IT O: O P O E. 689 



thofe of a Partridge, but longer, and afh-coloured *. This bird" 

 isfaid to have two or three broods in a year, and to lay the eggs 

 in the holes of trees, like the Woodpecker, but in general to make no 

 neft : notwithstanding which, Bujfon obferved, that two out of 

 fix nefts, which were brought to him for infpe&ion, had a foft 

 lining of mofs, wool, leaves, feathers,, and the like j and he is of- 

 opinion, that when this is the cafe, the bird has made ufe of 

 the old neft of fome other bird. It will alfo lay, and hatch the 

 young, in holes of walls, and even on the ground. The food of 

 this bird is infefts ; and it is the exuvise of the large beetles, and 

 fuch like, with which the neft is crowded, that caufe the neft to 

 ftink fo horribly; infomuch that former authors aflferted the neft 

 to be made of excrement. 



Qlina fays, that the life of this bird- is three years ; perhaps he 

 means in a confined ftate. Buffon mentions one of them, which 

 lived with a lady for. three months,, fubfifting only on bread and 

 cheefe. This bird, contrary to the common opinion, drank fre- 

 quently, and that by gulps. Another was kept for eighteen 

 months on raw meat, and would not eat any thing el fe. 



Some authors mention a variety of this fpecies. Belon obferves Varieties,; 

 this, but does not give fufficient indications of the circumftances 

 which occafion the variety. Kolben mentions one at the Cape of 

 Good Hope -f, which is fmaller : the bill fhorter in proportion : 

 and the legs longer: the.creft too is not fo long, and has no trace 

 of white in it throughout ; and in general the plumage is lefs va-. 



* Faun. Suecic. It is here remarked, that the note of the bird imitates the.. 

 name which it is known by. 



t KolbenHiJl. da Cap. i. p. 152. I have feen one of thefe from the Cafe j 

 but it fcarcely, diifered, except in being fmaller. 



4_T riegatecL- 



