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the Nhandhuguacu, or the fuppofed Oftrich of America, to a
Crane *.
It feems however to have gained univerfally the name of
Oftrich by the Europeans, but unfortunately fcarce any two have
given the fame account: Marcgrave fays, it has three toes fur-
nifhed with claws forwards, and one without a claw behind;
Fermin, that it has only two toes, joined by a membrane f ; but
Bajon ± affures us that it has four, all placed as in the Heron genus.
However this be, we meet with birds called OJlriches, on the
whole of the American continent, from Guiana to the moll fouthern
coaft of the continent; at Rio Grande ||, about Buenos Ayres §,.
and fo on to the coafts of Patagonia **: indeed many other voyagers
have mentioned, but none defcribed the bird fufficient to
afcertain the fpecies. Dampier j-j- alfo talks of OJlriches being
found to the fouth of Bahia in great plenty, though not fo large
as thofe of Africa, and found chiefly in the fouthern parts of Brafil,
efpecially among the large favannas near the river Plate, and
from thence further fouth, as far as the ftreights of Magellan.
* Grus cinerea fe rivira; but adds, that it has fomewhat the appearance of an
OJtricb. He calls it likewife, in other places, an Heron.
t Defer. Surin. ii. p. 142.— He adds, that the bird has two fpurs on each
wing, like the Hedge-hog’s quills, but confefles that he has never feen one. He
is right, however, in faying that it Hands from four to five feet in height.
J Mem. fur Cay.
I) Klein, p. 17.
§ Falk. Patag. p. 52.— Said to abound in this neighbourhood.
** See Falk. Pat. p. 52, 53, 101, z09, 126, where he mentions the methods
of taking them, and fays their name-is Cboique. See alfo Wallis’e Fey.
P- 373-
f f Vol. iii. part 1. p. 76.
The
J A B I R Ü. *5
The above fubjeft wants further elucidation; and it is to be
hoped, that future navigators will pay fome attention to it, and
ufe their endeavours to procure a fpecimen ; which appears, from
the relations of the feveral voyagers, not to be attended with the
U'tmoft difficulty.
V ol. III. E G enus