BookHI. o%&ciTHOLogr. V3 



$. in. 



Aldrovandus hk blacky Duck. 



TT is bigger than the common Duck. Its Bill is broad and (hort, yelllow on both 

 [ fides, black in the middle, with a red hook at the tip. The Head and part of the 

 Neck are of a black green, or black, with a tincture of green : The Legs and Feet 

 are red on the out-fide, of a citron-colour on the infide : The Web of the Foot and 

 the Claws of a deep black. All the reft of the body is black, faving a crofs lineof 

 white in the middle of the Wings, and a white fpot behind each Eye. The feathers 

 of the whole body are 10 (oft and delicate asMothing more, fo that it might be not un- 

 defervedly called theVelvct-Duck. In the Stomach and Guts, almoft down to the 

 ftreightGut, I found (mall indigefted fragments of Cockle and Pm^^/e- (hells : But 

 in the ftreight gut they were all concocted, and reduced into a fine powder or fand. It 

 is feldom feen with us, unlefs driven over by a ftorm, but on the fhores of Norway 

 there are great flocks of them, hundreds together. 



' This is that Duck which William MafcereUius, a Phyfician of Collen, fent to Aldro- 

 vandus^ giving it this title: The blacky Dncl^vpith a black.-, red, and yellow Bill 3 whofe 

 figure, though not very elegant, we have borrowed. The de(cription of this Bird 

 we owe to Mx.Johnfon, with whom alfo we faw its Cafe ftuft. 



§. IV. 



The Sheldrake or Burrough-Duc^ called by fome, Bergander, Tadorna BeUott. 

 Vulpanfer quibufdam. 



IT is of a mean bignefs, between a Goofe antl a Duckz Its Bill is fhort, broad, fome- 3 

 thing turning upwards, broader at the tip, of a red colour all but the Nofthrils, 

 and the nail or hook at the end, which are black. At the ba(e of the upper Man- 

 dible near the Head is an oblong carneous bunch or knob. The Head and upper part 

 of the Neck are of a black, or very dark green, Alining like (ilk, which to one that 

 views it at a diftance appears black: The reft of the Neck and region of the Craw 

 milk-white. The upper part of the Bread and the Shoulders are of a very fair orange 

 or bright bay-colour. £The fore-part of the body is encompafled with a broad 

 ring or fwath of this colour.] Along the middle of the Belly from the Breaft to the 

 Vent runs a broad black line. Behind the Vent under the tail the feathers are of 

 the fame orange or bay colour, but paler. The reft of the Breaft and Belly, as alfo 

 theunderfide of the Wings is white : The middle of the Back white: The long fca- 

 pular feathers.black. All the Wing-feathers, as well quils as coverts, excepting thofe 

 on the outmoft * joynt, are white* * Bone, 



Each Wing hath about twenty eight quil- feathers, the ten foremoft or outmoft 

 whereof are black, as are thofe of the fecond row incumbent on them, fave their 

 bottoms : Above thefe toward the ridge of the Wing grow two feathers, white be- 

 low, having their edges round about black. The next twelve quils, as far as they 

 appear above their covert-feathers, are white on the infide the (haft, on the outfide 

 tinctured with a.darkfhining green. The three next on the infide the (haft are white, 

 on the outfide have a black line next the (haft, the remaining part being tinctured 

 with an orange colour. The twenty fixth feather is white, having its outer edge 

 black. 



The Tail hath twelve feathers, white, and tipt with black, all but the outmoft, , 

 which are wholly white. ■...!■» 



The Legs and feet are of a pale red or flefti-colour, the skin being fo pellucid 

 that the tract of the veins may eafily be difcerned through it. 



It hath as it were a double Labyrinth at the divarication of the Wind-pipe. 



Its fielh is not very favoury or delicate, though we found neither fiih nor fifh-bones 

 initsftomach. , v> ; , • . •. 



They are called by Come,Burrow-Ditckf, becaufe they build in Coney-burroughs :' 

 By othei's 7 Sheldrakes,bec2iufe they are particoloured : And by others, it fhould feem, 

 Berganders, which name I find in Aldrovand, Booki 9- Chap. 19. 

 . We have feen many of them on the Sea-coafts of Wales and Lancajlyire, nor are they 

 lefs frequent about the Eaftern fhores of Zngland, 



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