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Travels in 
their extremities, which are thicker for about half 
an inch than immediately above, by which the man- 
dibles never fit quite clofe their whole length ; the 
upper mandible is a fmall matter longer than the 
under ; the bill is of a duiky green colour, more 
bright and yellowifh about the bafe and angles of 
the mouth ; the tail is very fhort, and the middle 
feather the longeil ; the others on each fide fhorten 
gradually, and are of the colour of the reft of the 
bird, only fomewhat darker ; the two fhorteft or 
outermofl feathers are perfectly white, which the 
bird has a faculty of flirting out on either fide, as 
quick as a flam of lightning, efpecially when he 
hears or fees any thing that difturbs him, uttering 
at the fame inftant an extreme harm and loud 
ihriek : his neck is long and flender ; and his legs 
are alfo long and bare of feathers above the knee* 
like thofe of the bittern, and are black or of a dark 
lead colour. 
There are two other fpecies of this genus, which 
agree in almoft every particular with the above de- 
icripion, except in fize and colour. The firft * of 
thefe I mall mention is a perfect white, except the 
prime quill feathers, which are as black as thofe of 
a crow ; the bill and legs of a beautiful clear red, as 
alfo a fpace clear of feathers about the eyes. The 
other fpecies -f is black on the upper fide, the breaft 
and belly white, and the legs and beak as white as 
fnow. Both thefe fpecies are about half the fize of 
the crying bird. They fly in large flocks or fqua- 
drons, evening and morning, to and from their feed- 
ing place or roods ; both fpecies are called Spanifh 
curlews : thefe and the crying bird feed chiefly on 
* Tantalus albus. Numinus albus. Cat. 
f Tantalus verficolor. Numinus fufcus; Cat. 
cray 
