574- 



CruW'fntl. 



Jrrat. 



AMERICA Chap. XVIII. 



to them) there are here alio many rare fores of Birds, as the white Birds call'd 

 Aigmm. ji'tgrutos^ which are fomewhat bigger than Crows, with red Bills and Feet, and 

 curious Plumes on their Heads • they often flye a great way off at Sea. 



The large Bird call'd The Crait>~fowl, which feeds on Fifli, hath a thick Head, a 

 long flat Bill, hollow Eyes, and a fhort Neck, under which hangs the Maw, big 

 enough to contain a Pail full of Water ; On the Trees along the Sca.fide they 

 watch for Fifli which fwim near the top of the Water, and by their attentivenefson 

 their Prey, are eafily fliot themfelves. 



Here islikewife the Bird Arras, of the bignefs of a Pheafant, but more refem- 

 bling aParraquito: their long Tail confifts of divers colour'd Feathers, fome 

 have fliining skye*colour'd Heads, Backs, and Necks, their Bellies and Wings of a 

 pale Yellow ; they are fo ftout, or rather fo fimple, that if they arc not hit with the 

 firft Shot, they will flay for a fecond : They alfo learn to talk, but not fo di- 

 ftinctly as the Canides, which are no way inferior in beauty to the Arras , nay exceed 

 them very much : Monfieur du Montell above mentioned, feeing one at Corajfap, dc- 

 feribes it after this manner : 



" It defcrves to be numbrcd (faith he) amongft the moft beautiful Birds in the 

 u W.orld : I took fo particular notice of it, having had of them in my Hands ma- 

 ny times, that I have the Idea's of it (till frefh in my Memory, Under the Belly, 

 Wings, and Neck, it was of a waving Aurora- colour, the Back, and one half of 

 the Wings, of a very bright Skye-colour, the Tail and greater Feathers of the 

 <c Wings were mix'd with a fparkling Carnation, diverfifi'd with a Skye-colour, 

 €i as upon the Back a Grafs-green and fhining Black, which very much added to 

 " the Gold and Azure of the other Plumage : But the moft beautiful part was the 

 " Head, cover'd with a Murrey Doun, checquer'd with Green, Yellow, and a pale 

 Blue, which reach 'd down wavingly to the Back : The Eye-lids were white, 

 and the Apple of the Eye yellow and red as a Ruby Set in Gold : It had upon 

 a the Head a certain Tuft or Cap of Feathers of a Vermilion Red, fparkling like a 

 lighted Coal, which was encompaiVd by feveral other lcffer Feathers of a Pearl- 



Dcfctiption 

 of the frM/- 



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it 



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lour. 



" If it were rccommendable for all thefe extraordinary Ornaments, it was much 

 "more for its Familiarity and Innocency 5 for though it had a crooked Beak, and 

 " that the Claws with which it held its Meat and brought it to its Beak, were fo 

 f ' fliarp as to take away whatfoever it faftned upon, yet was it fo tame as to play 

 " with little Children and never hurt them ; and when one took him into his Hand, 

 u he fo contracted his Claws, that the fharpnefs of them could not be felt : He had 

 " this Quality of a Dog, That he would Lick with his fliort and thick Tongue 

 cc thofe who made much of him and gave him fomething he lik'd, put his Head to 

 " their Cheeks to Kifs and Carefs them, a v nd exprefling his Acknowledgments by 

 " a thoufand pretty Infinuations, he would fuifer himfelf to be put into whatpo- 

 « fture one would, and took a certain pleafure in diverting thofe he thought his 

 < l Friends : But as he was mild and tractable to thofe who were kind to him, fo 

 cc was he mifchievous and irreconcileable tofuch as had injur'd him, and he could 

 " diftinguifli them from others, and make them feel the fharpnefs of his Beak 

 " and Claws. 



" He pratled in the D«fc/?,6>4wi/^,and Indian Languages, and in the laft he fung Airs 

 " as a natural Indian : He alfo imitated the Cries of all forts of Poultrey and other 

 " Creatures about the Houfe • he call'd all his Friends by their Names and Sir- 

 " names, flew to them as foon as he faw them, efpecially when he was hungry ; if 

 " they had been abfent, and that he had not feen them a long time, he cxprefs'd 



"his 



