338 HISTORY OF 



the size of a pigeon, is a pretty upright bird, and 

 has extremely long legs for its size. But the 

 most extraordinary part of its figure, and that by 

 which it may be distinguished from all others of 

 the feathered tribe, is the bill, which turns up 

 like a hook, in an opposite direction to that of 

 the hawk or the parrot. This extraordinary bill 

 is black, flat, sharp, and flexible at the end, and 

 about three inches and a half long. From its 

 being bare a long way above the knee, it appears 

 that it lives and wades in the waters. It has a 

 chirping, pert note, as we are told j but with 

 its other habits we are entirely unacquainted. I 

 have placed it, from its slender figure, among the 

 cranes, although it is web-footed like the duck, 

 It is one of those birds of whose history we are 

 yet in expectation. 



To this bird of the crane kind so little known, 

 I will add another still less known the Corrira 

 or Runner of Aldrovandus. All we are told of 

 it is, that it has the longest legs of all the web- 

 footed fowls, except the flamingo and avosetta ; 

 that the bill is straight, yellow and black at the 

 ends ; that the pupils of the eyes are surrounded 

 with two circles, one of which is bay, and the 

 other white : below, near the belly, it is whitish j 

 the tail, with two white feathers, black at the ex- 

 tremities ; and that the upper part of the body is 



Europe than Italy. These birds feed on worms and insects, which they 

 scoop out of the sand with their bills ; but although their feet arc webbed, 

 they have never been observed to take die water. They lay two eggs, white, 

 with a greenish hue, about the size of those of the pigeon. Whether from 

 timidity or address, the avosct shuns snares, and is not easily taken.] 



