THE OSTRICH. 131 



fnofs, and, laftly, a warm coat of feathers or down. The eider duck is 

 particularly remarkable for the warmth of its neft. The infide lining, on 

 which the eggs are depofited, is the fofteft, warmeft, and lighted fubftancc 

 with which we are acquainted. This is the infide down which covers the 

 breafl: of the bird in the brecding-feafon. This the female plucks ofF 

 with her bill. The natives watch the place where Ihe begins to build, 

 and, fuffering her to lay, take away both eggs and neft. Not difcou- 

 raged by this difappointment, fhe builds and lays in the fame place a fe- 

 cond timej and this they alfp take away : the third time (ht builds, but 

 the drake muft fupply the down from his breaft to line the neft with; and, 

 if this be robbed, they forfakc the place, and breed there no more. They 

 are in general birds of paffagc, and moft probably perform their journeys 

 Acrofs the ocean, as well on the water as in the air. 



Ducks flying in the air are often lured down by the loud voice of the 

 mallard below. Nature feems to have lurnifhed this bird with very par- 

 ticular faculties for calling. The wind-pipe, where it begins to enter the 

 lungs, opens into a kind of bony cavity, where the found is refle(5l:ed as in 

 a mulical inftrument, and is heard a great way off. To this call all the 

 ttragslers refort. Though a timorous bird, yet they are ealily deceived. 

 Above thirty thoufand have been fent up, in one feafon, from ten decoys 

 in the neighbourhood of Wainfieet, 



THE OSTRICH. 



THE Oftrich is the largeft of birds; fome brouo;ht into England were 

 r • CD C. 



leven feet high. The head and bill fomewhat refembie thole of a 



duck ; and the neck that of a fwan ; but is much longer ; the legs and 

 thighs refemble thofe of an hen ; from its fize and appearance the Ara- 

 bians call it the Camel-bird. From the back to the ground four feet; 

 the head and neck three. From the top of the head to the rump, when 

 the neck is ftretched out, fix feet; the tail about a foot; a wing, without 

 the feathers, a foot and a half; with the feathers, three feet. The plu- 

 mage generally black and white; fome grey. The greatelt feathers are 

 at the extremities of the wings and tail, generally white. The next row 

 is black and white; the fmall feathers, on the back and belly, are fome 

 white, others black; no feathers on the fides, on the thighs, nor under the 

 wings. The lower part of the neck, about halfway, is covered with ftill 

 Part ly. No. 27. Z fmaller 



