JABIRÜ*
A r g a l i .
gives us a new piece of knowiege, that the mute fwan is found
about Surat. I fliall not in this place mention any of the ter-
reftrial birds of the province of Bengal, but confine myfelf to
thofe whom inftindt and neceffity compel to frequent thefe
watery haunts..
In gratitude I muft mention the feveral friends to whom I
am indebted for information refpedting the natural hilfory of
this rich province. Sir Elijah Impey, and his lady, gave me the
moft liberal accefs to their vaft and elegant colledtion of drawings,
made with much fidelity on the fpot;. to them I was indebted
for permiffion to have feveral copies made by my paintrefs
Mifs Stone, taken from the moft curious fubjedls o f their cabinet.
Mrs. Edward Wheeler, communicated to me the numerous paintings
which fhe colledted in Bengal, nor was Nathaniel Middleton,
Eiquire, lefs favorable in promoting my defign. He laid
before me his great treafure o f AJiatic drawings; of quadrupeds,
birds, fifhes, and vegetables,- with the offer o f permiffion
to- have copies made of thofe I thought might fuit
my purpofe.
T he firft bird I ffiall mention is the Indian fabiru, Latham,
vii. p. 231, a diftindt fpecies from the American, it is o f a large
.fize, and feeds on fnails.
T h e next is the great Heron, the Argali, or. Adjutant, or
Gigantic Crane of Latham, vii. p. 232. tab. cxv. It is found
alfo in Guinea. It arrives in the internal parts o f Bengal before
the rainy feafon, retires at the approach of the dry ; fuch I believe
is the cafe with almoft all o f the aquatic fowl o f Bengal.
It grows to the height of five feet when, erect; the bill is of
great
great ftrength, and vaft length, compreffed, and ffiarp pointed :
the circumference at the bafe of one meafured by Mr. Ives was
fixteen inches; the extent of wings fourteen feet ten inches;
the length from tip o f the bill to that o f the claws feven feet
fix inches. It is a bird of a filthy afpedt, the craw appears red
and naked, paffing over the ffiouldfers, and returns in front, and
becomes pendulous, and is covered with long hair below the
breaft. It is a moft ufeful bird, clears the country of fnakes,
and noxious reptiles and infedts; many particulars are given of
its manners in the eleventh M.S. volume of the O u t l i n e s ,
containing N i g r i t i a n . A f r i c a . In Bengal it finiihes the work
begun by the Jackal and .the Vulture -, they clear, the carcafes
of animals from the fleffi;: theft remove the nuifances o f the
bones by fwallowing them entire; they are as familiar in Bengal
as in Africa, and undaunted at the fight of mankind. The Indians
believe them to, be invulnerable, for that they are animated
with the fouls of the Brahmins-, they are held in great
veneration by both Indians and Africans. Mr. Ives miffed his
ffiot at feveral, which the ftanders-by obferved with great fatis-
fadtion, telfing, him he might ffioot to eternity and never fuc-
ceed.
T h e Lohaugung Heron, Latham,, v. p. 238, is a large and Heroks.
elegant made fpecies. The. bill long, {lender, and black, with a
deep notch in the bafe of the upper mandible;, head, neck,
lower part o f the neck and the primaries black ; the reft o f the
plumage white ; legs very long, and red.
T h e Violet Heron,.or Monichjore, Lathamj vii. p. 236, is common,
and the objedt of falconry,, and is efteemed as good eating.
T h e