IO.
AMERICAN
ST.
D e s c r ip t ion,
Placet
ii •
BLACK ST.
H E R O N ,
no temptation as a food, as it is allowed on all hands to be
unfavoury.
La Cigogne d’Amerique, Brif. On. v. p. 369. 3.
Le Maguari, Buf. Oif. vii. p. 27c.
Ciconia Americana, American Stork, Raii Sjn. p. 97. 3.— Will. On.
p.287.
g I Z E o f the laft. Bill nine inches long j. the bafe half of a.
yellowifh green, the reft of a blueifh alh-colour: irides filver-
colouredj orbits red . and between the bill and eyes a bare Ikin-
of the fame colour: the plumage in general is white: the feathers
on the lower part of the neck before, long and loofe : the tail is
white; but the feathers above it are black : the greater fcapu-
lars, greater coverts, and quills,, are alfo black 5 and thofe neareft
the body as long as the quills : the legs, and bare part of the
thighs, are red: claws broad and flat.
This fpecies is found in the warmer parts of America,, efpe-
cially Rraftl, and is accounted good food : is faid to fnap with
the bill, like the common Stork.
Arden nigra, Lin. Syft. i. p. 235. 8.— Faun. Sutc. 163.— Scop. Ann. Jj
N.° 124.— Brun. N° 157.— Muller,_p. 22.— Georgi Reif, p. 171.
La Cicogne brune, Brif. Orn. v- p. 362. pi. 31.— PI., Enl. 399.
— noire, Buf. Oif. vii. p. 271.
Black Stork, Raii Sjn. p. 97. A. 2.— m il. On. p. 286.pl. .52.— Altin, iii..
pl. 82.— ArSi. Zool. p.. 45,6.
g I Z E of a fmall Turkey: length two feet nine inches. Bill
five inches and a half long, of a greenifh grey, with a
whitilh tip: the top of the head is brown, glofied with violet
6 and:
D e s c r i p t io n «
and green: throat and neck brown, dotted with white, but the
lower part of the neck is glofied with violet, and dotted with
grey brown * : back, wing coverts, and fcapulars, violet brown,
glofied with green : rump plain brown : from the breaft to the
vent white: quills brown, glofied with green and violet; thofe
neareft the body, narrow, and as long as the greater when the
wing is clofed : tail rounded in Ihape': legs of a dull red : claws
broad and flat.
This fpecies inhabits many parts of Europe j but is lefs com- T la ce and
mon than the white, and like that migrates fouth in autumn. It M anne rs .
is not familiar with man j but retires to the thick forefts and
marfhes, at a diftance from habitations, in order to breed, being a
folitary bird. Is pretty common in Poland, Lithuania, Prujfia,
and Switzerland-, and migrates much farther north than the
white fpecies. In the more temperate parts of Rujfia and Sihiria
not uncommon j and is plentiful all along the Don. It perches
on trees, and makes the neft on them in the depths of forefts.
From its being lefs common, we hear of it among authors fel-
domer than the former : it is however ranked by authors among
thofe frequenting the Cajpian Sea f j and by Rujfel as a bird of
Aleppo. Like, the White Stork, it feeds on reptiles and fifh : the
flefti is faid to be no better tailed.
* This is not conftant; fome birds have no fpot. Briffon.
t See Georgi.— Dec. Ruff. ii. p. 7 7.
H 2 Le