}go APPENDIX. 



white, as are all thofe that cover the outfide of his wing ; 

 but the white here is clear, and the fize increafes with the 

 breadth and length of the feathers. The large feathers of 

 his wing are eight in number, the fecond in fize are fix. The 

 tail confifts of twelve feathers; the longefl; three are in the 

 middle, they are clofely placed together, and the tail is of 

 an equal breadth from top to bottom, and the end of the 

 feathers tipt with white. Its thighs are covered with fea- 

 thers of the fame colour as the belly, which reach more 

 than half way down his leg ; his legs and feet are black, 

 marked dillinclly with fcales. He has two toes before and 

 one behind, each of which have a fharp and crooked claw. 

 I never faw his neft; but in flying, and while fitting, he per- 

 fectly refembles the cuckoo. I never heard, nor could I learn 

 from any others, that he had any voice or fong. He makes 

 a fharp, mapping noife, as often as he catches the bees, 

 which is plainly from cloiing his beak. 



Jerome Lobo, whom I have often mentioned, defcribes 

 this bird, and attributes to him a peculiar inftinct, or fa- 

 culty of discovering honey ; he fays, when this bird has 

 discovered any honey he repairs to the high-way, and when 

 he fees a traveller, he claps with his wings, fings, and by a 

 variety of actions invites him to follow him, and flying 

 from tree to tree before him, flops where the honey is 

 difcovered to be, and there he begins to fing mofl melodi- 

 oufly. 



3 



The ingenious DrSparman could not omit an opportuni- 

 ty of building a flory upon fo fair a foundation. He too 

 gives an account of a cuckoo in fize and fhape refembling 

 a fparrow, and then gives a long defcription of it in Latin„ 



i from 



