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A HISTORY OP 



most obvious distinction therefore of birds, is 

 into those that live by land and those that 

 live by water; or, in other words, into land 

 birds, and water fowl. 



It is no difficult matter to distinguish land 

 from water fowl, by the legs and toes. All 

 land birds have their toes divided, without 

 any membrane or web between them ; and 

 their legs and feet serve them for the pur- 

 poses of running, grasping, or climbing. On 

 the other hand, water fowl have their legs 

 and feet formed for the purposes of wading 

 in water, or swimming on its surface. In 

 those that wade, the legs are usually long 

 and naked ; in those that swim, the toes are 

 webbed together, as we see in the feet of a 

 goose, which serve, like oars, to drive them 

 forward with greater velocity. The forma- 

 tion, therefore, of land and water fowl, is as 

 distinct as their habits ; and nature herself 

 seems to offer us this obvious distribution, in 

 methodizing animals of the feathered creation. 



However, a distinction so comprehensive 

 goes but a short way in illustrating the differ- 

 ent tribes of so numerous a class. The num- 

 ber of birds already known, amounts to near- 

 ly three thousand; and every person who 

 turns his mind to these kinds of pursuits, is 

 every day adding to the catalogue. It is not 

 enough, therefore, to be able to distinguish 

 a land from a water fowl ; much more is still 

 required to be able to distinguish the dif- 

 ferent kinds of birds from each other; and 

 even the varieties in the same kind, when 

 they happen to offer. This certainly is a 

 work of great difficulty; and perhaps the at- 

 tainment will not repay the labour. The sen- 

 sible part of mankind will not withdraw all 

 their attention from more important pursuits, 

 to give it entirely up to what promises to re- 

 pay them only with a very confined species 

 of amusement. In my distribution of birds, 

 therefore, I will follow Linnaeus in the first 

 sketch of his system ; and then leave him, to 

 follow the most natural distinctions, in enu- 

 merating the different kinds that admit of a 

 history, or require a description. 



Linnaeus divides all birds into six classes; 

 namely, into birds of the rapacious kind, birds 

 of the pie kind, birds of the poultry kind, birds 

 of the sparrow kind, birds of the duck kind, and 

 birds of the crane kind. The four first com- 



prehend the various kinds of land birds; the 

 two last, those that belong to the water. 



Birds of the rapacious kind, constitute (hat 

 class of carnivorous fowl that live by rapine. 

 He distinguishes them by their beak, which 

 is hooked, strong, and notched at the point; 

 by their legs, which are short and muscular, 

 and made for the purposes of tearing; by 

 their toes, which are strong and knobbed; 

 and their talons, which are sharp and crook- 

 ed ; by the make of their body, which is 

 muscular; and their flesh, which is impure: 

 nor are they less known by their food, which 

 consists entirely of flesh; their stomach, 

 which is membraneous; and their manners, 

 which are fierce and cruel. 



Birds of the pie kind have the bill differing 

 from the former: as in those it resembled a 

 hook, destined for tearing to pieces; in these 

 it resembles a wedge, fitted for the purpose 

 of cleaving. Their legs are formed short and 

 strong, for walking; their body is slender, and 

 impure, and their food miscellaneous. They 

 nestle in trees ; and the male feeds the female 

 during the time of incubation. 



Birds of the poultry kind have the bill a lit- 

 tle convex, for the purposes of gathering their 

 food. The upper chap hangs over the lower; 

 their bodies are fat and muscular, and their 

 flesh white and pure. They Jive upon grain, 

 which is moistened in the crop. They make 

 their nest on the ground, without art; they 

 lay many eggs, and use promiscuous venery. 



Birds of the sparroiv kind comprehend all 

 that beautiful and vocal class that adorn our 

 fields and groves, and gratify every sense in 

 its turn. Their bills may be compared tp a 

 forceps that catches hold; their legs are 

 formed for hopping along; their bodies are 

 tender; pure in such as feed upon grain, im- 

 pure in such as live upon insects. They 

 live chiefly in trees; their nests are artifici- 

 ally made, and their amours are observed 

 with connubial fidelity. 



Birds of the duck kind use their bill as a 

 kind of strainer to their food ; it is smooth, 

 covered with a skin, and nervous at the point. 

 Their legs are short, and their feet formed 

 for swimming, the toes being webbed toge- 

 ther. Their body is fat, inclining to rancidi- 

 ty. They live in waters, and chiefly build 

 their nests upon land. 



