4 



NATURAL HISTORY 



tween them and the skin of the belly. 

 It was bulky, and stuffed hard with large 

 phalcBfice, moths of several sorts, and their 

 eggs, which, no doubt, had been forced out 

 of those insects by the action of swal- 

 lowing. 



Now, as it appears that this bird^ which 

 is so well known to practise incubation^ is 

 formed in a similar manner with cuckoos. 

 Monsieur Herissant's conjecture, that cuc- 

 koos are incapable of incubation from the 

 disposition of their intestines, seems to fall 

 to the ground : and we are still at a loss 

 for the cause of that strange and singular 

 peculiarity in the instance of the cuculus 

 canorus. 



We found the case to be the same with 

 the ring- tail hawk, in respect to formation ; 

 and, as far as I can recollect, with the 

 swift; and probably it is so with many 

 more sorts of birds that are not grani- 

 vorous. 



I am, &c. 



