GANGETIC HINDOOSTAN. 157 



great ftrength, and vaft length, compreffeJ, and fliarp pointed : 

 the ciixumference at the bafe of one meafured by Mr. Ives was 

 Cxteen inches ; the extent of wings fourteen feet ten inches ; 

 the length from tip of the bill to that of the claws feven feet 

 fix inches. It is a bird of a filthy afpedl, the craw appears red 

 and naked, palling over the flionlders, and returns in front, and 

 becomes pendulous, and is covered with long hair below the 

 breaft. It is a moft iifeful bird, clears the country of fnakes, 

 and noxious reptiles and infe^f^s ; many particulars are given of 

 its manners in the eleventh M.S. volume of the Outlines, 

 containing NigPvITIan Africa. In Bengal'it finiflies the work 

 begun by the Jackal and the Vulture \ they clear the carcafes 

 of animals from the flefli ; thefe remove the nuifances of the 

 bones by fwallowing them entire ; they are as familiar in Bengal 

 as in Africa, and undaunted at the fight of mankind. The In- 

 dians believe them to be invulnerable, for that they are ani- 

 mated with the fouls of the Brahmins ; they are held in great 

 veneration by both Indians and Africans. Mr. Ives miffed his 

 fhot at feveral, which the fi:anders-by obferved with great fatis- 

 fa(5lion, telling him he might flioot to eternity and never fuc- 

 ceed. 



The Lobaugung Heron, Latham, v. p. 238, is a large and Heroes. 

 elegant made fpecies. The bill long, flender, and black, with a 

 deep notch in the bafe of the upper mandible; head, neck, 

 lower part of the neck and the primaries black ; the reft of the 

 plumage white ; legs very long, and red. 



The Violet Heron, or Monichjore, Latham, vii. p. 236, is com- 

 mon, and the objed: of falconry, and is efteemed as good eating. 



The 



