as for the 

 rest, its cheeks and its throat are without fea- 

 thers, and covered with a black skin. 



A bird so oddly fashioned might be expect- 

 ed to possess some very peculiar appetites ; 

 but the spoonbill seems to lead a life entirely 

 resembling all those of the crane kind ; and 

 nature, when she made the bill of this bird so 

 very broad, seems rather to have sported with 

 its form, than to aim at any final cause for 

 which to adapt it. In fact, it is but a poor 

 philosophy to ascribe every capricious variety 

 in nature to some salutary purpose : in such 

 solutions we only impose upon each other, and 

 often wilfully contradict our own belief. There 

 must be imperfections in every being, as well 

 as capacities of enjoyment. Between both, 



4M 



