THE 
Natural Hiftory 
OF 
JAMAICA 
BOOK VI PART It. 
OF THE 
“Birds of ¥AMAICA 
huthddtde® HERE are very many Birdsin Gamaica, both of Land and 
F607, Water, as wellas Waders or fuch as frequent and haunt 
=() T (2 watery Places, many of which are very good Food. 
Ho _'6* st is a common Opinion, that the hot Parts of the 
Fee reeees World abound moft with Birds of fine colour’d Feathers, 
empeeeerere? ond that they want thofe who fing: The firft of which 
is true and the latter falfe, for there are many {weet finging Birds to 
be found here, dnd thofe of as pleafant Notes as any tn Europes 
The Defcriptions that were taken of them, were taken with chofe of 
feveral Plants I met with and defcribed in thofe Parts, whofe Leaves 
Flowers, &c. I meafur’d by Inches, and confidering that they do admit of 
great Latitude in their Dimenfions, not only according to their Age, 
Soil, eve. but even on the fame Bough fome are bigger than others, 
I therefore thought it moft reafonable not to be too ftri in the 
Meafure, but to give a near Guefs by meafuring with my Thumb 
after a grofs Manner, whicti was fufficient with other Citcuonftances 
to difference them from others. I wifh I had been moré exaé in 
meafuring the Birds, for they (I think) do not vary fo much in, .big- 
nefs as the Parts of Plants, and thereforé would have endur’d more 
nice meafuring then I have here beftow’d on them, tho’ the Figures 
may help in fome Degree, my Rule being to have them drawn as 
big as the Life. One thing may ferve to correct this Deticiency, 
and that is, that I take it generally, I come under the exact Meature 
of Inches rather than exceed it, which I know by my comparing 
the Way I generally usd by a Rule. 
Me 
rod 
Beee Cure, 
