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The greater Sea Swallow, Hirundo marina majof. 



Numb. LXXXVIII. 



IT S Weight was four Ounces and three quarters ; its Length, from the Point of the 

 Bill to the End of the Tail, was iixteen Inches ; Breadth, when the Wings were ex- 

 panded, two Foot eight Inches : its Bill is long, the upper Mandible ftreight, the under 

 Mandible bunches out into an Angle, at the Tip redifh, the reft black; its Mouth 

 within redifh, its Tongue fharp, its Crown black being terminated by a Line drawn 

 from the Noftrils through the Eyes to the Neck and hanging down loofe behind, fo 

 that above the Eyes the Head is black, under the Eyes white; the Chin, Throat, 

 Breaft, and Belly are white with a faint Tindlure of yellow ; the upper part of the 

 Neck, Top of the Back, and Wings were cinereous or afti-colour, tindured with a for- 

 did yellow. 



The Number of Quills In each Wing are twenty nine ; the outmoft ten whereof 

 have their outer Webs running out into fharp Points, the reft their inner ; the exte- 

 riour Web of the firft or outmoft Feather is blackifh or dusky; the Shaft white, and 

 of a notable Thicknefs; the Tips of the following, till the tenth, and the infide of all, 

 white : the Tail is compofed of twelve Feathers, the outmoft being fix Inches long, and 

 having their exteriour Webs from a cinereous to a dusky black, the two middle ones 

 fcarce three Inches long and white, the reft having their outer Webs cinereous, their 

 inner white. 



The Legs and Feet dark afh-colour; the back Toe fmall, the fore Toes web'd to- 

 gether as far as the Claws ; the Craw large, in which was found a Gudgeon ; the Giz- 

 zard full of Fifh-bones; the Guts twenty Inches long, the blind Guts very fhort. 



Thefe Birds flock together, and build and breed on Iflands uninhabited near to the 

 Sea-fhores many together in the fame Quarter. They lay three or four Eggs either on 

 the Ground or a Neft made of Reeds ; their Eggs are fmall at one End, white and 

 fpotted with a few black Spots, their Young are alfo fpotted. They often frequent 

 Kivers and great Pools of Water far diftant from the Sea; in Wales they call them 

 Spurresy and in other Places of England, they are called Scrays, from their being very 

 noify and clamorous. This Bird 1 had from my honourable and good Friend Sir Ro" 

 bertAbdy^ out oi Effex. 



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