I 



Book II. 0%$CIT HP LO §T. ~[^j 



white ones in the middle, and three or four particoloured ones. The Legs and Feet, 

 down to the very Claws, Were covered with white feathers growing very thick arid 

 clofe together, fo that nothing at all appeared bare but the black Claws. Only the 

 foal of the Foot and inrter part of the Toes were without feathers : 1fet might the 

 Toes be wholly covered with the hair-like feathers meeting underneath. It was as 

 big as a Pigeon, or fbmething bigger : The length of the whole about five Palms,; 

 I fuppofe this Bird is called in Italian about Trent Otorno 5 about the Lake called by 

 the Ancients Verbanus, now Maggiore, [or the greater,] Colmeftre: Our Country- 

 men [the Swit%ers~] Stein-hun [or Stone-hen 5] as fome do alfo the precedent. 

 Others for diftin&ionfake add the bignefs. Lguefs this fecond kind to be a little the 

 bigger. As for the former kind I doubt not but it is the firft Lagopus of Pliny, 

 white, &c. But thrs-ftcojid, although perchance it ; may be doubted, whether it be 

 the fecond Lagopus of Pliny, which, as he writes, differs from Quails only in bignefs, 

 yet ought by all means to be referred to the fame Genus with the firft. Thus far Gef- 

 tier. I am of opinion that this Bird is not only generically, but even fpecifically, the 

 fame with the former or firft Lagopus of Pliny : For,except fome marks and fpots 011 

 the upper fide of the body, it agrees perfefrly therewith : But thofe are not fufficient 

 to infer a difference of kind: Seeing that the firft Species alfo is laid to change colour 

 in Summer, and become dusky : Yea, thofe which afcend not up the Mountains are 

 reported not to be white, no not in Winter. But I dare not pronounce any thing rafh- 

 ly --, referring the matter to the determination of (the learned and curious, that live in 

 thofe Countries, or have opportunity of travelling andfojourning there. 



$. VII. 



The Red Game, called in fome places the GcrcocJ^ and More-coc^Lagopus altera Plinii 



T is near half as big again as a Partridge, for the figure of its body not unlike 5 



Somewhat [yea, considerably ] bigger than the Lagopus ; Its Feet and Claws ex- 

 actly like his. Its Bill is Ihort and blackifh : Its Nofthrils elegantly covered with fea* 

 thers, as in the Lagopus. But efpecially remarkable are the fcarlet-coloured naked 

 skins above each Eye, of the figure of a Crefcent, in place of Eye-brows, which in 

 the Cock are much broader, and have in their upper Circumference a border of loofe 

 flefh fnipt, as it were a fringe or Creft. In the Cock the Plumage about the bap of 

 the Bill is powdered with white fpecks^ and at the fo/£rof the lower Chap, on each 

 fide is a pretty great white fpot $ but not fb in the Female. Moreover, the Male 

 differs from the Female, in that it is much redder than the : So that in the Throat and 

 upper part of the Breaft it hath no mixture at all of any other colour. All the upper 

 fide of the Body, Head, Neck, Back, and covert-feathers of the Wings are partico- 

 loured of rejd and black, each fingle feather being painted with red and black tranfc 

 verfe wayed lines. Howbeit in the Cock the red exceeds the black , yet hath he 

 in the middle of the Back and on the Shoulders great black fpots, which the Female 

 hath not. 



In each Wing are twenty four quil-feathers, all dusky, except the exteriour edges 

 of thofe next the body, which are red. The outmoft feather of the Wing is fhorter 

 than the fecond, the third the longeft of all. The interiour baftard Wing is made 

 up of white feathers. The feathers alfo on the under fide of the Wings next to 

 the flags are white. The Breaft and Belly are almoft of the fame colour with the 

 Back in both Sexes : Yet in the middle of the Breaft and Belly are fome pretty great 

 white fpots. The Legs and Feet are clothed with a long thick Plumage or Down 

 to the utmoft ends of the Toes. The Tail is more than a handful long, not forked^ 

 confifting of fixteen feathers, all black except the two middlemoft, which are vari- 

 ed with red. The flefh is very tender, efpecially in the younger ones, not fo white 

 as a Hens. 



It is frequent in the high Mountains of DerbyJInre, Yorkshire, Wejimorland, and 

 Wales. It lays five, fix, feven, or eight Eggs, feldom more, one inch three quarters 

 long, -fharper at one end, all fpeckled with dark red fpecks or points, only towards 

 the {harper end are one o/two beds void of fpots. The younger are infefted with 

 belly- w^rms, which fometimes as they fly hang down a foot length from behind. We 

 takerms Fowl to be the Lagopus altera of Pliny, lib. 10. cap.48. 



It delights to abide in the higheft tops of the higheft Mountains, and with us never 

 comes down into the Plains, yea, feldom into the fides of the Mountains. - 



A a This 



