37* OljW llTHOLOg?. Book III. 



The Legs are feathered down to the Knees. In the Mallard the Head and upper 

 part of the Neck are of a delicate ihining green : then follows a ring of white, which 

 yet fails of being an entire circle, not coming round behind. From the white ring 

 the Throat is of a Chefhut colour down to the Breaft. The Breaft it felf and Beliy 

 are of a white afh-colour, bedewed or fprinkled with innumerable dark Ipecks, as it 

 were fmall drops. Under the Tail the feathers are black. The upper fide of the 

 Neck from cinereous is red, fprinkled in like manner with fpots. The middle of the 

 Back between the Wings is red, the lower part black, and frill deeper on the Rump, 

 with aglofs of purple. Thefides under the Wings, and the longer feathers on the 

 Thighs are adorned with tranfverfe brown lines,making a very fair fhew. In them the 

 white colour feems to have a mixture of blue. 



The leffer rows of Wing-feathers are red : The long fcapular feathers are filver- 

 dusky** c °I°ured, elegantly variegated with tranfverfe * brown lines. In each Wing are 

 twenty four quils, the outmoft ten of a dusky or dark brown : The fecond decad 

 have white tips, then their outer Webs are of a fhining purplifh blue colour: But 

 between the white and blue intercedes a border of black. The tip of the twenty 

 firft is white, the exteriour Web of a dark purple : The middle part of the twenty 

 fecond is a little filver-coloured : The twenty third is wholly of a filver- colour, yet 

 the edges on each fide are black : The twenty fourth is likewife of a filver-colour, 

 only the exteriour border black. The outmoft covert-feathers are of the fame colour 

 withthe quils; butthofe immediately incumbent on the purple-blue quils have black 

 tips, and next the tips abroad line or crofs bar of white, fo that the blue fpot is ter- 

 minated with a double line, firft black, and above that white. The Tail hath twen- 

 ty feathers, ending in fharp points. The four middle of thef e are reflected circularly 

 toward the Head, being black, with a glofs of purple. The eight next to thefe on 

 each fide are white, efpecially the outer ones, and on their exteriour Webs, the nearer 

 to the reflected ones, the greater mixture of brown have they. The covert-feathers 

 of the infide of the Wing, and the*interiour baftard Wing are white. 



In Winter time they company together, and fly in flocks, in the Summer by pairs. 

 Duck, and Mallard together. They build their Nefts among Heath or Ruihes, not 

 far from the water, feldom in trees ; laying twelve, fourteen, or more Eggs before 

 they fit. The Female or Duck hath neither green head, nor ringed Neck, but both 

 particoloured of white, brown, and dark red. The middle parts of the Back-fea- 

 thers are of a dark brown, the edges of a pale red. 



As for the great Ring-Duck, of Gefner, he being very brief in defcribing of it, 

 and ufing only general notes, and my felf having never feen any fuch bird, I know not 

 what to make of it, and do doubt whether there be any fuch Bird in nature ; efpeci- 

 ally becaufe the defcription he brings of it, made by a certain German, doth in all 

 things anfwer to our Mallard above defcribed. 



In the Fens in the Ifleof Ely, Norfolk., and Lincolnjbire, about Croxoland, andelfe- 

 where, Ducks, Wigeons, Teal, and other birds of this kind, at what time they moult 

 their feathers and cannot fly, are taken yearly in great numbers in Nets placed after 

 this manner. 



AB, CD 



