HIS very singular bird, which is the largest of

THIS

our land birds, is about four feet long, and weighs from twenty-five to thirty pounds; its characters are peculiar, and with such as connect it with birds of the gallinaceous kind, it has 'othiers which seem to belong to the Ostrich and the Cassowary.. Its bill is strong, and rather convex; its eyes red; on each side of the lower bill there is a tuft of feathers about nine inches long; its head and neck are ash-coloured. In the one described by Edwards, there were on each side of the neck two naked spots, of a violet colour, but which appeared to be covered with feathers when the neck was much extended. The back is barred transversely with black and bright rust colour; the quills are black; the belly white; the tail consists of twenty feathers, the middle ones are rust colour, barred with black-those on each side are white, with a bar or

two of black near the ends; the legs are long, naked above the knees, and dusky; it has no hind toe; its nails are short, strong, and convex both above and below; the bottom of the foot is furnished with a callous prominence, which serves instead of a heel. The female is not much more than half the size of the male: the top of her head is of a deep orange, the rest of the head brown; her colours are not so bright as those of the male, and she wants the tuft on each side of the head: there is likewise another very es sential difference between the male and the female; the former is furnished with a sac or pouch, situated in the fore part of the neck, and capable of contain ing about two quarts; the entrance to it is immedi ately under the tongue. This singular reservoir was first discovered by Dr. Douglas, who supposes that the bird fills it with water as a supply in the midst of those dreary plains where it is accustomed to wander; is likewise makes a further use of it in defending itself against the attacks of birds of prey; on such occasions it throws out the water with such violence, as not unfrequently to baffle the pursuit of its enemy.

Bustards were formerly more frequent in this island than at present; they are now found only in the open countries of the south and east, in the plains of Wilt shire, Dorsetshire, and in some parts of Yorkshire; they were formerly met with in Scotland, but are now supposed to be extinct there. They are slow in taking wing, but run with great rapidity, and when young are sometimes taken with greyhounds, which pursue them with great avidity: the chace is said to afford excellent diversion.-The Great Bustard is granivorous, feeding on herbs and grain of various kinds; it is also fond of those worms which are seen to come out of the ground in great numbers before sun-rise in the summer; in winter it frequently feeds on the bark of trees: like the Ostrich, it swallows small stones, bits of metal, and the like. In the stomach of one which was opened by the academicians, there were found, says Buffon, besides small stones, to the number of ninety doubloons, all worn and polished by the

attrition of the stomach. The female makes no nest, but, making a hole on the ground, she drops two eggs, about the size of those of a goose, of a pale olive brown, with dark spots: she sometimes leaves her eggs in quest of food; and if, during her absence, any one should handle, or even breathe upon them, she immediately abandons her nest. Bustards are found in various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but have not hitherto been discovered on the new continent.

LITTLE BUSTARD.

Length only seventeen inches: the bill is pale brown; eyes red; the top of the head is black, spotted with pale rust colour; the sides of the head, chin, and throat, are of a reddish white, marked with a few dark spots; the whole neck is black, encircled with an irregular band of white near the top and bottom; the back and wings are rust colour, mottled with brown, and crossed with fine irregular black lines; the under parts of the body, and outer edges of the wings, are white; the tail consists of eighteen feathers, the middle ones are tawny, barred with black, the others are white, marked with a few irregular bands of black; the legs are gray. The female is smaller, and has not the black collar on its neck; in other respects she nearly resembles the male.

This bird is very uncommon in this country; we have seen only two of them, both of which were females. Our figure was taken from one sent us by W. Trevelyan, Esq. which was taken on the edge of Newmarket Heath, and kept alive about three weeks in a kitchen, where it was fed with bread and other things, such as poultry eat. Both this and the Great Bustard are excellent eating, and, we should imagine, would well repay the trouble of domestication; indeed, it seems surprising that we should suffer these fine birds to run wild, and be in danger of total extinction, which, if properly cultivated, might afford as excellent a repast as our own domestic poultry, or even the Turkey, for which we are indebted to distant countries. It is very common in France, where it is taken in nets like the Partridge. It is a very shy

and cunning bird; if disturbed, it flies two or three hundred paces, not far from the ground, and then runs away much faster than any one can follow on foot. The female lays her eggs in June, to the number of three or four, of a glossy green colour; as soon as the young are hatched, she leads them about as the hen does her chickens; they begin to fly about the middle of August.

THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM.

No. I.

Consisting of Miscellaneous Curiosities, extracted from various Authors.

OF THE SECRET WAYS OF DISPATCH, AND THE DELIVERY OF MESSAGES BY LETTERS,

S

CYPHERS, AND OTHER WAYS.

ECRESY and celerity are of special importance for the right conduct and management of all sorts of affairs; but in military matters they are of that absolute necessity, that scarce any thing of moment can be effected without them. Various ways have the ancients and others invented, whereby they might convey their intelligence and advice with both these: a specimen whereof we have in the following examples.

1. Aleppo, is so called of Alep, which signifies milk, of which there is great abundance thereabouts. There are here also pigeons, brought up after an incredible manner, who will fly between Babylon and Aleppo (being thirty days journey distant) in forty-eight hours space, carrying letters and news (which are fastened about their necks) to merchants of both towns, and from one to another. These are only employed in the time of hasty and needful dispatch: their education to this tractable expedition is admirable, the flights and arrivals of Vol. 14, No. 56.

which I have often seen in the time of my wintering in Aleppo, which was the second winter after my departure from christendom. Lithgow's Trav. part 5. p. 202, 203. Huigen Van Linschoten's Discourse of Voyages, l. 1. c. 6. p. 16.

2. The city of Ptolemais, in Syria, was besieged by the French and Venetians, and it was ready to fall into their hands, when the soldiers beheld a pigeon flying over them, with letters to the city; who thereupon set up so sudden and great a shout, that down fell the poor airy post with her letter: being read, it was found that the sultan had therein sent them word, that "he would be with them, with an army sufficient to raise the siege ;" and, that they might expect his arrival in three days." The chrisitians having learnt this, sent away the pigeon with others instead of the former, which were to this purpose: that "they should see to their own safety, for that the sultan had such other affairs as rendered it impossible for him to come in to their succour." These letters being received, the city was immediately surrendered. The sultan performed his promise upon the third day; but perceiving how matters went, returned to his other employments. Sabel. Ex. 1. 6. c. 6. p. 340.

3. Histæus, the Milesian, being kept by Darius at Susa, under an honourable pretence, and despairing of his return home, unless he could find out some way that he might be sent to sea, he purposed to send to Aristagoras, who was his substitute at Miletum, to persuade his revolt from Darius; but knowing that all passages were stopped, and studiously watched, he took this course: he got a trusty servant of his, the hair of whose head he caused to be shaved off, and then, upon his bald pate, he wrote his mind to Aristagoras, kept him privately about him till his hair was somewhat grown, and then bid him haste to Ariștagoras,

I