98 THE CRANE KIND, 



is thought to be a bird of pafTage ; is rare. Lives on infefts, as well as 

 frogs and fifhes j hides itfelf during day, flies at night, croaking kaw 

 kaw; has long toes } feet and legs yellowilh green; bill black, llightly 

 arched J ey^s bright ; the iris forms a red or orange-coloured circle round 

 the pupil. 



THE SAVACOU 



INHABITS Guiana and Brafil; has much the fhape and fizeof the 

 night-raven; refembles him alfo in manner of life, which is the fame 

 as the heron family ; but is fingular by his bill, which refembles two 

 fpoons meeting each other by their concave parts: the upper mandible 

 has on its convex part two groovingSy which feparate the noftrils ; thefe 

 are prolonged to the middle, and form a rifing, which terminate by a 

 crooked point. The inferior mandible receives the fuperior, and, as it 

 were, frames it, being covered with the fkin of the neck : both mandibles 

 are cutting at their edges, of a very hard horny fubfbance ; the bill four 

 inches long : the bird never ufcs this powerful weapon to moleft others, 

 but in watery favannas: perched on pfoje6ting branches, he waits the paf- 

 fmg of filh, on which he darts, and inltantly rifes : he walks in a {trained 

 attitude, his neck bent, and his back humped : is wild, and keeps aloof 

 from habitations. His eyes being near the root of his bill gives him a 

 favage air. When, taken, he clatters his bill, either in anger or fear, 

 and erefts the long feathers on the top of his head. Some are grey,, feme 

 brown ; both have naked necksj whofe fkin feems capable of extenfion : 

 yellowifli toes, thin and long ; tail fliort, and does jiot exceed the wings 

 when folded. 



THE AVOCETTA or SCOOPER. 



TH E avocetta is chiefly found in Italy, but pafles into the north, 

 and moft parts of Europe, and now and then comes over into Eng- 

 land, It is about the flze of a pigeon, is a pretty upright bird, and has 

 extremely long legs for its flze, levcn or eight inches long, which arc 

 the more remarkable, as web-footed birds have fhort legs. But its An- 

 gularity of figure is the bill, which turns upward. This extraordinary 



2 bill 



