membrane, like a bladder, fprinkled very thinly with lhort down,
rifing or falling as the animal moves the beak, and always appearing
inflated.
Thefe birds are met with in companies j and when feen at a
diftance, near the mouths of rivers, coming towards an obferver,
which they do with the wings extended, may well be taken for
canoes, upon the furface of a fmooth fea: when on the fand
banks, for men and women picking up fhell-fifh or other things on
the beach.
One o f thefe, a young bird, about five feet in height, was
brought up tame, and prefented to the Chief of the Bananas,
where Mr. Smeathman lived ; and being accuftomed to be fed in
the great hall, foon became familiar;, duly attending that place
at dinner-time, placing itfelf behind its mailer’s chair,, frequently
before any of the guefts entered. The fervants were obliged to
watch it narrowly, and to defend the provifions with /witches in
their hands; but, notwithftanding this, it would frequently
fnatch off fomewhat or other, and was known once to have purloined
a whole boiled fowl, which it fwallowed' in an inftant. Its
courage is not equal to its voracity; for a child of eight or ten
years old foon puts it to flight with a /witch, though at firft it
feems to ftand upon its defence, by threatening with, its enormous
bill, widely extended, and crying out with a loud hoarfe
voice, like a bear or tiger. It is an enemy to final! quadrupeds,
as well as birds and reptiles, and deftroys fowls and chickens,
though it dare not attack a hen with her young openly : it preys
alfo on rats, young kittens, and the like ; and has been known to
fwallow a tat whole : a bone of a Jhin of beef being broken afun-
der, ferves it but for two morfels.
The
The individual above mentioned ufed to fly about the ifland,
and rooft very high among the Jilk cotton trees ; from whence, at
two or three miles diftance, it could fpy the dinner carrying
acrofs the yard; when, darting from its flation, it would enter
promifcuoufly with the women who carried in the dilhes. When
fitting, it was obferved to reft itfelf on the whole length of the
hind part of the leg. It fometimes ftood near, for half an hour
after dinner, with the head turning alternately, as if liftening to
the converfalion; and during this time would every three or
four minutes void the excrements, whichyvere liquid, and whitilh;
and took care always to do this on his legs, by wheeling the
back parts round over one or the other, and this regularly on
different legs; for if he had muted on the left leg laft, he would
be fure to do the fame on the right the next time ; never making
any miftake.— As to the reft of its manners, fuch as incubation,
&c. my friend is filent.
Ardea Ciconia, tin. Syjl. i.'p . 235. 7.— Faun. Suec. 162.— Step. Ann. i.
K° 123.— Brun. N° 154.— Muller, p. 22.
La Cicogne blanche, Sri/. Orn. v. p. 36;. pi. 32.— PI. Enl. 866.— Buf.
Oif. vii. p. 253. pi. 12.
White Stork, Raii Syn. p. 97. A. I .— Will. Orn. p. 286. pi. 52.— Albin, ii.
pi. .64.— Arfi. Zool. p. 455*
Br. Mu/ Lev. Mu/.
9-
+. WHITE
STORK.
C I Z E of a'Turkey, or larger: length three feet three inches.
Bill feven inches and three quarters; the colour of it a fine
red : the plumage is wholly white, except the orbits of the eyes,
which are bare and blackiih : forms of the fcapulars, the greater
7 coverts,