[ 194 3 



of it (fee vol. iii. page 7.) " This bird is like a 

 lapwing, and near of its bignefs, which flew 

 about and went into the crocodiles mouths, and 

 throats, which were then extended on the water 

 in the Higher Hgypt, and were juft before our 

 author's boat -, and after they had ilaid a while, 

 the crocodiles fhut their mouths, and opened 

 them again foon after to let them go out. Thp 

 people told me that thefe birds, of which there 

 was a vafl number, feed thenif>;lv^es on what re- 

 mains between this animal's teeth, by fucking 

 them and as they have a kind of fpur, or very 

 fharp thorn on the tips of their wings, they prick 

 the crocodile arid torment him when he has fliut 

 his mouth, till he opens it again and lets them 

 out and thus they fecure themfelves from the 

 danger they were in. Likely thefe are the birds 

 which Pliny calls Trccbiios. Beitar an Arabian au- 

 thor tells fuch another ftory of a bird, but doth 

 not mention its name." As 1 have received one 

 of thefe birds ffom the Eafl: Indies, it is very 

 probable it may be a native of the Upper Egypt, 

 ivhich is in or about the fame latitude. 



