The Hiftory of A N I M A L S* 469 
it is turned up in a ftrange manner toward the extremity, bending into a part of a 
circle, and is extreamly {harp at the point, and is there abfolutely membranaceous, 
though it is no where rigid: the noftrils are oblong, and are pervious to the light % 
the tongue is fhort, and not bifid : the length of the beak, in the whole, is at leaft 
equal to three times that of the head. 
The colour of the head is black, only the hinder part is paler Or greyifh : the up¬ 
per part of the neck is alfo greyifh ; the whole body is white, except that the rump, 
the Tides of the back, and part of the wings are black : the long feathers of the wings 
have fome white in them, and this becomes gradually more and more confpicuous, as 
they fhorten inward of the wing, till fome of the fhorteft become properly white, 
only with a fpot of black at the extremity : fome of the covering feathers are totally 
white, and fome are fpotted with black: the wings are moderately long 5 the tail is 
very fhort and white. 
The legs are moderately long, and of a bluifh colour 5 the toes are oblong, and the 
feet are palmated ; the thighs are naked half the way up. 
This is a native of many parts of Europe; it is extreamly common at Venice, 
and we have it in fufficient plenty about the Weftern coafts of England. All the 
writers on birds have defcribed it. Gefner calls it Avofetta, Recurviroftra j Aldrovand^ 
Avofetta Italis didta j Willughby and others, Recurviroftra, Avofetta Italorum. 
Recurviroftra pe&ore croceo. 3 Zl)C 
The Recurviroftra , with a yellow hreaft . GZUOOliCOCJU 
This is of the fize of the common pigeon : it’s head is fmall and perfectly round j 
the eyes are moderately large, and their iris is of a deep yellow : the beak is long, {len¬ 
der, deprefted, and pointed at the extremity, and toward that part it is a little turned 
up, but not at all like the other kind; the turning up in this, indeed, is very inconfi- 
derable, but the form and ftrudture of the beak is otherwife entirely the fame. 
The head is of a dark iron-grey; the upper part of the neck is alfo of the fame 
colour: the whole back, fhoulders, and upper part of the wings are alfo grey, but not 
fo deep as the head and neck ; and the breaft, belly, and thighs of a ftrong yellow. 
The tail is fhort, and fcarce appears beyond the tips of the wings 5 when clofed, 
it is of a paler grey than the back, but the rump is darker : the legs are moderately 
long, {lender, and black, or of a very deep and dulky brown. 
This is a native of England, though none of our writers on birds have chanced 
to meet with it. I fhot one laft year in Lincolnfhire, and was told by the common 
people they bred there. Rudbeck has called it Scolopax roftro recurvo, pedtore rufef- 
cente, pedibus nigris; and Linnaeus, Recurviroftra pedtore croceo. Thefe are the 
only writers who have named it 5 and the latter of them doubts, whether it properly 
belong to this genus j but it certainly does. 
HiEMATOPUS. 
f jn^H E beak of the Hsematopus is of a comprefled form, and terminates in a cu- 
j[ neiform or wedge-like figure y both the upper and the under chaps are equal 
in length. 
Of this genus there is only one known fpecies. 
6 D 
Hjematopus 
' <9 
