part of the world; and the flaone of the shyest birds in the They chiefly keep near the most

But at present it is very different in that mingo is not only one of the scarcest, but world, and the most difficult of approach. deserted and inhospitable shores; near salt water lakes and swampy islands. When seen by mariners in the day, they always appear drawn up in a long

close line of two or three hundred together; and, as Dampier tells us, present at the distance of half a mile, the exact representation of a long brick wall. This line, however, is broken when they seek for food; but they always appoint one of the number as a watch, whose only employment is to observe and give notice of danger while the rest are feeding. As soon as this trusty "sentinel perceives the remotest appearance of danger, he gives a loud scream, with a voice as shrill as a trump, and instantly the whole cohort are upon the wing. The flesh of the old ones is black and hard, though, Dampier says, well tasted; that of the young ones is better. But, of all delicacies, the flamingo's tongue is the most celebrated. In fact, the Roman emperors considered them as the highest luxury; and we have an account of one of them, who procured fifteen hundred flamingos' tongues to be served up in a single dish The tongue of this bird, which was so

much sought after, is a good deal larger than that of any other bird whatever. The bill of the flamingo is like a large black box of an irregular figure, and filled with a tongue which is black and gristly.

Their time of breeding is according to the climate in which they reside; in North America they breed in summer; on the other side of the line, they take the most favorable season of the year. They build their nests in extensive marshes, and where they are in no danger of a surprise. The nest is not less curious than the animal that builds it: it is raised from the surface of the pool about a foot and a half, formed of mud scraped up together, and hardened by the sun, or the heat of the bird's body: it resembles a truncated cone, or one of the pots which we see placed on chimneys; on the top it is hollowed out to the shape of the bird, and in that cavity the female lays her eggs, without any lining but the well cemented mud that forms the sides of the building. She always lays two eggs, and no more; and, as her legs are immoderately long, she straddles on the nest, while her legs hang down, one on each side, into the water. The young ones are a long while before they are able to fly; but they run with amazing swiftness. They are sometimes caught; and, very different from old ones, suffer themselves to be carried home, and are tamed very easily.

THE AVOSETI

Is easily distinguished from all other birds by the form of its bill, which is very thin, slender, and bends considerably upwards. The scooping avoset is about the size of the lapwing, or eighteen inches long; the bill is three inches and a half in length. The top of the head is black, the rest of the head, neck, and all the other parts of the body white, except the inner scapulars, the middle of the wing-coverts and outer webs, and ends of the quills, which again are black. The legs are long, and of a bluish gray, and the toes have a connecting membrane. It weighs about thirteen ounces, and is frequent, in the winter, on most of the seacoasts of Europe, as well as in the fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridge, &c. in England. It feeds on worms and insects, which it scoops out of the sand with its bill.

1 Recurvirostra avocetta, LIN. The genus Recurvirostra has the bill very long, slender, feeble, depressed throughout its length, flexible and turned up at the point, the upper mandible channelled on its surface, the under laterally; nostrils linear and long; legs long and slender; the three fore toes united as far as the second joint by a membrane; the hind toe placed high up and very short; wings acuminate, the first quill longest.

AMERICAN AVOSET.1

THIS species, from its perpetual clamor and flippancy of tongue, is called by the inhabitants of Cape May, the lawyer. Wilson found these birds, as well as the long-legged avost, in the salt marshes of New Jersey on the 20th of May. They flew around the shallow pools, uttering the sharp note of click, click, alighting on the marsh, or in the water, fluttering their loose wings, and shaking their half-bent legs, as if ready to tumble over, keeping up a continual yelping note. The nest was built among the thick tufts of grass, of sea-weed, dry grass, and twigs, and raised to the height of several inches.

THIS stately and elegant bird inhabits the seashores of America from Brazil to Georgia. It also appears to wander up the Mississippi sometimes

Platalea ajaja, LIN. The genus Platalea has the bill very long, much flattened, dilated towards the extremity, and rounded like a spoon or spatula; upper mandible channeled and transversely sulcated at the base; nostrils approximated, oblong, open, bordered with a membrane; face and head wholly or partially naked; legs long; the three anterior toes connected to the second joint by deeply cut membranes; the hinder one long, and bearing on the ground.

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in summer. It is however rarely seen to the northward of Altamaha river; and even along the peninsula of Florida is a rare bird; in Jamaica and several other of the West India islands, Mexico, and Guiana, it is more common, but confines itself chiefly to the seashore and the mouths of rivers. It wades about in quest of shell-fish, marine insects, small crabs, and fish. In pursuit of these, it occasionally swims and dives.

This bird is of a beautiful pink color, with a mixture of black at the lower part of the neck. The most common species, however, is that which bears the name of the white spoonbill,1 from its plumage, save that in some rare exceptions it is entirely white. This bird is about the size of a heron, but somewhat shorter in the neck and legs. The bill is more than half a foot long, and has the shape of a spoon.

THE Egyptian ibis, so famous in history and mythology, is larger than the stork, measuring from thirty to forty inches in length. The bill is seven

2 Ibis religiosa, Cuv. The genus Ibis has the bill long, slender, arched, broad at the base, tip depressed, obtuse, and rounded; upper mandible deeply furrowed in its whole length; nostrils near the base at the upper part of the bill, oblong, straight and perforated in the membrane which covers the furrow; the face, and frequently a part of the head and neck, naked; legs naked above the knee; the fore toes united as far as the first joint; the hind toe long, and reaching the ground.

inches long, is slightly curved, and ends in a blunt point. The plumage is a reddish white, most inclining to red on the back and wings. It is found in great numbers in Lower Egypt, in places just freed from the inundations of the Nile, where it is of signal service in destroying insects, reptiles, &c. This bird is frequently found in the sepulchres along with the mummies, and was formerly held sacred by the Egyptians.

WOOD IBIS.1

THIS bird is found in the southern parts of the United States, and also extends as far as Cayenne, Brazil, and various parts of South America. Its favorite haunts are watery savannahs, and inland swamps, where it feeds on fish and reptiles. The French inhabitants of Louisiana esteem it good eating.

The following account is given by Mr William Bartram. "This solitary bird does not associate in flocks; but is generally seen alone, commonly near the banks of great rivers, in marshes or meadows, especially such as are covered by inundations, and also in vast deserted rice plantations. He stands alone, on the topmost limb of tall, dead cypress trees, his neck contracted or drawn in upon his shoulders, and his beak resting like a long scythe upon his breast; in this pensive posture and solitary situation, they look extremely grave, sorrowful, and melancholy, as if in the deepest thought. They are never seen on the seacoast, and yet are never found at a great distance from it. They feed on serpents, young alligators, frogs, and other reptiles."

The whole body, neck, and lower parts of this bird, are white; the bill is nearly nine inches long.

THE SCARLET IBIS.2

THIS beautiful bird is said to be common in most parts of America within the tropics, and in almost all the West India islands. Of its manners, little more has been collected, than that it frequents the borders of the sea, and shores of the neighboring rivers, feeding on small fry, shell-fish, sea-worms, and crabs. It is said frequently to perch on trees, sometimes in large flocks; but to lay its eggs on the ground, or a bed of leaves. The young when

1 Ibis loculator, LIN.,

2 Ibis rubra, VIEILL.