Identifier: museileverianiex121792shaw (find matches)
Title: Musei Leveriani explicatio, anglica et latina
Year: 1792 (1790s)
Authors: Shaw, George, 1751-1813 Ryley, Charles Reuben, 1752?-1798, ill Reinagle, Philip, 1749-1833, ill Stone, Sarah, ca. 1760-1844, ill Skelton, William, 1763-1848, engraver Edwards, Sydenham, 1769?-1819, engraver
Subjects: Lever, Ashton, Sir, 1729-1788 Leverian Museum (London, England) Zoology Natural history museums Mammals Birds
Publisher: (London) : Impensis Jacobi Parkinson
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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No. III. T THE ( 134 ) THE FLAMINGO. GENERIC CHARACTER. Bill thick, large, bending in the middle as if broken, edges of the upper mandible toothed, of the lower tranfverfely fukated.Nostrils linear.F£ET palmated, four-toed. SPECIFIC CHARACTER, &c. Crimfon Flamingo with the long wing-feathers black. Flamingo Rati Synops. p. 190. i.Sloan, Jam. p. 321. 17.Catejb. Carol, i. pi. 73. 74.Lath. Synops. 3. p. 299. IF ever Nature may be faid to have violated the general rules of pro-portion by which moft animals are fo gracefully diftinguifhed, it muft bein the Flamingo j the neck and legs of which are fo enormoufly and evenawkwardly long, that they feem to fubjedl the bird to fome inconvenienceand conftraint in its manner of walking and fitting. To add to thefe ap-parent difadvantages the beak is fo conftrudted as to appear as if bent orbroken by fome accidental violencej the mandibles curving fuddenly downwardsfrom the middle. From this circumftance, the bird when feeding, is obliged to
Text Appearing After Image:
T)H(0)EKICOT)ri!M:S K.1T1B1ER . THIB TFX.AMIITGO. ( U5 ) to turn its head alinoft with the back towards the ground, and to take itsfood in a lateral diredion. But the fuperior elegance of its plumage, when in a (late of perfedcion,makes ample amends for the extravagance of its fhape. The general colourof the bird is rofeate crimfon, or rather fcarlet, which foftens in fome partsalmoft into white; and indeed the bird is fo much fubjecft to vary from ageand other circumftances, that it is frequently feen with the white almoft thepredominating colour in fome parts of the body. The long feathers of diewings are always of a deep black, which adds greatly to the beauty of thebird, by the contraft it forms to the reft of the plumage. The beak is reddilh-brown, with a black tip : the legs and feet red. The Flamingo is not much inferior in fize to a goofe. It is faid to buildits neft of mud, in the form of a hillock, and of fuch a height as to admitof its fitting upon it with its legs hanging

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