n%~ o^s^irHOLogr, BookI ji. 



after another vomit up all their fifh a little bruifed with the nip they gave them with 

 their Bills. When they have done fifhing, letting the Birds on fome high place th 

 loofe the firing from their Necks, leaving the paflage to theftomach free and 

 and for their reward they throw them part of their prey they have caught to ea h ^ 

 chance one or two fifties, which they by the Way as they are falling in the ai P % 

 catch raoft dextroufly in their mouths. This kind of fifhing with Cormon L * 

 * Lib. io. it feems alfo ufed in the Kingdom of China, as * Nierembergius out of Me d ™ 

 relates. 



This Bird builds not only on the Sea-Rocks, but alfo upon trees. For f faith 

 certain Englijhman mentioned by AUrovand) I have feen their Nefts on the Ro k 

 nearthe mouth of the River Tine, and in Norfolk upon high trees together with th 

 Heron*. Which fame thing we alfo have obferved. For on the Rocks of Prefthol 

 Ifland near Beaumaris we faw a Cormorants Neft, and on the high trees near Sevcnhi™ 

 in Holland abundance. Which thing is worthy the notice-taking : For befides thT 

 and the following, we have not known or heard of any whole-footed bird that 11 

 wont to lit upon trees, much left build its Neft upon them. 



I 



Chap. IV. 



The Shag, called in the N[prth of England, the Crane : Corvus aquaticus minor 

 five Graculus palmipes. 



' T is bigger than a tame Duck, weighing almoft four pounds. Its length from 

 Bill-point to Tail end was two foot and an half Its breadth the Wings being 

 fpread forty four inches. Its Bill ftreight, flender, neither flat, nor comprefled 

 fideways, but rather round, from the tip to the angles of the mouth four inches 

 long 5 the upper Mandible black, hooked at the end, the nether from green of a pale 

 yellow. It hath a wide gape.' The Tongue is final], and almoft none. The Nofthrils 

 were not confpicuous, at leaft I could not difcover any that it had. The Eyes fmall 

 Ctuate lower and forwarder than is ufual in other birds. Its body is fmall, flat and de- 

 preffed like the dun Divers : The upper fide of a black purplifh colour, or black with 

 a dark tincture of green, ftiining like filk. ' The under-fide is dusky, but in the 'mid- 

 dle of the Belly inclining to afti-colour. Under the Chin itis white, behind the 

 Vent blacker than the reft of the Belly. The Tail is an hand-breadth and an half long 

 compofed of twelve feathers, hard and ftiff, the midcllemoft being the longeft, and 

 theoutmoft the fhorteft, fothat being fpread it feems to refemble an hyperbolical cir- 

 *This mark cumference. Each Wing hath thirty feathers in the firft row. * The Wings when 

 toS? If m . clofed reach no further than the bare or beginning of the Tail. The Legs are Ihort 

 rant. broad, comprefled, feathered down to the Knees. The skin of the Legs is cancella- 



ted, not fcaly. It hath four Toes, all connected by intervening membranes, armed 

 with black Claws 5 the outmoft Toe the longeft, the reft in order fhorter. The 

 foals of the Feet and backfides of the Legs are black : The membranes connecting 

 the Toes dusky. The Claw of the middle toe is ferrate on the infide. It hath a huge 

 long, membranous ftomach, which in the birds we differed was full of fmall fifties! 

 It fwims in the Sea with its Head erect, its body almoft immerfed in the water. When 

 aGunisdifchargedatit, as foon as it fees the fireflafh, immediately it pops under wa- 

 ter like a Doucker, fo that it is a very hard thing to fhoot it. 



It differs from the precedent, 1. In bignefs, being much lefs: 2. In the colour of 

 the Belly, which in this is blackifh, in that white : 3. In the number of the feathers 

 of the Tail, which is this are but twelve, whereas in that they are fourteen : 4. In 

 that the claw of the middle toe in this is ferrate, as in Herons, in that only ftiarp- 

 edged. [ Mr. Johnfon gives the Cormorant a ferrate Claw, and denies it to this. Per- 

 chance herein theremay be variety, Nature ( as they term it) fporting it felf, and not 

 obferving conftantly the fame rule : 1 5. That in this there is not Co much bare skin 

 at the bate of theBill as in that, nor of the fame yellow colour : 6. Laftly, in the flen- 

 dernefs and length of the Bill. 

 This Bird alfo builds on trees .* Its Eggs are long and white. 



Chap. 



