( 88 ) 
with black feathers: the legs are long, 
and the toes fhort in proportion : they are 
void of feathers a pretty way above the 
knees : the toes are only three, all handing 
forward, as in all birds of the Buftard 
kind ; they are covered with fcales of a 
whitifh colour : the claws are dufky. 
This bird is a native of Bengal, in the 
Eaft Indies, where it is called Churge. 
The annexed figure was taken from a 
drawing in the colle&ion of the late 
worthy Dr. Mead, Phyfician to the 
King, and is the only figure I have ven- 
tured to introduce into this hiftory, of 
which I had not feen either the whole, 
or the principal parts, of the real thing in 
nature. I believe this to be as genuine a 
piece, as if I had drawn it myfelf from 
life. It was drawn by the procurement 
of Mr. Cole, a gentleman refiding in 
Bengal, who had particular obligations to 
Dr. Mead, and fent over to the Do&or, 
as a return of favours received, about 
twenty drawings of different birds of that 
country, which were attefted to be drawn 
ftridlly from nature. I believe we have 
hitherto no account of this bird, though 
it feems to be amongfi; the firfl that would 
attract the notice of a curious obferver. 
feftomach jufquaux plumes qui couvrent le 
dejfous de la queue , ejl revetu de plumes 
noires : les jambes font longues , et les orteih 
courts a proportion: le has de la cuififie eft 
define de plumes jufqiid une diftance conftde- 
rable depuis le genou : tl ny a que trois or- 
tetls , tout trois en devant , comme dans tons 
les oifeaux de ce genre: les jambes et les 
pattes font revet lies d'ecailles blanchatres: 
les ergots Jont obfcurs. 
Let oijeau eft originaire de Bengale dans 
les grandes lndes, oil on tappelle Churge. 
La figure ci-jomte a ete tiree d'apres un 
deft'ein du cabinet de feu M. Mead , Medecin 
du Roi 3 c eft la feule figure que j* ay: hazards 
d’ infer er dans cette hiftoire , fans avoir vu 
le Jujet meme en nature , ou du moins fes prin- 
cipals parties . Je crois que cette figure 
ejl aufti ftdele , que ft je feu fife faite moi - 
meme d’apres nature : elle a ete tiree par 
les foins de M. Cole , qui demeuroit fur les 
Ueux , et qui avoit des obligations particu - 
hires -a M. Mead. Ce fut en reconnoift'ance 
des favours , quil avoit revues de ce Medecin , 
qui l lui envoya une vingtaine de dejfieins de 
differ ents oifeaux de ce pays- Id, avec afturance 
quils avoient ete tires corre&ement ddipres 
nature. Je crois que jujques ici f on ri avoit 
point encore eu de relation de cet oifeau , quoi- 
qiiil paroffe etre du nombre de ceux , qui 
devroient les premiers attirer f attention des 
perfonnes curieujes. 
