NORTH AMERICA. 
147 
tray fifh, whofe cells they probe, and with their 
itrong pinching bills drag them out: all the three 
jpecies are efteemed excellent food. 
It is a pleafing fight at times of high winds and 
heavy thunder ftorms, to obferve the numerous fqua- 
drons of thefe Spanifh curlews driving to and fro, 
turning and tacking about, high up in the air, when 
by their various evolutions in the different and op- 
pofite currents of the wind high in the clouds, their 
filvery white plumage gleams and fparkles like the 
brighteft cryftal, refle&ing the fun-beams that dart 
upon them between the dark clouds. 
Since I have turned my obfervations open the 
4 JL 
birds of- this country I final! notice another very 
Angular one, though already moil curiouily and 
exactly figured by Cateiby, which feems to be 
nearly allied to thofe before mentioned ; I mean 
the bird which he calls the wood pelican *. This 
A 
is a large bird, perhaps near three feet high when 
ftanding eredt. The bill is very long and itrong, 
bending with a moderate curve from the bafe to" 
the tip ; the upper mandible is the largeft, and re- 
ceives the edges of the nether one into it its whole 
'length ; the edges are very (harp and firm ; the 
whole of a dark afh or horn colour; the forehead 
round the bafe of the beak and Tides of the head 
is bare of feathers, and of a dark greeniih colour, 
in which fpace is placed the eyes, which are very 
large; the remainder of the head and neck is of a 
nut brown colour; the back of a light biuifh grey; 
upper part of the wings, bread, and belly, almoft 
white, with forne flight dailies of grey; the quill- 
feathers and tail, which are very fhort, are of a dark 
date colour, almoft black; the legs, which are very 
long, 
Tantalus ioculator. Linn, 
L 2 
