C B A M A b U li f s 1
ralifts by the terms of himantopus, or loripes, and eharadrius. himantopus,
were Ihot upon the verge of Frinjh'am-pond, a large lake belonging
to the Bifhop of mnchejler, and lying between JVoohner-
foreft, and the town of Famham, in the county of Surrey -. The pond
keeper fays: there were three brace in the flock; but that, after he-
had fatisfied his curiofity, he fuffered the fixth to remain unmo-
lefted. One of thefe fpecimens I procured, and found the length-
of the legs to be fo extraordinary, that, at firft fight, one might
have fuppofed the fhanks had been fattened on to impofe on the
credulity of the beholder: they were legs in carkatuni; and had
we feen fuch proportions on a Chinefe or Japan fcreen we fhould
have made large allowances for the fancy-of the' draughtfitian.
Thefe birds-are of the plover family, and might with propriety be
called the p it plovers. Briffon, under that idea, gives them the
appofite name of I’echafi.- -M-y fpecimen, when drawn- and fluffed-
with pepper, weighed only four ounces and a quarter, though the
naked part of the thigh meafured three inches and an half, and the
kgs four inches and an half. Hence we may fafely affert that thefe
birds exhibit, weight for inches, incomparably the greateft length
of legs of any known bird. Theflamingo, for-inftance, is one of die
moft long legged birds, and yet it bears“ no manner of proportion
to the himantopus-, for a cock-flamingo weighs, at an average, about
four pounds avoirdupois; and his legs and thighs meafure ufually
about twenty inches. But four pounds are fifteen- times and a
fraftion more than four ounces, and one quarter ;■ and if four-
ounces and a quarter have eight inches of legs, four pounds muft
have one hundred and twenty inches and a fraftion of legs; viz.
fomewhat more than ten feet; fuch a monftrous proportion as the
world never faw! If you (hould try the experiment in ftill larger
birds the difparity would ftill increafe. It muft be matter of great
L 1 2 curiofity