AGO 
of hawking; being only about the fize of a black- 
bird. The beak is blue; the eyes are of a hazel 
colour; a wreath of whitifh yellow feathers ap- 
pears behind it's head; the throat is white; and the 
back and wings are of a dufky blackifh brown. 
The larger wing-feathers are black, and marked 
with brown fpots ; the tail is long, and variegated 
with tranfverfeftreaks of black and whitifh brown; 
the breaft and belly are of a whitifh brown, varie- 
gated with blackifh brown fpots ; and the legs are 
long and yellow. It preys on partridges, and every 
other bird over which it's ilrength gives it an 
afcendancy. 
^SCH. A name fometimes given to the 
grayling or tumbler, a fifh of the truttaceous 
kind, called in Latin thymallus. 
tESCHNA. a fpecies of water-fly, of an afli- 
coiour, with four wings, and a long body hairy 
near the tail. 
^SCULAPII ANGUIS, or SNAKE OF 
^SCULAPIUS. A harmlefs fpecies of ferpent, 
common in Spain, Italy, and other warm countries. 
In Italy it is fuffered to enter the houfes, and fre- 
quently afcends the bed where people repofe. This 
animal is of an oblong fhape, and about an ell in 
length. It is of a yellowifh colour, except on the 
back, where it is of a brownifh hue. Both jaws 
are armed with a number of very fharp teeth ; and 
on the neck appear two fmall eminences, with ah 
empty fpace between them. 
^THIA. An ancient name given to one of 
the web-footed fpecies of fowls v/hich the moderns 
fuppofe to be the utamaniaof Crete, or the com- 
mon auk or razor-bill. 
AFDELLES. A Cretan name for the fifh 
called at Rome donzellina and zigurella. It ap- 
pears to be the julis of antiquity; and, according 
to the Artedian zoology, is a fpecies of the labrus. 
Artedi diftinguifhes it from the others by the name 
of the palmar labrus with variegated fides and 
two large teeth in the fuperior jaw. 
AGNOS. A name given by Athenseus, and 
many other Greek writers, to the fifh called callio- 
nymus, or uranofcopus. It is a fpecies of the 
trachinus; and is diftinguifhed by Artedi from 
the reflof that genus, by the name of the trachi- 
nus with a great number of beards growing from 
the lower-jaw. 
AGONUS. A name ufed by the generality 
of authors to exprefs the fifh called by fome fa- 
rachus, and by others either chaleis or fardella. 
This fifh in many refpefts refembles the alaufa 
or fhad, called the mother of herrings, but is con- 
fiderably fmaller, never arriving at more than a 
foot in length; and is always ill-conditioned in 
fpring, but fat and plump in autumn. The dif- 
tinftions, however, between it and the alaufa, if real, 
are fo very trifiing, that the penetrating Ray, and 
many of the moft accurate naturalifls, fufpe6l it to 
be the fame fifh in a different flate. 
AGOUTI. This animal feems to be a middle 
fpecies between the hare and the marmot, and bears 
fome rude refemblance to the hare and the rabbit 
in it's form and m.anner of living, though fuffi.- 
ciently different from both to require a particular 
defcription. It is found in great abundance 
throughout South America, and has been by fome 
denominated the rabbit of that continent; but 
though, in many refpedls, it bears a ftrong affinity 
to the rabbit, it varies from it very effentially, and 
is mofl unqueflionably an animal peculiar to the 
new world. The Agouti is about the fize of a rab 
AGO 
bit, and has a head very much like that ^nlmaJ, 
except that the ears are confiderably fhorter. It 
alfo refembles the rabbit in the arched form of it's 
back; in the hind-legs, which are longer than the 
fore; and in having four great cutting teeth, two 
above, and two below. The Agouti likewife differs 
from the rabbit in the nature of it's hair, which is 
not fo foft and downy as the hair of that anim.al, 
but hard and briflly, like that of a young pig, and 
of a reddifh brown hue. It farther differs from 
the rabbit in the tail, which is fnorter, and entirely 
deftitute of hair. And, laflly, it differs from that 
animal in the number of it's toes; having but 
three on the hind-feet, whereas the rabbit has 
five. All thefe diflinftions, however, do not mate- 
rially interfere with it's general conformation, which 
refembles that of the rabbit; and hence moft tra- 
vellers have called it by that name. 
But the Agouti varies more effentially from 
the rabbit in it's habitude and difpofition, than in 
it's form. As it has the external covering of a 
hog, fo alfo it has it's voracious appetite. It eats 
indifcriminately of, as well as takes pleafure in 
gnawing and defacing, every thing which comes in 
it's way ; and, when fatiated, conceals the remainder, 
like the dog and fox, for fome future occafion. 
When irritated, the hair of it's back ftands ere6l; 
and, like the rabbit, it flrikes the ground very 
violently with it's hind-feet. It does not dig a hole 
in the ground, but burrows in the holes of trees ; 
and it's ordinary food confifts of the roots peculiar 
to it's native country, fuch as potatoes and yams, 
with thofe fruits which in Autumn fall from the 
trees. It ufes it's fore-paws, like thefquirrel, to con- 
vey it's food to it's mouth : and, as it's hind-feet are 
longeft, it runs very fwiftly on plain ground, or up- 
hill ; but, on a defcent, it is in danger of fallifig. 
It's fight is excellent, and it's hearing inferior to 
that of no other animal; and, whenever it is whiflled 
to, it flops to hearken. The flefh, when fat and well 
fed, is tolerable food, though it has a peculiar tafte, 
and is a little tough. Buffon informs us, that the 
French drefs it in the fame way as they do a fuck- 
ing-pig; but the Englifh ferveitup with a pudding 
in it's belly, like a hare. 
Whenever the Agouti is entangled in a fugar- 
ground where the canes fland thick, it is eafily 
overtaken by the dogs ; for as it is embarraffed by 
every flep it takes, a man may eafily catch it with- 
out any other affiftance. When in the open coun- 
try, it runs with amazing fpeed before the dogs, 
till it gains it's retreat, within which it continues to 
hideitfelf till it is diflodged, and this is ufually per- 
formed with extreme difficulty. Indeed, nothing 
but filling the hole with fmoke can force it out of 
it's fhelter; for which purpofe the hunter burns 
faggots, or ffraw, at the entrance, and conduftsthe 
fmoke into it in fuch a manner as to fill the whole 
aperture. While this is performing, the poor ani- 
mal feems fenfible of it's danger; and, by the 
mofl" plaintive cries, expreffes it's terror : however, 
it feldom quits it's hole till the lafl extremity. At 
length, half fuffocated, it iffues out, and trufls 
once more to it's fpeed for proteftion ; but when 
ftill purfued by the dogs, and incapable of making 
good it's retreat, it turns on the hunters; and, 
with it's hair briflling like a hog, and flanding 
on it's hind-feet, it defends itfelf to the lafl 
extremity with an obftinacy fcarcely to be expefled 
from fuch a feeble animal. Sometimes it will 
bite thofe who attempt to catch it, and wherever 
it fixes it's teeth it is fure to take out the piece. 
D The 
