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gB2 The Hiflory of A N I M A L S, 
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The legs are fhort, rebuff, and clumfy ; the toes are long and fcaly, and the claws 
black and fharp. 
This is very frequent in the South American iflands, and in fbme parts of the 
Eaft Indies. It feeds on the fruits in general, but on none fo voracioufly as on the 
ripe pepper ; and the ufe of it’s beak is feen on this occafion, as it draws off the fruit 
from the clufters, by means of it’s length and denticulations, in a furprifingly ready 
manner : few of the modern writers have been acquainted with this fpecies. Barrilier 
defcribes it under the name of Piperivora nigra urrhopigio luteo $ Linnaeus, in his 
Syftema Naturae, has borrowed the fame name. 
Ramphaflos urrhopigio albo. 
The Ramphaflos , with a white rump. 
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This is fmaller than’either of the former fpecies 5 it is indeed but about equal in fize 
to the common field-fare : the head is large, and fomewhat deprefled on the crown : 
the beak is of the fame immoderate fize with thofe of the former two fpecies, and is 
of a pale yellow throughout: it is five inches in length, two and a half in diameter at 
the bafe, and very fharp at the point: it is ferrated all along the edges, and is of a 
fine gold yellow within. 
The head, back, and wings are black, but with a fhade of a filvery grey thrown 
over that colour : the bread: is of an iron grey; the rump is white, and the belly 
alfo, toward the fides, has fome tendency to whitifh : the legs are fhort, thick, and 
fcaly } the toes are long, and the claws fharp. 
It is a native of South America, and feeds on the fpices and other fruits there; few 
of the authors who have treated of thefe fubjeds have named it. Barrelier has fi¬ 
gured it under the name of Rodrata nigra urrhopigio albo $ and Linnaeus has conti¬ 
nued the name. 
Ramphaflos viridans roflro variegato . 
The green Ramphaflos , with a party-coloured beak. 
This fpecies is fomewhat fmaller than a jack-daw, but it’s body is thicker, in pro¬ 
portion to it’s length: the head is large, and of an odd figure, much comprefled at 
the fides, fomewhat deprefied on the crown, and very broad at the front: the eyes 
are large, and their iris of a brown afh-colour; the pupil is large and black 5 the 
beak is equal in length to the whole bird, head and body ; it is but little crooked all 
the way to the point, where the upper chap hangs over the lower, and is more bent 5 * 
it is fomewhat prominent on the upper part of the back, and is all the way denti¬ 
culated along the edges: it’s colour is partly a bright but not very deep red, and 
partly a fine filming, glofiy black; the red ufually takes it’s place in the part next 
the head and the back, at "the other extremity, but this is uncertain : fometimes the 
whole lower chap is black, and the whole upper one of a coral-like red, except the 
tips; and fometimes the colours form a clouded appearance, in the manner of a tor- 
toife-fhell. We have the beaks brought over by way of curiofity, and preferved in 
our mufaeums, and find all thefe varieties in them. 
The body is, on the upper part, of a deep green, with a few final! and indiftind 
fpots of white in it, which, when not feen feparately, give a general palenefs to the 
whole, that makes it greyifh j the bread: and belly are of a fomewhat paler greenifh- 
grey; ’the wings are long, and the tail fhort: the legs are fhort, robuft, and of a 
bluifh colour: the toes ftand two forward and two backward, and are fhort and thick, 
and the claws black, fharp, and long. 
It is a native of the Molucca iflands, and fome other places in the warm climates, 
and is a great deftroyer of the fpices, and a other valuable dry fruits. Barrilier has figured it 
under 
