WA ey 
48 THE NATURAL HISTORY 

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The Flamingo’s legs are of an unufual length q 
that he may wade in the water, but his neck is 
ong i in proportion, that he may readily feed him- 
felf: and as he lives upon {mall fith, the {pawn of » 
fith, and aquatic infects, that is to fay, infects that 
Z ot: 
are found in the water, his. beak is toothed, that — 
he may filter the water and yet keep in his food. ,_ 
If the Flamingo was to make its neft, and fit : 
like many other birds, its legs would be much in : 
the way. Providence therefore has taught it to 
_raife a cone of mud, and to place its eggs in a 
“hollow on the top, fothat its legs hang down on | 
‘each fide. . 
aya Che Snppubilly the Screamer, the Jabiru, the 
Heron, the Crane, the Stork, and the Ibis, are of - 
great ufe in deftroying ferpents, and many venom- 
ous reptiles, which otherwife would increafe fo 
faft as to be hurtful to mankind. For this reafon 
we fee that thefe-birds are very much efteemed in 
‘the countties which they inhabit, and in general ( 
no perfons are allowed to deftroy | thei. - 
How wonderful too is the migration of the : 
-Woodcocks, how well are they taught.to confult 
‘thofe winds which afitt them in fo long-a flight, a 
how attentive are they to their young, in helping ’ 
--them to efcape when they are purfued |. theif eyes 
are ans very far back in their head, fo that. 4 
- ce : a 

