THeThe PHÆNICOPTER; So called from the scarlet- colour of his Wings. By the French, Flammant, for the same reason. Given by Thomas Povey Esq;. There are an abundance of them in Peru. (a) (a) Joh. de Læt. In Winter they feed in France. See Willughby's Description. His Neck and Legs are exceeding long. When Scaliger therefore saith, (b) (b) Exercit. 233. S. 2. That he hath the shortest Legs of any Animal yet known; he would have said, the longest. But that wherein he is most remarkable, is his Bill. Which I shall describe more particularly.

The Figure of each Beak, is truly Hyperbolical. The upper is ridged behind; before, plain or flat, pointed like a Sword, and with the extremity bended a little down. Within, it hath an Angle or sharp Ridge which runs all along the middle. At the top of the Hyperbole, not above ¼ of an inch high. The lower Beak, in the same place, above an inch high; hollow, and the Margins strangely expanded inward for the breadth of above ¼ of an inch, and somewhat convexly. They are both furnished with black Teeth (as I call them from their use) of an unusual figure, sc. slender, numerous and parallel, as in Ivory-Combs; but also very short, scarce the eighth of an inch deep. An admirable invention of Nature, by the help of which, and of the sharp Ridge above mention'd, this Bird holds his slippery Prey the faster.

What Cardane affirmeth of the Phænicopter, That he moves the upper Jaw or Beak, I have observed, saith Wormius, to be true. Menippus the Philosopher also, (a)(a) Lib. de Homine. cited by Rondeletius, saith the same. But Wormius adds, That the cause is not so manifest, as in the Crocodile: yet shews not, in what respect. Hereof see Sect. 2. Chap. 3.

As for the Phænicopter, it must needs be said, That the shape and bigness of the upper Beak (which here, contrary to what it is in all other Birds that I have seen, is thinner and far less than the nether) speaks it to be the more fit for motion, or to make the appulse, and the nether to receive it. But there can be no determination of these matters, without Inspection into the Muscules and the Articulation of the Bones.