Appendix 199 



and dusky over the upper surface of the body, but the white 

 feathering above is divided by the black ring. The ends of 

 the wings and the tail have a greenish gloss as in Cantharides. 

 The skin of the legs is dusky, marked all round with slight 

 fissures. The web in the spaces between the toes is paler, 

 marked now and again with a dusky spot, arranged in no 

 precise plan, except in those of the left foot, where six are 

 distributed over the length of the outer toe. The bird moves 

 with slow step on account of the weight of its body. Its 

 voice is not lite that of other Ducks, but hoarse; such (as 

 comes) from the human throat when attacked by a catarrh. 

 The male is larger than the female. She is like the male, 

 save that she has not so varied a colouring of body. The 

 bird gets its living from muddy waters, and those others 

 wherein the other common Duck delights. 



Of the Turkish or Second Indian Duck. 



That which is called the Turkish or Indian is like a Duck, 

 but (judging) from the bulk and bigness of its body you 

 would almost call it a Goose. It is entirely white, except 

 that the beak, legs and feet are red, while the cheeks also 

 have callous skin, and there is a protuberance on the beak 

 above the nostrils. Its flesh is sweet, and its voice whistling. 

 There are some of this kind variegated with black and white. 

 It lives upon the water, and delights in muddy places, as do 

 other Ducks. 



Of the Sea Pie. 



The Sea Pie (as our common people call it) is a little 

 larger than the land Pie, yet like it in the varied colour of its 

 body, while very dissimilar in the colour of the foot, the 

 number of toes, their scutellations, the tail and the beak. For 

 the foot is red and lacks a hind toe, nor has that member or 

 the tibia scutellations, but merely marks, as like as may be to 

 the scales of fishes. It is cloven-footed, but there is such an 

 extent of skin on the toes on each side — almost as much as 

 in Coots — that the foot would even seem to be formed for 

 swimming. It is an amphibious bird. It has a short tail, 

 a beak long and thin, vertically broad, not smooth, in colour 



