I 
14^ TRAVELS I'M- 
their extremities, which are thicker for about half 
Bn inch than immediately above, by which the man- 
dibles never fit quite clofe their whole length ; the 
upper mandible is a frnall matter longer than the 
under ; the bill is of a dufky green colour, more 
bright and yellowilh about the bafe and angles of 
the mouth ; the tail is very fhort, and the middle 
feather the longed: 3 the others on each fide fhorten 
gradually, and are of the colour of the reft of the 
bird, only fomewhat darker j the two fhorteft or 
outermoft feathers are perfectly white, which the 
bird has a faculty of flirting out on either fide, as 
quick as a flafli of lightning, efpecially when he 
hears or fees any thing that difturbs him, uttering 
at the fame inftant an extreme harfh and loncf 
fhriek ; his neck is long and flender ; and his legs 
are alfo long and bare of feathers, above the knee, 
like thole 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- 
feription, except in lize and colour. The firft* of 
thefe I {hall mention is a perfedb white, except the 
prime quill feathers, which are as black as thofe of 
a crow 5 the bill and legs of a beautiful clear red, as 
alfo a fpace clear of feathers about the eyes. The 
other fpecies is black on the upper fleie, the breaft 
and belly white, and the legs and beak as white as 
fnow. Both thefe fpecies are about half the lize of 
the crying bird. They fly in large flocks or fqua- 
drons, evening and morning, to and from their feed- 
ing place or roofts ; both fpecies are called Spanifh 
curlews : thefe and the crying birc} feed chiefly on 
f: 
* Tantalus atbus. Nu minus albus, Cat. 
+ Tanulus verficoior. Nurjiinus fulsus. Cat, 
cray- 
