BIRDS. 341 



days they become familiar, eat out of the hand, and drink a sur- 

 prising quantity of sea- water. But though they are easily ren- 

 dered domestic, they are not reared without the greatest diffi- 

 culty : for they generally pine away, for want of their natural 

 supplies, and die in a short time. While they are yet young, 

 tbeir colours are very diflFerent from those lively tints they ac- 

 quire with age. In their first year they are covered with plu- 

 mage of a white colour, mixed with gray : in the second year the 

 whole body is white, with here and there a slight tint of scarlet ; 

 and the great covert feathers of his wings are black ; the third 

 year the bird acquires all its beauty ; the plumage of the uhole 

 body is scarlet, except some of the feathers in the wings, that 

 still retain their sable hue. Of these beautiful plumes the sa- 

 vages make various ornaments ; and the bird is sometimes 

 skinned by the Europeans, to make muffs. But these have 

 diminished in their price, since we have obtained the ait of dy- 

 ing feathers of the brightest scarlet. 



CHAP. IX. 



THE AVOSETTA, OR SCOOPER; AND THE CORRIBA, OR RUNNER. 



The extraordinary shape of the Avosetta's bill might incline 

 us to wish for its history ; and yet in that we are not able to in- 

 dulge the reader. Natural historians have hitherto, like ambi- 

 tious monarchs, shown a greater fondness for extending their 

 dominions, than cultivating what they possess. While they have 

 been labouring to add new varieties to their catiJogues, tliey 

 have neglected to study the history of animals already known. 



The avosetta is chiefly found in Italy, and now and then 

 comes over into England. It is about 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 u]) like a hook, in an opposite direction to 

 tliat of the hawk or the parrot. This extraordinary bill is black, 

 flat, sharp, and flexible at the end, and about three inches and a 

 balf long. From its being bare a long way above the knee, it 



2 t b 



