90 THE CRANE KIND. 



THE NUMIDIAN CRANE -' 



IS vulgarly called by our fiilors the Buffoon Bird , by the French, the 

 Demoifelle ; very clofcly refemblcs the crane in figure and colours. 

 "When performing its gefticulations, after making fundry reverences, rifes, 

 lifts one wing, then another, turns round, fails forward, then back again; 

 walks with a good air and oftentation, often bounds and leaps gaily, as if 

 it would dance : has been called the ador, the mimic j has great vanity ; 

 loves to fhew its feats; prefers applaufe to its food, and follows fpe<5lators 

 in hopes of further infpeflion. Has two tufts of fine white feathers, con- 

 fifting of long, delicate, almoll hairy fibres, which fall from the fides of 

 the head, forming a kind of head-drefs, about four inches long ; the fum- 

 mit of the head covered with long and foft black feathers, reclining, while 

 the forepart of the neck is adorned with black feathers, compofed-of very- 

 fine long and filky fibres, that hang down upon the ftomach, and give 

 the bird a very gracefuU appearance : under the wings alfo depend long 

 and flexible tufts of feathers. Might perhaps be naturalized in Europe, 

 as it has lived and bred here, though a native of the Tropics, 



The SPATULA or SPOONBILL. 



TH E Spoonbill difi^ers much from the crane, yet approaches this 

 clafs more than any other. The European fpoonbili is about the 

 bulk of a heron ; but Ihorter in the legs. Neck furniflied with fmall 

 feathers ; thofe of the back of the head fall down the neck ; its eyes are 

 furrounded with a naked fkin ; the feet, and naked part of the legs, are 

 covered with a black fkin ; a partial membrane unites the toes. 



Its common colour is a dirty white j thofe of America are of a beauti- 

 ful rofe colour, or crimfon, and larger than the B'uropean ; its bill, which 

 is very particular, . is, about fevcn inches long, and fpreading at the end, 

 to three times the w.idth of the bill, terminating in a hooked point, as its 

 . name denotes; it is there upwards of two inches wide; the upper man- 

 dible feems to comprize the whole forehead, it is fo large. This inftru- 

 inent in fome is blacky in others of a light grey, or yellowilh, barred 

 black} in thofe of America, is red, like the body. Round the upper 

 chap runs a kind of rim, with whicii it covers that beneath j within it has 

 a long gutter,' in the upper mandible; the fubftance of this bill is not 

 hard, but flexible like leather; its tongue is not half an inch Icng, is 



triangular ; the windpipe has a double infledion. 



J Inhabits 



