( 90 

 The Avojetta of the Italians. Recurviroftra. 



Numb. CI. 



5TS Length from the Tip of the Bill to the End of the Tail is fourteen 

 Inches ; Breadth when the Wings are expanded twenty one Inches and a 

 quarter ; Weight nine Ounces and twelve Drams ; the Bill is three Inches 

 long, flender, black, flat or depreffed, refleded upwards, which is peculi- 

 ar to this Bird, ending in a very thin, {lender, weak Point ; the Tongue is 

 fliort, not cloven ; the Head is of a mean Size, round like a Ball, and black 

 above the Eyes ; the Colour of the whole under Side of the Body is white, 

 and the upper Side is partly white and partly black, viz, the outermoft 

 <^uill Feathers of the Wings are above half way black, and the reft white, as 

 are alfo the Feathers of the fecond Kow ; the reft of the covert Feathers almoft 

 to the Ridge of the Wing are black, v^hich make a broad Bed of black, not 

 directly crofs the Wing, but a little oblique ; on the Back again it hath 

 two black Strokes, beginning from the Point of the Shoulder, or fetting on 

 of the Wing, and proceeding tranfverfly till in the middle of the Back they 

 do almoft meet ; the whole Tail is white, three Inches and a half long, 

 made up of twelve Feathers ; the Legs are very long of a lovely blue Co- 

 lour, bare above the Knees, and the Claws black and little j it hath aback 

 Toe, but a very fmall one ; the blind Guts are flender almoft three Inches 

 long, and the whole Length of the Guts is three Foot ; it hath a Gall-blad- 

 der emptying itfelfinto the Gut by its own proper Dud or Channel, and a 

 Gall- pore befldes; the Stomach is fmall, in which when diflTedted was 

 found nothing but fmall Stones ; fo that thence it could not be learned 

 on what it feeds. Indeed, the Bill being fo flender, weak, long, and of fo 

 inconvenient a Figure, turning upwards, one would wonder how it could 

 gather its Food, be it what it will. 



They are common at Rome 2in6. Venice^ and do alfo frequent our Rajtern 

 Coafts of Suffolk and Norfolk in Winter time. 



This Bird I had from Newgate Market j it was brought to that Place 

 with other Wild-Fowl. 



The 



