11 cook's second voyage may, 



them no where but in the river at the head of the 

 bay. The last sort is a good deal like a teal, and 

 very common I am told in England. The other 

 fowls, whether belonging to the sea or land, are the 

 same that are to be found in common in other parts 

 of this country, except the blue peterel, before men- 

 tioned, and the water or wood hens : these last, 

 although they are numerous enough here, are so 

 scarce in other parts, that I never saw but one. The 

 reason may be, that, as they cannot fly, they inhabit 

 the skirts of the woods, and feed on the sea beach ; 

 and are so very tame or foolish, as to stand and 

 stare at us till we knocked them down with a stick. 

 The natives may have in a manner wholly destroyed 

 them ; they are a sort of rail, about the size, and a 

 good deal like a common dunghill hen ; most of them 

 are of a dirty black or dark brown colour, and eat 

 very well in a pie or fricassee. Amongst the small 

 birds I must not omit to particularise the wattle-bird, 

 poy-bird, and fan-tail, on account of their singularity, 

 especially as I find they are not mentioned in the 

 narrative of my former voyage. 



The wattle-bird, so called because it has two wat- 

 tles under its beak, as large as those of a small dunghill 

 cock, is larger, particularly in length, than an English 

 black-bird ; its bill is short and thick, and its feathers 

 of a dark lead colour ; the colour of its wattles is a 

 dull yellow, almost an orange colour. 



The poy-bird is less than the wattle-bird ; the fea- 

 thers of a fine mazarine blue, except those of its 

 neck, which are of a most beautiful silver-grey, and 

 tw r o or three short white ones, which are on the 

 pinion-joint of the wing ; under its throat hang two 

 little tufts of curled snow-white feathers, called its 

 poies, which being the Otaheitean word for ear-rings, 

 occasioned our giving that name to the bird ; which 

 is not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage 

 than for the sweetness of its note; the flesh is also most 

 delicious, and was the greatest luxury the woods 

 afforded us. 



