A VO 
is cinereous, variegated with black and white IpotSj 
the fpots of the breaft are the fame, but having a 
ferrugineous mixture; and the belly, tail, and thighs, 
are of a lead colour fpotted with black. The fore- 
toes of the feet are long, the back-toe is fhortj and 
they are all armed with crooked claws. 
The Attagen is found plentifully in the moun- 
tains of Sicily, and feems to be a Ipecies of our red 
game. 
Bellonius and Scaliger have both mentioned the 
Attagen ; and Martial and Ariftophanes reprefent 
it as the moil delicious bird fer^^ed up at public 
entertainments. Trallian recommends it in con- 
fumptive complaints; Galen, in nephritic diforders ; 
and Avicenna is of opinion that it increafes the 
feminal fecretions. The flefh is certainly delici- 
ous, nutritive, and eafy of digeftion, to a very high 
degree. 
ATTELABUS. A genus of infefts belong- 
ing to the order of coleoptera, in the Linnrean fyf- 
tem, and including thirteen fpecies. The head is 
attenuated and inclined; and the antennas are 
thickeft towards the apex. 
ATTILUS. A river nfh cf the fturgeon kind, 
Galled by fome authors adello, adano, and adeno. 
It grows to a very large fize ; and, when it has at- 
tained it's full dimenfions, it cafts it's fcales, and 
ever after remains perfe6lly fmooth : in whicli re- 
fpecfl it certainly differs from the common ftur- 
geon. It feems, however, to agree in every effen- 
tial point with the hufo Germannorum. It is 
efteemed proper for food ; but is much inferior in 
flavour and taile to the fturgeon. 
ATTINGA. A fpecies of diodon, in the Lin- 
nasan order of nantes. 
AVIS. The claffical name for a bird. 
AVIS LONGA. A name ufed by Nieremberg 
to exprefs the hoftlattotl of the Americans ; a bird 
remarkable for it's fwiftnefs in running. 
AVIS NIVEA. A name under which Nierem- 
bere has defcribed an American bird, of the fize of 
a thrufh ; variegated with black and brown on the 
back, and yellow under the belly. It imitates the 
human voice, and is called ceoan by the natives. 
AVIS PENNIPULCHRA. . The name of an 
American bird defcribed by Nieremberg, called by 
the Indians quetzaltototl. It grows to the fize of 
a pigeon ; and it's whole body is covered with the 
moft beautiful pavonaceous plumage. There are 
three or four different fpecies of this genus : Ray, 
however, has ranged all of them under the number 
of birds whofe natural hiftory is either uncertain 
or but little known. 
AVIS TROPICORUM. A bird of the fize 
of the common duck, to which the Englifli com- 
monly give the name of the tropic bird. It is on- 
ly found within the tropics, and thence it obtains 
it's name. 
AVOSETTA. A very curious bird chiefly 
found in Italy, but an occafional vifitant of the Bri- 
tifli ifles. It is about eighteen inches long from 
the head to the extremity of the tail ; very ereft; and 
furniftied with legs unufually long for it's fize. 
The bill turns up like a hook, in an oppofite di- 
reftion to that of the hawk or parrot, and widely 
different from that of any other bird whatever. 
This extraordinary bill, which is black, flat, ffiarp, 
and flexible at the extremity, is about three inches 
and a half in length. The tongue is fhort; the 
head, as well as half the hind part of the neck, is 
black ; ail the under fide of the body is of a pure 
white; the back, the coverts on the ridge of the 
AUK 
wings, and fome of the lefler quill-feathers, are of 
the fame colour; and the other coverts, with the 
exterior fides and ends of the greater quill-feathers, 
are black. The tail confifts of twelve white fea- 
thers- the legs, which are of a fine blue colour, are 
naked higher than the knees; and the webs are 
duflcy, and deeply indented. 
The Avoletta feeds on worms and infefts, which 
it fcoops out of the fand with it's bill : and it's pro- 
grefs in fearch of food is frequently to be difcerned 
in the fand by the appearance of alternate femicir- 
cular marks. It lays two eggs, about the fize of 
thofe of the pigeon, which are white tinged with 
green, and marked with large black fpots. 
Thefe birds are frequently obferved in winter on 
the eaftern fliores of this kingdom : fometimes in 
Gloucefterflure, at the mouth of the Severn; and 
at others on the lakes of Shropfiiire. When dif- 
turbed, they fly backwards and forwards over the 
heads of thofe who have excited their apprehenfion 
of danger, after the manner of the lapwing, carrying 
their necks and long legs quite extended, and mak- 
ing a flirill noife, continually reiterated; for which 
reafon the country people ufuallycall themyelpers, 
and fometimes picarini. 
AUK. An aquatic bird, of which there are 
feveral fpecies : particularly, the Large Auk; the 
Common Auk, or Razor-bill; the Black-bill-ed 
Auk; and the Little Auk. 
Auk, Large. The Large Auk breeds in the 
Ifle of St. Kilda, where it appears about the be- 
ginning of May, and retires about the middle of 
June. It lays only one egg, about fix inches long, 
which is of a v/hite colour, marked with purple lines, 
and fometimes with ferrugineous fpots; and, if this 
egg be removed, it feldom lays another during 
that feafon. It has been obferved, that this bird 
does not make an annual vifit to that ifland, but 
has fometimes been abient for feveral years fuc- 
cefiively ; that it depofits it's egg clofe to the fca- 
mark ; and that it is am.ong the moft inattentive of 
all the feathered race to the propagation of it's 
Ipecies, and the care of it's young. 
This curious bird is about three feet long; and 
the bill is upwards of four inches. The upper man- 
dible is partially covered with fiiort black velvet- 
like feathers, and is very ftrong. Between the eyes 
and the bill, on each fide, there is a large white 
fpot: the reft of the head, neck, back, tail, and 
wings, are of a beautiful gloflTy black ; and the tips 
of the lefier quill-feathers, together with the whole 
underfide of the body, are white. The wings be- 
ing only about four inches long, are confequently 
of little fervice for flight : hence this bird is feldom 
found far from the fhores ; and on land it appears 
incapable of afcending to any confiderable height 
by the afliftance of it's wings. 
Auk, Common, or Razor-Bill. This fowl is 
about eighteen inches long, and twenty- feven broad. 
The bill, which is two inches in length, and of a 
black colour, is very ftrong, and fharp at the edges; 
the upper mandible being marked with four tranf- 
verfe grooves, and the lower with three. The head, 
throat, and entire upper fide of the body, are black; 
the wings and tail are likewife black; except the 
tips of the lefier quill-feathers in the former, which 
are quite white. The whole under-fide of the body 
is white. 
Thefe birds feldom begin to breed till May, 
though they generally appear, in company with the 
guillemot, early in February. They fi-x their abodes 
on the extreme margins ""of lofty rocks hanging 
over 
