46 Wonders of the Bird World 



" Of all the Birds in the Island, the most remarkable is 

 that which goes by the Name of the ' Solitary,' because 'tis 

 very seldom seen in Company. There are abundance of 

 them. The Feathers of the Males are of a brown-grey 

 Colour ; the feet and beak are like a Turkey's but a little 

 more crooked. They have scarce any Tail, but their Hind- 

 part cover'd with Feathers is Roundish, like the Crupper of 

 a Horse ; they are taller than Turkeys. Their neck is straight, 

 and a little longer in proportion than a Turkey's when it lifts 

 up its Head. Its Eye is black and lively, and its Head 

 without Comb or Cop. They never fly, their wings are too 

 little to support the weight of their Bodies ; they serve only 

 to beat themselves, and flutter when they call one another. 

 They will whirl about for twenty or thirty times together on 

 the same side, during the space of four or five Minutes ; The 

 Motions of their Wings makes then a noise very like that of 

 a Rattle ; and one may hear it two hundred Paces off. The 

 Bone of their Wings grows greater towards the Extremity, 

 and forms a little round Mass under the Feathers, as big as 

 a Musket Ball ; That and its Beak are the chief Defence of 

 this Bird. 'Tis very hard to catch it in the Woods, but 

 easy in open Places, because we run faster than they, and 

 sometimes we approach them without much Trouble. From 

 March to September they are extremely fat, and tast 

 admirably well, especially while they are young ; some of 

 the Males weigh forty-five Pound. 



" The Females are wonderfully beautiful, some fair, some 

 brown ; I call them fair because they are of the colour of 

 fair Hair ; They have a sort of Peak like a Widow's, upon 

 their Breasts, which is of a dun Colour. No one Feather 

 is stragling from the other all over their Bodies, they being 

 very careful to adjust themselves, and make them all even 

 with their Beaks. The Feathers on their Thighs are round 

 like shells at the end, and being there very thick, have an 

 agreeable effect : They have two Risings on their * Craws,' 



