126 ' WATER BIRDS. 



puffins are found in great numbers, and become a very valuable acqbifitioi^ 

 to the natives. The old ones, at break of day, have their nefts, nor do they 

 return till night-fall. Whatever fifh, or other food, they have procured 

 in the day, by night begins to fuffer a kind of half digeflion, and is re- 

 duced to an oily matter, which is ejefted from the ftomach of the old 

 ones into the mouth of the young. By this they are nourifhed, and be- 

 come fat ttf an amazing degree. VV hen they are arrived to their full 

 growth, they are dug out, or drawn out, from their burrows, with an 

 hooked (lick. They bite extremely hard, and keep fad hold of what- 

 ever they feize upon. 



The Goofander is a bird, with the body and wing (haped like thofe 

 of the penguin kind, but with legs not hid in the belly. It majr be dif- 

 linguiftied from all others by its bill, which is round, hooked at the 

 point, and toothed, both upper and under ^hap, like a faw. Its colours, 

 are various and beautiful : its manners and appetites entirely refemble thofc 

 of the Diver. It feeds upon fifh, for which it dives ; and is faid to build 

 its ncfl upon trees, like the heron and the cormorant. 



Of birds of the GOOSE KIND, properly so called. 



THE Swan, the Goofe, and the Duck, leaders of a numerous, ufe- 

 ful, and beautiful tribe, we have reclaimed from a ftate of nature, 

 .and taught to live in dependance about us. The duck-kind approach 

 the goofe fo nearly, that it may be proper to mark the diftiridions. 



The marks of the goofe are, a bigger body, large wings, a longer neck, 

 a white ring about the rump, a bill thicker at the bafe, Oenderer towards 

 the tip, with fhorter legs, placed more forward on the bodyj both have a 

 ■waddling walk 3 but the duck, from the pofition of its legs, is moft wad- 

 dling. The duck fometimes equals a goofe in fize, yet there are (lill 

 other fufiicicnt diftinctions. Their having been tamed has produced al- 

 terations in each, by which they differ as much from the v/ild ones of thejr 

 refpe6tive kinds as they do among themfelves. In all the goofe kind the 

 bill is flat and broad, for the purpofe of fkimming ponds or lakes of the 

 mantling weeds that Hand on the furface; alfo they are fheathed with a 

 fkin which covers them all over. Eat infefls, grafs, corn, &c. Thefe 

 birds do not rejeft animal food when offered, yet fubfift on vegetables, 

 and feldom feek any other. They breed in abundance, and lead their 



7' young 



