C R E E P £ 'St. 



mot unlike that of a Hoopoe; colour black: the head is "of a 

 brownifh afh at top : the hind part of the neck, the back, and 

 rump, fine blueifh afh : breaft, belly, thighs, and under tail co- 

 verts, the fame, but darker -: the throat is black, extending fome 

 way down the neck : the leffer wing coverts are rofe-colour ; the 

 greater the fame on the outfide, but black within : the greater 

 quills are blackifh, with the tips whitifh ; the outer edges of moft 

 of them, except the outer ones, are rofe-colour; the fecond, 

 third, fourth, and fifth *., have two fpots of white en the inner 

 web; the fixth has one white and one fulvous fpot; and the reft 

 -have moft of them a fulvous fpot : eight of the middle tail fea- 

 thers are blackifh, edged with grey at the end ; the two outer 

 ones on each fide have white tips : the legs and claws are black : 

 the claws very long and crooked, efpecially that of the back 

 toe. 



The female has the fame markings, and differs only in having Femals, 

 the throat and fore part of the neck white, and in wanting the 

 black fpot on the throat. It has a loud and ftrong voice, which 

 may be heard a great way off; but at the fame time it is melo- 

 dious. It lives on flies and fpiders. 



Authors mention this as a bird of Europe, being found in many 

 parts of Italy, but efpecially at Auvergne -f '. Buffon does not rank 

 it as a bird of France J; and I will venture to fay that it was ne- 

 ver found in England, whoever may affert to the contrary. This 

 is a folitary bird ; feeds on infefts, and has the fame manners 



* A feather marked in this manner is reprefented in Ediu. t. 361. 



t It is known by the name of Pic i'Awvergne. Scofoli, Salerne. 



X I find it ranked with the reft as an inhabitant of Lyons, but is little known 

 there. It never unites into bands, nor feen more than two and two together, 

 Hiji. de Lyon. i. p. 215. 



5 A 2 with 



731 



