THEFLAMINGO, )^t 



Inhabits the fides of the fea, lakes, and marfhes ; feeds on frogs, toads, 

 fifh, fhell fifh, aquatic infeds, and worms, and throws up the fhells after 

 digefting the flefh ; alfo on ferpcnts, of which, particularly at the Cape of 

 Good-Hope, they deftroy great nunibers. The inhabitants efteem them 

 as formerly the ancient Egyptians did their Ibis : he runs tamely about 

 their houfes j a ufeful, if not a beautiful companion. 



This bird breeds in Europe, in company with the heron, in high trees; 

 and in a neft formed of fimilar materials. Willoughby mentions a certain 

 *« grove, at a village called Seven Huys, near Leyden, where ihey build 

 and breed yearly in great numbers. Here, alfo, the heron, the bittern, 

 the cormorant, and the fhag refide, and annually bring forth together. 

 Here the crane kind fcem to have formed their general rendezvous; and, 

 as the inhabitants fay, every fort of bird has its feveral quarter, where 

 none but their own tribe are permitted to refide. Of this grove the pea- 

 fants make good profit.*' It is now deftroyed. 



The fpoonbill is very noify in hatching-time j lays three to five eggs, 

 white, powdered with a few pale fpots. The fpecies is fpread through- 

 Out the world, but is no where numerous. 



THE FLAMINGO. 



TH E Flamingo is the moft remarkable of all birds refembling the 

 crane, the talleft, flendercft, and moft beautiful. The body fcarce 

 equals that of a fwan j but its legs and neck are fo long, that when ered: 

 it exceeds fix feet high. Its wings, extended, are five feet fix inches from 

 tip to tip ; and it is four feet eight inches from tip to tail. 



Its plumage is bright fcarlet, or flame-coloured (whence its name), 

 fome fpots deeper, fome lighter i the tips of the wings conflantly black, 

 their upper parts remarkably vivid fcarlet ; this colour gradually extends 

 to the back, the rump, the breaft, and on to the neck i the upper part of 

 the neck, and the head, are covered with down j only the top of the head 

 is bare of feathers. 



Its bill is of a very extraordinary form, feven inches long, flat, and 

 very ftrongly turned downwards at half its length ; his head and throat 

 fecm fwelled to fupport this bill, efpecially the inferior mandible ; the 

 fuperior mandible is rather longer than the inferior, to include it ; the 

 edges of both are furniftied with a row of (harp fmall teeth, turning back- 

 wards ; this bill is in its firft part black, in its bent part red, but this 



0^2 varies. 



