7,66 O^^ClTHOLOgr, EookIII. 



The nether fide of the Neck and forepart of theBreaft are black, the reft of the 

 Breaft and Belly, as far as the Vent, of a white or filver- colour, the lower the darker. 

 Behind the Vent it is black. The lateral feathers covered by the Wings when clofed, 

 thofe on the Thighs, and the under-coverts of the Wings are white. The interiour 

 baftard-wingconfifts of fix white feathers. 



The Legs are fhort andfituate backwards: The Feet of a livid or dark blue co- 

 lour, the Web black : The Toes long. 



The body is fhort, thick, broad, and fomething comprelTed or flat, weighing about 

 two pounds. 



In the angle of the lower Mandible fomehave awhiteipot, which in others is 

 wanting. 



The Wind-pipe hath its labyrinth. The Liver is divided into two Lobes, having 

 a Gall annexed. The Gizzard is compofed of thick mufcles : Therein we found no- 

 thing but fmall (tones and Sea-wrack. 



We faw a Bird very like this, perchance the fame, in his Majefties Pools in S.Jam/s 

 Park. 



Its Bill and Legs were of a lead-colour: Its Head black. Its Wings little, but 

 above the Wings the fides white. A longcreft hangs down backward from behind 

 the Head. [To me, beholding the Bird at a diftance, the whole Wings feemed 

 white, but perchance that colour was proper to the covert-feathers, not common to 

 the quils. ] 



4. x. 



The blackJDiwr or Scoter : Anas niger minor; 



IT is almoft as big as the common Dnc^ but rounder-bodied. The whole body aH 

 over is of a black or fable colour. From the Shoulders in (bme birds fpring blacker 

 feathers. In the Chin and middle of the Breaft fome alh-coloured or vvhitiih fea- 

 thers are mingled with the black. The Wings are of the lame colour with the body, 

 without any diverfity of colours at all. The Bill fuch as in the Duck-kind, yellow 

 about the Nofthrils, elfe black, pectinated about the fides, yellow within, with- 

 out any bunch in the upper Mandible. Its Feet are black. This defcription is of a 

 Hen. 



In the year 1671. 1 found the Male of this kind at Chefter, killed on the Sea-coafts 

 thereabouts, and bought in the Market by my Lord Biihop Wilk^ns his Steward, and 

 defcribed it in thefe words. 



It is fomething lefs than a tame Duck., (hort-bodied for its bignefs, and broad 5 

 all over black both upper and under-fide : Only the Head had a dark tincture of pur- 

 ple, and the under-fide of the firft, fecond, and third rows of Wing-feathers inclined 

 to cinereous. The wings were fhort; the quils in eachj:wenty five. The Tail more 

 than an hand-breadth long, confifting of fixteen feathers, the outmoft of which were 

 the (horteft, the reft in order longer to the middlemoft, which were the longeft, fo 

 that the Tail runs out into an acute angle, more acute than I remember to have ob- 

 ferved in other Sea-ducks 5 and each (ingle feather is very (harp-pointed. 



The Bill in this Bird is eipecially remarkable, being broad, blunt, as in the reft of 

 this kind, of about two inches length, having no Appendix or nail at the tip, contra- 

 ry to the manner of other Ducks. The upper Mandible above the Noftrils, next the 

 forehead, bunches out into a notable protuberance, being 10 divided in the middle as 

 to refemble Buttocks, diftinguilhed by a yellow intercurrent line. Now the colour 

 of this upper Mandible is black aboutthe fides, yellow in the middle, the yellow part 

 being fo broad as to contain the Nofthrils, and about an inch long. The Tongue is 

 very great. The Eye-lids yellow. The hides of the Eyes dark. The Legs and 

 Feet dusky; The Toes very long, and web'd together, fothat its oars are broad and 

 large* The (horter Toe hath a membranous border extant along itsoutfide. This 

 had no labyrinth on, its Wind-pipe. The blind-guts for a bird of this kind were very 

 fhort : The Gall great. It weighed two pounds and nine ounces : Its length from 

 Bill to Tail was twenty two inches : It breadth from Wings end to Wings end thirty 

 four and an half. 



This Bird hath not as yet been deicribed by any Author extant in Print that we 

 know of. It abides conftantly at Sea, gets its living by diving, and is taken in Nets 

 placed under water. In the wa(h in Lincolnshire it is found plentifully. Its Cafe 



ftuft 



