NATURAL’ HISTORY
OF
BIRDS,
Moft of which have not been figured or defcribed, and others very little known, from obfcure or too brief Defcriptions without Figures, or from Figures very ill defigned :
CONTAINING
The Figures of Sixty-One Birds and Two Quadru pedes, engrav’d on Fifty-Three Copper Plates, afrer curious Original Drawings from Life, and exadly Colour’d. With full and accurate Defcriptions.
To which is added,
An APPENDIX, by Way of Illustration^
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By George |
E D |
WARDS. |
: LONDON:
Printed for the Author, at the College of Phyfcians in Warwick- Lane»
M. DCC. XLVn.
114 7
T O
Sir HANS SLOANE, Bar'.
Phyfician in Ordinary to his M a j e s t y,,
Late President of the Royal College of Physicians^^ London, and of the Royal Society.
Honoured S I
U F F E R me to caft this weak Eflay (towards Natural Knowledge) into your boundlefs Trea- fury of Nature, that it may be fupported b)r your Charitable Protedlion, and skreen’d under your Illuftrious Name from the Malice of Detraftors. If there be any Thing in it worthy your Notice, it is prin¬ cipally owing to your Generofity, in giving me all poffible Encouragement in the Art of Defigning after Nature, in which Employment you have ( without fparing your Purfe) continued me for many Years, to my great Im¬ provement in that Art: Yet, Sir, your indulgent Kind- nefs, in giving me a full Liberty at all Times, for thefe many Years paft, to confult and examine that ineftimable Treafure of Nature and Arts, collected by the worthy In- duftry and Labour of a great Part of your Life, engages; my Gratitude more than any mercenary Confiderations.
I have often refledfed on my own good Fortune^, when I have confidered that the Benefit which I enjoy has.
for-
IV
dedication.
for many Years been an improving and pleafant Enter=^ tainmentj ■ not only to the greateft of our Nobility, but even to the Royal Family of thefe Kingdoms, as well as to all Foreigners of Diftin£Hon who have vifited this Kingdom, of which Number fome are Sovereign Princes, and Princes of Sovereign Houfes : In the Front of the latter may be placed his preftnt Imperial Majefty, v/hofe great Tafte for Natural Knowledge, and other Sciences, led him feveral Times to indulge his Cu» riofity in viewing fuch valuable Rarities as are no where to be met with but in your Compleat Mufeuniy and at the fame Time honoured their worthy.. Pofleflbr with his Vifits, during the fhort Stay he made in London.
Yet, Sir, the foremention ’d Obligations are not the greateft that your Benevolence has beftowed on me : It would be high Ingratitude, ftiould I forget the Pains you have taken to influence the Gentlemen of the College of Phyfcians in Favour of me, in order to place me in the Office I now bear under that Honourable Society , fince it has raifed me, I believe, as many Patrons as there are Gentlemen of that Learned Body ; and, by adding fome- thing to a fmall Patrimony, you have rendered my Con¬ dition both eafy and happy 5 for which Benefits I can only offer up my Prayers for the Repofe of your Body, and your Peace and Serenity of Miiid, fo long as it fliall pleafe God to continue your valuable Life.
/ am., H o N o u R E D S I R,
Tour fnofl Humble
' and moft obliged Servant^
GEORGE EDWARDS.
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{ S3 )
‘The A s H-C OLouRED Buzzard.
I .Have given this Bird the above Name, becaufe it comes pretty near the Bird we call a Buzzardy or Pottocky in its Shape, Magnitude, and partly in its Colour, thp’ it differs in many Refpedts, which fhews it to be fpecifically different from our’s in En- glandy which fee defcribed in Willoughbf^ Ornithology, p. 70. Pab. 6, It feemed to me of the Bignefs of a middle-fized Hen or Cock ; its Shape and due Proportions I have, as well as I could, expreffed in the Figure.
The Bill is of a blueifh Lead-Colour, cover’d with a Skin of the fame Colour, from the Noftrils to the Point an Inch and a Qi^arter, from the Angles of the Mouth to the Point of the Bill two Inches : The Head, and Fore-part of the Neck,., are cover’d with Feathers, having dark brown Spots in the Middle, the reft of the Feathers being white, which make a pretty Appearance of White fpotted with dark Brown j from the Angles of the Mouth is drawn on each Side under the Eyes a dusky Line j the dark Spots on the Breaft are larger than thofe on the Head j the Sides and Belly are co¬ vered with dark brown Feathers, fpotted with round or oval Spots of White ; the Thighs are covered with foft, loofe, white Feathers, with long irregular Dafhes of dark Brown down their Shafts j the covert Feathers on the under Side of the Tail are barr’d tranfverfly with Black and White ; the whole upper Side, Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, are covered with brownifh afh-coloured Feathers, darker in their middle Parts, their Edges becoming gradually lighter, which is moft manifeft in the fmaller covert Feathers of the Wings, their very Edges being almoft white. The outer Webb of the firft Quill is fpotted with a light Colour ; the inner Webb on the under Side is Afh-colour, indented with White very diftindtly, which Indenture becomes more and more confufed and broken till the twelfth Qmll, where it wholly difappears, the reft of the Quilfs within being Afli-colour : The covert Feathers, within-fide of the Wings, are of a dark, dirty Brown, fprinkled with round Spots of White: The upper Side of the Tail is barr’d a-crofs with narrow Bars of Clay-Colour ; as are the Feathers that co¬ ver the upper Side of the Tail : The under Side of the Tail is Afh-colour barr’d a-crofs with White : The Legs and Feet are of a blueifh Afh-colour ; the Claws black ; the fore Part of the Legs are cover’d half Way to the Feet with dusky Feathers.
This Bird was brought from Hudfon's Bay by Mr. Alexander Eighty who gave it me ; it was a fluffed Skin well preferved : He told me its principal Prey was the Lago- pus avisy known in thofe Parts by the Name of the white Partridge^ which I have placed with him by way of Decoration ; but as I defign a Plate in particular of the white Partridgey I fliall fay nothing of him here farther, than to let the Reader knov/, that he is in this Plate figur’d in his full Winter’s Drefs, being wholly white, except fome black Feathers in his Tail. The Figure that follows, Pag. 72. will reprefent him in the Spring, when he is changing from White to Brown, orRedifh.
B
( 54 )
T^he Crested Red, or Russit Butcher-Bird.
This Bird is figur’d of its natural Bignefs, it being of the Size and Shape, and fomething of the Colour of the Hen Butcher-Eirdy defcribed by Willoughhyy p. 89. The Bill is a little like a Hawk'^ but longer, being a little hooked, having Angles on each Side near the Point of the upper Mandible, of a Flefh-colour at the Bafis, gradually growing black toward the Point ; behind each Eye it hath a black Spot in form of a half Moon; round the Bafis of the upper Mandible of the Bill it hath black Bridles flicking out like Smellers ; the Creft or Crown of the Head is of a Reddilh-Colour, appearing in the deadBirdas reprefented in the Print; the upper Side of the Neck, Back, Rump, and upper Side of the Tail are red, or ruffit, not fo bright as the Creft ; the Sides of the Head round the Eyes, Throat, Bread, Belly, Thighs, and Coverts under the Tail, are of a dirty, pale Orange- colour, with tranfverfe dusky Lines; the Wings are brown; the greater Feathers fomething darker than the Coverts, all edged with a lighter Brown; the Legs, Feet, and Claws are black ; the under Side of the Tail is of a Clay-colour; the middle Feathers longed ; the fide Feathers growing gradually diorter, as in Magpyes, Becaufe this Bird pretty much refembles the Hen Butcher-Bird mentioned above, I thought proper to fhevv wherein they differ ; this has fomething of a Creft, that no Appear¬ ance of one ; this hath a large black Spot behind the Eye, that hath none; this hath the whole under Side of areddifh Yellow, with tranfverfe Lines; that hath the under Side of a dirty White, with femi-lunar Spots ; this hath the Back of a very red Brown, without any Marks ; that of a cinerious Brown, barred a-crofs with lighter and darker Colours ; the Bill, Wings, and Feet in both are very nearly the fame. This Bird was fent from Bengaly to Mr. Dandridge in Moorfieldsy London. It is called in its native Country, Charah. This Genus of Birds is called in France by the general Name of Pie grieche. See a Book of very neat Prints of Birds, drawn and publiflied by N. Robert y one of the Cabinet Painters to Lewis the 14th of France^, Tab. 4. where feveral Species of them are figured very exadllyo.
53
( ss )
The kaft Butcher-Bird.
This Bird hath already been 6gured and fuperficially defcribed by Albin% but, on' examine ing his Figure and Defcription, I find fo much Inaccuracy in both, that I have thought it convenient (it being a Bird little known in England) to give it a Figure and more perfed Defcrip- tion ; To which I have added its Hen, which I believe was never before figured j it is called by Albin the Beardmanica^ or Bearded Tit-moufe^ but it agreeing with the Butcher-Bird in moft of its Charafterifticks, I conclude it to be a Species of that Genus.
Thefe Birds are here reprefeiited of their natural Bignefs 5 the lower Figure in the Plate is the Cock, he hath the Bill fomething arched, as have the others of this Kind, of a fine lightOrange- Colour. I could perceive no Angle in the Bill. The Circle round the Eye is of a brighc Orange-Colour : From the Bafis of the Bill is a broad Bar of Black, which encompaflfes the Eye^ and tends downwards beneath the Eye, where it terminates in a Point, as exprefied- in the Figure :: The Throat and Sides of the Head are white, which Whitenefs encompaflTes the above-mention*d black Spot ; the Crown of the Head is of a blueifh Afh-colour ; the Breaft is faintly tindured with a Rofe or Bloflbm Colour 5 the Belly is firft whitifh, the Thighs and towards the Vent being darker ; the Sides under the Wings are clouded with Orange-colour ; the covert Feathers under the Tail are black •, the upper Side, Neck, Back, and Tail are of a red Brown, inclining tO' Orange-colour; the greater Quills of the Wings are black, edged with White ; the inner next the Back are black, edged with Orange-colour ; the two innermoft, fave one, have their inner Webs white ; the leaft and Innermoft Quill Is wholly white ; the firft Row of the upper covert FeatherSi of the Wings anfwer exadly in Colour to the Quills they cover ; though in the Orange-colour they are tipp’d deeper and brighter than the Quills, which makes a Bar of Orange a-crofs the Wings i the lefler Coverts are black ; the Ridge of the Wing is white ; the covert Feathers within- fide of the Wings are of a yellowifli White; there are intermixed between the Back and the upper Coverts of the Wing a few light or whitifh Feathers; the Tail confifts of twelve Feathers,, longeft in the Middle, fhortening gradually towards the Sides, to left than half the Length of the Middle Feathers ; the Tail beneath declines from Grange to an Afh-colour ; the Legs and Feet are black. The Hen differs from the Cock, in that fhehath no black Mark about her Eyes ; the Coverts under her Tail are light Brown ; the middle Feathers of her Tail are like the Cock’s ; the Side Feathers are black, with pretty deep white Tips ; her Head on the Top is of a dirty Brown,, which in the Cock is blueifh ; her Back is fprinkled with fome dufky Spots, tending length-ways the Point of her Bill is black ; flie hath not the rofe-coloured Tinefture on her Breaft ; but in all. other Refpedls fhe agrees with the Cock both as to Shape and Colour.
What Mr. Albin fays of the Care the Cock takes to cover the Hen with his Wing when at Rooft,!
I have heard reported by others. The Right Honourable the Counteft of Albemarle brought with- icovc\ Copenhagen a large Cage full of thefe Birds, when fhe returned from her Attendance ore one of the Princeffes of Great Britain^ who was efpoufed by the Prince Royal of Denmark^ in the Year 174^. I was favoured with a Sight of them by the Counteft,. and have feen fome others of the fame Kind, both Cocks and Hens, fhot among the Reeds in Marflies near though they are
not -well enough known in England to have a Name.
Mr. Albin has figured and defcribed two Birds, Male and Female, in one Plate, vol, 3. p. 5 by the Name of Mountain-Tits^ which he had from Drawings of Sir Thomas Lowther-, which I take to be no other than his Bearded Tit-moufe^ or Beardmanka ; which fee in his Hiftory of Birds,. Vol. i. p. 46. I am the more confirmed in this Opinion, fince I have feen, 1 believe, the original; Dj-awing, which is now in Richard Mead ^ M. D. Phyfician to the King,
( S6 )
F OR K-T ail’d Indian Butcher-Bird.
From the Stmdure of the Bill, the Briftles which (hoot from its Balls, and the- Strength of its Legs, I have determined to give it the above Namej though the Tail be quite contrary to the Make of the Butcher-Bird’ ^ j this having its longeft- Feathers on the Sides, and the fhorteft in the Middle.
This Plate prefents you with the Figure of the Bird drawn as near to the Size t)f Nature as I could do it by the Eye ; it being firmly inclofed in Glafs, I could not well meafure its Parts : It hath a thick, ftrong Bill, arched fomething like a Hawk'z Bill, but not fo much over hanging, and longer in Proportion to its Thicknefsj with pretty large Noftrils : The Bafis of the upper Mandible hath many fliff Hairs round it, tending forward; bothupperand lower Mandibles are of adufkyBrown, or Black, lighter towards the Bafis, and becoming gradually darker towards the Point. The whole Head, Neck, Back, and covert Feathers of the Wings are of a bright Ihining Black, refleding Blue, Purple, and Green, as they are varioufly turned and expofed to different Lights. The greater Quills, with fome of the firfl Row of covert Feathers next above them, are of a rufty Black, without any Luftre, though the Quills next the Body are of the Colour of the Head and Back : The Tail Feathers are fhorter in the Middle than on the Sides, which makes it appear notably forked, all of a dull, rufty Black ; the two outermoft Feathers being tipped with a dirty White : The Breaft is of a dark Afh-colour, or blackifh ; The whole Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are White : The Sides and the Thighs are a little clouded with dufky Spots : The Legs, Feet, and Claws are of a dufky, blackifh Colour.
I was doubtful whether to range this Bird with the Butcher-Bird^ or Magpye Kind, for it feems equally of kin to both, and I think the Magpye may juftly be ranged with the Butcher-Birdy feeing they agree in almoft all Refpe<fts ; though no Englijhman hath obferved it, yet the French^ by calling them all Pyes^ feem to have better difcovered the Conformity of their Natures. I take this Bird to be a non defcript. It is in the Collec¬ tion of Mr. Dandridge, whofe obliging Nature has given me frequent Occafions to mention his Name. It was brought from Bengal^ and is called in that Country Lan¬ guage, Fingah,
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( 57 )'
The Great Spotted Cuckow.
HIS Bird (to liken it in Size to what is well known to us) is of the Bignefs of a Magpyey or Jay^ and is the largefl of four Sorts of Cuckoos, of which I have Drawings from Nature in my Colledtion of Birds, and in its Colouring and Spots is the moft elegant Bird of its Genus that I have either feen, or find defcribed by Authors. See two Sorts defcribed and figured in Sir Hans Shane's Natural Hiftory of Ja- maica. Vol. II. Page 312J 313. 'Tab. 258. and one in Mr. Catesbfs Natural Hiflory of Carolina. Vol. I. p. 13.
It hath a pretty ffrong black Bill, fomething long in Proportion to its Thicknefs, and a little bowed downward, ending in a Point; the lower Mandible hath fomething of an Angle underneath ; the whole Bill is of a black Colour ; from the Angles of the Mouth on each Side is extended backward to the hinder Part of the Head a black Line, nar¬ rowed: at the Extremes, and broader in the middle Part, in which the Eyes are placed : The Crown of the Head is covered with foft Feathers of a blueifh Afh-colour, which by their Length and Loofenefs appear fomething like a Crefl: : The whole upper Side, Neck, Back,, Wings, and Tail are cover’d with dark brown Feathers ; the greater Qmlls and Tail being the darkeftand approaching to Black : All the Wing Feathers, except the greater Quills, are tipp’d with White, and very light Afh-colour, as are the upper covert Feathers of the Tail; the two middle Feathers of the Tail are wholly dark; all the fide Feathers, as they gradually fhorten in Length, they gradually increafe in the Depth of their white Tips : The under Side, from the Sides of the Head and Throat to the BreafI, is of a pretty bright Brown, inclining to Orange ; which Colour gra¬ dually changes in the Belly and Thighs to a dirty, yellowifh Brown, and ends in the Coverts beneath the Tail ; the infide of the Wing Feathers, and the under Side of the Tail are of an Afh-colour, and lighter than they are on their upper Sides ; the Legs are fhort in Proportion ; the Toes ftand two forward and two backward ; it hath pretty flrong black Claws ; and both Legs and Feet are covered with black Scales.
I fuppofe this Bird to be an alternate Inhabitant of the Southern Parts of Europe, and the Northern Parts of Africa ; fince it was fliot on its fuppofed PafTage, on the Rock of Gibraltar, in Spain, by an Englijh Officer there, who fent it to his Brother Mr. Mark Catesby, of London ; who obliged me with it, to make what Ufe of it I thought proper,.
( 58 )
The Black Indian Cuckow.
This Bird is about the Size of our Black-Bird^ or Thrujlo.^ which is fmaller than the Cuckow that vifits us every Summer in En¬ gland : It hath its Head, I think, larger in Proportion than our Cuckowy and its Bill manifeftly thicker, tho’ not quite fo long as our’s.
The Bill is thicker and ftronger than in fome of this Kind, of a bright Orange Colour; the Sides, or Edges of the upper Mandible, where they fall over the nether, do not run in a ftrait Line, but in a Wave, as it is cxpreffed in the Figure: The Head, Body, Wings, and Tail, are cover’d in every Part with deep black Feathers, without any Mark or Spot of other Colours; notwithftanding which, it may be accounted a very beau¬ tiful Bird, becaufe its Feathers have fuch a fhining Luftre on them, that they, by Turns, being expofed to difFerent Lights, refled all the diffe¬ rent Colours in the Rainbow : The middle Feathers of the Tail are pretty long ; the Side Feathers become gradually fhorter ; both Tail and Wings are pretty long, as they are in all this Tribe of Birds ; the Legs are fliort, but thick and ftrong, as are the Feet and Claws, all of a reddifh-brown Colour, the Claws being darker than the Toes. As it is not eafy to define how a Thing, that fometimes appears, purely black, fhould, on a little Turn, take fhining Colours, tho’ no fuch be placed near it to be refledled back ; I have imagined, that thefe Fea¬ thers mufl: have in their Compofition fome tranfparent, triangular Fi¬ bres, which operate on the Eye, as our Glafs Prifms do, I think it would be a Matter worthy the Pains of our curious microfcopical Obfer- vators ; it might be tried on the black Feathers of a MagpyCy or Rave?ty and many other of our Birds, who have fhining black Feathers.
This Bird was brought from Bengal, where it is called in the Coun¬ try Language, Cukeel : PofTibly its Cry may be pretty like the European Cuckow\y and the Indians may name it from its Voice ; feeing the Indian Name nearly agrees with that the Cuckow bears in Europe. This was, with many other curious Birds, in the Colledlion of Mr. Dandridge in Moorfieldsy London ; from whence my Draught was taken,
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( 59 )
7he brown and [potted Y d i a N C u c K o w.
This Bird is of the Size of a but longer bodied,^ ^ and hath,
in Proportion to its Bignefs, a large Head, and a very long Tail the Bill is pretty ftrong and thick for this Tribe of Birds, of a dirty Yel¬ low, inclining to Green ; the Head, Neck, whole Body, Wings, and Tail, are of a Brown-Colour, fpotted and barred in every Part with either a lighter Brown or White; the Head, Wings and back Part are darker than the under Side, fpotted and intermixed with a lighter Brown ; though in the leffer Coverts of the Wings there are fome white Spots : The Spots on the Quills fall in fuch Manner as to caufe Bars of light Brown a-crols them ; the Tail is barred a-crols with the fame Colour, the Lines tend¬ ing from the Shafts of the Feathers toward their Tips, as is plainly ex- prefs’d in the Figure ; the Bread:, Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, have a great Proportion of White, a little mixed in the Belly, Thighs, and under the Tail with Orange-colour ; all the under Side being befet fomething confufedly, with femi-lunar black Spots ; the Legs are Ihort ; both Legs and Feet of a yellowifh Colour; the Toes fland two forward, and as many behind ; the Claws are dusky. ‘ This Bird be¬ ing more like the common Cuckow than the others here defcribed, it may be thought the fame by flight Obfervers of Nature, fo it will be proper to oblerve in what they chiefly difagree : Firft, it is lefs by a full third Part, though, by reafon of the fuperior Length of the Tail, this Bird is an Inch or more longer than the common Cuckow that is white, with regu¬ lar continued tranfverfe Lines, on the under Side, from the Bread; down¬ ward ; this hath the Belly and under Side white, mixed with Orange, and fprinkled with black Spots; that hath bright Gold-colour’d Legs; this hath them of a dirty Yellow, rather inclining to Green : But I am more certainly convinced, who have leen and compared the Birds together, than another can be by my perfuading him to be of my Opinion : The Tail Feathers of the Common are tipp’d with White ; but in this there is no Appearance of it.
This Bird was brought from Bengal, in which Country Language it is called, Boughtjallich Mr. Dandridge obliged me with a Sight of this Bird ; from which my Deflgn was taken.
The Great Horned Owl
This Bird is of the greater Kind of Ow/f, approaching near in Magnitude to the greatefi: Horn^ or Eagle Owl : The Bignefs of the Head in this feems not at all inferior to that of a Cat y the Wing, when clofed, meafures from the Top to the Ends of the Quills full fifteen Inches.
The Bill is black ; the upper Mandible hooked, and over hanging the nether, as in Eagles and Hawks, having no Angle as in them, but plain on its Edges ; it is cover’d with a Skin, in which are placed the Noftrils, and that Skin hid with a Brillly-kind of grey Feathers that grow round the Bafis of the Bill ; the Eyes are large, having Circles round them pretty broad, of a bright fhining Gold-colour ; the Spaces round the Eyes, which one may call the Face, is of a light Brown, confufcdly mixed with Orange-colour, gradually becoming dulky where it borders on the Eyes j over the Eyes it hath white Stroaks j the Feathers that compofe the Horns begin juft above the Bill, where they are intermixed with a little White, but as they extend onwards beyond the Head they be¬ come of a red Brown, clouded with Dulky, and tipped with Black : The Top of the Head, Neck, Back, Wings, and upper Side of the Tail, are of a dark brown Colour, fpotted, and intermixed with feme confufed tranfverfe fmall Lines of Alh-colour, and reddifh ; the greater Wing Feathers and the Tail are barred a-crofs with dusky Bars of half an Inch Breadth, fome a little more, fome lefs j the Feathers between the Back and Wings are Orange-colour tipp’d with White j a little below the Bill the Throat is White 5 the fore Part of the Neck and Breaft are bright Brown, inclining to Orange, ’which gradually grows fainter on the Sides j this brown Part is fpotted with pretty large dark Spots, and intermixed between the Spots with the fame dufky Colour ; the Middle of the Breaft, Belly, Thighs, and under Side of the Tail are White, or faint Afh-colour, barred tranfverfely with dujfky Lines pretty regularly 5, the Infide of the Wings co¬ loured and variegated in the fame Manner j the Legs and Toes almoft to the Ends are covered with light Afh-coloured Feathers 3 the Ends of the Toes and Claws of a dark Horn-colour.
I faw this Bird alive in the Park of the Right Honourable the Earl of Burlington, at his Houfe at Chifwick, near London,, where I made this Defign. It was brought from Virginia.
I have by me a Bird which I believe to be of the fame Species with this j I received it preferved dry from Hudfon's~Bay, in North- America. It differs from the above de- ferib’d, in that it hath not Orange-colour’d and white Feathers between the Back and Wings, and in having the Infide of the Wings, Belly, Thighs, Legs,, and under Side of the Tail mixed with a dull Orange-colour, but little Light or White being intermixed with the black tranfverfe Bars, as in the above deferibed : The Magnitude in both the fame. I have given this Bird a Place here,, becaufe its Defeription varies fomething from the European Birds of this Kind I find deferib’d by Authors. See Willoughby, Page 99.. Tab. 12. There is now kept alive, Mourning-Bujh hy Alderfgate, Lon¬ don,. an Owl which I take to be of this very Species., , ^
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( 6r )
The Great White Owl.
HIS Bird comes near the firft Magnitude of this Genu§, and is the moft beauti-.
J. ful of all the Species, on account of its exceeding fnowy Whitenefs : Its Head is lefs in Proportion than in other O'w/s j the Wing, when clofed, is lixtceu Inches from the Shoulder to the Tip of the longeft Quill, which may give one a Judgment of its Size : It is faid to be a diurnal Bird j it preys on Partridges, and continues in Hudfon*s Bay all the Year.
The Bill is hooked like a HawPs, having no Angles on the Sides, is all black, with wide Noftrils, the Bill almoft covered with ftiff Feathers like Hairs, planted round its Balls, and reflected forward : The Eyes are encompaded with bright yellpw Irides j the Head is fmaller in Proportion than is common to this kind, of a pure White Co¬ lour, as is the whole Body, Wings and Tail ; the Top of the Head is fpotted with fmall dirty-brown Spots j the upper Part of the Back is painted with tranfverfe. Lines of dusky Brown, as are the Sides under the Wings, but with fmaller and fainter Lines ; the Quills on their outer Webs are fpotted with dusky, and fome few little duiky Spots on the covert Feathers of the Wings, all which the Figure exprelTes : The covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are purely White ; the low¬ er Part of the Back is fpotlefs j the middle Feathers of the Tail on the upper Side has a few Spots on each Side the Shafts of the Feathers ; the Legs and Feet are co¬ vered with white Feathers ; the Claws are long, ftrong, and of a black Colour, very diarp pointed. Another Bird of this kind came to my Hands together with this, which differed from this only in that it had more and darker Spots. The firft of thefe I have depofited in the Miifceum of the Royal Society, and the deeper Spotted- one in the Colledion of Sir Hans Shane, Bart>
There is in the Hands of Mr. Peter Colinfon, of London, F. R. S. an Oyl Painting
of the Size of Life, done in Penfyhania by Order of - Penn, Efq. from one of
thefe Birds taken alive, and kept fome Time, which has given me a Knowledge of the Colour of its Eyes. I find Drawings of this Bird alfo in the Colleftion of Sir Hans Shane, in which the Colour of the Eyes agree with thofe of Mr. Colitifon'^ Piifture, which feems to me a reafonable Proof, that they are as I have exprelfed them. I could not do it from Life, becaufe the Birds were lent dried from Hudfon' s Bay to me by Mr. Alexander Light, who has obliged me with many fuch Favours. The Rea-^ fon why Mr. Penn caufed this Bird to be drawn was, becaufe of its great Rarity, not having been ever obferved before in Penfyhania j fo that I fuppofe it inhabits only the moft Northern Parts of America, I cannot find that any Account has been yet given, in Print of this curious Bird.
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( 62 )
The Little Hawk Owl.
This Bird is rather bigger than a Sparrow-Hawk^ having much of the Air of a Hawk from the Length of its Wings and Tail'; but the Form of the Head and Feet declare it to be near of Kin to the Owl Kind- I am told by my Friend, who brought two of their ftuffed Skins to me, that they fly and prey at high Noon, which is contrary to the Nature of mod: of the Owl Kind.
The Bill is like a Hawk'&, but without Angles on the Sides, of a bright, reddifh Yellow : I am told, that the Eyes are of the fame Colour ; the Spaces round the Eyes are White, a little lhaded with Brown, and dafhed with fmall longilh dufky Spots ; the out Sides of thefe Spaces towards the Ears are encompaffed with Black, without that again is a little White : The Bill is covered almoft with light-coloured briflly Fea¬ thers, as in mod: of the Owl Kind : The Top of the Head is of a very dark Brown, fpotted finely with regular little round Spots of White ; Round the Neck, and down to the Middle of the Back is dark Brown, the Feathers feeming to be tipp’d with White ; the Wings are of a Brown Colour, the Qmlls and covert Feathers being fine¬ ly fpotted on their outer Webs with White ; the three Qmlls next the Body are not fpotted, but have whitifh Tips ; the Feathers between the Back and Wing are painted with broad tranfverfe Bars of Brown and White ; the inner Coverts of the Wing are white, with tranfverfe Lines of Brown ; the Quills within Side are dark Afh-colour, with white Spots on both Webs ; the prime Quill is fpotlefs within, and without on its outer Web, and hath hardly any of that reflefting back of the Points of the outer Web, as is obferved in Owls. The fame may be obferved of the great white Owl before defcribed ; the Rump and covert Feathers of the Tail are dark Brown, tranL verily barr’d, and mixed with a lighter Brown ; the Tail on the upper Side is dark Brown, and alh-colour’d beneath, compofed of twelve Feathers, the middlemoft longer by two Inches than the very outermofi: ; it is barr’d a-crofs with feven or eight tranfverfe narrow Bars of light Brown : The Breaft, Belly, Thighs, and Coverts un¬ der the Tail, are White, barr’d a-crofs with narrow brown Lines in a regular Man¬ ner: The Legs and Feet are wholly cover’d with fine foft Feathers, of the Colour of the Belly, but the variegating Lines fmaller; the Claws are Iharp, crooked, and pointed of a dark-brown Colour. There was another of this Species brought with this, which was a little bigger, and differ’d fomething in Colour ; it had all the fame Marks, but not fo ftrong and bright : I fuppofe it was the Female of this.
Thefe were brought from Hudfon’s Bay by my Friend Mr. Lights where its na¬ tive Name is Coparacoch ; it preys on white Partridges, and other Birds ; and is, by my Friend’s Report, fo bold as to attend near a Fowler with his Gun, and will fome- times carry off a Partridge after it is fhot, before the Sportfman can reach his Game. There hath been no former Account, or Figure, given of this Bird that I know of.
The
.m V.
IX'K'.
( 63 )
The Whip-Poor-Will, or lejfer Goat-Sucker.
This Bird, for Shape, Colour, and Agreement in moft Particulars, is like the Bird called in England the Night-Hawky or Goat-Suckery except that it hath fome Marks different, and is a third Part lefs. It is called in Virginiay Whip-Poor-Willy from its Cry, which nearly refembles thofe Words j the Figure reprefents it of its natural Size.
The Bill is very fmall, of a Black Colour, yet the Mouth is very wide, the Angles or Corners of it extending under and beyond the Eyes ; the Sides of the Head round the Eyes are of a light Brown, inclining to Afh-colour j on the Throat it hath a Half-Moon, like Spots of White, the Corners of which turn up towards the Ears ; the Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, upper Coverts of the Wings and Tail, are cover’d with dark brown Feathers, tranfverfly barred, and fprinkled with a lighter Brown, and fome little Mixture of Afh-colour, mixed and blended in an irregular Manner j from the Bill there pafTes over the Eyes down the Sides of the Neck fome bright Spots cf Orange-colour; and on the upper Coverts of the Wing are fome pretty diflind; Spots of light Brown ; the Qmlls are Dusky, or near Black ; the five firft have a white Spot paffes through them, which pafTes through both Webs and Shafts, except the outer Web, and the Shaft of the outermoff Quill ; this Spot appears within and without Side of the Wings ; the covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are White, with a Cloud of Orange barred a-crofs with tranfverfe dusky Lines ; the whole under Side, and covert Feathers under the Tail are White, with fome Mixture of faint Orange, regularly crofTed with Lines of dusky Black ; the lower Part of the white Spot on the Throat is tindured with Orange-colour ; the Legs and Feet are very fmall, feather’d a little below the Knees, of a Flefh-colour ; the outer and middle Toes are joined a little way by a Mem¬ brane ; the two Middle Claws are toothed within -fide ; the Tail hath on each Side to¬ wards the End a white Spot in the Feathers.
Mr. Mark Catesby obliged me with this Bird; it was brought from Virgmiay and there was another brought with it, which compared in all its Marks, but more obfeure, which I fuppofe to be the Female.
To illuftrate this Hiflory, I fhall add a Q^tation from a Letter Mr. Catesby received with thefe Birds from a Gentleman in America. “ They come to Virginia about the “ Middle of Aprily from which Time, till the End of 'Ju7iey they are heard every Night, “ beginning about Dusk, and continuing till Break of Day ; but it is chiefly in the upper “ or Weflern Parts that they are fo frequent: I never heard but one in the Maritime Parts ; but near the Mountains in the Month of Mayy within a few Minutes after Sun fet, they begin, and make fo very loud and fhrill a Noife all Night, which the Ecchoes “ from the Mountains increafe to fuch a Degree, that the firfl; Time I lodged there I could hardly deep : They are feldom feen in the Day-time. The Indians imagine thefe “ Birds are the Souls of their Anceftors formerly flaughtered by the Englijloy and fay, “ that they never appeared in their Country before that Slaughter. Many People here look on them as Birds of Ill-omen. I have been informed they lay two Eggs of a dark ‘‘ Green, fpotted and fcrolled with Black, in the plain beaten Paths, without any Sign “ of a Nefl, upon which they frt very clofe, and will fuffer a near Approach before they fly off.”
rhe
{ 64 )
The Toucan, or Brasilian Pye.
HIS Bird is of the Bignefs of a common tame Pigeon^ fhaped pretty much
)| like a Magpye in the Body, but its Head larger, the better to fuftain, the Great- nefs of its Bill: The Tail is rather fhort than long, compofed of Feathers of equal Length.
The Bill, from the Forehead, or the Angles of the Mouth, to the Point, is fix Inches long j its Height, or Depth, where deepeft, is fomething more than two In¬ ches ; from Side to Side, near the Head, one Inch thick : The upper Mandible is of a pale yellow greenifii Colour j the Sides near the toothed Edges have each a long Cloud of Orange-Colour, tranfverfly barr’d with black, or dulky Lines, which pafs thro’ the Divifions of the Bill a little Way into the Sides of the lower Mandible j the lower Mandible is of an exceeding fine Blue Colour, faint towards the Head, fironger towards the Point > the Point itfelf, of both upper and lower Mandible, for above an Inch Depth, is of a fine Scarlet Colour j the Bill is very much comprelTed fide-ways, and ends in a perfedl Edge along its upper Part 5 the Edge of the lower Mandible is fomething lefs ridged j the Bill is bowed towards the Point, as is exprelTed, and has a large Cavity above the Roof of the Mouth j the Noftrils are invifible, being fituated pretty near together in the upper Part of the Bill, juft in the Line which pafies between the Bill and the Forehead : The Eyes are of a dark Hazel-Colour, encompafied round with a bare Skin of a greenifti Yellow Colour, having Seams or Creafes running in a broken Manner round the Eye, and reaching to the Bill, there pafies all round the Bafis of it a narrow black Line: The Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, Wings, Belly, Thighs, and Tail, are of a Black Colour, the Wings only having a fhining, changeable Luftre; the Sides of the Head, Throat, and Breaft, are White, or rather Cream-Colour ; and between the White on the Breaft, and the black Belly, there is a Crefcent of fine Red, whofe Horns point upwards on the Sides, and this is foftened both above and beneath into the Colours it joins with : The Rump, or Coverts on the upper Side of the Tail, are White ; the Feathers beyond the Vent, and thofe that co¬ ver the under Side of the Tail, are of a pale Red j the Legs, Feet and Claws, are of a light Blue, or Violet Colour J it perches with two Toes forward, and two behind, in each Foot.
This Bird I met with by good Fortune alive at Mr. Concanen's^ the King’s Attor¬ ney-General for the Ifland of Jamaicay from which Place he brought it to England',. it came from fome Part of the Spanijh Main Land. By the Defcriptions and Figures extant of thefe Birds, I imagine there are many Species of them, feeing they fo much differ : I have alfo feen Variety of their Bills in Colledions, fome longer by two Inches than this, and others much fhorter ; fome otherwife marked, and others of a Ihining Black Colour. Since none, who have defcribed this Bird, pretend to have feen it a- live, and moft of the' Accounts we have are Colledtions and Tranflations from foreign Hiftorians and Voyagers 5 and I having had an Opportunity to draw this Bird, whilft living, and in Health, as well as examining it particularly after it died, I hope this Figure and Defcription, having nothing borrowed in it, will give at leaft to my Coun¬ trymen a more perfedl Idea and Knowledge of it than they have hitherto had. After this Bird was dead, the Colours in the Bill were wholly loft and obfcur’d, and the bare Space round the Eye turn’d blacks Phe
(
65 )
T’he Grey-Headed Green Woodpecker.
This Bird is about the Bignefs of the Green Woodpecker we have in England^ which is fomething lefs than a Magpye.
The Bill is ftraightand fharp pointed, fhaped as in Woodpeckers^ of a dark Afli- colour, the lower Mandible towards its Bafis and round the Angle of the Mouth being of a light Orange-colour 5 the Noftrils are cover’d with ftiff black Bridles, which point forward over them, and this Black reaches back from the Bill to the Eyes on each Side j from the Bafis of the lower Mandible on each Side proceed two black Lines drawn downward on the Sides of the Throat; the Throat between thefe Lines is whitifli » the Head, Neck, Bread, Belly and Thighs are of a blueifh Grey or Afh-colour, more pure in the Head and upper Side of the Neck, but from the Throat downward the whole under Side is a little mixed with Green : The upper Part of the Back is of a fine blue Green-colour, which on the Rump becomes, almod Yellow ; the covert Feathers of the Wings, and the Quills next the Body, are of a yellowiih Green ; the inner Webs of the innermod Quills a little barred a-crofs with a dulky Colour; the greater Quills, with Part of the 'Coverts incumbent on them, are of a dark Brown-colour, fpotted with light Yellow, which fall in Rows on their Edges : The Tail Feathers feem to have double Points, becaufe their Webs on each Side extend beyond their worn and broken Shafts .; they are of a dark Brown-colour with tranfverfe dufky Lines, their Edges being greenidi, the middle Feathers longed, and gradually fhortening toward the Sides; the covert Feathers of the Tail, both above and beneath, are of a dirty Green ; the Legs, Feet and ■ Claws are Black ; the longed Toe is equal to the Length of the Leg, and the Toes in each Foot difpofed two forward and two backward, as is common to this GenuSo ,
This Bird was procured by EaylerWhite^ Efq; It came from Norway^ and differs from our Green Woodpecker^ in that it wants the fine Scarlet Colour on the Top of the Head, and in the Marks that proceed from the Corners of the Mouth on each Side, (in lieu of which it hath only four or five almod imperceptible Dots of Red on the Forehead near the Bafis of the Bill) and in being Afh-colour’d on the Neck, and under Side, where that is of a pale yellow Green. In other Refpe<ds they nearly agree. Perhap this Bird’s being of a Northern Country may caufe the Difference in Colour, more than any real fpecifical Difference between it and ours in England, for Northern Climates do not produce Birds of fuch fine Colours as Climates nearer the Equinoctial ; fince it is ob- ferved that Bears, Foxes, Hares, and various Birds, are Grey, and fometimes White, in very Northern Parts, which are otherwife coloured farther from the Poles : So that I take the Greynefs of this Bird’s Head and under Side to be owing only to its Northern Habitation.
E
( 66 )
Black White Chinese Cock Pheasant^ with its Hen,.
TH E Cock is confiderably larger than our common Cock Fheafant^ but fhaped much like it.
The Bill is like a Cock or Hen’s^ of a Yellow Colour,, and dusky towards the Point ; the Eyes are alfo yellow, encompaffed with a very broad Space of a fine Scarlet, bare of Feathers, but thinly fprinkled with Hairs,, which rife in the upper Part on each Side in the Form of Horns,' and extend, backward in a Point on each Side of the Plead,
» and on the Cheeks hang down like the Gills of a Cock The Top of the Head from
the Bill backward is covered with long black Feathers, having a Purple Glofs, which hang dovs^n its Neck behind 3. the upper Part, viz. the Sides of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, are covered with white Feathers, each having three or four fine black Lines running one within an other, parallel to the outer Cir¬ cumference of the Feathers,, as exprefied in the Figure, except the greater Quill Fea¬ thers, and the outer Feathers of the Tail, which have oblique Bars and Dailies of Black, as the Figure likewife exprefieth; the two upper Feathers of the Tail are white j the under Side, from the Bill to the Coverts beneath the Tall, is Black, with a Purple Glofs, narrow on. the Throat, but increafing in its Weadth to the Breaft and Belly j the. Legs and Feet are of a fine Scarlet Colour, and it hath Spurs like the common Cock^, of a white Colour.
The Hen is fomething lefs than the Cock, her Bill of a yellowlfii Brown, as are her Eyes, with a bare red Space about them, as in the Cock, but not nigh fo broad 3, tPie Crown, of the Head is covered with dark-brown Feathers, hanging a little down behindj the. Throat, and Sides of the Head beneath the red Space, is whitith ; all the Neck,. Breaft, Back, Wings, and middle Feathers of the Tail, are of a reddifh Brown, except the greater Quills, which incline to dufky, and thofe next the Body powdered, with Black j the Belly and Side Feathers of the Tail are of a dirty White, tranfverfly, . but fomething confufedly mixed with Duflcy or Black j the Legs and Feet are red, as in the Cock, but not fo bright, nor hath it any Spurs.
Thefe curious Birds were kept many Years by Sir Hans Shane his Ploufe in^ London., where they hatched young ones,, and brought them to Maturity. The Cock of this Bird hath been figured and defcribed by Albin, in his Hiftory of Birds, FoL IIL Pag. 35. but as I have made fome. Corretftions both in the Figure and Defcription, and have added to it the Hen, w'hich is there wanting j I hope the Curious will not think my Labour loft. Albin hath given his a Tail much too- Ihort, and hath been, no Way precife in figuring the. red Space round the. Eye 3 nor. hath he mentioned or figured the curious particular Marks on the white Feathers 5 and the Spurs he hath; alfo omitted. ’Tis probable he only faw this Bird in a Yard walking, and took his Sketch from it there, fo could not be fo particular as I had Opportunity to be, thefe .Birds being the Property of my good Patron, whofc Houfe I frequented, and had Op¬ portunity often to repair my Draughts, by ftridlly examining them in their mi- mute Parts, not only while they were living, , but after they were dead..
( ^7 )
The Peacock Pheasant from China.
H I S Bird is larger than the common Pheafant, and, tho’ it be called by this'
Name, I take it not to be of the Pheafant Kind, for the Tail is compofed of flat Feathers, not pointed at their Ends, nor bending downward towards the Point, nor hollow on their under Sides, by the Inclination of their Web, but the Feathers are flat and roundifli at their Tips, and in walking its Tail doth not bend into an Arch, as it doth in a Pheafanfs. See the others defcribed in this Book. Tho’ it be a grave coloured Bird, yet is it one of the greateft Beauties in Nature j one may compare it to Sable, thick fet with fhining Jewels of various Colours.
Its Bill is dulky, the upper Mandible being red from the Noflrils to the Point ; the Eyes are yellow; it hath alfo a yellow bare S^pace between the Bill and Eyes, thinly let with black Hairs ; the Cheeks, and a little Space above the Eyes, are whidfli ; tlie Feathers on the Crown of the Head are dark Brown, riling up, and their Tipsrefied:- ing a little forward; the Neck is bright Brown, tranfverfly barred Vv^ith dirty dark Brown ; the upper Part of the Back, and all the Wing Feathers, except the greater Quills, are of a dark-brown Colour, finely painted on the Tip of each Feather with bright Alining round Spots of Purple, which are changeable to Blue, Green, and a golden Copper Colour; thefe are encompafied with Circles of Black, and each Feather tipp’d with bright yellowiAi Brown ; the Spaces between the Spots on the V/ing and Back are powder’d v/ith fine light brown Spots; the greater Quills are wholly of a dark. Brown or Black ; the Breaft, Belly, and Thighs, are of a dark Brown, tranf¬ verfly variegated with Black ; the lower Part of the Back and Feathers covering the. Tail are Brown, finely powdered with a brighter Brown ; the Tail Feathers are of a pretty dark Brown, powder’d alfo finely v/ith a lighter Brown, the Feathers being longefl in the Middle, and fliortening gradually tov/ard the Sides : Each Feather of the Tail hath two beautiful Eyes toward their Tips, one on each Side, the Shafts of the Feathers, fo that they fland in Pairs, of the fame changeable beautiful Colour with thofe on the Back and Wings, encompafied with Black, and without that encom¬ pafied again with obfcure Orange Colour : Thefe bright Spots hardly appear on the under Side of the Tail, which is of a dufky Colour; the Legs and Feet are like thofe of a Plen^ of a dirty Brov>?n or Black; it hath two Pair of Spurs, the firA Spur ftanding about a quarter Part up the Leg; the other, which is the larger, about the Middle of the Leg ; which is a Thing in this Bird more rare and remarkable than all its Beauties.
This Bird, when I drew it, was the Property of iifip.vri?, M. D. of Londoi^ a-
moA obliging Gentleman, of v/hom I have received many Favours.. It has fince been prefented to Lord Orfordy and is now living at his Houfe in. the Exchequer.
The Flower here figured, by Way of Decoration, is called the Cbinefe Rofe : I drew it from Nature ; it is what we fee moA frequently painted in Chinefe Pictures ; it blows broader than a Rofe, and is of a red Rofe Colour, with the Stems in the Middle of a Yellow or Gold Colour. The green Leaves were Aiff, firm, and fmooth, like thofe of Ever-greens.
This beautiful flowering Tree was raifed by the late curious and noble Lord Petre^. in his Stoves at Phorndon-Hall in EJJ'ex,
PIjc:
( 68 )
"^6 Painted Pheasant from China.
H I S Bird is rather fmaller than our Englifi Pheafanty fhaped pretty much like
it, but the Tail I think is longer in Proportion, the middle Feather being 23 Inches long. It has been already defcribed by Alhin in his Hiftory of Birds, Vol. III. Pa. 34. by the Name of the Red Pheafant-y but having in it a Mixture of all the gay and gorgeous Colours imaginable, I thought the Name I have given it more proper to it. Mr. AJhin's Figure of this Bird being far wide of a juft and natural Defcription, I ftiall endeavour to mend his Faults in mine; He has made its Bill and Head much too large for his Proportion, his Wing too long, and his Tail hardly half long enough, and omitted many Particulars, which I fhall add both in my Figure and Defcription.
Its Bill is of a light Yellow Colour, fomething darker towards the Point; the Eyes encircled with a bright Yellow; the Sides of the Head beneath the Eyes of a Flefti Co¬ lour, bare, or very thinly fet with Feathers; the Crown of the Head is cover’d with line bright yellow or gold-colour’d Feathers, which it fometimes eredfs into a Creft, and fometimes lets fall on the Neck : The upper Part of the Neck is cover'd with Orange-colour’d Feathers, mark’d with tranfverfe Bars of Black ; thefe Feathers it can raife as our Dunghill Cocks do their Feathers when they fight: The Bottom of the Neck and the Beginning of the Back are covered with fine dark-green Feathers, which refledb a gold Colour, with black tranfverfe Bars at their Tips; thefe Feathers, as the Bird moves, have a different Motion from the other Feathers, falling fometimes farther over the Back, and flipping from Side to Side ; The Remainder of the Back to the Tail is tCOvet’d with a beautiful golden Yellow, mixed at the fetting on of the Wing, and where the Feathers fall over the Tail, with a few bright fcarlet Feathers: The greateft .or prime Quills of the Wings are duflcy or black, with yellow brown Spots on their Webs; the middle Qifills are of a dull Red, mixed and fpotted with Black : Some of 4he leffer Quills next the Back are of an exceeding fine full Blue Colour ; the Infide of all the Qmlls are dufky ; all the covert Feathers are of a dull Reddifli Colour, the firft Row that immediately covers the Qifills inclining a little more to Yellow, and have tranfverfe Lines of Black. The under Side of the Bird, from Bill to Tail, is of a very fineRed or Scarlet Colour; theThighs are of a Clay Colour; the Tail is aMixture of black and Reddifli-brown Colour; the two middle Feathers black, fpotted with round and fome irregular Spots of Brown, the Side Feathers obliquely ftreaked Black and Brown, as ex- prefled. There flioots over the great Feather of the Tail fome long narrow fcarlet Fea¬ thers with yellowilh Shafts, which extend to near half the Length of the Tail. I have exprefled the Tail Feathers more loofe and feparated than the Bird generally carries them^ in order to fhew how the different Feathers are mark’d : The Legs and Feet are like Hen's Feet, but fomething flenderer, of a Yellow Colour, and hath fhort yellow Spurs.
Thefe Birds of late Years are frequently brought from China : I have feen feverai of them in the Poflelfion of our Nobility, and fome curious Gentlemen, and have been favoured with one of them newly dead by the Lady of Sir "John Heathcotey Bart, which has enabled me to be more exadi in every Particular of my Figure than I could other- w.ife, or any have hitherto been. Thefe Birds are pretty hardy, and bear our Climate '^ery well ; and I believe, were they brought with their Hens, might be bred with a little Care. Sir Hans Shane the Cock now living, which this Figure reprefents, and I think, if I remember -right, he has had it about 1 5 Years. The
I
fo
( 69 )
Hen Peacock Pheasant, from China.
This Bird, reprefented by the upper Figure, is a third Part lefs than the Cockj defcribed Page 67. but agrees with it in Colour and Marks more than any Birds of the Pheafant Kind I have yet obferved, it having all its Marks, tho’ much duller. The Bill is of a Dufky or Black Colour ; the Iris of the Eye is Yellow ; the Plumage of the whole Bird is of an obfcure Brown j the lower Part of the Back, and all the Tail Feathers a little mixed and powder’d with darker and fome lighter Brown ; all the Covert Feathers of the Wings, upper Part of the Back, and the Quills next the Back, have each a round Spot of dark Blue near their Tips, the Tips themfelves being of a dirty Orange- colour, or reddilh Brov/n j the Tail Feathers have each of them toward their Tips two Spots of dull dark Blue j all the Spots want that fliining Lufhre which Is fo remarkable in the Cock ; the Legs and Feet are of a dark Brown, or blackilh Colour ; and it hath no Spurs.
The Hen of the Painted Pheafant from China (fee the Cock in Plate 68.) the lower Figure in this Print reprefen ts, which differs more widely from the Cock than any of the Pheafant Kind I am acquainted with ; that being a Mixture of the mofl: gay Colours that can be imagined, and the Hen of the moft common uniform Colour, v/ith hardly any Marks of Diflinftion : Its Bill Is Yellow j the Eye of a yellowifli Hazel Colour, en- compaffed with a Space of dufky Feathers ; the Crown of the Head is cover’d with red- difh brown Feathers, and hath fome Appearance ofaCrefl; the upper Side of the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, are of a reddifh Brown Colour; the Feathers juft beneath the Bill are White j the Throat, Breaft, and Belly, are of a light yellowifli Brown, fpotted with darker brown Spots, as expreffed in the Figure ; the Ridges of the Wings on the upper Parts are of a whitifh Colour; the Legs and Feet are Yellow.
The Bird firft defcribed in this Page I faw with its Male at Dr. Monroe' z In London^ where I drew them both: The Doctor had great Hopes of breeding from thefe rare Birds, and had made a very convenient Place for them at his Houfe In Croydon^ near London ; but the Hen dying before he had long pofleffed them, he was difappointed in his Ex- pedlation.
The fecond Bird defcribed In this Page, I muft confefs to be on a weaker Authority than any in this Work, having never feen the Bird ; but as I have three Sorts of Chinefe Cock Pheafajits^ and the Hens of two of them, I was willing to compleat their Hiftory in the beft Manner I could ; and having Opportunity to examine feveral very curious high-finifhed Chinefe Pidtures of the Painted Pheafant drawn together with its Hen, and finding the Cocks to compare very exadtly with Nature, I fuppofed the Hens to be as like their Originals as the Cocks, fince the Hens agree in Colour with one another, tho’ they are done by different Hands, and were brought to England at far diftant Times ; therefore I think It very probable that the lower figure In the annexed Plate may be as like the Bird as if I had taken it from Nature itfelf ; fome of my Friends, who have feen this Bird in England^ fay it is, to the beft of their Memory, like the Bird.
F
( 70 )
The R E d-L e g g’d Partridge, from Barbarj.
I Take this Bird to be fomething lefs than our common Partridge, fince by Meafure I find this to be from Bill Point to the End of the Toes 1 3 Inches, to the End of the Tail but twelve and a half, and from Tip to Tip of the Wings extended 19 Inches. Willoughby, in his Ornithology, has made our Englijh Partridge Cock from Bill to Claws 14 Inches and a Quarter, to the End of the Tail 12 and three Q^rters, the Breadth from the Tips of the Wings extended 20 Inches j by which it appears that this Bird is lefs than the common or afh-coloured Partridge, tho’ Mr. Willoughby has given the Red Partridge of France and Italy a greater Magnitude than either this Par¬ tridge, or the afh-coloured one, by making his greatefl Length 1 8 Inches, and his Breadth 22 3 fo that the Difference in Size, as well as fome Parts of the Colouring, feem to make a fpecifical Difference between the Red-Legg’d Partridges of Europe, and thofe on the Coafl: of Africa.
The Bill is of a fine Scarlet Colour 3 the Eyes are of a Hazel Colour 5 the Eye-lid, all round the Eyes, of a fine Red Colour 3 the Top of the Head is of a bright Chefnut Colour, which paffes down the Hind-part of the Head, where it becomes more dusky, and comes forward and forms a Ring quite round the Neck,, which Ring is fpotted throughout with round white Spots : The Sides of the Head and Throat are of light blueifh Afh-colour, which Colour pafles all round the Eyes 3 on each Side, about the •Place of the Ears, is a dufky Spot 3 the fore Part of the Neck, below the Ring, is of an Afh-colour, which gradually changes on the Breaft to a fiiint Rofe or Bloffom Co¬ lour : The Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are of a light Browa or Clay Colour; the upper Side of the Neck, Back, and Wings,, are of darkifh Brown, inclining to Afh-colour 3 the prime Quills of the Wings fomething darker than the other Feathers, edged for a little Space toward their Tips with a light yellowifh Brown Colour 3 the Infide of the Qmlls of a dark Afli-coloar,, and the inner Coverts of the Wings inclining to Clay Colour 3 the Feathers that grow on the Shoulders, and fall between the Back and Wings, are of a pleafant Blue Colour, bordered with a dark Red : The Sides are covered with beautiful Feathers, tranfverfly variegated, their Tips being Orange-colour, within which are tranfverfe Bars of Black, fucceeded by Bars of White, the remaining and hidden Part being Afh-colour 3 thefe Feathers fall- partly over the Wings : The Rump is afh-colour’d 3 the middle Feathers of the Tail of the fame Colour, but darker,, with tranfverfe Bars of a dufky Colour 3 the Side Feathers of the Tail are half-way Afh-colour toward their Roots, the other half toward the Tips being of a dirty Orange 3 the Legs and Feet are of a Red Colour, finer, than what we fee in Pigeons 3 it hath fmall Spurs, and the Claws are Brown.
A Pair of thefe Birds were fent to me alive by my good Friend, Mr. Thomas Raw¬ lings, Merchant, refiding at Santa Cruz, in that Part of Barbary which lies without the Streights of Gibraltar, on the Atlantic Ocean. I have not heard that the Red- Legg'd Partridge, either European or African, were ever increafed in England, tho’ both Sorts are frequently brought hither.. They who are curious to fee what has been faid of the European Red Partridge may eonfult Willoughby'^ Ornithology, Pat 1 67. fab. 29. I need not mentioa Albin, fince his Defeription is only a. Tranfeript of Part of Willoughby^ Account.,
7'-’
{ 7* >
755^ Brown Spotted HeathcocKo
IT is fomething bigger than an Englijh Partridge ^ or near the Bignefs of our fmaller Sort of domeftick Poultry j it feems to be a little longer bodied, and hath a longet Tail, in Proportion,, than the Partridge.
The Bill is Black, covered with brown Feathers, which turn forward over the Nof- trils 5 it hath a Imall Space of red Skin above the Eye ; from the Balls of the Bill to the Eye there is a white Line ; from the Eye backwards there proceed two white Lines,, the lowermoft being the longell : The Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck and Back, are covered with Feathers of a dark Brown, intermixed with dirty Orange and^ Alh-colour ; the covert Feathers of the Wings are dark Brown, edged with a lighter Brown, having a Line of light Brown within them running parallel with their Edges j; the greater Qmlls are dulky or black, powdered with White on the Edges of the outer Webs; the lelTer Qmlls next the Back are light Brown, with tranfverfe Bars of darker Brown ; the covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are dulky, with white Tips;, there are fome Feathers between the Back and Wings with white Dalhes long-ways drawn at their Tips j the Tail is of a dulky Brown or Black, the middle Feathers barred^ a-crofs with light reddilh Brown inclining to Orange; the Side Feathers powdered anch tipped with the fame Colour: The Throat, beneath the Bill, is of a yellowilh White,, with fmall dulky Spots ; the Neck and Bread: below that, of a dull Orange-colour,, barred a-crofs with black Spots in the form of Half-Moons, with their Points upvvards ; there is fome White mingled with the Orange and Black on the Bread : The Remain¬ der of the under Side,, from the Bread to the Coverts under the Tail inclulive, are White, a little clouded with Cream-colour, and fpotted with Black in the fame Form as the Neck and Bread : The Legs, frpm above the Knees down to the Feet, are co¬ vered with Feathers having the Appearance of Hair, of a Brown-colour, variegated with dne tranfverfe Lines of Black: The Feet are of a reddilh Brown-colour ; the three Toes that dand forward in each Foot are pedinated or toothed on each Side ; the hinder Toes are fmooth on the Sides ; the Claws are pretty long, and of a Black Colour, I take this Bird to be a Species of the Attagen. I have compared it with all the De- fcriptions I can find of this Genus, and find it fo different, that I think I may pronounce it a Species hitherto undeferibed. It was fent to me from Hudfon' s-Bay by my Friend Mr. Light, who fays it continues in. thofe Parts all the Year. This Tribe of Birds in North America are Inhabitants of the low and plain Country : in Europe they are found only in high Lands and on the Tops of Mountains, whofe Altitude caufes a- Coldnefs in the Air equal to that- of the lower Lands iwHudfon' s-Bay , which is the mod Northern inhabited Part of America. Among Authors there is much Obfeurity and' Difagreement in what they have faid on this Genus of Birds, mod of which Mr. Wil¬ loughby has colleded in his Ornithology, whei'.e they may be confulted'fitom Page 172- toPage 178,,
( 72 )
The White Partridge.
HIS Bird is of a middle Size, between our common Partridge and a Pheafant^ and fliaped JL much like a Partridge^ except that its Tail is a little longer.
The Bill is Black ; the NoIIrils covered with fmall white Feathers, turning forward ; the un¬ der Chop of the Bill has alfo white Feathers at its Root ; the Eyes are encompafled with a narrow Space of white Feathers ; above each Eye are loofe Eye-brows, faftened only at their Bottoms, rifing on each Side higher than the Crown of the Head, of an Inch Length, and half an Inch Breadth, compofed of a Subftance like Plufli, or the Skin round the Eyes of a Cock Pheafant^ of a fine Red Colour: The Head and Neck are of a Reddifh Brown, barred a-crofs with fine Lines of Black, a few white Feathers being intermixed in the fore Part of the Neck : The Middle of the Back is White, as is the whole Wing, except the Shafts of the greater Quills, which are Black : The variegated Feathers at the Bottom of the Neck do not break off very fuddenly, but are fprinkled on the Beginning of the Back, and between the Back and AVings on each Side there is a fprinkling of them alfo on the Breaft, and fome few in the co¬ vert Feathers on the upper Side of the Tail: The two middle Feathers of the Tail are variegated tranfverdy with Brown and Black in the fame Manner as thofe on the Neck, Cfr. The two next on each Side White *, the remaining outermoft Tail Feathers of a dirty Brown or Black Co¬ lour, tipp’d with White : The Belly, Sides, Infides of the Wings, covert Feathers under the 1 ail. Legs and Feet, to the Ends of the Toes, are wholly covered with white Feathers, thofe on the Legs and Feet refembling Hair more than Feathers: The Claws are of a Brown Colour, and pretty long, but fomething flatter than what is common in Birds.
The fluffed Skin of this Bird is preferved at Sir Hans Sloane^s, from which I made my Draught and Defcription. Mr. light ^ who is now returned from HudJonI Bay to England^ on feeing this Bird, faid it was the Cock Bird, as it appears in the Spring, when it is changing from White to Brown their Feathers being in Winter of a perfedt fnowy Whitenefs, except the outer Fea¬ thers of the Tail, which are Black tipp’d with White; they begin to change in the Spring, and become Brown on their upper Sides, the Belly remaining moflly White.
Mr. Light brought one of thefe Birds from Hudfon's Bay, and gave it me, which was perfect¬ ly White; he fhot it there in the Winter, and affures me, on his own Knowledge, that thefe Birds towards Evening repofe themfelves under the Snow, (which in that Country is loofe, like fine dry Sand) where they continue all Night, and in the Morning fly directly up to fhake off the Snow ; he hath often feen them rife, and found their Dung in their fnowy Lodgings : He fays they are obkrved to feed only in the Morning and Evening in Winter, and fun them- fclves in the Middle of the Day. They are Natives of Hudfon's Bay, where they breed, and continue all the Year ; but are common both to America and Europe. I have received the very fame Birds from Norzvay and all our Treatiles on Birds deferibe them very exactly, and place them in the Mountains of Switzerland, Italy, Spain, &c. It is not properly a Partridge, but of that Kind we call Heath Garrte.^ and Aldrovand, Lagopus avis. You will find him deferibed in his Winter’s Drefs in hVilloughhy’s, Omxiholo^y, Pag. 176.
The Bird I took my Draught from, above deferibed, had the Red on the Eye-brows much wider than I ever faw it in any among the great Number I have feen, it being hardly percep¬ tible in fome when the Skins are dry ; which makes me think this was an old Cock in the Sea- fon of his full Vigour, for w'e obferve that the Combs of our common Poultry are much larger and redder in the Spring than in the Winter Time. As I find that fome of the Particulars which I have difeovered relating to this Bird are entirely new, I hope the Curious will not think my Labour and their Cofl wholly thrown away, notwithflanding it hath been long ago de- feribed, and is well known to the Curious. It hath efcaped Mr. Albinh Notice.
Lhc
t^fi
'..i-V *
• ‘ ; '.i# .
Igre^
*!?' vi. :
( 73 )
The Bustard Cock.
This Bird meafures from Tip to Tip of the Wings, when extended, fevenFeet four Inches;
from the Point of the Bill to the Ends of the Claws three Feet nine Inches and a half j to the End of the Tail three Feet fix Inches ; from the Angle of the Mouth to the Point of the Bill three Inches and a Quarter;, the Leg, from the Knee to the Bottom of the Heel, feven Inches and a Quarter; Middle Toe near three Inches; prime Quills twenty Inches; the Wing when clofed two Feet : It weighed 20 Pounds, at 16 Ounces to the Pound, To bring this Figure with¬ in the Compals of my Page, I reduced my Foot to three Inches ; which, according to my Way of Pjvjfion by folid Squares, makes this Figure to Nature as i to 64. It is undoubtedly the biggeft Bird produced in the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland.
, The Bill is of a lightilh Horn-colour, a little inclining to Yellow ; the Eyes are Orange-colour ; the Head and Neck are of a fine light Alh-colour, inclining to Blue ; the fore Part of the Neck, in the Middle, very light, or white : It hath long Feathers proceeding from the Sides of the lower Mandible of the Bill, which tend backwards in the Form of Whifkers ; but thefe are wanting in , the Females : On each Side of the Neck the Skin is bare of Feathers, of a Violet-colour, which Skin is covered with the Feathers when the Neck is much extended : It hath a fmall Intermixture of Orange-colour in jthe Middle of the Crown of the Head ; but what is moft furprizing in this Bird was firft difcovered by ^t\zx.z James Douglafs., M. D. Fellow of the College of Phyficians ; it is a Pouchor Bag to hold frefh Water, which fupplies the Bird in dry Places when diftant from Waters; the Entrance into it is between the under Side of the Tongue and the lower Mandible of the Bill : This Bag is reprefented blown up by the Letter A. I poured into it, before the Head was taken off, full feven Wine Pints fwhich about equals feven Pounds of our common Weight) before it run over. B. Shews the Wind-pipe. C. The Throat, or common PafTage of the . Food. This Bag is wanting in the Hen. The lower Part of the Neck behind, the whole Back, Rump, middle Feathers of the Tail, and leflfer Coverts of the Wings, are of a bright Brown or Orange-colour, beautifully barred tranfverfely, and in fome Parts fpotted and powdered irregu¬ larly with Black ; the Down at the Roots of the Feathers all over the Body is of a pleafant red Rofe-colour ; the Side Feathers of the Tail are White, a little clouded with faint Orange, and blue Afh-colour, with each a tranfverfe Bar of Bla,ck near their Tips; It hath 32 or 33 ^ills, or prime Feathers, in each Wing ; the firft feven or eight of a dark Afh-colour, with white Shafts ; then follows about 1 5, having their bottom Halves White, the Remainder to their Tips being Black, but the Black becomes gradually lefs deep as they are nearer the Body, and wholly difap- , pears in the 25th or 26th Quill ; then follows five or fix purely White; the remaining three or four next the Back of the fame Colour with the Back : All that Part of the Wing which falls on the Breaft and Belly is White, a little clouded with a light Afh-colour, which Whitenefs takes up the lower Part of the Wing when it is clofed, from the Joint, or Shoulder almoft to the End of the Wing; The Breaft, Belly, Thighs, Coverts beneath the Tail, Sides under the Wings, and covert Fea- . thers within Side of the Wings, are purely White : The Legs are ftrong, covered with fmall - Scales ; the Feet are thick and clumfy ; it hath a round Heel, and three Toes, which are fhort in Proportion, all ftanding forward ; the Claws are ftrong, not very fharp pointed ; and the Legs and Feet are of a dirty Flefh, inclining to Afh-colour.
Thofe who would fee the Anatomy of this Bird, may confult the Baris Memoires de V Academic Royale des Sciences., depuis 1666. jufqu* a 1699. Tom 3. Seconde Partie, p. 101. where is an . Anatomical Defcription of fix Males, in which they have miffed the Difcovery of the curious Refer- voir for Water, the chief Ufe of which I take to be forfupplying the Hen whilSTitting, and for the young ones before they can fly to help themfelves to Water.
This Bird was prefented to me frefli, and in fine order, by Mr. Daniel Gwilt of Milk-Street London, my much efteemed Friend and Relation. I have been informed by a curious Gentleman of Norfolk^ who has weighed fome of. the largeft Cocks, that they have fometimes exceeded 27 Pounds, of 16 Ounces.
G ne
( 74 )
The Hen Bustard.
This Bird was fo different from the Cock in Magnitude, that I fliould have fLifpefted rt to be a young one, not fully grown, had I not bought it at London in the Beginning of the Month of May^ at which Time I fuppofe thefe Birds are either little Chickens, or have attain¬ ed their full Growth, as all the Birds I know of in England \\2iVCy long before they are a Year old. This Hen Bird meafured from Tip to Tip of the Wings extended only 66 Inches, where¬ as the Cock meafured 88 *, and the Meafures were lefs in all its other Parts in about the fame Pro¬ portion. Now if one computes the Difference between two folid Square Quantities, where any fuperficial Part is as 66 to 88, after each Number is doubly multiplied by itfelf, the Difference of Quantity between the Cock and Hen will be as 678172, to 287496, which fliews the Hen to fall fhort of half the Quantity of the Cock, and is a greater Difproportion than I have yet ob- ferved between the Males and Females of any other Kind, In Birds of Prey the Females gene¬ rally exceed the Males in Bulk.
The Bill of this Bird is of the fame Colour and Shape with that of the Cock ; the Tongue is fharp pointed and jagg’d on the Sides ; the Infide of the Mouth is of a pale Flelh Colour ; it wholly wants the Water-pouch, there being no Pallage under the Tongue as in the Cock -, the Eyes are of an Orange or Golden Colour ; the Head is of a dirty Brown, inclining to Alh-co- lour, except the Crown, which is bright Orange, with tranfverfe Lines of Black : The fore Part of the Neck is of a blueifli Afh-colour ; the hind Part of the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, are like thofe of the Cock, but not quite fo bright coloured ; the Wing difers from the Cock’s, in that the Edge or Ridge which falls on- the Bread: and Belly is covered with black Feathers and the White which runs the Length of the Wing when clofed is not fo broad as in the Cock : The Side Feathers of the Tail are White at both Extremes, with a Dafh of Reddifh in their Middles, and tranfverfe broken Bars of Black near their Tips: The Quills are Black fo far as they appear uncovered, their Bottoms being White; the Infide of the Wings, and whole under Side, is White, as in the Cock ; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, for Shape and Colour,, a- gree both in Cock and Hen : A few of the prime Quills have white Shafts.
This Bird has been already briefly defcribed by Wilioughl^, where there is a grofs Miftake in ike Meafure of its Length from Bill to Tail End, which he makes 60 Inches. Albin has tranP cribed him, and propagated this Error, which fliews he never examined, or perhaps faw the Bird, for his Figures both of the Male and Female are taken from the Print in the Memoirs of the Paris Academy : He has given his Female the long Feathers or Whiskers, which appear only in the Male ; and has not given one Word of Defcription to his Female, becaufe he could find none fn any Author to tranfcribe : So *tis certain his Figure of the Hen is meer Fiftion. As thefe Birds are fo Capital in their Nature, and we have no perfed: Hiftory of them, and the full Difcovery of the Water-pouch in the Cock being entirely new, I hope the Curious will not think my publifliing thefe Figures and Defcriptions loft Labour. Mr. Willoughby fays, “ they “ feed on Corn, Seeds of Herbs, Coleworr, Dandelion Leaves, ^c. They are found in open plain Countries in many Parts of England^ efpecially on Salisbury Plain, for which Reafon I have deco¬ rated this Figure with a diftant View of the Antiquity of Stonehenge. I dined upon the Hen Bird here defcribed with the late Dr. James Douglas.^ for whom 1 procured it, and found it, the Breaft in Particular, to be fliort and very tender Meat, of an agreeable high Relifli. The Au¬ thors who have treated of this Bird are, Pierre Belton de la Nature des Oyfeaux, Pa. *236. Wil~ loiighhfi, Ornithology, Pa. 178. Pah. 32. The Natural Hiftory of Animals tranflated from the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris., Anno 1702, by A. P. Secretary of the Royal Society, Pa. 1.96, Albin on Birds need not be examined, feeing his Figures are copied from the Paris Academy, and his Defcription from Willoughby. He had been told by Dr. Douglas of the Water-pouch in the Cock, which he has barely mentioned, but not having feen it, knew no¬ thing of its Situation, or the Qiiantity it would contain, the Doftor not having then made a jLrnonftraiion of the Truth of the Fad. . Dr. Phomas Moffet^ in a Treatife of the Nature of Foods and their Preparations,, calls the BuJiarAe both x dainty and wholfome Meat.,
( 75 )
7he triangular Spotted Pigeon.
This Bird is of the Figure and Bignefs of the larger Kind of tame Pigeons , commonly bred with us in our Houfes.
The Bill is of a Dusky or Black Colour, fhaped as in common Pi^ geons ; the Riling between the Noftrils afh-colour’d ; the Iris of the Eye of a bright Yellow, inclining to Gold-colour ; round the Eye is a good Space of bright red Skin, having no Feathers, one Corner of it extend¬ ing to the Angle of the Mouth, and the other toward the hinder Part of the Head : The whole Head, Neck, Belly, Thighs, and covert Fea¬ thers under the Tail, are of a light Alh-colour ; round the red Borders of the Eyes, in the lower Belly, and under the Tail,, the Afh-colour gradually fades away to an almofl: White ; the Feathers all round the Neck end in Iharp Points, and are tinged on their Edges with a red Wine Colour ; the upper Part of the Back, all the covert Feathers of the Wings, and fome of the Quills next the Body, are of a pleafant reddilh Brown, inclining to Rofe-colour, and in fome Pofitions to the Light it fhews a little purpliih ; all the Coverts of the Wings, and fome few of the Quills next the Body, are beautifully painted with triangular white Spots, which are greater or lefs as the Feathers vary in Size, and are plac’d on the Point of each Feather with their fharpeft Angles to the Roots, and their narrowed Sides toward the Tips of the Feathers: The greater Quills are Black, the Edges of their Webs being light Afh-colour ; tlie lower half of the Back and Rump is AVhite ; the Feathers that cover the Tail light Afh-colour ; the Tail Feathers of a dark Afh-colour, black at the Ends of all the Feathers more than an Inch deep ; the Legs and Feet are like thofe of other Pigeons^ of a middling Red Colour ; and the Claws are Brown.
The Original from which this Print v;as ingraved I drew fome Years ago at the Duke of Richmond^ Houfe in London^ where I faw a Pair of them : The Perfon who prefented them informed his Grace that they were brought from the inland Parts of Guinea in Africa. They are natu¬ rally wild Pigeons. I have not met with many of this Tribe tliat excei- this in its fine Bloom Colours and Elegancy of Manks,.
Ithe
( 76 )
7he Brown Indian Dove.
This Dove is about the Bignefs of the fmall white Dove, which is bred with us only in Cages ; its Figure here reprefented being pretty near its full Bignels.
The Bill is of a dusky Black Colour ; the Circle round the Eye of a very bright Scarlet, inclining to Gold-colour ; the Eyes are encorhpafled with Spaces of bare Skin of a fine Blue Colour, which join to the Cor¬ ners of the Mouth on each Side forward, and end backward in Angles a little behind the Eyes : The fore Part of the Head, Neck, and Breaft, are of a light yellowifh Brown ; the hinder Part of the Head and Neck are of a darker Brown ; beneath the Ears on each Side is a long black Mark, tranfverfely placed, compofed of very fhort Feathers, fo that it doth not appear unlefs the Bird extends her Neck a little; the Feathers beneath thefe Marks have a greenifli and golden Luftre, by Turns, at dif¬ ferent Views ; the Remainder of the hind Part and Sides of the Neck have a Purple Glofs : The upper Part of the Back, the covert Feathers of the Wings, and fome of the ^ills next the Back, are of a dark reddifh Brown, changeable fometimes to a bluer Caft ; the outer or greater Quills are Black, theit Tips being a little lighter ; the middle Quills are Black, with pretty deep white Tips ; the Coverts alfo covering the Quills have deep Tips of White, which form an oblique Bar a-crofs the Wing ; the Tnfides of the Wings, Belly, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are of a pleafant light blueifii Afli- colour ; the lower Part of the Back and upper covert Feathers of the Tail are of a dark Afh- colour ; the two mid¬ dle Feathers of the Tail are of the fame Brown as the Back and Wings; and all the remaining Feathers on each Side are of a dark Afii- colour, with . white Tips of about an Inch Depth : It frequently Hurts up its Tail very fuddenly, which is what I have not obferved in other Doves-, the Legs •and Feet are covered with red Scales; the Claws brown.
My Draught was taken from the Bird alive, and in good Condition as to its Feathering. It was the Property of Taylor White, Efq; and I was inform’d it came from Eajl-Jndies but I cannot find any De- feription that agrees with it.
The
I
( 77 )
72^ Black-Headed Indian Icterus.
This Bird is figured of its natural Size ; it is fiiaped pretty much like a Thrujh^ but hath the Bill fomething fi^ronger in Proportion.
The Bill is of a hrownifli White, or dirty Flefli Colour j the Head and under Side of the Neck is Black j the Head hath a Purple GlofSj and the Yellow indented with the Black on the Sides of the Neck, as the Figure thews : The whole Body, the covert Fea¬ thers of the Wings, without and within, and ahnoil the whole Tail, is of a bright fine Yellow-colour : The greater or outermofi: Quill Feathers are Black, their Edges near their Roots being a little Yellow j the Remainder of the Quills next the Body are tipp’d with Yellow, which Colour extends a little Way along their outer Webs j the Tips of the covert Feathers, where they fall on the greater Quills, are Yellow, which form a dif- tinift Spot of Yellow a little above the Middle of the Wing, as do the Tips of the inner Quills in the lower Part ; there is a little Mixtm-e of Yellow and Black on the Ridge of the Wings in the upper Part 5 the Tail is compofed of twelve yellow Feathers of equal Length, the two middlemofi; only having a black Bar a-crofs each of them of about an Inch Width toward their Tips, the Tips themfelves for a fmall Space being Yellow: The Legs and Feet are of a dull blueifii Black-colour; it hath four Toes on each Foot, fiianding after the ufual Manner ; the Claws are black, and pretty ftrong.
Mr. Jofeph Dandridge, Moorjields^ obliged me with this Bird : He received it from a Relation of his at Bengal^ in the Eajl-Indies : I have given it the Name of ISlerus, from its Likenefs to a Bird which pafles from hotter Countries into the Southern Parts of Europe in the Summer, which Aldrovand has pronounced the IBerm of Pliny ; but have call’d mine, by Way of Difi:in<5lion, black-headed, feeing the other hath the Head all Yellow, except a black Line on each Side from the Corners of the Mouth to the Eyes ; the Coverts of the Wings in that are Black, and in mine Yellow ; the whole Bodies in both arc wholly Yellow, and they are both found in Bengal, fo may equally claim the Name of Indian. They who would fee the Difie- rence between this and the other, may find that defcribed very v/ell in Willoughby ^ Ornithology, p. 198. by the Name of the WitwalP, and as ill by Albin, in Lis Hiftory of Birds, Vol.'^. p. 19. where he calls it the 2?//(5wB/r^/ from ; he acknowledges
he faw only a Picture of it. I have by me Drawings of both thefe Kinds from Nature, after very perfedl Specimens. The Bird here figured will, I believe, be per- fedtly new to the Curious in thefe Parts of the World, I find no Figure or Mention of it in any Natural Hiftoriaii or Voyager.
H -
4
( 78 )
The Lesser Mock-Bird.
I Have called this Bird the leffer^ becaufe it appears to me not near fo big as the Mock-Birds I have feen brought over from the Continent of North-America : I have Drawings by me of thofe, as well as this. Mr. Catesby, in his Hiftory of Ca¬ rolina, has figured what I fuppofe to be the greater, Vol. I. Pa. 27. This differs alfo from the other, in having the under Side White, which in that is light brownifh Afh- colour. This Figure reprefents the Bird of his natural Bignefs, being meafured in all his Parts.
The Bill is flender, pretty ftreight, of a blackifh Brown-colour ; it hath fmall ftiff Briflles on each Side above the Corners of the Mouth of a dark Colour j from the Nof- trils through the Eye there pafies a dufky Line; above each Eye, from the Bafis of the Bill, there paffes a whitifhLine; the Top of the Head, hind Part of the Neck and Back, is Afh-colour, a little fhaded and intermixed with Brown ; the Sides of the Head, under Side of the Neck and Body, covert Feathers under the Tail, and Co¬ verts within Side of the Wings, are White, a little clouded with Cream-colour in fomc Places. The Afh-colour on the upper Side of the Neck, and the White on the under, are mixed by being fprinkled one into the other; the Wing Feathers are mofi:- ly of an equal dark brownifh Afh-colour, as are the middle Feathers of the 7 ail ; the Bottoms of the middle Qmlls of the Wings are White, the Tips Brown ; a few of the Quills nearer the Back have white Tips ; the Row of covert Feathers next above the Quills have white Tips ; thofe next the Back the narrowcff, and they next the Belly deeper, with each a dark Spot within the Tip ; the leffer Coverts have fome few fmall Dafhes of White drawn long-ways on the Feathers ; the Ridge of the Wing is White; the two outer Feathers of the Tail are wholly White ; the two next have only their inner Webs White ; the remaining Feathers in the Middle dufky Brown; the middle Feathers of the Tail are fomething longer than thofe on the Sides ; the Legs and Feet are Black; the Toes Rand after the ufual Manner, and it hath black Claws.
T. White, of Lincoln' s-Inn, Efq. favoured me with this Bird vvell preferved dry ^ it was brought from the Ifland of Jamaica. This individual Species, I believe, is de- fcribed and figured by Sir Hans Shane in his Voyage to Jamaica, &c. Vol. II.-P^7. 306. Lab. 256 There is alfo an Account of two Species of thefe Birds extracted from Francis Hernandez, which may be found tranflated into Fnglijh in the Appen¬ dix to Willoughby' % Ornithology, Pa.J^^. they are called Poliglottos and Fzaupan. Thofe who have a Mind to compare this Bird with that which I fuppofe to be the greater, and fpecifically different from mine, may confult Mr. Catesby's Works, where they W’ill find, a good Figure and Defcription. of him..
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( 79 )
The Green Indian Fly-Catcher.
This Figure reprefents the Bird of its natural Bignefs ; it is a flender-biH’d Bird, and of that Tribe that generally feed oa^
Inleds.
The Bill is black or dusky, a little inclining to Yellow near the Head,, and a very little bowed downwards; the Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck and Back, are of a Green-colour, pretty dark ; the Rump' and upper Coverts of the Tail green, but fomething lighter; the Sides of the Head, Throat, Bread:, Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are Yellow, a little clouded with Green ; on the Head and Sides of the Neck, the dark Green of the upper Side, and the Yellow on the- lower, lofe themfelves in each other : The Wings are dark Brown or Black ; fome of the Quills are yellow on the Edges of their Webs ; the lird: and fecond Row of covert Feathers on the upper Side of the Wings have white Tips, which make two Bars of White a-crofs the upper Part of each Wing ; the Infide of the Wing Feathers is fomething fainter than the Outfide ; the Tail is of the fame dark Green-colour with the Back ; the Legs,, Feet, and Claws, are of a dark Brown, or Black- colour.
Mr. Dandridge obliged me with this Bird ; it was fent to him, with others, from Bengal. In my Searches I cannot difeover any Defeription agreeing with this, fo I conclude it will be accepted as a Bird hitherto, undeferibed. The Englijh Birds that come neared: it, are the Golden- crown d Wren.^ and a little yellow Bird, without Name, dcTcribed by Willoughby in his Ornithology, p. 227, 228. Mine agrees with the drdr of thefe in the Colour and Marks of the Wing, but wants the golden Crefb, is brighter colour’d in the Body, and hath a longer Tail. It agree# lefs with the fecond, that having no Marks in its Wings. Mine feemed to be almoft double the Bignefs of either of them. 1 believe it may be of that Willoughby calls Fig- eater p. 216. of his Ornitiiology, they
being Birds of this Size and Shape ; but none of them are fo Green as my Bird.
( So )
7he Small American Redstart.
TH E Figure of this Bird here reprefented is of its natural Size : The Bill is ftreight and flender, but fomething broad from Corner to Corner of the Mouth, of a Dufky Colour, paler toward the Head, and black at the Point j the Bahs of the upper Mandible has on each Side black Hairs or Briftles ; the Head, Neck, Back and Wings without Side, are Black, except the Bottoms of the Qinlls, which are Orange- Colour j tho’ the fmalleft Quills next the Back are all Black; the Sides, and all the coveit Feathers within Side of the Wings, are of a bright Orange-Colour, which be¬ ing one of his greateft Beauties, I have given him an Adlion on Purpofe to Ihew it : The Black from the lower Part of the Neck extends in a blunt Point into the Breaft, from whence proceeds a white Lift along the Belly, which becomes broader by Degrees ; fo that the Thighs, lower Belly, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are White, except a few black Spots in the hinder Part of the Belly : when the Wings are clofed there is feen a good deal of Orange on the Breaft; the two middle Feathers of the Tail are wholly Black ; all the Side Feathers are Orange-Colour at their Bottoms, and Black at their Tips ; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, are black.
Mr. Cowell^ Surgeon, in Lombard-Street^ obliged rne with a Sight of this Bird ; he received it from Jamaica^ with fome others. I find in Sir Hans Sloane's, Hiftory of Ja7naica a Defcription of this Bird, but no Figure. You may find it by the Name of the fmall Black and Orange-colour'' d Bird^ VoL II. Pa. 312. Mr. Catesby in his Na¬ tural Hiftory of Carolina has mentioned it alfo, VoL I. Pa. 67. where you will find a Figure of it. He fays, “ Thefe Birds frequent the ftiady Wood of Vhgmia^ and are feen only in Summer, and that the Hens are Brown.” He calls it the Redftart^ whofe Example I have taken, as I think the Name very proper ; Sir Hans Shane has given it no Englijh Name. Seeing it is a Bird of Paftage in Virginia^ I fuppofe it may be fo too in Jamaica^ which may be perhaps its Winter Habitation ; but of this I have received no Account. This Plate was finifhed, and the Colouring far advanced, before I recollected the Bird to be in Mr. Catesby' % Works; otherwife I fliould have omitted it : But I hope it will not be altogether loft Labour, fince there are many Encouragers of this Work who have not been Purchafers of Mr. Catesby's Natural Hijiory.
The Butterfly here figur’d was given me by Mr. Peter Colinfoni h was brought from Montferrat in the Wefl-Indies : It is Black, fpotted with Yellow, having no other Co¬ lours on the upper Side, except two fmall red Spots in each of the fliorter Wings near the Body of the Fly ; the under Side hath all the fame Marks, but, inftead of Yellow, they are of a dirty Rofe- Colour ; and the Ground or black Part is beneath of a dirty Brown.
The
t«^ ■' ; ‘ ■ ¥''■ ■- ' V ' i; -
( 8i )
little Black, White, and Red, Indian Creeper.
This curious little Bird is figured of its natural Bignefs : I Iiave given it the Name of Creeper from the Agreement in the Shape of the Bill with our Creeper^ it being bowed down and fharp pointed.
The Bill is of a Black Colour, cleft pretty deep in under the Eyes, from the Bill to the Point of the Tail ; the upper Side is of a deep Black, except fome bright Scarlet Spots, the firfi: of which begins a little behind the Bill, and tak®B up all the Top of the Head from Eye to Eye ; the fecond is in the Middle of the hinder Part of the Neck ; the third crofles the Middle of the Back ; and the fourth and laft takes up the co¬ vert Feathers of the Tail : The Tail and Wings are wholly Black, all the black Parts being very glofiy, and refleding a dark Blue : The whole under Side, Throat, Neck, Bread:, Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are White; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, are Black.
My Friend Mr. Dandridgey in Moorfieldsy obliged me with a Sight of this elegant Bird, which was fent to him from Bengal in the Eajl-lndies ; it was neatly fluffed, and very well preferved, and frelh in its Colours.
Hoe double Swallow-tail’d Butterfly.
TH E Body, Legs, and Horns, are Black ; the Wings are of a very fine Blue-colour ; the upper Wings bordered on their outer Edges, and at their Ends, with Black; the under Wing bordered only on their.outer Edges with Black, with a round black Spot in each at their Ends, with a little black Mark without that : The four Tails are of a dusky Colour tipped with White. The late Mr. William Goupey^ of Surry-Streety obliged me with a Cafe of Infers, wherein this was inclofed ; but could give me no Account from whence it came. The under Side is of a dull Blue, bordered with Brown, and fpotted with near Forty round and irregular black Spots, each Spot having a fine Line of a paler Blue pafling round it.
I Hoe
(. 82 )
T'he Greater Bull-Finch.
“"13 E I N G at a Lofs to find a Name for this Bird (not knowing its Ij Country) I at length pitched upon the above, it refembling the Btdl-finch fomething in the Thicknefs of its Bill, and the Colour of its Tiiroat and Breaft. It is here figured of its natural Bignefs.
The Bill is pretty thick toward the Head, a very little arched on the upper Part, ending in a Point, all over of a White-colour: The Top and Sides of the Head, upper Part of the Neck, Back, Wings and Tail, are all of a dark Brown or Black-colour, all the Feathers being edged with a lighter Brown, which makes an agreeable Mixture: The Throat, under Side of the Neck, Breaft, and Belly, are all of a very fine Scarlet- colour ; the upper Part of the Wing, and a little Way down its Ridge, for a fmall Breadth, is of the fame Red-colour as the Breaft ; the In- fides of the Wings are Dusky ; the Thighs, lower Belly, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are of a black Brown-colour : It hath a fhort Tail in Proportion ; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, are of a light Brown; it has four Toes on each Foot, ftanding after the ufual Manner.
Mr. Blew^ Librarian to the Inner -Bemple^ Londo?t^ obliged me with this curious Bird, and fome others; but having paffed through feve- ral Hands before they became his Property, it could not be known from whence they came; yet I am of Opinion that it is from America^ be- caufe there were feveral Birds that came with it to Mr. Bhw<, which I knew to be Americans.
The
5
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. .fy X
( 83 )
The little Brown Bul l-F inch,
The upper Figure reprefents this Bird of its natural Bignefs : By the Thicknefs and Shortnefs of the Bill it feems to be of that Genus of fmall Birds who com¬ monly feed on Grain.
The Bill is white ; the Top and Sides of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, are all of a dark Brown-colour, the Borders of the Feathers being fomething lighter than their middle Parts j the Infides of the Wings are of a light Brown-colour. The Throat, under Side of the Neck, Bread:, Belly, Thighs, and covert Feathers under the Tail, are of a dull-reddifli Orange-colour j the Legs, Feet, and Claws, are of a dull Brown-colour.
Mr. Blew^ of the Inner "Temple, obliged me with this Bird, but could not tell from what Part of the World it came ; it was preferved dry, with others.
The Black and Yellow Manakyn.
H E lower Figure reprefents this Bird of its natural Bignefs j it is of the fame Genus with a Bird deferibed. Fa. 21. of this Book, which I have there call’d the Golden-headed Black Titmoufe.
The Bill is neither thick, nor very llender, rather bowed down then directly ftreight,. ending in a Point, of a white Colour ; the whole Head, Neck, Bread, and Belly, as far as the Thighs, are of a dull yellowifh Orange-colour j the Thighs mixed with Orange-colour and Black; the covert Feathers under the Tail are Black ; the Back,. Wings, and Tail, are Black, without any changeable Glofs ; the covert Feathers vdthim Side of the Wings, and fome of the fmall Feathers on the Ridges of the Wings without, are of a dirty Orange-colour ; fome of the inner Webs of the Qinll Feathers are White near their Bottoms, which appear in white Spots on the upper Side of the Wings, except when the Wings are clofe gathered up, for then it disappears;, the Legs, Feet, and Claws, are of an obfeure Brown-colour.
This Bird is preferved with the above in the Colle6lion of Mr. Blew : I believe if to come from fome Part of South- America, near the equinoctial Line, becaufe I have by me Copies of Drawings of four different Species which wxre faid to come from the Settlements of the Hollanders, on the Main-Land of South- America ; one of them agrees exactly in Shape, Size, and Colouring, with this here figured, except that it is of a mod bright Red, where this is only of a dirty Orange-colour; fo that ’tis likely my Bird may be the Hen, and that the Cock of the fame Species. I have only feeii Draughts of the other Sorts; fo that it would be contrary to my Propofals, at fird fetting: out in this Work, to exhibit them.
'The-
( 84 )
7^^ Indian Green Finch.
TH I S Bird is here figured of its full natural Bignefs ; it appears a little like a Canary Bird, but I think it is fomething larger.
It hath a pretty thick ftrong lliort Bill, agreeing in Shape with mod: of the Granavo- rious Kind of fmall Birds with us j the upper Part of a dark Brown or Blackifh Co¬ lour ; the nether of a lighter Brown ; the Eyes are of a Hafel-colour ; the Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, upper Side of the Wings, and Tail, are of a dirty Green-colour j the outermod Webs of fix or feven of the greater or prime Qifills are edged with White ; the Tail Feathers are edged with a light Yellow Green j from the Bafis of the Bill on each Side there pafies through the Eyes a Bar or Line of dirty Green; above the Eyes, from the Bafis of the Bill, there palles a yellow Line ou each Side in the Form of Eyebrows ; from the Angles of the Mouth on each Side there pafies a black Line of half an Inch long; the whole under Side, from the Bill to the covert Feathers beneath the Tail, is of a Yellow Colour, a little fhaded with Green on the Sides of the Bread and Belly ; and on the Sides of the Neck the Yellow and Green intermix and lofe themfelves in each other ; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, agree in Shape with others of this Kind, all of a brownidi Afh-colour.
Mr. John Hawkins gave me a Sketch of this Bird, which he drew in the Ifland of Madeira (whither it was brought from fome other Country) ; the Name he has noted on it is Bengalas, which I fuppofe it takes from its Country ; he fays it fings finer than a Canary Bird. As this Drawing was but dight, I did not care to make Ufe of it, not having then feen the Bird myfelf; but fince I received it I have feen two of thefe Birds, and heard them fing, at the Houfe of Mr. Blunt, Merchant, in Good- man' s~Fields, London ; I found the Birds to agree in every Thing with Mr. Hawkms's Sketch and Account, but having the Life before me, I added fomething to perfedl the dight Defign I had, in order to give a more perfedl one to the Public. I was in¬ formed at Mr. Blunt's, that thefe Birds were brought from the Ea/i-Indies. Dn Henry Plumptree, Prefident of the Royal College of Phyficians, faw thefe Birds at Mr. Blunt's, and was fo good- to gain me Admittance to make my Obfervations on them.
The Butterfly here figured is of the Bignefs of Life ; the upper Wings are of a reddifli Orange-colour ; the under Wings a little more inclining to Brown ; both up¬ per and under Wings bordered with a dark Brown, and Streaks of Black; the upper Wings have longifii dark blue Marks along their outer Edges, and a large and fmall round Spot in each Wing, the outer Circle of each Black, the next within Yellowifh, the next Blue, with a light blue or white Spot in the Middle ; the lower Wings have each a large round Spot, the outer Part Black, the next Yellow, the inner Part Pur- plifii, clouded with Black on one Side, with two fmall oblong Spots of blueilh White in the Middle ; befides this Mark there is in each of the lower Wings a little round ob- feureSpot; the Body, Legs, and Horns, are of a redd ilh Brown- colour ; the whole under Side is of a dulky Brown-colour ; the Spots of the upper Side only faintly calling through. This Fly was brought from China by my Friend Captain Ifaac Worth, who jprefented me with a Box of Infedts from that Country.
The
' ( 85 )
The SCHOMBURGER.
I Know not well what Clafs to range this Bird with : In Colour it much refembles the hark Kind, but the Bill is much to large and long ; nor doth it better agree with the HhrupD Family, in the Shape of its Bill ; it agrees, I think, beft with the Buntings though it hath a larger Bill, and different in Structure, that having a Knob in the Roof of the Mouth, which is the Charaderiftick of the Hortulene Kind. So I muft leave it to be claffed, as the more knowing lhall think beft. I often find more Difficulty to find a Family to daft American Birds with, than I do to range Birds found in the moft diftant Parts of the old World : It is here figured of its natural Bignels.
The Bill is pretty long and thick, of a dusky Flefh-colour, ending in a Point ; the Eyes are of a Hazel-colour, the Sides of the Head and the Throat, for a fmall Space beneath the Bill, is Black, which Blacknefs extends itfelf downward on each Side of the Neck almoft to the Begin¬ ning of the Wing ; in this black Part the Eyes are placed : The Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, and covert Feathers of the Wings, are Brown, fomething brighter, or more upon the Orange, than in the hark Kind, Ipotted with Black, except the Top of the Head ; the Quill Feathers of the Wings and the Tail are of a Dusky, or Blackifh Colour, edged with a bright reddifti Brown. The whole under Side, from the Throat to the Coverts beneath the Tail, is of a pleafant light reddifh Brown-colour ; the Bread: and Belly fpotted with Black ; the Feathers all over the Body being black in their middle Parts and brown round their Borders ; the Feathers of the Shoulders that fall over the Wings are of a light yellowifti Brown; the Thighs, lower Belly, and Co¬ verts of the Tail, both above and beneath, appear fpotlefs, and are of a lighter Brown than the other Parts of the Bird ; the Legs and Feet are of a reddifh Flefh-colour ; the Claws are brown ; the hind Claw is a little longer than ordinary, yet much fhorter than in the hark Kind.
, This Bird was brought alive from the Spanijh Wejl-Indies^ and pre- fented to the Lady of the Right Honourable Sir Charles Wager ^ then firft Lord of the Admiralty, at whofe Houfe I made this Defign.
K the
( 86 )
The Red-Breasted Long-Tailed Finch.
TH E lower Figure in the Print fhews the Bird of its natural Bignefs j the upper is reduced, the better to exprefs it with its Tail : It is a Bird of lively Action, and a.} r.ity Note, and by various Motions in railing and lowering its long Tail it makes a vay diverting Appearance.
The Bill is Ihcrt, and pretty thick in Proportion, of a Blueilh or Lead Colour j the Eyes are hazel-colour’d ; the whole Head, and the Throat as low as the Breaft, is of a Black-colour ; the Back, Wings, and Tail, are alfo Black, yet the Edges of the greater Wing Feathers appear a little alh-colour’d or whitilh: Its Tail is like what is common to other fmall Birds, and there fprings frjom the Rump above it a Sort of fecond Tail, compofed of only four Feathers, the two longefl thirteen Inches and a half long,, and three Qiwrters of an Inch wide near the Rump, decreafing gradually to lefs than a Quarter of an Inch at their Tips ; between thefe are two Ihorter, of lix Inches aiid a half in Length, and one Inch and a half in Breadth in the broadeft Parts, falling fud- denly into very narrow Points, compofed of Threads lying together 5 the long Feathers are fomething arched like the Feather’s of a Cock's Tail, having tranfverfe Lines a-crofs them, fuch as we fee in water’d Silks, there being no Variety of Colour in thefe Fea¬ thers, as they are all of a deep Black : the Breaft is of a full deep Orange-colour ; the hinder Part of the Neck of paler Orange, or Golden Colour; the Belly and Thighs are White ; the lower Belly and covert Feathers under the Tail are Dufky or Black ; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, which agree with thofe of moft other fmall Birds, are of a Flefti-colour. What is moft extraordinary in this Bird is, that it changes its Colour, and lofes the long Feathers of the Tail for more than ftx Months in the Year : About the Beginning of November it ftieds its Tail and molts its Feathers,, and becomes of a mixed Colour ; the Head being Black and White in Streaks ;, the Breaft, Back, and covert Feathers of the Wings, of a reddifti Brown, fpotted with Dufky, almoft like the Feathers of a%M^; the greater Quills and Tail Feathers of a blackiftt Brown ; the whole Belly, Thighs, and Coverts under the Tail,, White; the Legs and Bill the fame as above deferibed. In this State it continues all the Winter, without the four long Feathers in the Tail. In the Beginning of Summer it molts its Feathers again, when the long Feathers of the Tail begin to ftioot out, and in Jime^ or the Beginning of July^ it becomes again what it was in the foregoing Summer. The upper Figure fhews him in his Summer’s Drefs ; the lower reprefents him as he appears in Winter.
This Bird was the Property of the obliging Mr. of LoLirmce-^Lcine, London^
who kept it alive four Years,, and carefully obferved the Changes of it, as I have fet them down ; he hath alfo made me a Witnefs of them, by inviting me feveral Times to view the Bird in its different States, and about the Times ^its dian.ges, and gi ven me Liber¬ ty to make Draughts at v/hat Times I thought proper. This Bird was brought from Afkolam. Africa. He feems to be briefly deferibed by Book 15. Chap, but 1 think improperly claffed with Sparrows it rather, in my Opinion, belonging to the tinging Finch Kind. In its Winter’s Drefs it nearly refembles the Bramble Finch, Our Countryman, Mr. Willoughby y in his Ornithology, 251. has tranflated the Deferip- tion of this Bird from Aldrovanf who calls it an Indian long-tail d Sparrow, ^ A Gen¬ tleman, who lately arrived from Lisbony tells me the Portuguefe call this Bird the Wi- dowy from its Colour,, and long Train : He fays alfo, thatthe Hen is of a Lark Colour,, having no long Train. Ifs
( 8? )
The Purple Water-Hen.
This Bird was of the Bignels of a middle fized Uen^ though its Bill and Legs were much:
larger^ the Bill meafured an Inch and three Quarters from Point to the Corners of the Mouth i from the Point to its upper Part on the Crown of the Head two Inches and three Quar- ,ters I the Leg, from the Knee downward, four Inches j the middle Toe without the Claw four :Inches long.
. The Bill is of a fine Red-colour, Part of it extending itfelf to the Middle of the Crown of the Head above the Eyes, where it ends in an oval Figure % the Bill is very much comprefled fide- ways, its Height being more than donblo fts Width j there is a great Likenell of Colour all over the Body of this Bird, fo that it need only be faid that it is of a fine Blue, a little inclining to Violet, except the covert Feathers under the Tail, which are White : Yet is there fome Diverfity in. the Colourings the Sides of the Head, the fore Part of the Neck and Breaft, and the covert Feathers of die Wings, are the moft bright and fhining, and vary a little in different Pofitions,, appearing fometimes of perfed Blue, at other Turns partaking fomething of Red, which makes a Purple Appearance, and in fbme Lights it feems to have a little Glofs of Green on the Back r The Top of the Head, hind Part of the Neck, Thighs, lower Belly, and Quills of the Wings, are of a dark Brown, or Blackifh Colour, having only a faint Mixture of Blue in them i. the covert Feathers of the Wings within-fide are Blue; the Quills within of a rufty Black the. Legs are bare of Feathers an Inch and half above the Knees ; both Legs and Feet are of a pleafant Red-colour, fomething like Rofe-colour ; it hath pretty ftrong brown Claws ; the Toes have nothing like Fins or Membranes along their Sides, as is common in other Water-Hens. The Body of this Bird was remarkably compreffed fideways, contrary to the Duck Kindt believe Nature hath given him this Form, that he may the more commodioufly pals amongft Canes and Reeds, which generally cover the Banks of Rivers.
This Bird is now preferved in Spirits in the Colled ion of Sir Hans Shane ^ Bart; The Bill' and Legs were of a Yellowifh Colour when dead, but Sir Hms fhewed me a fine Drawing taken from the living Bird, wherein they were Red, as I have above defcribed them. The Toes of this Bird are four in Number, ftanding three forward and one backward,, in che ufual Manner, contrary to the monftrous and fiditious Accounts many Authors, who never faw it, give of them. Mr. George Bell^ Surgeon, in London., has toW me he has feen of thefe Birds in China. The Curious, who would fee the Anatomy of this Bird, may confult Me-^ moires de L Ac ademie Roy ale des Sciences., depuis 1666. juiqu^a 1699. Tome 3. troifieme Partie,. p. 50. where it is called Foule-Sultane ', they fuppofe it to 1^ tht Porphyrio the Antknts They account for the changeable Colours of the Feathers, by fuppofing that the fine Fibres afe of dif¬ ferent Colours on different Sides ; fo that by different Pofitions, the different Sides of the Fibres ftrike the Eye with different Colours, which they would demonftrate by: Silks foot with> different Colour, which have the fame Effed on the Eye. It was found true, by Obfervation. made ^zVerfailks, that it lifts its Meat to its Mouth with its Foot as Parrots do; but that it drinks as other Fowls do, by taking Water in its Bill, and raifing its Head to fwaflow it.
I have by me a Print of Birds publifh^d at Paris., Drawn by P\ Boel^ wherein are two of tbefc Birds, in pretty Adions, where they are ealPd Bluets ^ which I think a very proper Name, for they feem at firfl Sight perfedly Blue.. I am fully fatisfyM that no Englijh Author on Birds ever defcrib’d this Bird from Nature, therefore I hope this Draught and Defcription will be ac¬ ceptable, though we have a dark. Account of the- Bird in Wiiloughhy^^ and a darker by Jlbin^
/
{ 88 )
Voe Albatross,
This Bird is big-bodied, and very long winged *, I take it to be one of the largeft, if not the very biggeft, Water-Bird in the World; by meafuring him crofs-ways, from Tip to Tip of the Wings, he meafured near ten Feet ; the firft Bone of the Wing, which joins it to the Body, equals the Length of the whole Body, as appears in a Skeleton of one of thefe Birds I have by me. The Wing, from the Joint to the End of the Quills, when the Wing is clofed, meafures two Feet ; the Leg, from the Knee downwards, meafures four Inches and a half ; the middle Toe was feven Inches long. Thefe Birds . vary in Size, for the Meafures in the Skeleton . I have are a third Part lefs in all its Parts than what I have given here.
The Bill is of a dirty Yellowifh Colour, fuch as we fee in old Boan : The Bottom Figure in the annexed Plate Ihews. it of its natural Bignefs, with its Grooves and Furrows ; the Noftrils are very remarkable, having rifing Coverings over them, with the Openings > forward, as expreffed in the Figures: The Bill is a little comprefled fide- ways toward the Head, and gradually be¬ comes more fo toward the Point, which is remarkably hooked; the Crown of. the Head is of a lightifh afli-colour’d Brown ; the Remainder of the l4ead, all the Neck, Bread:, Belly, Thighs, covert Feathers under the Tail, and Coverts within Side of the Wings, are White: The hind Part of the Neck, Sides under the Wings, and Sides of the Bread:, have fome fmall tranfverfe dusfky Lines mixed with the White ; the Back is of a dirty Brown, with fmall tranfverfe Lines of Black, and fome greater Spots of Black or Lead Colour ; the Rump is of a lightifh Brown- colour ; the Tail of a blueifh Lead-colour, inclining to Black ; the Wing of the fame Colour with the Tail, the Quills being darker, or altogether Black ; the Ridge of that Part of the Wing next the Back is White ; the Legs and Feet are of a Flefh-colour ; it hath only three Toes, all fi:anding forward, and webb’d together ; it hath alfo a Fin or Web running along the outer Sides of the outer and inner Toes of each Foot, which I have not obferved in any other Water- Birds, except on the inner Toes of fome.
I have examined two Birds of this Kind fluffed, which agreed in Magnitude, and all other Refpedls, from which I made Sketches ; the one was fhewn me by George Holmes^ Efq. Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London ; the other is in the Pofleffion of Mr. Benjamin Cowell^ Surgeon, in Lombard-Street. Mr. Albin has given a Figure of the Bill of this Bird ; fee his Hif- tory of Birds, Vol. III. Pa. 76. and I believe the late Dr. James Douglas obliged him with the Defcription of it. Albin confounds this Bird with one called in the Weji-Indies^ the Man-of-War Bird, wherein he is wrong ; for, on examining Voyagers on that Head, 1 find they make the Man-of-JVar a much fmaller Bird, and they who have mentioned the Albatrofs make it of the firft Magnitude of Water-Fowl ; fo that I can by no Means agree that they are the fame Birds.
I know of no Figure extant of this Bird ; or any Defcription of it, , but fuch as are commonly given by Voyagers (who for the moft Part are very general, and none but imperfed Ideas of natural Things are received from them) on which Account I thought this Figure and Account might be favourably received by the Encouragers of this Work. Thefe Birds are brought from the Cape of Good Hope., where they are feen in confiderable Numbers : I have not heard of their being frequent in any other Part of the World. I have tranfcribed Sir Hans Sloane'^ Defcription of the Man-of-War Bird out of his Hiftory of Jamaica, to Ihew it is not the Albatrofs, which is as follows, Vol. I. Pa. 30. “ This Bird fcems very large, bigger than a Kite, and Black ; they
fly, like Kites, very high, and often appear immoveable over the Water, to wait for and “ catch fmall Fifh appearing on its Surface ; they are fiiarp winged, and their Tail is forked.”
I tsike Mr, Albin’’ s Frigate Bird to be the fame with the Man-of-War Bird.
Tie
I :
r 89 )
T^he great Black Peteril.
This Bird is about the Blgnefs of a Raven ; the Bill, from the Corner of the Mouth to the Point, is three Inches long ; from the Forehead to the Point but two Inches ; the Wing when clofed is near 15 Inches long ; It is of Kin to the Albatrofs laft defcribed, yet I cannot pronounce it abfolutely of the fame Genus ; the Shape of the Bill is much the fame with that, but a great ded lefs in Proportion, and the Noftrils placed together on the upper Part of the Bill ; the Legs and Feet are alfo like thofe of the laft defcribed, except that this hath a little Spur, or Claw, where other Fowls have the hind Toe, which Spur rifes immediately from the Heel.
The Bill is of a Yellow Colour, not very bright, but might be more lively perhaps when the 'Bird was living ; the Noftrils feem to be carried on in two Tubes or Pipes joined together, which proceed from the Forehead, and pafs about one third Part of the Length of the Bill on its upper Part, with two Openings forward ; the Bill is creafed or furrow’d, and pretty much hooked at the 'Point, all which may be better conceived from the lower Figure than from Defcription, the Biir being there drawn of its natural Bignefs ; It is fhaped in general pretty much like z. Sea-Gull \ the Wings when clofed reaching farther than the Tail ; the Plumage all over the Body is the fame, without the leaft Variety of Shade, it being of a very rufty Black, or blackilk Brown; the 'Legs and Feet were near of the fame Colour, or a little miore inclining to Flefla, refembling the “Colour of an Ethiopian’ % Skin : Its Claws are Black ; it hath a little Claw or Spur rifing out of the Heel immediately, and not by a Toe, for it hath no Sign of a back Toe ; the Figure ex- prefies a Claw on each Foot ; the outer Sides of all the Toes are webb’d, as in the Albatrofs.
This Bird was lent me to draw by Mr. Benjamin Cowel ; it came with the Albatrofs by an India Ship, fo that I am of Opinion it is from the Seas about the Cape of Good Hope : I could not gather any more certain Account of its Place. In looking over a ftnall Traft entitled, a Voyage to St. Kilda, the moft remote of all the Weftern Hands of Scotland., by M. Martin., Gent. London 1698, I find the Figure of a Bird agreeing exadlly with this in the Shape of its Bill, and the back Claw is very juftly exprefled in the Print, tho* the Defcription calls it a back Toe ; k feems to be of the fame, or very near the Size of the Bird here defcribed, but of different Co¬ lours ; it being greyifh White on the upper, and purely White on the under Side : But what confirms me moft that thefe two Birds are of the fame Tribe or Family, is the Opinion of Dr. James Monroe, Fellow of the College of Phyfician', and Phyfician of Bethlem Hofpital, who, happening to fee my Drawing, faid he remembered a Bird in the Voyage to St. Kilda, called the Fulmar, that agreed with mine ; and told me, at the fame Time, he had feen the Fulmar, and drew the Figure of it for the Plate in the Book when he was a young Lad. See the Figure and Defcription of the Fulmar in the Voyage to St. Kilda, Pa. 55, where the Author fays, “ he picks his Food out of the Backs of living Whales.” This Manner of Feeding may fliew us that Nature hath fitted every Animal according to his appointed Way of Life ; lor the hooked Bill muft be moft commodious to take out the flimy Subftance that gathers and is lodged in the Fifia’s Skin ; and the Claw or Spur on the Heel, which is placed very low, may he defigned to give the Bird a more firm Standing, to feed on the flippery Side or Back of a Filk, without which the Bird might be blown from her Place, becaufe there generally prevails a pretty ftrong Wind in the open Sea : But I fhall always fubmit fuch Opinions and Reafonings to the Expe¬ rience of the more knowing. I believe this Bird hath never been defcribed.
L
The
( 90 )
The white and black Spotted P e t e rt e, and the little P e t e r i l,
TH E firfl: is a Sea Fowl of the Shape and Genus of’ the laft defcribed, having all the fame. Charafteriftick Notes : It is about the Size of a common tame Pigeon.
The Bill is Black, having the Noftrils in Pipes running along the upper Part of the Bill, and" opening forward ; it hath alfo an oblique double Channel running the whole Length of the upper Mandible on each Side ; the under .Part of the Bill doth not bend downward, as in the laft de¬ fcribed, but hath a Knob or Angle on the lower Side near the Point •, all which fee exprefled in the Figure. The Head and under .Side of the Neck is Black, having a white Spot confuledly intermixed with the Black on each Side of the Neck ; the Back and leffer covert Feathers of the Wings are White, pretty regularly fpotted with Black, as is the Rump and covert Feathers of the Tail: The Tail is. wholly Black ■ fome of the prime Quills are Black j but the inner Quills which are next: the Back have their Tips Black, and their Bottoms White ; the firft Row of covert Feathers next above the Quills have all their Tips Black, which make a black Bar a- crofs the Wingi .the Wings are verged all round with Black, from the Joints to the Tips,, which extend beyond the Tail*, the whole under Side is White from the Bill to the covert Feathers un-, der the Tail j the Throat, Bfeaft, and covert Feathers under the Tail, having a few black Spots drawn Jong- ways *, the Legs and Feet are like thofe of the laft defcrib’d, . having the Claw or Spur on -the Heel % but in this I perceived no Webs on the Outfides of the outer Toes, as in the foregoing^.tho’ it is webbed on the Infides of the inner Toes j the LegSg ., Feet, ,and Claws, are all of a Blickifh or Dufky Colour.
I flialljoin with this the little Peteril^ which is about the Size of a ' .being of a Dusky or Black .Colour all over, except the Rump, which is White. The flying Figure fhews the Bird, and the Pedeftal Stone has an out Line of the Head and Bill, of the Size of Nature, en¬ graved on it. It is fo very like the great black Pr/m7, ' except the white Rump, that a Pi(5fure of the lejfer might pafs for i\\& greater in Miniature: :The Bill and Feet are black, having Noftrils and Spurs like the two laft defcribed.
The black and ‘white Peteril was given me by my worthy Friend James Theobald, Efq; of Lambeth', he fays it was brought from the Cape of Good Hofe, where it is called the Pantado, . which is a Name the Portuguefe have given to other Birds, of a very different Nature, where they find them fpotted or painted, as the Name denotes.
'Of the Wiilt'dPeteril, .above defcribed, I have feen a great many together, in the Midft of the moremorthern and widcft Pa:rtof.the German Ocean, where they muft have been more than too Englijh Miles from Land : It is ftrange tliat fo fmall a Bird fhould be able to fubfift in fuch open Seas, where they cannot reft but on the Water, which always is pretty rough. Thofe I have feen , were continually on the Wing ihey appear not but in tempeftuous Weather near Ships, or Land, Thefe 1 law flcreen’d themfelves out of the Wind under the Stern of the Ship I was aboard of. They even feek. Shelter fometimes in the deepeft Hollows that are formed between the high Waves of the.Sea, and wonderfully keep their Stations there, though the Waves run very fwifcly •, they flutter fo.-near the Surface of the Water that they feem to walk on it, for v/hich Reafon Mr. Albin fays they are call’d Peterils, becaufe they imitate walking on the Sea.
Mr. Albin has defcrib’d this laft Bird, and has inferred its Manner of Flight, and flieltering itfelf in Storms at Sea ; he has taken no Notice of its remarkable Spur behind the Heel, but has given his Figure a fmall backToe, with a Claw on it, which is contrary to its Nature. I believe this Tribe of Birds all reft and feed on the Backs of living or dead Fifhes that float on the Sea, ?vlr. Willoughby, in the Appendix to his Ornithology, .P. 395. has brief Defcriptions of two or three Sorts of Birds, that feem to me to be of the fame Genus with thefe above delcribed ; one of them is called tht . Storm Finck, which is, J think, .a proper general Name for the whole Tribe,
T&e
( 91 )
The fmall Black and White Divers.
TH E Bird is here reprefented of its natural Size, Handing on a Rock. Willough¬ by hath defcrihed it from a Picture as well as he could, but has ranged it with a Genus to which it doth not belong : It is of that Tribe of whole-footed Sea-Birds which want the back Toe. The original Drawing from whence Willoughby made his De- fcription was Sir Thomas Brown's^ and is now in the Colleftion of Sir Hans Shane y he calls it Mergulus Melanoleucos rojiro acuto brevi.
The Bill is Black and round, being equal in Height and Width) the Top and Sides of the Head, whole upper Side, Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail, is of a Black or Dulky^ Colour. The Qmlls next the Body are tipped with White, which form an oblique Bar of White acrofs the Wing when it is clofed j the Infide of the Wing is of a brownifh Afli-colour ; the Throat is White, which Whitenefs terminates brokenly on each Side about the Place of the Ears-j the fore Part of the Neck is of a Grey, or Aih- Golour, pretty dark, growing gradually lighter on theBreaft; the Belly, Sides under the Wings, and Coverts under the Tail, are White j the Legs and Feet are of a dirty Flelh-colour the Webs between the Toes Black j it wants the back Toe, having only three, all Handing forward, armed with crooked Claws j it hath no Membranes, or la¬ teral Websj on the Infides of the inner Toes, as moH web-footed Birds liave ) it is bare of Feathers a very little above the Knees : I fuppofe this to be the Hen Bird.
The upper Bird in this Plate, reprefented flying, is of the Size of the laH deferibed : I imagine it to be the. Cock of the foregoing j the Bill is Black, Hiaped as in the former. The whole upper Side agrees exadlly with that, as doth the Belly, Sides, and Coverts under the Tail. The Infide of the Wings differs from the other, in that it hath a Bar' of dirty White acrofs it when extended, the Coverts of the Quills being of that Co¬ lour.; the Head and Neck in this is wholly Black, which makes the greateH Difference in thefe two Birds ; the Legs and Feet are, for Colour and Shape, the very fame as in the formei%
The firH of thefe Birds I drew from the Bird Huffed, at the Virginia Coffee-houfe, behind the Royal Exchange, London, Anno 1742. According to Sir Thomas Brown, of Norwich,' % Account, they are very fcarce Birds, and are found on the Sea CoaHs (neareH Norwich I fuppofe he means) two of them being brought to him by a CoaHer. See its Defeription and Figure in ^z7/wi!^/6/^^’s Ornithology. P. 343. Tab.
The fecond Bird I found hanging in the Marlborough' s- He ad Alehoufe, Fetticoat- Lane, Lo?idon, which I procured to draw, and then return’d it to the fame Place,
1743.. Hlbin has aeferib’d this Bird, and call’d it, the Hen Greenland. Hove, in which he was miHaken, and this MiHake led him into a groffer Error, for be’made this a Mo-, del for his Cock Greenland Dove, without fearching after Nature * His Figure is not un-. like, except the Bill’s being a good deal too thick, and the Legs.and Feet too fmall. The Alehoufe People could not tell from v/hence this came, but l am almoH. Hire that they ; muH be Male and Female of the fame Species, from -. their great Similitude : And as Wilkughby’?, Defeription was too brief, and only from a. Picture, and ./7/7/;^’s Figure fome- thing lame, and joined as Female to a Male of which -k was not a Species ; I hope my thus placing them together in one View, with Deferiptions immediately from Nature, will be received by the Curious as an Amendment to what has hitherto been publifbed ' concerning thefe Birds, . The
( 92 )
'the Pelican.
rsn HIS Bird ftemed to me to be more than double the Bignels of the largeft Swan ; it mea-
I fured from the Point of the Bill to the Angle of the Mouth 20 Inches, of our EngUJh Mea- fure, which is fix Inches more than any Natural Hiflorian has found it; the Academy of Paris .'having meafured one which was but 14 Inches, Paris Meafure I fuppofe; and our Countryman, iVilloiighh}\ meafured one brought from Rujfia^ which he makes 14 Inches EngUJh \ fo that I be- Jieve this Bird of mine muft be proportionally bigger in all its Parts than what have been before de ribed. I thought it fomething incredible \n Willoughby’ '& Defcription, that a Man fliould put his Head into the Pouch under the Bill, till I faw it performed in this Bird by its Keeper, and am lure a fecond Man’s Head might have been put in with it at the fame Time.
The upper Mandible is ftraight and flat, having a Ridge running along its Middle, and at the ■Point a l emarkable Hook ; the Skin round the Eye is bare of Feathers, of a light Flelh-colour, as is the Bill’s both upper and lower Mandibles, except the upper toward the Point, which is of. a yel¬ low Green, with fome Dalhes of a dusky Lead-colour -, the Noftrils are not perceivable ; the Eyes are of a dark Hazel-colour the lower Part of the Bill is compofed of two flexible Sides, which it can open pretty wide, or draw them together at Pleafure, joined together at the Point ; thefe Sides are joined the whole length by a loofe Skin of the Confiftence of thin Tripe, of a Yellowilh Colour, which it can either draw upclofe to the Bill, or let fall to a confiderable Depth from it ; this Skin extends itfclf under the Throat ; it hath rather the Appearance of the Root of a Tongue than what may be called a Tongue ; when it extends its Neck it appears longer in Proportion than reprefented in the Figure, and fometimes it is drawn in fliorter: At firfb Sight it feems to be a white Bird ; it hath loole Feathers on the hind Part of the Head in Form of a Creft ; the whole Head, Neck, all the under Side, and covert Feathers within Side of the Wings, are White ; the Quills, or prime Feathers of the Wings, are Black ; the firft Row of covert Feathers next above them of a greyifh Brown; the Remainder of a lighter Greyifh Colour, intermixed with White ; the Back and Tail are of a lightilh Grey-colour ; between the Back and Wing a little in¬ clining to Reddilh Colour, and fpotted with Black : The Legs and Feet are of a purplifli Flefh- coloLir; the Webs between the Toes of a lightifh Lead- colour ; it hath four Toes, all webbed together, as in the Soland Goofe and Cormerant\ the two inner Toes incline backward, but do not Hand fo dircdfly back as in Birds that have them loofe ; the Claws are of a Brownilh Colour.
This Bird was brought from the Cape ol Good Hope by Captain Pelly^ in the India Company’s Service, Anno 1 745. who obliged me with a Sight of it before it was expofed m London. I find no material Difference between this, and what has been dcfcribed by Willoughby.^ and the Academy ol Paris, (except its Sizej fo that I cannot pronounce it fpecifically different from what has been defcribed before. The Academy of Paris think the Bird they have defcribed is the Pelican of Ari- Jlotle and the Onocrotalus of Pliny ; they are alfo confirmed in the Opinion that this is a long-lived Bird ; for, out of a great Number kept at Verfailles, none had died for more than twelve Years, being the only Animals kept in Managery, of v/hich fome have not died in that Time:: The Wings, -when extended, meafured eleven Feet, {Paris Meafure I fuppofej. The Curious, who defire to examine into the Anatomy of this Bird may confult Mem. de I’Academie Royale des Sciences, depuis 1-666. jufqtf a i6^g. Tom. 3. troifieme Partie, p. 186. Mr. Willoughby has alfo oollefted the Accounts of former Authors, and given a Defcription himfelf of this Bird in .his .Ornithology, p. 32r7.,/ii(5'.. 63. See alfo Z.^5ri^«’s Travels into Perfia, &c. mol. 2. p. 167. where he
calls fit Bdbe. The Pelican feems to inhabit the greateft Part of the Old World, it being fQu.ndin many Climates both far North and South, as well as the intermediate Latitudes ; it being pretty common in Rijfta, abounding in Egypt, and fometimes found at the Cape oPGood Hope, :.which Country feems, by the above defcribed Bird, to breed them larger than any other Place. .As no Author hath given a tolerab e Figure of this Bird, my Hiflory in that Refped will
be new, as well as in its extraordinary Magnitude* which all jche Curious in this City are Witnefles of, it having been publickly fhewn here. -Xbo
-x-
( 93 )
ne Pelican of America.
TH E Body of this Bird (as it appeared to me when fluffed and dried) was fomething bigger than that of a large tame Goofe ; from the Point of the Bill to the Angles of the Mouth it meafured 13 Inches ; the Wing when clofed meafured 18 Inches. I take this Bird to fall fhort of half the (^lantity or Bulk of the lafl defcribed, this appearing to me lefs than a Swan, and that manifeftly more than double its Bulk.
The upper Mandible of the Bill is narrower in the Middle than it is at either End, and is re¬ ceived into the lower, except towards the Point, v/hich widens and receives the lower into it ; the Bill is Red toward the Point, both upper and under Parts, and Yellow next the Head •, the Eye is placed in a Space which has no Feathers, of a Brown-colour, which I imagine might be Flefh-colour when the Bird was living, it being fo in the living Pelican lafl treated of ; It hath a brown Hook at the Point of the upper Bill, which is received into a Cavity in the under, as ex- preffed in the Figure ; the Noftrils are not vifible. The Pouch, when dry, appeared of the Con- fiflence and Colour of a blown dry Ox’s Bladder, having Fibres running its whole Length, and Blood-veffels croffmg them, which proceeded from the Sides of the lower Part of the Bill, which opened into this Pouch its whole L.ength ; the whole Head and Neck were covered with white Feathers, thofe on the hind Part of the Head hanging a little longer than the others ; the White in the hind Part of the Neck ended in a Peak almoft in the Middle of the Back; the Back is covered with fmall Feathers, which are White down their Shafts, and of a dusky-black Ada- colour on their Sides, all ending in Points : The Tail is afla-colour’d, of a middling Shade •, the great Feathers or Quills of the Wings are Black ; the covert Feathers next above them are afh- coloured, both on the upper and under Sides of the Wings ; the lefler Coverts ot the Wings, both on the upper and under Sides, are White in their Middles, and edged with Afh-colour on their Sides, as on the Back, and fomething pointed *, the Quills within Side are of a dirty Afli- colour ; The greater Bone of the Wing being broken, I found it to be very light, hollow, quite void of Marrow, and the Sides of it as thin as Parchment : The Breafl, Belly, Sides under the Wings, that is the whole under Side, is of a dark Afh-colour, approaching to Black, without the Mixture of any lighter Colour : The Legs are fhort ; it hath four Toes, all webb’d together as in the former ; the middle, or longeft Toe, longer than the Leg; both Legs and Feet are of a dirty yellow Green ifh-colour ; the Claws dusky.
This Bird was brought from the Wefi-Indies, and prefented to me by my honour’d Friend,' James fheohald, Efq. Tho’ this Bird, and the lafl defcribed, agree pretty well in Figure and Pro¬ portion, yet they differ vaflly in Magnitude, and in Colour ; the firfl may not very improperly be called a white Bird ; this muff be called a dark Grey, with a white Head ; and, if we con- fider the Diflance of their Habitations, I think all thefe Circumflances feem to favour an Opinion of their being fpecifically different from each other. For farther Satisfadlion I fhall add what Sir Hans Sloane hiLS obferved of this Bird, fee his Natural Hiftory of ^■3XC\i\Q2., Vol. II. Pag. 322.
This feems to be the fame with the Pnoite Pelican, only of a darker Colour ; they are frequent “ in all the Seas of the hot Weji-Indies ; they fifh after the fame Manner as Man-of-lVar Birds, “ and come into the fheltered Bays in flormy Weather, where they very often perch on Trees ; “ they fly over the Sea as Gulls, and take the Fifli when they fpy them, by falling down upon them, and they then rife again and do the like : They are not reckon’d good Food. When “ they are feen at Sea it is a Sign of being near Land.” — Wafer, in his Voyage and Defcription of the Iflhmus of America, fays, “ The Pelican is not found on the South-Sea Side of the Ifth- “ mus, but they abound in the Wefi-Indies, on the Northern Side ; that they are of a dark Grey- “ colour, and under the Throat hangs a Bag ; that the old Ones are not eaten, but when young “ they are good Meat.” More is added by Wafer, which the Curious may examine in the fore- mention’d Voyage, Pag. 1 19 and 120. A great Number of other Voyagers feem to have men¬ tioned this Bird by various Names, but I find no Figure of him in any of them, nor fo full a Defcription as the above ; fo that I hope my Labour will not be efteemed lofl.
The two Sorts of Corals which decorate the ground Work of the Plate, are defigned from Nature, the greater Brown, the lefler Red.
M Phe
4
( 9+ )
The Black-Footed Penguins.
These Birds appeared to me about the Size of tame Geefe •, I have called them Black- Footed^ to diftinguifh them from one defcribed in this Book with red Feet, and a red Bill, of a' different Form from the Bills of thefe, which I have called fimply the Penguin. See its Fh gure and Defcription, fag. 49. In this Plate I have added the Bill of that figur’d Plate 49, to¬ gether with a Bill of thefe, both of their natural Size, they being a good deal different, which 1 think fully proves them to be of two diftindt Species •, the Legs are placed very backward.
The Bill of the fronting Figure is Black, hooked at the Point of the upper Chop, and feem- ing to be cut off at the Point of the lower, into which Cleft the over-hanging Part of the upper falls j it is fomething comprefled fideways and furrow’d ^ the Noftrils are placed at equal Dif- tances between the Bafis and Point ^ toward the Point it is croffed with a yellowifh Stripe or Bar : The Throat, and Sides of the Head, are of a dirty Brown-colour, in which the Eyes are placed ; from the Bafis of the Bill above the Eyes, on each Side of the Head, pafles a broad white Line, which joins itfelf to the White on the Sides and under Side of the Neck: The Top of the Flead, upper Side of the Neck, Back, and upper Part of the Wings, are of a dark Brown-co¬ lour ; the under Side, Neck, Breaft, and Belly, are White, excepting a Line of Brown that paffes over the Breaft, and reaches on each Side as far as the Legs, as exprefled in the Figure : It is White on the Rump *, the Infides of the Wings are Brown, variegated with fome White and Black *, all the Brown Parts are a little fported with Dusky or Black j it hath little Signs of a Tail, there appearing only a few Ihort Briftles ; the Feathers on the upper Part are hard and very clofe •, the Legs and Feet are of a Black-colour •, the Toes arm’d with ftrong Claws, three of which are webb’d together, and the fourth is very fmall and loofe, which Hands forward ra¬ ther than backward ; the inner of the three greater Toes hath a lateral Web •, the Feet are thick and clumfy. I have not obferved the Pofition of the fmall Toe in any other Fowl anfwer to this. Another of thefe Birds that came with this was blacker in its dark Parts, but otherwife the fame.
The other Figure Handing fideways had the Bill and Feet ffiaped and coloured as the above *, the FIcad, Neck, Back, and Wings, dusky, yet fomething light on the Throat and above the Eyes *, the Breaft and Belly wholly White, wanting the Wreath or Stripe which furrounds the un¬ der Side of the former : This had a fmall Verge of White on the Points of the Place of Quills in other Fowls ; the Wings in both were flat, hard, and very little in Proportion, covered with Feathers fo very fmall and ftiff, that they appeared to be Shagreen : I drew one of the largcft Quills, which fee figur’d as big as Nature on the Side of the Plate •, I counted more than a hun¬ dred of thefe in the firft Row.
The firft of thefe Birds was lent me by Mr. Cowell., and the other by Mr. Holms ; they could not fay diredlly from whence they were brought, but, as they came by Eqfi- India Ships, I fup- pofe they are from the Cape of Good Hope, and it may be that figur’d Page 49 is the Mega- lenic Goofe. Thefe Southern Birds differ widely from the Northern Penguin delcribed by Wil¬ loughby, Pag. 322, that having a more perfed Wing •, the Quill of one of them I have pluck’d out meafured three Inches and a half ; it hath a more perfed Tail, and wants the fourth Toe. See a farther Account of the Northern Penguin in the Hiftory of the Hands of Foe-roe, Pag. 141. engliflred from the Danijh Language, in which it is called Garfugel ; the Author fuppoies it to be like the Penguin found in Terra del Fugo, painted and defcribed in Atlas minor mercatoris. The Coralline Subftance here figured as a Decoration, in the Form of Bells, is after Nature, of its natural Size j it is of a White-colour j but what Part of the World produced it I cannot tell.
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f 95 }
The Red-Breasted Goosander.
This Bird is of a middle Size, between a Duck and Goofe : I find one of them figured in fmall by Robert Cobinef^ Painter to Lewis the 1 4th of France, which he calls Merghanfer Cyrrhatus, in a Set of Prints by him publiflied. It differs from our; Goofander defcribed by Willoughby, />• 335« in that it hath a red Bread:. Mr. Albin, in his Hiftory of Birds, w/. 2. p. 90* has figured a Bird which feems to me to be taken from the American Goofander, though his Defcription is lamely tranfcribed firom Wil¬ loughby, only with the Addition of a red Breaft, which the Englijh Goofander hath not. My Defcription is as follows :
The Bill is near three Inches and a Qiwrter long from the Tip to the Angles of the Mouth, flraight and narrow, or compreffed fideways, contrary to thofe of Ducks j the up¬ per Part hooked at. the End ; both upper and under toothed their whole Lengths y the upper Part Red, clouded with a Dufky-Colour > the lower Part of a brighter Red : The- whole Head is Black, which refleds a fhining green Glofs^ the Feathers behind the Head are loofe, and longer than the other Feathers ; the Neck for fome Space is White,, yet juft behind there is a black Line which goes from the Head to the Back j the lower Part of the Neck, and the Breaft, is of a brownifti Orange-colour, with black Spots along the Shafts of the Feathers : On each Side, at the bottom of the Neck, or begin¬ ning of the Breaft, is a remarkable Spot, compofed of white Feathers, bordered with Black : The Back is firft Black ; the hind Part and Rump of an Afh-colour, finely painted with tranfverfe Lines ofDufky: The Tail is of a very dirty Brown j from the Shoulders proceed white Feathers on each Side, which fall between the Back and Wings : The Qmlls are Black for the firft ten ; the three next have their outer Webs Black, and their inner White; the fix following are White, except their Bot¬ toms ; the next four are White, with their outer Webs finely edged with Black almoft to their Tips ; the three innermoft next the Back are wholly Black ; the Coverts next above the Qmlls are firft Black over the black or greater Quills, the reft have black Bottoms and white Tips, and thefe cover the Quills of the fame Colour ; above thefe there is a Part of the lefiTer Coverts of the Wing White ; yet the whole Wing, when clofed, is encompafied with a Border of dufky or blackifti Feathers, except the very Ridge about the Joint, which is White ; the Covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are alfo White ; the Belly, Thighs, Sides, and Coverts under the Tail, are White, clouded a little with Cream Colour ; the Sides under the Wings are variegated with fine tranfverfe Lines of a Dufky Colour ; the Legs and Feet are much like thofe of Ducks ; the fmall Toe behind, and the inner Sides of the inner Toes on each Foot, have lateral Fins, or Webs; both Legs and Feet are of a Red-colour, pretty bright; the Claws are Black.
This Bird was brought from Newfoundland, where it Vv^as taken at Sea on the Fiftiing. Banks, as I am informed by my obliging Friend, George Holms, Efq; who prefentedme with this Bird well preferved. I believe that no Defcription hath been hitherto given of this Bird, nor any perfect Figure, except Roberts's, ^which exprefies the white Spots on the Sides of the Neck ; which Albin hath not either figured or defcribed in his. Mr. Willoughby, on opening the Stomach of the European Goofander,. found it to feed on Fifh.
{ 96 )
l~'he Black Whit E Dobchick, and the Eared Dobchick. ^’""1^ H E firft of thefe Birds, reprefented by the Front Figure in the Print, is about the Bignefs of a Teal : Its Bill, from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth, is an Inch and a Qmirter long ; the Wing, when clofed, is five Inches and a Qi^arten This I call the black white Dobchick : The other, reprefented fwimming, is lefs than the firfi:, yet it fomething exceeds the common dccid fmalleji Dobchick-, its Bill, from the Point to the Angle of the Mouth, meafures a little above an Inch; the Wing, when clofed, was four Inches three Quarters long : This I have called the eared Dobchick.
The black and white Dobchick hath the Bill ftraight and fliarp at the Point, of a Black Colour, except the Edges of the upper Mandible next the Head, and the Root or Bafis of the lower, w'bich are Red ; the Circle round the Eye is of a bright Red-colour ; there is a bare Skin pafies from the Side of the upper Bill to the Eye of a fine deep Red- colour, and above the Skin on each Side a white Spot ; the Top of the Head is Black, with a greenifli Glofs, but, not very bright: The upper Side of the Neck, Back, Rump, and Wings, are of a pretty deep Black, yet the Wings are edged with White, about the Ridge or Joint, and the Tips of the middle Quills are White, which form a white Bar acrofs the Wing ; the covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are White ; it hath no Appearance of a Tail ; the under Side of the Head and Neck is White, as is the whole Belly and Sides under the Wings, tho’ the lower Belly about the fetting on of the Legs is fpotted with Black ; the Legs are placed at the very Extremity of the Body, fo that it cannot ftand but in an ered: Poffure ; the Legs and Feet are of a pur- plifh Flefh-colour within, and a dirty Green without Side ; it hath four Toes fianding in the ufual Manner, all disjoined, yet have they lateral Fins on each Side of them all, ex¬ cept the little hind Toe, which has only a fingle Fin beneath it; it hath broad flat Claws like Imman Nails; the Legs are very flat one Way, and broad another, as the ffand- ing of the Figure is calculated to exprefs; the hind Part of the Leg is toothed like a Saw; the Toes are fo formed with their Webs to fhut up like a Fan, that they may be drawn with Eafe through the Water, and open again when the Bird ftrikes : The Graving in the Legs and Feet particularly exprefs the Scaling in all their Divifions.
The Dared Dobchick hath the Bill ftraight and fliarp-pointed, of a Black Colour, ex¬ cept the Tip of the lower Mandible, which is Whitifh ; thtirides of the Eyes are Red ; from behind the Eyes on each Side proceeds a Tuft of loofe long Feathers, of a reddifli Yellow-colour, which either lie on the Sides of the Neck, or with the Motion of the Bird flow backward, as expreflbd in the Figure: The Head and Neck are Black, yet in the Throat a few white Spots are intermixed ; the whole upper Side is of a blackifh Brown, except the Ridge of the Wing about the Joint and the Tips of the middle Quills, which are White, as in the above defcribed ; the inner Coverts are alfo White, as alfo the Breafl and Belly : Where the Dark on the upper Side, and the White on the low¬ er, join, there is intermixed and broken into each Colour, the whole Length of the Bird, a reddifh Yellow-colour ; it is tailles-, the Legs and Feet are formed like the above, but the dirty Green-colour prevails more in this.
Of the firfi; defcribed of thefe Birds I found feveral in the Markets of London^ in the hard Winter, 1739, having never feen or heard of it till then. The fecond was taken a- bout the large Ponds at Ha}?ip/iead, near London^ and fent alive to Sir Dans Shane ^ who, when it died, fent it to me, that a Draught of it might be preferved. I had both thefe Birds foon after they were dead, before the Colour of their Eyes or Feet were any thing changed. I cannot find any Defcriptions that agree with either of them. The
SI
{ 97 ^
^he Red-Throated Ducker or Loon.
^ I ^ HIS Bird is about the Size of a tame Ducky the Bill, from the Angle of the
jL Mouth to the Tip, is three Inches and a Quarter long, and cover’d as far as the' Noftrils with Ihort Feathers.
The Bill is ftraight, narrow, Iharp pointed, and of a Black-colour j the Head and Sides of the Neck are of a blueifh Afh-colourj the hind Part of the Neck is White, fpotted^ with black Marks drawn downward 3 the Throat, or fore Part of the Neck, is Red, of the Colour of dry’d Blood 5 the Back, upper Part of the Wings, and Tail, are of a dark Afh-colour; the Qinll Feathers of the Wings darker than the others, they being almoll Black; fome of the Middle Quills of the Wings are tipped with White 3 the Covert Feathers of the Wings have white Dalhes near their Tips on each Side their Shafts 3 the Covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are White : The Bread, Belly, Sides under the Wings, and Covert Feathers under the Tail, are White ; the Sides of • the Bread are didindly fpotted with Black drawn downward 3 and the Coverts beneath the Tail are fpotted with broader and more confufed Spots of Dulky 3 the Legs and Feet are of a Dulky or Blackifh Colour, yet the Toes are a little inclining to Fledi-co- lour 3 it hath three Toes danding forward, all webbed together as in Ducks^ with a Fin¬ er Web running along the Inlides of the two inner Toes 3 it hath alfo two very fmali hind Toes, with Fins on their lower Sides 3 the Claws are broad and flat, like human Nails 3 the Legs are placed almod at the Extremity of the Body, and are very flat.
This Bird was brought, preferved dry, from Greenland^ and prefented to my good Friend Mr. John Warner, Merchant, in Roiherhith, who finee gave it to me, in Order to figure and deferibe for this Hidory : It differs principally in the Head from onc^ of this Tribe found in England, deferibed by Willoughby in his Ornithology, p. 341, that having no Rednefs on the Throat. I had lately brought to me one of this Genus of Birds, newly taken in the River ‘Thames, and by bending the Toes forward I find, they will not decline above forty Degrees from the Line of the Leg, whereas to make the Leg perpendicular in Walking, it ought to decline ninety Degrees ; fo 1 take the Report of their walking upright to be a Midake 3 for if the Body be upright, and the Legs not fo, the Feet mud dand out before the Bird, and it mud fall backward, unlefs it reds on the Knees or Joints of the Legs behind, v.’hich is not natural, fo that I imagine it mud walk in a half-ered; Pofition, as I have drawn its Figure. This Bird^ hath never been deferibed to my Knowledge,
^he Great Black and White Duck
This Bird is one of the largeft of the Buck Kind ; the Bill is reprefented of its natural Bignefs in the lower Part of the Print. I take it to be the Eider or [oft-feather'd Buck of TVormius, and the St. Cuthbert Buck of the Earn Hands, both colledfed by Willoughby, and in* fertcd in his Ornithology, P.362.
The Male Bird, reprefented Handing, hath the Bill not fo much compreiTed as is common in Bucks, it is of a blackifh Colour, and indented on the Edges of both upper and lower Mandi¬ bles where they meet, except at the Point •, the Tip of the upper Mandible overhangs the lower a little ; the Bafis of the Bill enters the Forehead on each Side with two remarkable fharp An¬ gles, and the Feathers oh each Side of the Head extend themfelves in acute Angles into the Bill juft beneath the Noftrils, as the Figures more fully exprefs : There paffes from the Forehead to the hind Part of the Head two broad Bars of Black, in which Spaces the Eyes are placed ; there is a white Space on the Top of the Head, dividing the black Marks, almoft to the Bill ; the Remainder of the Head, all the Neck, Back, and lefler covert Feathers of the Wings, are White. On the. hind Part of the Neck, juft below the Ends of the black Marks, the Fea¬ thers are of a light Green-colour, foftened into the White, and appear more like an accidental Stain, than any natural Mark *, and I ftiould have taken it for fuch, had not different Subjedls confirmed it natural : All the Quills are Black or Dusky, except three or four of the innermoft next the Back, which are White; the firft Row of covert Feathers next above the Quills are al- fo Dufky ; the inner Coverts of the Wings are White; the Tail is of a dirty Black-colour; the Belly, Sides under the Wings, and covert Feathers both above and beneath the Tail, are of a deep Black-colour ; on the Breaft the Black and White do not break of fuddenly, but are intermixed a little into each other The Legs and Feet are of a very dirty Brown or Blackifh Colour, having four Toes Handing after the ufuaJ Manner, and webb’d^s in the common ; the two inner and the two hind Toes have lateral Fins or Webs, as is coranuon to this Genus ; the Claws are Black,
The Female, reprefented by the diftant Flying Bird in this Plate, in Shape, Size, Colour of the Bill, and Feet, agrees exaftly with the Male ; but the Plumage is quite different, it being all over of a Brown-colour, mixed with tranfverfe Lines of Black, except the Tail and greater Wing Feathers, which were of a Duflcy-colour. Thefe Birds hatch their Young on the Coaft of Nortvay in the Month of June ; this I difcovered by buying of a Fiftierman in Norway at the latter End of May, 1718, a Hen of this Kind, which I gave to a Perfon to prepare for roaft- ing, who brought me out of her an Egg fully formed, larger than a Buck Egg, and of a green¬ er Colour than is common in tame Buck's Eggs.
Thefe Birds were brought preferved dry from Greenland, and are depofited at Sir Hans Shane's at Chelfea, I believe they are found on all the Coafts and Hands of the Northern Seas. I find this Bird mentioned in the Fliftory of the Hands of Farro tranflated from the Banijh Lan¬ guage; which TraiSl being fcarce, I fliall tranfcribe therefrom what relates to this Bird, that its Fliftory may be more full. “ The Eider Cock is Brown as the Hen when he is young, but “ when he is old he groweth almoft White, and is called Eider-Blink: From this Fowl is ga- “ thered Eider Down, which the Eider plucks off from its Breaft, and layeth in its Neft about “ the Eggs, when it hatcheth them, and when they are come our, and are fled away with “ their Dam, this Down is taken up from the Neft, being then full of Mofs and Straw, of
“ which it is cleanfed, and dried. The Down which is plucked off at other Times from the
“ Eider is good for nothing, for it is fat, and rotteth.”
As I find much wanting in former Deferiptions of thefe Birds to make them perfeft, and no Figures to enlighten them, I hope this Labour will not be flighted by the Inquifitive and Cu¬ rious. I take it to be a Sea Buck, frequenting only Salt-Waters, The
( 99 )
’The Dusky and Spotted Due k,
HIS Bird is about the Bignefs of the common Mallard or Duck j it ha th a ^ fhorter Bill by a third Part, and not fo much comprelTed as in the common' Duck : The Bill meafures from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth one Inch and a Half } the Wing when clofed is feven Inches arid a half long-.
The Bill is of a Dark or Blackifh Colour, indented on the Edges of the upper and lower Part, 'where they meet j the Noftrils are pretty near together in the upper Part of the Bill j it is a little hooked at the Point of the upper Mandible : The Sides, of the Head between the Bill and Eyes are White, from which on each Side there extends a Line of White over the Eyes, which changes gradually into a Reddilh Orange-colour, and reaches to the hind Part of the Head ; the Eye-lids beneath the Eyes are White ; it hath alfo a white Spot on each Side of the Head, about the Place of the Ears ; there is alfo a white Line paffes from the hind Part of the Head on each Side down the Neck^ the Gro-wn of the Head is Black, the Feathers on the Forehead extending in a Peek into the Bill between the Noftriis j the Sides of the Head behind the Eyes are of a dark Blue, a little inchning to Purple j the whole Neck, both before and behind, between the wdiite Lines, is Black j between the Bottom' of the Neck and Bread; is a Collar or Circle of White, continued almofl round it, being broken off only a little juff behind ^ the Fea¬ thers bordering on this Collar,^ both above and beneath, are of a deep Black ; there are between this Collar and the Wings on each Side a longifh Plat of white Feathers bor¬ dered round with Black, tranfveriely placed ; the Back is next the Neck of a dark purplilh Blue, in the Middle of a dirty black Brown ; the Rump and Covert Feathers of the Tail are of a deep Black,: wdth a blue Glofs-: The greater Quills of the Wing, and the Tail Feathers are of a dirty black Brown-colour; the middle Quills have their outer Webs of a fine fliining Blue Purple ; the Coverts immediately above thefe middle Qmlls are. of the fame Colour, with white Tips ; the inner Quills next the Back, and the Feathers that fpring from the Shoulders and fall over them, are of a blueifii Afh-co- lour on the Borders of their Webs, and White in their Middles down by their Shafts; the leffer Coverts of the Wings are Afh-colour, with a white Spot in the middle of them on each Wing ; the Ridge of the Wings about the Joint is of a Reddifii Brown ; the Infides of the Wings are of a Dufky Brown-colour ; the Bi eaft below the Collar is of a blueilh Afh--colour ; the Belly and Thighs of a more dirty Colour, inclining to Black; the Feathers on the Sides are of a Red Brown or dull Orange-colour, which partly cover the Wings when they are clofed : There is on each Side of the Tail, where the upper and under covert Feathers meet, a fmall white Spot; the Legs, Feet and Claws are of a blueilh Black ; the Toes webbed and finned, as the Figure expreffes them.
This Bird was brought with others, preferved, from Newfoundland in America : It was lent me by Mr. Holms ^ of the Dower of London ;, he fays the NewfoundlandYdditx% call it the Lord^ for what Reafon I cannot tell ; but I fuppofe the Reafon of this Name may be from theLikenefs of a Chain it has about its.;Neck,c feeing, the wearing of pold Chains is an antient Mark of Dignity in Europe. I cannot difeover any Figure, or the leaft Hint of Defeription of this Bird ; fo I believe I may venture to pronounce it a non defeript.
rhe
( 100 )
7he little Black and White Duck.
This Bird feemed to me to be fomcthing lefs than the common T>uck ; I take it to be of the Size of a Widgeon \ the Bill is an Inch and half long from the Point to the Angle of the Mouth, and the Wing, when clofed, meafures a little over feven Inches.
I’he Bill is of a dirty Black-colour, made much' in the Form of other Duck'^ Bills,, but rather Ihorter in Proportion than fome of this Tribe : The Head is of a deep gloffy Black, except a large white Spot which begins behind tlie Eyes on each Side, and joins in the hind Part of the Head j the black Feathers next the Bill all round have a fine green Luftre j thofe on the Crown and Beginning of the Neck are more purplifh the Neck a little below the Head is White all round j the lower Part of the Neck be- hind and the Back are of a Black-colour, having no Glofsj the Rump and Feathers covering the Tail are of a dirty White j the middle Feathers of the Tail were remark¬ ably longer than the Side Feathers, which fhortened gradually to the outermoft on each Side, they were all of a dirty Brown or Blackifh Colour on the upper Sides, and fomething fainter beneath : The Outermoft of the Qmlls of the Wings are Black, the Middlemoft have deep white Tips, their Bottoms, which are hid- by the covert Feathers, being Dusky j three or four of the inner Quills next the Back are Black j the firft Row of covert Feathers are Black where they fall on the greater or black Quiilsj and White where they cover the white Quills j the leffer Coverts are White, yet with fome Mixture of Black round the Ridge, where it falls on the Breaft, and in the Skin, which connects the Joints of the Wings, together : There fprings horn each Shoulder a Plat of white Feathers which fall backward in Points between the Back and Wings; the Neck, whole under Side to the Tail, and covert Feathers within-hde of the Wings, are White ; the Legs and Feet are of a yellow Orange-co¬ lour, the Claws Black ; the Number of Toes, their Standing, and Manner of being, webb’d, are expreffed in the Figure.
This Bird was given me by Mr. Holms of the Tower, who has often obliged me in this Way ; He fays it was brought from Newfoundland in America, where the Sea¬ men call it a Spirit, but for what Caufe I know not. 1 conjedure it to be a very fudden Diver, and it may perhaps as fuddenly appear again in a diftant Part of the Sea, which Faculty agrees very well with the Notion the Vulgar, have of Spiidts. In feveral of the Birds, which I have received from my Friends and foreign Correfpon- dents, I have mentioned the Length of the Wings, when clofed, which I think muft, hold its Meafure pretty near both in the Living and dried Bird. One cannot witK Certainty give the Length and Breadth of dried and fluff’d^ Birds when the Bodies are taken out of their Skins, as we may of living or newly kill’d Birds. . It is very ufeful to- have the Meafures of fuch Parts as can be meafured. I have not feen any Figure, or lead any Defcription agreeing with tliis Bird,..
100
'k
i
;l
■ ;
’i
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>
1
lOl
( 101 )
"Ihi Summer Duck of Catesby.
This Bird is lels than the common Duck ; I take it to be about the Size of a fVigeon'. It meafures from Tip to Tip of the Wings extended, 30 Inches and a Half, from the Bill Point to the End of the Tail, nineteen Inches and a Half, to the Ends of the Toes only 18 and a Half; the Bill, from the Tip to the Angles in the upper Mandible that point into the Forehead, is two Inches long.
The upper Mandible of the Bill is Yellow where it joins to the Head, the Middle is Red, and toward the Tip it is whitilh ; it hath a long black Spot in its upper Part between the Noftrils, and its Edges and hooked Part are Black; the lower Part of the Bill is wholly Black; the Tongue and Infide of the Mouth is of a Flelh-colour ; the lris of the Eye is of a Hazel-colour, encompalfed with Eyelids of a fine Red-colour : It hath a double loofe Plume or Creft hanging backward ; the uppermoft is Green, of a fliining Luftre ; then fucceeds a white Line, beginning at the Bafis of the Bill, and palling above the Eye the whole length of the Plume: Beneath this is the fecond Creft, of a dark fhining Purple-colour ; a fecond white Line proceeds from behind the Eye, and parts the lower Creft from the hind Part of the Head : The Sides of the Head are of a Purple- colour, but fomething greenifh next the Bill ; the Throat is White, from which proceeds a white Line on each Side, and turns up behind the Eyes ; below thefe there paffcs backward on each Side a white Line; thefe almoft meet in the hind Part of the Neck under the Creft: The Neck and Breaft are of a dark brownilh Red, thick fpotted on the fore Part with triangular Spots of White ; at the Bottom of the Neck on each Side is a broad tranlverfe Bar of White, and immediately be¬ neath ^ and joining to them, is a tranfverfe Bar of Black ; the Back is of a dark Brown-colour, with changeable G Ioffes of Copper-colour and Green ; the Tail and its Covert are Duflcy, but the Edges of the Feathers Ihine with a fine green Glols: There are amongft the Coverts of the Tail a few long gloffy Copper-colour’d Feathers, which hang down on each Side : The greater Quills are firftofa Dufky Colour, with green Tips, the Edges of the outer Webs being White; the middle Quills are of a moft illuftrious Blue, with narrow white Tips ; a few of the Quills next the Back are wholly Blue; the firft and fecond Row of covert Feathers that cover the blue Quills are of the fame Colour, yet all thefe Feathers fometimes caft a Purple or greenifh Refledtion ; the lefier Coverts of the Wings are of a gloffy Brown like the Back. The Infides of the Quills are dark Afh-colour ; the inner covert Feathers of the Wings are White, with irregular tranverfe Lines of Black: The Feathers of the Sides, which fall over Part of the Wings, are beautifully painted with arched Lines of Black and White, tranfverfely drawn ; the Sides juft beneath thefe are of a yellowifh Brown-colour, with very fine tranfverfe Lines of Dufky, below which on each Side are a few round dufky Spots; The lower Part of the Breaft, and Middle of the Belly, all along to the Vent, is purely White ; the covert Feathers beneath the Tail are Black ; the Legs and Toes are of a brownifh Orange-colour ; the Webs Dusky ; the Claws Black : 1 could difcover no appendant Fin on the hind Toes.
This Bird wasfentmeby my honour’d Friend, Sir Robert Abdy^ Bart. It was fhot in a Pond at the Seat of Rdilliam Nicholas^ Efq; a Relation of Sir Robert's. It is a Native of North America^ and is fuppofed to have ftray’d from fome Gentleman’s Houfc to the Place where it was kill’d. Mr. Catesby hasdefcribed this Bird in his Hiftoty of Carolina, vol. i. p. 97. Therefore to compleat this Hiftory I fhall borrow the following Lines of my Friend : “ They breed m Virginia and Caro-- “ Una, and make their Nefts in Holes of tall Trees (made by Wood- Peckers) growing in Water^
“ particularly Cyprefs-Trtts. While they are young, and unable to fly, the old Ones carry them “ on their Backs from their Nefts into the Water; and at the Approach of Danger they fix with “ their Bills on the Backs of the old Ones, who fly away with them. The Female is all over “ Brown.” I liippofe, by the Name, it is a Bird of PaflTage, and retires Southvvard from Carolina, &c. at the Approach of Winter. I have had the Advantage of feeing feveral of thefe Birds brought from Carolina to London alive, as well as the above defcrilaed, which was newly kill’d ;
1 he Females of thofe I have feen are all over Brown, having fomething of a Creft, like the Male,
I did not figure this to make an Amendment to Mr. Catesbfs, but at the Requeft of the above mentioned Gentlemen, who favoured me with the Bird, and are Sabferibers to this Work.
O
( 102 )
ne Chinese Teal.
HIS furprizing uncommon Bird is about the Size of our ^eak or rather larger. If there be- any Difference ; Its Colours are as beautiful as the Form of its WingS is rare.
The Bill is like that of a common Teal^ of a dull Reddifh-colour j the Eyes are of a Hazel- colour 5 the Sides of the Head, from the Bafis of the Bill to the Ears, are White, in the Middle of which Spaces the Eyes are placed ; the Crown of the Head is of a fine Green-colour*, from above the Eyes backward there paffes on each Side a Bar of Purple Feathers *, below thefe Bars the Feathers are Green, on the hind Part of the Head *, all thefe Feathers on the Head are very longj^. which form a Creft, ot Topping, which it can raife a little, or let fall behind the Neck, as the Figure reprefents i The Feathers on die hind Part of the Neck, and a little Way down the fore Part, are narrow, and fharp pointed, like thofe on the Necks of Cocks, of a pleafant Red-colour,, inclining very little to a Yellow Caft 5 the Bread; is of a Red-Wine Colour, or a little more inclin¬ ing to Purple ; at the Bottom of the Neck, on each Side of the Breaft, is a Spot of black and white Bars alternately fucceeding each other, tranfverfly placed : The Back and covert Feathers of the Wings are of a dark Brown, or Dufky-colour, with a changeable Luftre of Blue and Green : the long or outer Quills of the Wings are of a Black or Dark Colour, their outer Webs near their Bottoms being edged with White : The middle Quills are of a very fine changeable blue Green-colour, tipp’d with White: Three oi* four of the Quills next the Body are brownifh,, with their outer Webs edg’d with White, as are fome of the Feathers that fall between the BacL and Wings. What gives this Bird its extraordina-ry Figure is two Feathers, one amongft the Quills of each Wing, which, when the Wings are clofed, rife above the Back in the Manner the. Figure reprelents them *, thefe Feathers are of a dull Orange, or bright Bay.7cplour, on their upper or broader Webs, edged toward their Points with Black; the narrow or. lower Webs are. of a fine Blue, except their Points, which are Bay, like the upper the Shafts of thefe Feathers are White , »“See the Feather drawn feparate from the Bird in the Print. The Tail is Brown, with a Glofs> ©f Blue ; the Belly and Coverts beneath. the Tail are White ; the Side Feathers, .which fall partly over the Wings, are of a light Cinerious Brown, with tranfverfe arched Lines of White and Black alternately placed ; the Legs and Toes are of an Orange-colour ; ^ the Webs between the- Toes Dufl<y the Claws Black,
I drew this Bird at Richmond in Surry, from the living Bird kept in the Gardens of Sir Matthew Decker, Bart. I find in Kempfer’s Hijiory of Japan an Account of a Bird, which I think? Gan be no other but the above deferibed ; it is as follows: “ Of Ducks alfo there are feveral dif- ferent Kinds;, one Kind, particularly, I cannot forbear mentioning, becaufe of. the furprifing. Beauty of its Male, call’d Kinmodjui, which is fo great, that being fhew’d its Pidure ioi Colours, 1 could hardly believe my own Eyes till I faw the Bird itfelf, it being a very common one ; ks Feathers are wonderfully diverfified with the fineft Colours imaginable ; about the- Neck and Breaft chiefly they are Red ; the Head is . crowned with a moft magnificent Top- ping: The Tail rifing obliquely, and the Wings ftanding up over the Back in a very Angular Manner, afford to the Eye a Sight as curious as uncommon.’* — See this Qiiotation /r., 1 29.. of the above Hiftory,, and in Hab. x. a fmalJ Figure agreeing with my Drawing, I have obferved this -Bird with its Female feveral Times figur’d together in . colour’d Chinefe Pkfures, of the more- curious Sort, in which the Males are colour’d near like what I have deferibed the above, but the Females are always reprefented all Brown. The white Flower with which I have decorated the- ground. Work is after Nature, and is found growing in all. Waters round about London m the- MontliS of May June^.
Tm.
1
W':--
J
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j
{ 103 ■ )
The Qjj I c k-H atch, or Wolverene,
This Beaft feems to be near double the Bjgnefs of a common Fox : To the beft of my Memory it was of the Size of fome Wohes I have feen brought from Germany ; in walking, its Back rifes arch-ways ; it carries its Head pretty low | it reds the whole Length of its Feet quite to the Heels or firft Joints of the Legs on the Ground, when it walks, fo that the Belly is not far from the Ground : As to its Look it has fomething in it Between the Fox and Bear\ the Top of the Head and Snout is very broad, when viewed front-ways, and the Feet pretty broadj approach¬ ing in Proportion near to thofe of a Bear the Tail is of a middling Length, and fomething bulhy toward its Tip.
All the Snout, upper and under Jaw, as far as the Eyes, is of a Black-colour | the-' Forehead above becomes gradually of a whitifh Colour ; the Eyes are of a dark Colour ; . the Throat and lower Side of the Neck is White, firfi; fpotted with Black, having fome tranfverfe Bars of Black on the under Side of the Neck j the Ears are fmall and-^ round, appearing but little longer than the> Hair that grows on the Head, they are covered with fhort brown Hair j the hind Part of the Head and Neck,.-the whole Body both above and beneath, the Legs, and the Tail, are all of a Brown or Chefnut; Colour, clouded lighter and darker j the upper Side of the Neck and Beginning.’ of the Back is Dusky, or very dark Brown,- which gradually changes to a lighter, or; more pleafant Brown, in the Middle of the Back ; this Colour again grows by De¬ grees darker, till it becomes almof: Black in the hind Part of the Back^ The Tail to=- ■ ward the Tip becomes of a Dusky-colour ; it hath a broad Bar of very light afh-co- lour’ d Brown paffing round the Body, beginning on each Shoulder, proceeding on the Sides backward, and meeting on the Rump, juft above the Tail, where it is broadeft ; the Fur of the whole Body is pretty long, and feems not to lie fo flat to the Skin as in fome Animals 5 all the Feet, as far as the Heel, or firft Joint, are covered with fhort black Hair, which gradually becomes Brown above the Knees ; the- Clav/s are of a light Horn Colour ^ it hath on each Foot forward four Toes 3 , the- hind Feet have five Toes each.
This Animal was brought from Hudfin' s-Bay\ the moft Northern inhabited' Part of America : It lived feveral Years at Sir Hans Sloane's Houfe in Loridon^ and feemed to' be a harmlefs, gentle Creature; it would follow like a Hog in its Progrelfion it'' formed a circular Flourifli, turning quite round every few Paces it made:. I believe” this Motion was not natural, but owing to its having loft an Eye, for it turn’d off always on the Side where the Eye was wanting-. My Friend,. Mr. Lights fays, he has kill’d many of them in Hudfon' s-Bay (where they are taken for their Furs) and that they are a fierce Creature in- making Defence, when v/ounded with a Gun, or’ taken in Traps; that they will tear the Stock from the Muflcet-barrel with their' Teeth, when the Hunter goes to difpatch them after they are wounded ; .and that . they often do more Damage to Traps and Gins by biting and renting, than, the. Value of their Furs amount to: I believe there hath been no Account or Figure yet given of this . Beaft..
( X04 1
’Thi Monax, or Marmotte, of America.
HIS Animal is of the Size of a Rabbit it burieth itfelf under Ground, or 1 creepeth into hollow Roots of Trees, and fleepeth all Winter j it hath pretty much the Shape and general Look of a large Rat, the Feet feem to be formed, either for climbing Trees, or fcratching Burroughs for its Security : It is a Species of the Marmotte, but differs fomething in Colour, but principally in that the Tail is much longer in Proportion.
The Snout, both upper and lower Chops, are of a light blueifh Afli-colour j the Teeth are like thofe of a Rabbit \ the Eyes are of a dark Colour, rifmg a little out of the Head ; it hath pretty long Smellers about the Nofe : It hath befide thefe a Plat of long hiif Hares on each Side of the Head beyond the Corners of the Mouth ; the Head and Body are all over of a Brown-colour, a little of a greenifli Caft, fuch as we fee in fome of our Water ; The Grey on the Snout, and the Brown behind it, foften into each other ail round the Head ; the Ears are fmall and round, not ftanding out fo much in Proportion as they do in common Rats ; the Brown-colour is darkefl on the Back, fomething lighter on the Sides, and lighted: of all in the Belly j the Feet, -Toes, and Claws, are Black as far as the Heel, or firft Joint of the Leg j the Toes are pretty long, and divided to their Bottoms, as in Squirrels ; the Claws aifo are pretty long and fharp ; the Tail is more than half the Length of the Body : It is covered with blackifh Brown Hair, of a middling Length, which makes the Tail ap¬ pear in a fmall Degree bufhy.
This Bead: was brought from Maryland in North-America, and prefented to Sir Ham Sloane, who kept it many Years: By being fed with foft Meats, and Difufe to knaw, its Teeth grew fo long and crooked, that it could not take in its Food, fo to pre- ferve its Life, they were obliged to break them out. This Drawing was taken, as it lay by the Fire repodng itfelf : There hath been no Account given of this Animal that I know of: They who would compare its Defcription with that of the Marmotte, may confult Mem. de V Academie Royal des Sciences, depiiis 1666, jufqula 1699, 'Tom. III. troijieme Partie, Pa. 31, where they will find a Figure and Defcription of it. I find alfb a brief Account of the Mannotte, in a fmall Trad: publifhed Anno 1744, called an Account of the Glacieres, or Ice Alps in Savoy, which, true or falfe, I fhall tranfcribe for the Amufement of the Reader. ‘‘ This is the Account the Inhabitants “ give us of this Animal, they deep dx Months of the Year, that is, all the Winter, " and in the Summer they provide a warm Couch againd their Time of deeping ; “ for this End they cut Herbs with thdr Teeth, and in order to carry them to their “ Holes, one of them lays on its Back, and the others load it like a Cart, and then “ drag it by the Ears to the Hole. They pretend alfo, that they provide againd: be- ing furprized, by placing Centinels, who give them the Alarm by a whidling Noife; “ they eat thefe Mamnottes, and find them very good, and ufe their Fat to burn in “ Lamps.” I fufped nothing in this Account, ^but the making a Cart of one Animal, and its being drawn by the others ; but it is no very grofs Fidion if it be fuch, confi- dering it is from ignorant Alpian Peafants, who perhaps take it from Tradition.
Dr. Mitchel, a Phyfician of Virginia, now in London, has informed me this Animal has much the Adions of a Squirrel, diud, when wild, has a more bufhy Tail than this Figure reprefents. The
, ■
‘ j
( 105 )
’The Bill of the Egyptian Ibis, and the leaf Humming Bird.
H E upper Figure reprefents the Bill of the Ibis of its natural Bignefs, as It was taken out of an em- balmed Subjedl (brought from ^gypt) in the Prefence of his Grace the Duke of Richmond. The Bill is in Depth and Width near the fame, being quite round all its Length : Its Appearance in its dry State was fomething rough ; the Bone or folid Part was of a Reddilh Brown-colour, like other decay’d Bones ot Animals : It was for the greateft Part cover’d with a duiky Skin, which was peeled off at both Ends j it was a little jagged where it joined to the Head, neverthelefs the extream Parts toward the Head fhew it of its full Length. The Point of the Bill was perfedl both above and beneath. By preferving this Fragment the Curious, may perhaps hereafter difcover the Bird that was fo famous among the antient Mgyptians. The Academy Royal of Paris have given the Defcription of a white Ibis^ whofe Bill feems to agree well enough with this, except that it is as it were cut off at the End, which they take to be natural, though I am of Opinion that itmuft be accidental; They defcribe the Bill thus, “ The Beginning of it was of a clear Yellow, “ which growing infenhbly ftronger, became of a Gold-colour, very deep at the Extremity ; the Surface “ of the Beak was fmooth, and polifhed like Ivory or Horn ; when fhut it feemed perfedfly round externally, “ and inwardly a Canal was formed of the fame Shape ; the two Parts thus joined, left a little Opening at “ the End to let out the Sea Water, which they fay it wafhes itfelf with ; the Sides of the Beak were “ Iharp and hard, like all the reft of it, of a Firmnefs capable to cut Serpents in two, as it is reported it ** does.” They fay this Bird was brought from Mgypt, and lived feveral Months at Verfailles. — See its whole Defcription in Memoirs de V Academic Royale des Sciences^ depuis 1666, jufqu’a 1699, Tome 3. troifieme Partie, p. 58. T>r. Sha^v, in his Travels or Obfervations on &c. fays, p. 428. the
that was once known to every Family [in Mgypt,] is now become exceeding rare ; though the Want of it is fufficiently fupply’d by the Stork. In the Appendix to the fame Work, the Dodlor has given Part of the lower Beak in a Figure taken from an embalmed Subjedl, but through fome Miftake it is called the upper', 1 fuppofe it an Error of the Prefs : Some of the Bones of the Ibis are figured alfo in the faid Appendix, p. 65. Thofe who would compare the Black Ibis of Bellonius with the White, may fee him tranflated by our Countryman, Mr. Willoughby, in his Ornithology, p. 288. In Pifo's Hiftory of Brazil there feem to be deferib’d two Species of the Ibis, the firft p. 191. call’d Curicaca, the other p. 200. call’d Jabiru.
ij- ijf iji •[i 35^ ^ i'i ^4 1*4 ijj ■J4 iJ4 ■••4 fjj fJ4 ij; iJ4 iJ4 ^ i*4 *^4 **4 ^ ^ ijfi ^4 iJ4 yj4 fJ4 yj4 ^4 9^ yji !J4 ^4 ••4 ••4 ^4 i"!* 9*4 i*4 ^4 ^4
H E leaft Humming Bird is here figured of its natural Bignefs and Shape. The Bill, and whole upper Side ot the Head, Neck, Body, Wings, and Tail, are of a dirty Brown-colour, yet in the Sun-fhine there is a fraall Glofs of a golden Green-colour, which ftrikes not the Eye in common Lights ; the under Side of the Head, Neck, and the Belly, are of a dirty White ; the outfide Feathers of the Tail are alfo White; the Legs and Feet are Black. All this Tribe of Birds have a very fine Tube or Pipe, which they can extend out of their Mouths beyond the Point of the Bill ; thefe Tubes feem to part in two very fmall ones, at their Extremities; with this Pipe they fuck the Juices out of Flowers: The Egg of this Bird, as I fuppofe, is figured with it of its natural Size ; it is of a White-colour. The Bird, when dry’d, weighed no more than five Grains. I take it to be the fame with the fmalleft Humming Bird of Sir Hans Sloane’s Hiftory of Ja^ maica, vol. 2d, p. 307. where he fays that it weighed not over twenty Grains when juft killed. Mr. Ben¬ jamin Cowel obliged me with this Bird, and Mr. P . Colinfon with the Egg ; they were brought from Ja¬ maica.
0QQ0C3QQOQ9O0 QQSQQQ 3OQQOQ9O0 9OQQOQ3(^0 QQO QQQ
np H E Beetles here figured, are of their natural Bignefs ; I fuppofe the uppermoft to be the Male, and the lower the Female ; Their Shape differs in nothing except the Sharpnefs and Length of, the Horns in the Male, they being blunter and fhorter in the Female: The Male is all over of a dark Brown or Copper- colour, with a Gold-like ftiining Glofs; his Eyes are Red. The Female is Black and Glofley, her Eyes are alfo Red.
My obliging Friend, Dr. Matthezv Lee, Fellow of the College of Phyficians, furnifhed me with thefe Beetles ; they were brought from the Eaji Indies. Mr. Petever feems to have two Figures of the Male in his Works, one of which he fays came from Borneo.
There U on one Side of this Plate a Scale of Six Inches of the Evglijh Foot. As there is a French Tranflation of this Work defign’d, it may be ufeful, in Foreign Parts, to know the juft Quantity of Meafure I have made Ufe of throughout this Work ; but it is to be noted that, for Want of Exadtnefs, the fix Inches, in the Whole, over-meafure fix of our Standard Inches about the fixteenth Part of an Inch, which is not very material. The different flrrinking of thick and thin Papers will alfo make fome very fmall Diffeience,
P
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; ■;
ffki'i'
A N
A P P E N D I X
TO THE
Foregoing WORK,
By W A T of
ILLV STRATION.
SINCE I begEii this Work,, !• have from Time to Time gathered fome few Hints, which were at different Times committed to Paper as they came into my Mind.: I have digefted thefe Thoughts in the bed: Manner I could,, with; aXtefign, in fome Meafure,. to- improve General Knowledge on the Subject herein Seated, I have made thefe Pages fucceed the D'efcriptions,.. or Subjed^ Matter, of the Book, , it. not being material whether they be read fird: or laft.
MAN, when. he beginnedi to exercife his rational Faculties, , ought to fet before his intelledimd Mind the Ideas of Truth andiFalfehood, and endeavour to hnd out, in . tlie moil drid: and abfolute Senle,, what they are 5. and, when he hath found them, he. ought to govern all his Adions by the former, and avoid the. latter : But it is ex¬ ceeding hard to difoover what Truth is in a World of Falfehood and Controverfy,. where all of us fuck in Error with our Milk. . Is not great Part of the World taught to believe, that tlieir Senfes are Lyars, and that Things which appeal'.! to be one Thing, to the drided Scrutiny of our Senfes, are really and abfolutsly quite other- wife ? Many we know fuffer themfelves to be led into fuch. ineonfident Beliefs as thefo ; but it is a fixed and firm Article of my private Faith,, that God hath givens us our Senfes as a Touchd;one of Truth, and that whatevei- Writing, Tradition, or bold Affertioni advances any Opinions, that diredly and flatly contradid. the Senfes, which God hatJi given us to judge by,, are abfolute. Ealfehoods,. and ought to be rt- jeded of all Mankind,.
If
( ro8 )
If we can difcover what Truth and Falfehood are really, we then have Grounds to refled upon, and may form our Refledions into Reafonings j but what right Rea- fon is, we fliall find more difficult to difcover, than what is fimple Truth and Falfe¬ hood ; For our Conceptions of Matter, being only what enter by the dark Doors of our Senfes, are, when entered, to one Man one Thing, and to another quite a different Thing, which maketh human Reafon fo fallacious and various j for our Reafon proceeding from Senfe, and Senfe being different, or receiving different Ideas from the fame Objed by different Men, it follows of Neceffity, that there is no fuch Thing abfolutely as a general human Reafon, which is right and the fame, the Stan¬ dard of which to be conveyed by Writing, or Tradition, from one Age to another ; but that every Man hath his own particular Reafon, which is different in Men, ac¬ cording as God hath given them Strength, or Weaknefs in their Underfianding, to judge of fuch Things as enter by the Senfes. It fecmeth to me, that in various Men the Senfes differ infinitely ; for that Colour, which is a Favourite in the Eyes of one, is indifferent, or difagreeable, to another, which perhaps may proceed from different Tindures in the Chryflralline Humour ; and fome Sounds are indifferent, or perhaps difpleafing to fome, tho’ they fill others with the highefl Rapture. Men vary in the fame Manner in the Senfes of Touching, Tailing, and Smelling : Human Reafon alfo receives other Impreffions (which generally cleave too fafl to it) fuch as proceed from the different Educations, Religions, and Cuftoms of different Times and Places. For all, who have feen but a little of the World, know how very different the general Reafonings of one Country are from thofe of another ; and he who has been flightly converfant in Hiflory but a few Ages backward, will find, that the Opinions and Reafonings of the fame Place and People, in an Age or two, are quite transformed and changed ; fo that I cannot fee that we have, in our imperfed State, any fuch Thing as right Reafon founded on Demonflration, except in fome few Mathematical Cafes, which muft conftrain the Affent of all Men. Therefore, feeing we can certainly conclude on hardly any Thing without Controverfy, we mufi fleer the befl Courfe we can, fetting before our Eyes Truth as the Port we endeavour to gain, which otlght always to be our Diredor in Opinions and Adions, in Rela¬ tion to God and Man, as well as in our general Pradices and Speculations in the World.
He that would write any Thing in General on Nature, or on any particular na¬ tural Subjed, ought, fo far as his Faculties will permit him, to penetrate into its Sources, and trace it backward, if polfible, to find out the firfl: Caufe and Mover of all Things. If we confider ourfelves, and the Animal Beings that inhabit the Face of this Globe, we mufl; wonder, at firfl, how they came to be; but, when we think of the infcrutable Springs of Life and Motion, we muft be afloniflied to the highefl: Degree, not knowing from whence thefe Things fpring : And we can folve thele in¬ conceivable Things no other Way, than by fuppoling there muft exifl: fome great, invifible, inconceivable, all-wife, and all-powerful Creator; Since the vifible Crea¬ tion is fuflained always, producing, the fame Forms of natural Things, which fucceed from one Generation to another, through the Courfe of Time; which could not be, if fenfelefs Chaos prevailed, as fome have taught ; for were the immenfe Mafs of Mat¬ ter without a living, all-powerful Being to animate it, it mufl; refl without Motion,
3 . or
( 109 )
or at bell; ad by a lifelefs Ferment, that would always generate new and mondrous Forms. Now, fince from natural Light we have difcovered a God of infinite Power and Wifdom, whofe Attributes are all immenfurable and infinite, we cannot fuppofe his Kingdom, Space, or Matter, lefs than immenfe and eternal : By Eternity, I mean. Time, not as meafured by the Courfe of a Planet in any Syftem, but a conftant, con¬ tinued Succefiion of Duration, that lhall know no End ; by Immenfity, I mean, the greatefi; given Qimntity of Matter, or Space, infinitely multiplied, which infinite Mul¬ tiplication will always fall infinitely Ihort of the immenfe Q^ntlty of Matter ; for if we cad our Thoughts beyond this lower Syftem, and dive into the endlefs Depths of •Space, we are utterly loft j becaufe the Height, Depth, and Extenlion cn all Sides, flies away infinitely fafter, and more diftant, than the fwifteft and moft extended Thought can follow. As the greateft Part of Matter is to be multiplied with¬ out End, fo is the leaft Part of Matter to be divided infinitely, notwithftanding the falfe Dodlrine of Atoms, leaft or indivifible Parts of Matter, and the feeming Con- tradidtion of infinite Numbers contained in finite Space; for God, by his Power, can as eafily pierce infinitely into a fmall Thing) as extend his Dominion through the wide, immenfe Region.
On this Principle of infinite Number contained in finite Space, I fuppofe, that God, by one Adt of his Will and Power, created the firft living and individual Prin¬ ciple of every fingle, generating, created Being, that hath made, or ftiall hereafter make its Appearance in the World ; Thefe living and individual Principles, being inclofed one within another infinitely, were placed in the firft vifible Individuals of each Species ; and it is the Work of Time and Generation gradually to bring to Light the inclofed and hidden Principles, which, as their Progenitors decay and fall off, extend themfelves to their natural, deftinated Si^es, in order to keep up a con- ftant Succefiion of each Species. The precife Exadlnefs of Size, Colour, Shape, and other Conditions of Animals and Plants, which they have retained in all Ages, wherein Hiftory hath given us any Account of them, hath induced me to believe, that all the Individuals of each Species were produced at the fame Time, by one Act of the Will and Power of God. The Animalcida difcovered in the Male feminal Parts of all living Creatures by the laborious M. Van Leuwenhoeck^ in his microfeo- pical Obfervations, and fince his Time confirmed by many others, is, I think, % ftrong Argument for the above Opinion.
To proceed, and come a little nearer to my Purpofe :
If a Man may be allowed truly to declare what Spirit he is poftefied with, as fome of our modern Enthufiafts have falfly, yet boldly, done ; I muft confefs, that a Zeal for exprefiing natural Things, with the utmoft Truth and Precifenefs, hath always infpired me, even to fuch a Degree, that I have fornetimes been afraid it would rife to fomething like what appears in Bigots, who pretend to Tnfpiration ; but as I never was a Favourer of fuch enthufiaftick, or defigning Men, fo I was alv/ayJs on my Guard, leaft my natural Reafoning fiiould be corrupted by Flights, of which I could give no fatisfedtory Account to the common Senfe and Underftariding of Mankind : But it is Time now to fpeak more direecly to the Purpofe of this Book*
1 muft confefs, that fome Part of the Subiedf Matter b.uth already been treated of by- others, yet I truft, that the curious anti inqiiifiiive Naluralifts (when they compare
* former
( I lO )
former Hlflorles on the fame Subjefts with what I have here prefented to the Publick) will think I had good Reafon for making fome Amendments : The far greatefl Part of thefe Figures are from Subjeds entirely new, their Deferiptions therefore muff confequently be new, as are the Deferiptions of thofe treated of before by others ; yet that there might be nothing wanting to perfed this Work, I have fometimes, where I thought it neceflary, joined to my own Deferiptions the Obfervations of Authors, as well Foreigners as my own Countrymen. I have not done this, to the beft of my Knowledge, without partieularly mentioning the Author’s Name, or the Book from whenee it was borrowed ; and where I have quoted but a fingle Line, I have dif- tinguiflaed it by the ufual Marks. I have been as perfed in this Work as the Nature of the Thing will admit of, in order to fit it to be added to a new general Orni¬ thology (which, 1 think, is wanting) in Cafe any one, fit for the Talk, flaould un¬ dertake it. It may not be here improper to give my Thoughts on that Subjedj the Study of which has lain dormant for many Years : I know no Knglifld Author who has wrote any Thing confiderable fince Mr. Kay revifed Willoughby's manufeript HiL tory of Birds, which was publifhed Anno 1678; till of later. Years, Mr. Ray hath added fome few, which fee in his Sy7iopfts Method. Avium, See. where he has men¬ tioned the Authors from whom he colleded them. The Memoirs of the Academy Royal of Paris, on fuch Occafion, ought alfo to be confulted, where fomething new may be colleded. Mr. Cateshy, in his Hiftory of Carolina, &c. hath figured and de- feribed upwards of a hundred rare Birds, the greateft Part of which would come into a new Hiftory, they being mofily non-deferipts. Albin hath publifired a great many, I think upwards of 300 Figures ; but they being chiefly colleded from Willoughby, a Compiler muft look cautioufly on him ; what new Birds he has worthy of any No¬ tice are from Mr. Dandridge's Collodion, the Originals of which I have feen, and could wifh Albin's Copies after them had been better ; for what is well done after Nature itfelf will be always valuable. Albin has given fome Draughts of Birds, which, he' fays, were from Sir Phomas Lovother's Collodion, but I am very doubtful as to them, they being taken from Drawings done by fome very mean Performer, which Alhm has not thought proper to confefs. By Accident I happened to meet with fome of thefe Drawings, which has confirmed me in the Truth of what 1 fay. The Natural Hiftories we have had in E77gland, till of late Years, are moftly Tranfla- tiens from other Languages, which has rendered the Underftanding of them fome- what difficult j for I believe it altogether impradicable to make a Tranflation run fo fmooth and intelligible as the Original from which one tranflates, without loofing a good Deal of the true Senfe and Meaning of its Author : This we daily difeover in Tranflators, who are forced, in fome particular Parts, to give the Words of the firfl; Author in the Margin, becaufe they cannot be intelligibly rendered in the Language of the Tranflator j fo that being in its original Language is always an Advantage to a Book, becaufe Tranflations mud neceflarily, at leafi: in fome fmall Degree, give the Readers of them different Ideas from the Originals : This Book hath the Advan¬ tage to be Original in its Figures, as well as its Deferiptions ; not one of the former being copied from others, or the latter either tranflated or tranferibed*
Wg
{ III )
We are much deceived by People who drew Foreign Birds and Beads ; for they, to make them feem more rare, often pretend them to be Natives of Places very didant and unknown, by which, not only the ignorant, but fometimes the more knowing, are deceived j and, to drike us with Surprize, they pretend that to be a fierce, favage and untameabie Creature, which in its real Nature is very gentle and harmlefs. From fuch Impofitions proceeds the vulgar Opinion, that the Forciipine is a fierce Bead, and that it can kill by diooting its Quills, tho’ indeed he is a Bead of the more gen¬ tle and harmlefs Kind. I believe there are few obferving People, that are any Ways curious, but mud have detected fome of their Cheats. Many African Birds have got the Name of Americans amongd us, becaufe they generally come to us from the We fl -Indies \ they being fird brought thither from Africa in Ships, who trade in Negroe Slaves, and prefented by Captains to Governors and Planters in America^ from whom they are often fent into England as Prefents to the Nobility, and our London Merchants, without mentioning their being Natives of Africa^ by which Midake many Birds are alTerted to be Natives of Countries where they were not bred. Therefore, fince it is not always pofiible to gain fuch full and perfect Ac¬ counts as one could wifh, I think no Man diould be difcouraged from publidiing Accounts of natural Things, becaufe he cannot give fo full an Account of them as he defireth ; for it is enough in a faithful Author, if he can give but a tolerable Ac¬ count of Things which we have not heard of before, or a clearer Hidory of Things we have yet known but obfcurely, which may give a later Searcl]ier Opportunity to dif- cover Things more perfectly ; for it is altogether impofiible in many Cafes, at fird, to come to the Knowledge of Things in all their particular Circumdances. It is the Work of fome only to hint to us what there is in Nature,,, barely by Names; and of others, to fearch a little farther, and give fome tolerable Account of them, which may enable others, who come after, to attain a more perfedl Knowledge of Things, who perhaps would never have bufied themfelves about them, had they not received their fird Hints from Authors far more dark than themfelves. In natural Produc¬ tions we often meet with rare Things brought from didant Parts of the World, Vv^hich have lain in Obfcurity, unreguarded by any knowing Perfon, till it is forgotten from whence they w^ere produced : When fuch Things are difcovered, I think it better to preferve Figures and Defcriptions of them, than to let them fink in Oblivion, to which they were hadening ; becaufe, when we certainly know that thefe Things fubfid fomewhat in Nature, the Curiofity of fome will be incited to enquire after them, in order to make more full Difcoveries. Sir Francis Bacon has left us fome- thing in his Advancement of Learning, pointing out the Means of improving Science, (which is, I think, fuitable to our prefent Argument) in the following Lines : “ Thofe Things are to be held pofiible, which may be done by fome Perfon, tho’ “ not by every one ; and which may be done by many, though not by any one ; and “ which may be done in SuccelTion of Ages, though not within the Hour-Glafs of “ one Man’s Life ; and which may be done by publick Defignation, though not by
private Endeavour.”
The Gravings of thefe Figures lie under fome Difadvantage, becaufe, till of late Years, I had no Knowledge in Etching, or Ingraving : My Strokes in Shadowing being not fo clofeiy nor evenly layed, as they are in Works performed by Maders in the
Art
{ II2 )
Art of Ingraving j yet, by doing them myfelf, I have retained in the Prints fomePer- fedions, which would have been wanting, had I given my original Draughts to Ingra¬ vers to copy, for they often, through Want of a juft Underftanding of the Meaning of thofe who give them the firft Draughts, go a little from the Author’s Deligns, and will take fome little Bends and Turns of Strokes for the Lapfe of a Pencil, which they will, as they fuppofe, corred, which fometimes robs a Figure of what the Au¬ thor defigned as its chiefeft, diftinguifhing Mark ; fo that it is, in fome Sort, better, that the original Defigner works fuch Drawings on Copper himfelf ; becaufe a Man cannot fo eaftly go from his own Meaning in copying, as a fecond Perfon may mif- take him : Befidcs the Diftindions in the extreme Parts of Birds, fuch as the Bills, and Feet, and other Parts, in fome particular Species, depend on fuch little Niceties, that it is hard for one, not vcifed in the Nature of thefe ^Things, to keep up to a due Obfervation and Diftindion of them, in copying from Drawings, which ought to be extremely exad, becaufe it is altogether impoflible for a Defcription to give fo juft an Idea of Figures, as Lines which precifely exprefs the Things you treat of. I have been particularly careful in the extreme Parts of the Figures, to compare and ad- juft the Draughts on the Copper with the original Drawings from which they were taken, and many of the Plates were diredly worked from Nature itfelf, which is an Advantage that few Works of this Kind have had. I have been fcrupuloufly care¬ ful to keep the Forms of the Bills, nothing fo much diftinguiftiing the particular Kinds as this ; for bending an arched Bill a very little too fuddenly, or carrying it but little more on a Straight, gives the Bill quite a different Charader, In fome rare Birds, which I was forced to reduce by Reafon of their Bignefs, I have at the Bottoms of the Plates figured the Bills of their natural Size, the better to exprefs fome Singula¬ rities I obferved in them.
I have not always copied fervilely after the Draughts which I defigned from Na¬ ture, becaufe fome of thefe were drawn from dead Subjeds, in which I could not confider the various Adions and Geftures of them when living ; yet, after having made Drawings, wherein I had taken juftly their Parts and Colourings, I had frequent Opportunity of feeing thefe fame Birds, or Birds of the like Genus, from which I iketched Out-lines, as I had Opportunity in my Vifits to curious Gentlemen in the Neighbourhood of Lojidon. Many of thefe Out-lines I have made ufe of, in order to amend my firft Drawings, becaufe fome of them were only from dead Birds : Thefe later Sketches have helped me much to put Birds into their natural Attitudes, by which Means this Work is more perfed than it could otherwife have been. I cannot fay all of them have received the fame Advantage, there being many rare and tender Birds, which will not bear Sea- Voyages, brought various Ways, preferved, to fatisfy the Curiofity of thefe Times.
When I have met with any of thefe, I have carefully examined the Notes which diftinguifh the different Tribes of Birds, and have put them in Adions common to fuch Birds as they feem neareft to agree with in their Natures, from my Obfervation in Living Birds. 'Dne is fomewhat conftrained in Natural Hiftory, having only one Figure of each<^Species, to keep to fuch Attitudes in Figures as will fhew all their principal Parts^and Colours treated of ; otherwife the Figures and Defcriptions together would notibe-^fo agreeable to fome Readers. Therefore many fuch Adions, Turns,
( “3 )
and Fore-Shoftenlngs, which make up the agreeable Variety of mafterly Compof tion.', muft be avoided, lead they hide what is mod confpicuous in the natural Defcriptions.
On impartially examining the Drawings of the Figures in this fecond Part, and comparing them with other Works of this Kind, I cannot charge myfelf with falling fhort of any Thing publilhed of late Years on Birds : But, lead a natural Fondnels of one’s own Offspring fhould prompt me to go beyond what others may think Truth, I would have every one endeavour, either to difprove or confirm the Truth of what I fay, fo often as he has Opportunity to compare thefe Figures with Nature itfelf. I fpeak here in Relation to Figures only; for, as to Elegancy of Stile in Writing, I muft give Place to many. In colouring after Nature one fhould be careful that the Lights be not made too light, efpecially where Subjedls are of dark Colours, becaufe it may deceive thofe who we defign to inform, by making them believe thofc Subjeds are lighter colour’d than they really are in Nature, every indifferent Judge not considering, that an Artift cannot ^xprefs the Fullnefs of Light and Sha¬ dow in a Picture, as they appear in natural Objeds : For Example, what Man can exprefs the Fullnefs of a Shadow in an Objed that is wholly Black; for the Paper or Canvafs the Objed is drawn on, miift be expofed to a good Light to fnew it advan- tageoufly to the Eye, by which Means the blacked: Shadow one can make will ap-^ pear as light as the highefl Light of the fame black Objed placed in the fame Degree of Light ; fo that we are conftrained to raife our Lights in fuch Objeds fomething above their Appearance in Nature, otherwife all would be flat; for as we cannot make the Shadows fo dark as they appear in Nature (Shadows in Painting being ex¬ pofed to a ftrong Light) fo confequently our Lights muft be lighter than they appear in Nature, that there may be the fame Proportion between Light and Shadow in Pic¬ tures as there is in natural Objeds ; but an Excefs of Light ought to be avoided, otl^rwife in Painting a black Objed, we may give the Beholder rather an Idea of Grey. In painting Objeds perfedly white, you have not the Advantage of raiflng your Lights above what your natural Objed prefents, fo that in Pidures there cannot Idc fo great a Difference between dark, and light Objeds, as in natural Bodies : Thi^ Way of Reafoning in Relation to Painting might be carried to a great Length. I for¬ merly imagined it poflible, by the higheft Perfedion in the Art of Painting, to de¬ ceive the Eye, by performing what might be taken for Nature ; but, fince I hit on the above Reafons, I plainly difeover it to be impradicable. I have obferved, that rude Scene Paintings in Theatres are more deceptive than more finiflied Works, but this proceeds from the Diftance and Lamp Light in which we view them.
It is obfervable, that there are Birds peculiar to fome particular Trads of Land, which will not propagate or fpread themfelves into other Countries, tho’ in the fame Latitude, and on the fame Ifland, by which they might very eafily extend themfelves, if one particular Place had not fomething in it, unknown to us, which caufes them to continue where they are. To Inftance one amongft many, by Way of Example, the Comijh Choughy or Coracias of Aldro'vand, is faid by Mr.' Willoughby^ in liis Orni¬ thology, to breed on the Clefts and Rocks of Cornwal, and on the Coafts of Wales, and all the Weftern Coafts of England. Yet I cannot learn that there are any of them on the Southern Coafts of England to the Eaftward of Devonjlsire, nor on any Part of the Eaftern Coafts ; tho’ thefe are in parallel Latitudes to the Weftern Coafts
R wlierc
■( II4 )
Vv/here thefe Birds abound, and the Coafls in many Places have Clefts and RockV ieemingly as convenient for them to breed in as any on the Weftern Coafls of Eng-^ land. I have alfo obferved the Hen Birds of a great Number of Species to be of a Brown or Clayey Colour, where the Cocks of the fame Species are covered with beauti¬ ful colour’d Feathers of a, very great Luflre : It is very obfervable in the Eiick Kind, , that the Males are mofl of them remarkable for beautiful Colours, and the Females, „ almofl all of them, of Brownifh or Earthy Colours. We may remark the fame Thing in many Land Birds, as the PeacGck^ who is remarkable for fhining Colours, whereas the Hen is of a dirty Brown, with little or no Luflre. The fame Difference may be obferved between the Males and Females of all the Pheafant Kind^ and of many other Tribes of Birds, This Difference feems to proceed from a providential Defigti • of Nature ^ feeing the Hen Birds, when they hatch their Young, fit on the Earth, and are many of them expofed to the open Sky, to the View of noxious Beafls and Birds of Prey, which would prefently difcover them, were they of glaring Colours much differing from the Earth on which they fit ; but by being of an Earthy Colour, and drawing their Heads clbfe to their Bodies, they appear like rude. Clods of^Earth, and deceive the Eyes both of Man and • Beafl, by which' Means they are preferved from Deflrudion.
If Travellers would be at a little Expence of Thought and Labour, I believe we might come to fome tolerable Knowledge in Relation to the Paffage of, Birds, which is now very obfcure to us. In order to forward fuch Knowledge, Lfhall here point out fuch Authors as have faid any Thing on that Subjedl, and join to them fuch little.. Obfervations as I have made. There was publifhed fomc Years ago by Mr. Charles.: Morton, without Date, and ffnee republifhed in the Harleian Mifccllany, Vol. IL . Page 558.. an ingenious, tho’> I think chimerical. Account of the Paffage of Birds, which fuppofes them to - go to the Moon, or fome invifible aerial Ifland fixed above . our Atmofphere, with fome other fuch like Conjedlures. Dr. in his Travels, or Obfervations on 6cc. has given us fome Light as to the Paflage of the
Stork, which I fliall here borrov/ from him. Page 428. ‘‘ The Ibis, that was once
known to every Family [in Egypt'\ is now become exceeding rare, tho’ the Want “ of it is fufficiently fupplied by the Stork-, for, befides a great Number of thefe Birds, that might undoubtedly efcape my Notice, I faw in the Middle of April (1722) (our Ship lying then at Anchor under Mount Carmel) three Flights of them, each . *■* of which took up more than three Hours in pafling by us, extending themfelves at the fame Time more than half a Mile in Bfeadth ; . they were then leaving Egypt (where the Canals and Ponds, that are annually left by the Nile, were become dry) and diredled themfelves towards N. E. It is obferved of the Storks, that for . “ about the Space of a Fortnight before they pafs from one Country to another, they “ conflantly refort together, from all the circumjacent Parts, to a. certain Plain, and there forming themfelves once every Day ihto.a Dou-wanhe (according to the Phrafe of the People) and are faid ,to determine the exadt Time of their Departure, and the Places of their future Abodes Thofe that Sequent the Marfhes of Barbary “ appear about three Weeks fboner than the Flights above-mentioned were obferv- “ ed to do, tho’ they likewife are fuppofed to come from Egypt, whither alfo they return a little after the Autumnal Equinox, the Nile being then retired within
( ”5 )
" its Banks, and the Country in a proper Difpofition to fupply them with Nourifh- ment : No lefs extraordinary are thofe Flights of Pigeons^ that have been obferved in New-England^ and other Parts of America^ I think what is faid by Dr. Shaw, in the above Quotation is fufficient to convince any one, that the Stork is a conftant Inhabitant of this World, and that it only pafles from one Part of its Super¬ ficies to another at certain Seafons, the better to accommodate itfelf with a temperate Climate, and proper Food : Thofe that leave Egypt in Aprils and dire<5l their Courfe North-Eafi:, are, I fuppofe, what appear in Germany^ and the Low Countries^ all the Summer, A North-Eafi: Dired:ion from Egypt carries them along the Coafi: of Judaay for its whole Length ; from whence ’tis likely they go diredly North, acrofs Natolia^ and pafs by the Eafi: End of the Black Sea, by which Means they have Land in View through the Courfe of their w^hole Journey ; when they have pafied by the Black Sea, the firm Lands- of Europe and ^a to the North are open before them, fo that they may take their Courfe to the Places of their deftined Habitations. I fup¬ pofe they do not '"breed in Egypt, SmcQ Dr. Shaw hTith. not mentioned it 5 *but I imagine that all Birds of Paflage go Northward to breed, and retire Southward to¬ ward Winter, that is, of fuch Birds as inhabit on this Side the Equinodtial Line j for, I fuppofe, that what Birds of Pafiage there are, that continue always to the South of the Equinodtial, go toward the Southern Pole in the Summer of that Part of the World, and retire toward the Equinodrial Line at the Approach of their Winter. Yet, I believe, the Stork breeds in fome Parts of the World as far South as Egypt, though perhaps the Climate may be cooler, becaufe of its high Situation. For Le Bruyn in hh'TvdiVth Into Mtifcovy, Perfta, &c. tells us, that oiv the Tops of -the tall Pillars in the Ruins of Perfepolis he obferved Storks Nefts, on fome of them oneNefi, on others tv/o,- Storks that pafs to the Northward of the Weft from E^pt
to the Northern Cdafts of Barbary, I 'fuppofe breed there, becaufe they continue there all the Summer according to Dr. Shaw's Account.
I fuppofe thofe Storks that vifit the Northern Parts of Barbary never pafs over the Mediterranean Sea into Spain, or France, becaufe we have no Account of their be¬ ing found there at any Time of the Year. Thefe Countries may be. Tor fome Caufe unknown to us, not adopted to" their Nature. I am not of the vulgar Opinion, that they ayoid thefe Lands, becaufe their Governments are Monarchical. The Stork is, I believe, the largefi Bird of Pafiage we have in Europe ; it is known by its Flight, and taken more Notice of than fmaller Birds of Pafilrge : If any knowing Perfons, who travel, ..would make pa’'ticular Obfervations on the fmaller Kind of Birds, when they pafs to and from particular Countries, I believe we fhould foon gain- a tolerable Knowledge in the Paflage of the fmaller Bird's, and afcertain the Places of many of their Habitations in all Parts of the Year. To illuftrate the Hif- tory of the Pelican, I lliall add a Quotation from Dr. Shaw’s Supplement to his Travels or Obfervations, &c. Page 89, which is as follows.
“ The Omcrotalus, another noted Bird of the Nile, is likewife called the Pelican , “ the remarkable large Pouch or Bag, that is fufpended from the Bill of this Bird, ferves, not only as a Repofitory for its Food, but as a Net likewife wherewithal “ to catch it} and it may be further obferved, that in feeding its young Ones (whe- “ ther this Bag be loaded with Water or Fifli) the Omcrotalus icynttzts \\it Con-
tent
( x>6 ')
^ tents of it into their Mouths, by ftrongly compreffing .it with the Bill upon its Breallj an Action which might well give Occafion to the received Tradition, and Report, that the Pelicany in feeding her Young, pierced Rer own Bread, and nou- “ rifhed them with her Blood.”
The Reverend Mr. 'Durand^ F. R, .S. has. obliged me with an Obfervation on the Paifage of Birds, which he himfelf made in Spaitiy which is as follows : “ I can aver, ‘‘ that being in in ijojynn the Kingdom of Valencia^ upon the Sea Coaft, a “ little Way from Cajlillo?! de la. Plane., I faw in OBober great Flocks of Birds coming “ from Africa, in a dired Line from . the South fome of them, being fhot, were “ found to be Pkrupes \Grhes] but fo dry and lean, that they had little Subftance or “ Tafte ; the People of the Counti:y told me, that they came every Year at the fame Seafon in Flocks, but that the greateft Part of them go on farther ; they grow fat in &ivit'zerkind by feeding on Juniper Berries, and are delicious all the Winter “ long.”
The above Paragraph of Mr. Durand feems to contradid my Opinion, relating to .the Paflage of Birds; but though thefe Phriifhes come from the South to the Coaft of Valencia, I do . not think it a certain Argument, that they come from Africa ; for to me it feems contrary to Reafon to imagine, that after Birds have lived in the Sum- .mer Heats of Africa, they ftiould go to Spain, and on farther Northward, to fuftain the Gold of a Winter, in a Country fo far North of their Summer Habitation ; for it is generally believed, that Birds pafs, in order to attain Habitations of near the fame 'Temperature with thofe Countries they come from; now, feeing the Sea-Coaft of Va¬ lencia lies North and South, an eafterly Diredion only can bring thefe Birds from the Sea. Now, I fuppofe, that when Birds depart from their Summer Habitations, they -gather into great Flocks, and have a certain Courfe to dired themfelves in ; and that in their greateft Rout they may fly fo high, as to be out of Sight j and, when they have arrived at the Place of their Winter’s Habitation, they may feparate into leflfer .Flocks, in order to cover fome large Country ; thefe lefler Flocks may tend to every Point of the Compafs ; after this they may feparate, and difperfe themfelves flnglj, in order the better to accommodate themfelves with Food, and fcatter themfelves all over a Country : So that I fuppofe, that the Birds Mr. Durand mentions might come from the moft Northern Parts of Europe, and a great Part of them in their Paflage turn a little to the Weft, through France, and into Spain, and when arrived about .Granada, in the South of Spam, might feparate into Parties, the better to occupy the ..whole Country ; fo that Part of them might return a little Way Northward, along the Coafts of Murcia and Valencia, and afterwards fpread themfelves into the Inlands. .1 think this Opinion no Way contradids what Mr. Durand has faid; what is mentioned of thefe Birds feeding and growing fat in Switzerland doth not belong to this Quef- .tion, for it cannot be known, that they are Part of the Flocks feen pafling on the Coaft of Vakficia.
There was publiflied Atato 1745, in lamo. A new general Hiftory of Birds, with wooden Cuts, by J. Osborn, in Pater-nofter-Row, Lo?idon ; the Author anonymous : In the Article of the Swallow there is colleded feveral Obfervations on, and Accounts of, the Paflfage of Birds, from good Authors ; ^his may dired the Curious to examine the Authors therein mentioned.
Dr.
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Dr. Shaw^ in his fore-mentioned Work, Page 253, fays, “ the Woodcock makes its
firft Appearance in OBober^ and continueth till March following : The Africans “ call it yHammarel Hadiel] the Afs of the Partridges," Since no Account tells us where the Woodcock goes in Summer, I am of Opinion, that they retire to the Nor¬ thern and unfrequented Parts of the World to breed : The above Account fhews, that they fpread themfelves far Southward in the Winter.
I have difcovered, that there are many Birds common both to the old World and America : I faw lately brought from Hndfon's-Bay a Bird, under the Name of a S?70w Bird, which, they fay, is one of the firfl that appears in the Spring, while the Snow is yet on the Ground : On fhridfly examining this Bird, I found it to be the great Pied-Mountain Pinch ^ or Br amblings defcribed in Willoughby^ s Ornithology, Page 255; befides this, I have received from North- America the Red-Legg'd Horfeman^ or To- tanoy defcribed in Willoughby^ Page 299; the Bald Coot defcribed. Page 319, and the Crofs-Bill, or Loxia^ defcribed Page 248, of the fame Author : Thefe are all Birds found in Europe^ as well as in America ; two of them, viz, the Crofs-Bilh and the Pied-Mounfain Fmchy are fmall Land Birds j I have alfo received from America the little Bird we call the Golden-Crown' d Wren. There are many of the Water-Fowls, that frequent the Northern Parts of the World, found both in Europe and America ; the white Partridge^ or Lagopus Avis, is found in No7'th- America, as well as in Eu¬ rope. Mr. Catesby, in his Hiftory of Carolina, &c. has particularifed many Birds, that he obferved to be Inhabitants both of America and Europe. I do not wonder to find that Birds, who breed on the Sea Shores, and make long Flights over the Sea in the Northern Parts, fhould be, indifferently. Inhabitants both of the New and Old W orlds, becaufe we know that toward the North Pole the Continents of Europe and America are very near to one another, and may, for ought we know, join near the Pole. We muft fuppofe that thefe Birds have palled from America to Europe, or from Europe to America j or that there were created, at firft. Birds of the felf-fame Species in both thefe Parts of the World, which, according to my Way of Reafoning, can¬ not be fuppofed. Moft of the World agree, that each Species fprung from an origi¬ nal fingle Pair : But it feems more eafy to conceive how the Northern Water-Fowl fhould inhabit all the Northern Parts of the World, than to imagine how fmall Land Birds, and fome greater Fowls of fhort Flight, fuch as the white Partridge, fhould be able from one and the fame Original to propagate itfelf in Europe and America..
I cannot think thefe fmall Birds, ^c. can fpread themfelves from any Part of Europe Weftward, becaufe we know that there are wide Seas between Europe and America, which reach pretty near the North Pole, in Countries where few or no Land Birds are found, even in the Summer : Therefore I imagine, that they have found a Way Eaftward from Tartary. We cannot indeed fay there is a commodious Paflage that Way, fince Japan in Afia, and California in America, are the neareft Lands to each other that we certainly know of, which however are at a very great Difiance : Yet we know not but there may be Illands, or extended Continent, between thefe Lands fomething to the Northward, that may join, or nearly join, Afia and America: I think our finding fmall Land Birds of the fame individual Species in both Parts of the World is a probable Reafon for this Opinion. I cannot help thinking, that Ame¬ rica was alfo peopled with the human Species from Ajia Eallward, What has con-
S firmed
■ ( ii8 )
firmed me in this Opinion is a Defcription of the Samoeds [Man-Eaters] to the Nortli- Eafh of Archangel in RuJJia : See Le Bruyn's Travels into Mufcovy, Perjia, &c. VoL I. Page 6. Le Bruyn was bred a Limner,, and has been at the Pains to figure a Head of one of the Samoeds in Large,, on a Folio Page, which gives every one that has feen any of the North- American People a perfect Idea of them.
The whole Account of their Habits, Way of Living, Cufioms, and Manners, is fo like what we fee in Voyagers, who have wrote on the North Americans^ that they feem almoft the fame. I have feen feveral of the American Chiefs in England, and on feeing the Samoed'% Head in Le Bruyn, they were fo ftrongly reprefentcd by it, that I thought it had been a Print mifplaced till I read the whole Hiftory of thele People. I have alfo received Prefents of Habits from Hudfo72[s-Bay in North-America, that anfwer the Defcriptio-ns Le Bruyn has given of the Habits thefe RuJJian Savages are cloathed in,, as nearly as if they were the fame.
In my Preface to the firfi: Part of this Hiftory I have mentioned depofiting a Copy of this Book in the Library of the College of Phyficians, London ; and here I think proper to let the, Publick know, that I defign to lodge this Hiftory of Birds comr pleat, and juftly coloured, in the Library of the Royal Society, both which Books may hereafter ferve as Standards to compare others with, to prove, or dilprove the Juftnefs of their Colouring : I fhall alfo, if peaceable Times will permit, endeavour by fome Means or other to lodge a perfbdl coloured Copy in the Library of the Aca¬ demy Royal of Sciences at Parts. A Point of Gratitude obliges me to prefent this Book to the Royal Society, lince I have fo many Friends among that Learned and Cu¬ rious Body, who always have been ready and willing to introduce me to their Meetings : I have been farther obliged, in a more Angular Manner, by fome of the principal Gentlemen of the Royal Society ; for not only their late Prefident, but: the Preftr dent now being, as well as their Treafurer, and feveral other Gentlemen of the So¬ ciety, very willingly and freely figned my Recommendation, when I offered myfelf a Candidate for a Fellowfhip in their Society. I have,, through Itiadvertency, com¬ mitted an Error in the Preface to the firft Part of this Book, and think it proper here to redify it; It relates to the Paffage of the Deer-, P have made them pafs Northward in the Summer, and Southward in the Winter j but I muft quite reverfe this, and make them pafs Into the Northern Parts in Winter, and Southward in the Summer, and it will be right ; fee the Paffage, Page xii. of the Preface to the firft Part. This makes the Thing more ftrange, and contrary to our common Way of Reafoning, than it feerns to be in the erroneous Account ^ but if we confider, that thefe Deer in the Winter are cloathed with an exceeding thick Covering, which falls of, and leaves them very thinly cloathed in the Summer, it will reconcile this Acconnt a little to our Reafon. Arthur Dobbs, Efq. has remarked their Paffage Northward in Winr ter, and Southward in Summer, in his Account and Natural Hiftory of Hudfon's- Bay.
Since I fent my Defcriptions to the Prefs, I have feen at Sir Dans Sloane'^ a very pompous Natural Hiftory, finely coloured, publifhed at Amflerdam, Anno 1734, by Albertiis Seba ; in turning it over, I find fome Things in him that are the fame with, fome t have publiftied, which are as follows : My little Indian King-Fijhers, Page 1,1. agree with his Oriental King-Fijher, Vol.l. Page 104. My Blue Creeper,, and Goldeti-
headed
J
( 119,1205121 )
Beaded Black T^it-Moufcy Page 21, are his Hoitzillirii Vol. 1. Page 97, and his MexU tan Chichiltofgtl, Vol. I. Page 96. My Black-headed Indian Idlerus^ Page 77, is his Vcotzinitzcany Vol. 1. Page 97. I have alfo, I believe, two or three Birds of Peti~ ver figured and defcribed in Rays Synopfis Method. Avium ; but his Figures are fo mean, and the Defcription fo very brief, that I can determine nothing certain, whe¬ ther I have figured them or not, fo I fhall not point them out.
- For the Amufement of the Curious of either Sex, and to fulfil a Promife to fomc particular Ladies, I have here inferted a Receipt of the Manner of making Pictures of Birds with their Natural' Feathers.
Firfi; take a thin Board, or Pannel of Deal, or Wainfcot well feafoned, that it may not fhrink, then fmoothly pafiie on it white Paper, and let it dry ; and if the Wood cafts its Colour through, you may pafie on a fecond Paper, and it will be whiter : Let the fecond Paper dry, then get ready any Bird that you would reprefent, and draw it as exa(9: as ma,y be on your paper’d Pannel, of its Natural Size, (middle- fized Birds are beft for this Work) then paint what Ground-work, or Tree, or other Thing, you defign to fet your Bird on, together with the Bill and Legs of the Bird in Water-Colours, leaving the Bird to be covered with its own Natural Fea¬ thers. You mufi; firft prepare the Part to be feather’d, by laying on pretty thick Gum Arabic^ dilfolved in Water, with a large Hair Pencil ; then lay the Pannel fiat, and let it dry hard, and when dry cover it with your Gum-Water a fecond Time, and let it dry, and then a third, in cafe you do not find it lie with a good Body on the Paper ; the Thicknefs of a Shilling, when dried hard, is fufficient : When your Piece is thus pre¬ pared, take the Feathers off from your Bird, as you ufe them, beginning always at the Tail, and Points of the Wing, and working upwards to the Head, obferving to cover that Part of your Draught with the Feather, that you take from the fame Part in your Bird, letting them fall one over another in their natural Order 1 you muft prepare your Feathers by cutting off the downy Pa^t that is about their Bottoms; and the larger Feathers mufi; have the Infides of their Shafts fiiaved off' with a Knife to make them lie flat ; the Quills of the Wings muft have their inner Webs clipped of, that in laying them the Gum may hold them by their Shafts. When you begin to lay them, take a Pair of Steel Pliers to hold the Feathers in, and have fome Gum- Water, not too thin, and a large Pencil ready to moiften the gum’d Ground-work by little and little as you work it, then lay your Feathers on the moiften’d Parts, which mufi: not be waterifii, but fomething tacky or clammy to hold the Feathers, You fhould prepare a Parcel of fmall leaden Weights, in the form of Sugar-Loaves, which you may cafi; in Sand, by firfi: making Holes in its Surface with a pointed Stick : Thefe Weights will be neceffary to fet on the Feathers you have newly layed on to hold them to the Gum, till they are dry and fixed ; but you muft be cautious leafi; the Gum come through the Feathers, for it not only fmears them, but dries to the Bottoms of the Weights, and you will be apt to puli - off the Feathers with the Weights, which will diforder your Work: When you have wholly covered your Bird with Feathers, you mufi; with a little thick Gum flick on a Piece of Paper cut round, of the Bignefs, and in the Place of the Eye, which you mufi colour like the Eye of the Bird. When the whole is dry, drefs the Feathers round the Out-line that may chance to flare a little, and rectify what may be mended in any other Part ; then lay a
S 2 & T Sheet
( 122,125,124 )
5heet of clean Paper on it, and on that a heavy Book, or fome fuch Thino- to prefs it : After which it may be preferved in a Frame covered with a Glafs.
I fliall add to this Receipt another that may ferve to decorate the former, which is a Way to take the Figures of Butterflies on thin gum’d Paper, which may be cut out and ftuck into other Pictures by Way of Embellifhment.
Take Butterflies, or Field Moths, either thofe catched abroad, or fuch as are taken in Caterpillars, and nurfed in the Houfe till they be Flies, clip off their Wings very clofe to their Bodies, and lay them on clean Paper, in the Form of a Butterfly when flying, then have ready prepared Gum Arabic, that hath been fome time diffolved in Water, and is pretty thick if you put a Drop of Ox Gall into a Spoonful of this, it will be better for the Ufe, temper them well with your Finger, and fpread a little of it on a Piece of thin white Paper, big enough to take both Sides of your Fly when it begins to be clammy under your Finger, the Paper is in proper Order to take the Feathers from the Wings of the Fly ; then lay the gum’d Side on the Wings, and it will take them up, then double your Paper fo as to have all the Wings between the Paper, then lay it on a Table, preiTing it clofe with your Fingers j and you may rub it gently with fome fmooth hard Thing; then open the Paper, and take out the Wings, which will come forth tranfparent: The Down of the upper and under Side of the Wings, flicking to the gum’d Paper, form a jufl Likenefs of both Sides of the Wings in their natural Shapes and colours.
The Nicety of taking off depends on ajull degree of Moifler of the gum’d Paper, for if it be too wet, all will be blotted and confufed, and if too dry, your Paper will flick fo fafl together, that it will be torn in Separation. When you have opened your gum’d Papers, and they are dry, you mufl draw the Bodies from the natural Ones, and paint them in Water-Colours; you mufl take a Paper that will bear Ink very well for this Ufe, for a finking Paper will feparate with the Wet, and fpoil all.
I never heard that ever thefe Things were known or pra6tifed in Fn gland, before I difeovered and performed them myfelf, fo I hope they will be acceptable to the Curious. Infefts bring to my Mind a very curious and laborious Work now perform¬ ing at Nuremberg in Germany, by Auguftus 'John Roflel, which, for its Accuracy, and flridl keeping to Nature, far exceeds any Thing of the Kind that has fallen under my Obfervation : It is now publiflaing Monthly by the Author, who has far advanced in the Work. I have feen what Numbers are publiflaed, fo finely engraved and co¬ loured by the Author, that they almofl equal original Drawings.
It is now Time to clofe this Volume of Birds 1 believe I fliall publifh nothing farther, but if I fliould continue to amufe myfelf on any Natural Subjecfl, it will fo far difihr from this Work, that it will require quite another Title, and will be no Part of what is already publifhed.
A C A T A-
'( *25 )
A
CATALOGUE
O F T H E
NAMES of the BIRDS, &(.
Defcribed in this W O R K j
In LATIN and ENGLISH.
f, A QUILA, cauda alba,, rtcana,
2. Vultur elegans.
3. Falco, Americaniis^ maculatus.
4. Falco, niger, Americanus.
5. Pfittacus,. niger, Madagafcarenps,
6. Pfittacus, minimus, viridis & ruber,
Indiciis.
j,. Cuculo affinis, avis Criflata, Touraco, didla.
8. Ifpida, major, Africana.
9. Ifpida, ex albo & nigro varius. Per- Jica..
10. Ifpida, Surinamenjis^ binis plumis in _ cauda longiffimis.
11. Ifpida?, minores, Indicao
12. Otis Arabica.
13. Phafianus Brafilienjls.
14. Columba, Indie a ^ alls viridibus,
15. Columba, macroura.
16. Columba, fufea, undulis obfcuriorl-
bus tranfverfis notata,.
W
HITE Tailed Eagle,
King of the Vultures*. Spotted Hawk or Falcon.
Black Hawk or Falcon.
Black Parrot from Madagalcar. Smallefi; Green and Red Indian Paro¬ quet.
Touraco
8. Great Kingfifiier from the Ri^ver'
Gambia.
9. Black and White Kingfijlier..
10. Swallow-tail’d Kingfifiiers..
1 1. Little Indian Kingfifiiers..
1 2. Arabian Bufiard,.
13. Quan or Guan.
14. Green-wing’d Dove,
15. Long-tail’d Dove.
16. Tranfverfe flriped barred Dove,.
U 17.- Sturnu.,^
ly. Sturniis, hidicus, Bontii.
Sturnus, hidicuSi minor.
i8. Merula, caerulea, Pajj'er SoUtarius didtus.
ng. Sturnus, Shienjis^ niger.
20. Merula rofea, Aldrovandi.
21. Certhia, Surinmyienjis^ csrulea.
Parus, niger, capite fulvo.
22. Mufcicapa, csrulea, ventre rubro,
23. Fringillago viridis., capite rubro.
24. Rubecula, dorfo c$ruieo.
25. Mufcicapa viridis, capite nigro. Mufcicapa viridis, capite csruleo.
26. Certhia, fufca, minor.
27. Hirundo, riparia, maxima.
,28. Ruticilla, giitture caeruleo,
29. Ruticilla, dorfo cinereo.
30. Ficedula, tertia Aldrov. mas & fce-
mella.
31. Oenanthe, fulva j mas & fcemella.
32. Avis mellivora, major, rubra, ma-
croura.
Avis mellivora, minor, fulva.
33. 'Avis mellivora, viridis, macroura.
34. Avis mellivora, macroura, capite
nigro.
35. Avis mellivora, ventre albo.
Avis mellivora, viridis & cseruleus.
36. Avis mellivora, ventre nigro 5 mas &
foemella.
37. Avis mellivora, minor, criftata.
38. Avis mellivora, minor, gutture ru¬
bro ; mas cum foemella.
39. Garrulus ruber, Surinamenfis.
40. Paffer, Indicus^ fufcus, ventre ex albo
& nigro pundlato.
,41. Coccothrauflies, Sinenjis, cinereus, mas.
42. Ejufdem foemella.
43. Palfer, SinenJisj fulvus; mas & foe¬
mella.
44. Linaria, Mexicana, capite flavo.
45. Grus, Indica^ major.
46. Tringa, pedibus Fulic®,
4_7.. Pluvialis, Indicus^ pedtore nigro,
Minor or Mino;
1 8; Solitary Sparrow,
19. Chinefe Starling or Black Bird.
20. Rofe or Carnation-colour’d Ouzel,
21. Blue Creeper. ,
Golden-headed Black Tit-moufe.
22. Red-belly’d Blue-Bird.
23. Red-headed Green-Finch,
24. Blue Red-Breafl.
25. Green Black-cap Fly-catcher. Blue-headed Green Fly-catcher.
26. Little Brown ajid White Creeper,
27. Greateft Martin or Swift.
28. Blue-throat Redftart.
29. Grey Redfcart.
30. Cold Finch, Cock and Hen,
31. Red or Ruifet colour’d Wheat-Ear.
32. Long-tail’d Red Humming Bird.
Little Brown Humming Bird.
33. Long-tail’d Green Humming Bird.
34. Long-tail’d Black-cap Humming Bird.
35. White-Belly ’d Humming Bird. Green and Blue Humming Bird.
36. Black-belly ’d Green Humming Birds,
Cock and Hen,
37. Crefled Humming Bird.
38. Red-throated Humming Bird, with,
its Hen.
39. Red Bird from Surinam.
40. Gowry Bird.
4 1 . Padda or Rice Bird, the Cock.
42. ------ Hen.
43. Chinefe Sparrows, Cock and Heni,
44. Yellow-headed Linnet.
45. Greater Indian Crane,
46. Coot- footed Tringa.
47. Black-breafled Indian Plover.
48. Galli-
( 126 )
I/'
{ 127 )
48. G?\\in\x\2L BrafiHenfisj' di<fta,
Alis cornubus donatis.
49. Penguin.
50. Columba Grcenlandicay Hollandis
didla.
51. Cervus, Rangifery Grcenlmdicus.
52. Hyftrix, Canadenjis^
53. Buteo cinereus.
54. Lanius fulvus, criflatus.
55. Lanius minimus.
56. Lanius, cauda forcipata.
57. Cuculus fulvus, maculatus.
58. Cuculus IndicuSy niger.
59. Cuculus IndiciiSy fufcus, maculatus.
60. Otus Americaniis.
61. Aluco albus, diurnus.
62. Ulula, Accipetri afiinis.
63. Caprimulgus minor, Americanus.
64. Pica Brafilienfis.
65. Picus, viridis, capite cinereo.
66. Phafianus, Sinen/isy albus emigre cae-
rulaeus 5 cum fcemella, colore fulvo.
67. Phafianus, alis;& cauda, oculatis.
68. Phafianus, variis coloribus fplcndidus.
69. Foemellae precedentium, 67 & 68.
70. Perdix ruffa, Africana.
71. Urogallus, minor, Americanus,
72. Lagopus.
73. Otis, mas.
74. Otis foemella.
75. Columba, maculls triquetris notata.
76. Turtur, IndicuSy fufcus.
77. Idterus, LidiciiSy capite nigro>
78. Turdus cinereus minor.
79. Mufcicapa, Indicay viridis.
80. Ruticilla, minor, Americana.
81. Certhia, minor, ex albo, nigro &:
rubro varia.
82. Rubicilla, fufea, major.
83. Rubicilla, fufea, minima.
Parus niger & fulvus.
84. Chloris, Indiciis,
48. Spur-winged W^er Hem
49. Penguin.
50. Spotted Greenland Dove.
5 r . Greenland Buck.
52^ Porcupine from Hudfon’s Bay.
53. Alh-colour’d Buzzard.
^4. Crellied Red or RulTet Butcher-Bird.
54. Lead Butcher-Bird.
56. Fork’d-taifd’ Indian Butcher-bird.
57. Great Spotted Cuckow.
38. Black Indian Cuckow.
59. Brown and Spotted Indian Cuckow,
60. Great Horned Owl.
61. Great White Owl.
62. Little Hawk Owl.
63. Whip-Poor-Will or Lefler Goat-
Sucker.
64. Toucan or Brafilian Pye.
65. Grey-headed Green Wood-pecker.
66. Black and White China Pheafant,
the Cock ‘with the Hen,
6y. Peacock Pheafant.
68. Painted Pheafant.
69. Peacock Pheafant, the Hen.
And the Hen of the Painted Pheafant.
70. Red-legg’d Partridge from Barbary.
71. Brown Spotted Heathcock.
72. White Partridge.
73. Buftard, the Cock.
74. Hen Buftard.
75. Triangular Spotted Pigeon,
76. Brown Indian Dove.
77. Black-headed Indian ICtenis.
78. Lefter Mock-Bird.
79. Green Indian Fly-catcher.
80. Small American Redftart.
81. Little Black, White Red Indian
Creeper.
82. Greater Bull-Finch.
83. Little Brown Bull-Finch.
Black and Yellow Manakin,
84. Indian Green-Finch,
85, Emberiza
(' *
8 5- Emberi^ fufea, Americana.
86. Fringilla, Africana, macroura.
87. Porphyrio.
88. Albato^a, maxima.
89. Petrella, magna, fufea.
90. Petrella, media, maculata.
Petrella, minor, five vulgaris.
9 1 . Mergulus, melanoleucos, roftro acu- to brevij mas 6c fuemella.
92. Onocratalus.
93. Onocratalus, Americaniis.
94. Penguines, ex Oceano Aujirali, pedi- bus nigris.,
95. Mergus,' major, pedore rubro.
96. Podicipes albus 6c fufeus.
Podicipes, auritus.
97. Colymbus, caudatus, gutture rubro.
98. Anas, major, albus 6c fufeus, cum fcemella.
99. Anas, fufeus, macula tus.
1 00. Anas, minor, albus 6c fufeus.
1 01. Anas, criftatus, elegans.
102. Querquedula, Sinenfsy elegans.
103. Urfulus, Lupo affinis, Americanus.
104. Marmota, Americanus.
505. Ibidis, MgyptiaciSy roftrum.
' Avis mellivora, minima, cum ovo.
8 )
^85. Schomhurgheri
86. Red-breafted Long-tall'd Fineh.
87. Purple Water Hen.
88. Albatrofs.
89. Great Black Peteril.
90. White and Black Spotted Peterih Little Peteril.
9 1 . Small Black and White Divers.
92. Pelican.
93. Pelican of America.-
94. Black^footed Penguins..
95. Red-breafted Goofander.
96. Black White Dobchick. Eared Dobchick.
97. Red- throated Ducker or Loon,’
98. Great Black and White Duck^
Male and Female.
99. Dufky and Spotted Duck.
100. Little Black White Duck.
1 01. Summer Duck of Gatesby.
102. Chinefe Teal.
103. .Qmck-hatch or Wolverene.
104. Monax or Marmotte of America.' 1.05. ’The Bill of the ^Egyptian Ibis,.
Leaft Humming Bird..
FINIS,
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