NORTH AMERICA.' 
cray-fifh, whofe cells they probe, and with their 
flrong pinching bills drag them out : all the three 
fpecies are efteemed excellent food. 
It is a pleafing fight at times of high winds and 
heavy thunder florms, 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 fparldes like the 
brightest cryflal, reflecting the fun-beams that dart 
upon them between the dark clouds. 
Since I have turned my obfervatiorrs upon the 
birds of this country, I fhali notice another very 
fingular one, though already mod curioufly and 
exaCtly figured by Catefby, which feems to be 
nearly allied to thofe before mentioned $ I mean 
the bird which he calls the wood pelican*. This 
is a large bird, perhaps near three feet high when 
Handing ereCt. The bill is very long and flrong, 
bending with a moderate curve from the bafe to 
the tip $ the upper mandible is the large!!, and re- 
ceives the edges of the nether one into Us whole 
length ; the edges are very fharp and firm i the 
whole of a dark afh or horn colour ; the forehead 
round the bafe of the beak and fides of the head 
is bare of feathers, and of a dark greenifh 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 bluilh grey* 
upper part of the wings, bread* and belly, almofb 
white, with fome (light dafhes of grey ; the quill- 
feathers and tail, which are very fhort, are of a dark 
$ate colour, almoft black; the legs, which are very 
* Tantalus loculator. Lj'nn.' 
JL 
i 
