1770 QUADRUPEDS, BIRDS, ETC. 228 
as in other countries companions of the men, and the latter 
probably brought hither by the men; especially as they are 
so scarce, that I myself have not had opportunity of seeing 
even one. Of seals, indeed, we have seen a few, and one 
sea-lion ; but these were in the sea, and are certainly very 
scarce, as there were no signs of them among the natives, 
except a few teeth of the latter, which they make into a 
kind of bodkin and value much. It appears not improbable 
that there really are no other species of quadrupeds in the 
country, for the natives, whose chief luxury in dress con- 
sists in the skins and hair of dogs and the skins of divers 
birds, and who wear for ornaments the bones and beaks of 
birds and teeth of dogs, would probably have made use of 
some part of any other animal they were acquainted with, 
a circumstance which, though carefully sought after, we 
never saw the least signs of. 
Of birds there are not many species, and none, except 
perhaps the gannet, are the same as those of Europe. There 
are ducks and shags of several kinds, sufficiently like the 
European ones to be called the same by the seamen, both 
which we eat and accounted good food, especially the former, 
which are not at all inferior to those of Europe. 
Besides these there are hawks, owls, and quails, differing 
but little at first sight from those of Europe, and several 
small birds that sing much more melodiously than any I 
have heard. The sea coast is also frequently visited by 
many oceanic birds, as albatrosses, shearwaters, pintados, etc., 
and has also a few of the birds called by Sir John 
Narbrough penguins, which are truly what the French call 
a nuance between birds and fishes, as their feathers, especially 
on their wings, differ but little from scales; and their wings 
themselves, which they use only in diving, by no means 
attempting to fly or even accelerate their motion on the 
surface of the water (as young birds are observed to do), 
might thence almost as properly be called fins. 
Neither are insects in greater plenty than birds; a few 
butterflies and beetles, flesh-flies very like those in Europe, 
mosquitos and sand-flies, perhaps exactly the same as those 
Q 
