314 HISTORY OF 



is said to be such, that when one dies, the other 

 never departs from the carcass, but dies with its 

 companion. It makes its nest of clay, near the 

 bodies of trees, upon the ground, of the shape of 

 an oven. 



One bird more may be subjoined to this class, 

 not for the oddity of its figure, but the peculia- 

 rity of its manners. It is vulgarly called by our 

 sailors the Buffoon Bird, and by the French the 

 Demoiselle, or Lady. The same qualities have 

 procured it these different appellations from two 

 nations, who, on more occasions than this, look 

 upon the same objects in very different lights. 

 The peculiar gestures and contortions of this 

 bird, the proper name of which is the Numidian 

 Crane, are extremely singular ; and the French, 

 who are skilled in the arts of elegant gesticula- 

 tion, consider all its motions as lady-like and 

 graceful. Our English sailors, however, who 

 have not entered so deeply into the dancing art, 

 think, that while thus in motion the bird cuts but 

 a very ridiculous figure. It stoops, rises, lifts one 

 wing, then another, turns round, sails forward, 

 then back again ; all which highly diverts our 

 seamen, not imagining, perhaps, that all these 

 contortions are but the awkward expression, not 

 of the poor animal's pleasures, but its fears. 



It is a very scarce bird : the plumage is of a 

 leaden grey ; but it is distinguished by fine white 

 feathers, consisting of long fibres, which fall from 

 the back of the head, about four inches long ; 

 while the fore-part of the neck is adorned with 

 black feathers, composed of very fine, soft, and 



