V 6 0<%AClTHOLOgi, Book M. 



twenty fecond are white about the edges, black in the middle along the (haft. The 

 fmall covert-feathers of the Wings are of a light brown or dark a(h-colour 5 butthofe 

 that cover the quils from the tenth to the twentieth are particoloured of brown 

 White, and cinereous. 



MxWiUnghby in this and other Birds is, in my opinion, more particular and minute 

 indefcribing the colours of each fingle feather of the Wings and Tail than is need- 

 ful 5 fith in thefe things nature doth as they fay {port her felf, not obferving exaclly 

 the fame ftrokes and fpots in the feathers of all Birds of the fame fort. 



In the ftru&ure of the Mouth, Tongue, and Head, it differs little from the com- 

 mon wild Duck^i unlefs perchance the Head be lefs in proportion to the body. The 

 upper Mandible of the Bill is of a lead-colour,witha round black nail at the end. The 

 Feet from a dusky white incline to a lead-colour. The Claws are black : The outmoft 

 Toe longer than the inmoft : The back-toe fhort. 



It feeds upon graft and weeds growing in the bottoms of Rivers, Lakes, and Chan- 

 nels of water, alfo upon Whilks, Periwinkles, &c. that it finds there. The Males in 

 this kind at Cambridge are called tfigeons, the Females Wkewers. 



The flelh of it for delicacy is much inferiour to that of Teal 7 or indeed Wild- 

 Buck. 



I V. 



The Sea-Pheafant or Cracker : Anas caudacuta, Aldrov. torn. 3. pag. 234. 

 Coda lancea at Rome. 



IT is of the bignefs of the common Wigcon$ of twenty four ounces weight? 

 twenty eight inches long from Bill to Tail: From tip to tip of the Wings extended 

 thirty feven inches broad. 



Its Head is flender, its Neck long for this kind : Its Bill from the tip to the angles of 

 the mouth two inches and an half, of equal breadth almoft throughout 5 the nether 

 Mandible wholly black, the upper partly blue, partly black, viz,, black in the middle, 

 on the fides beneath the Nofthrils blue: Black alfo at the corners of the mouth, at 

 the very tip, and in the lower edges near the tip. The colour of the Plumage on 

 the whole Head is ferrugineous or brown, behind the Ears tin&ured with a light pur- 

 ple. Beyond the Ears on each fide from the hinder part of the Head begins a 

 line of white which pafTes down the fides of the Neck to the Throat. All 

 the feathers between or adjacent to thefe lines are black : Under the black the 

 Neck is afh-coloured, then curioufly varied with tranfverfe black and white lines, as 

 is alfo almoft the whole Back. The long fcapular feathers are black in their middle 

 parts, but the exteriour have their outer Webs almoft to the {hafts black, their inner 

 ( which are much the narrower) varied with white and black [ brown ] lines. All the 

 nether part, Neck, Breaft, Belly, to the very Vent is white. Yet in the lower Belly 

 the white is a little darkned with a mixture of cinereous. The feathers under the Tail 

 are black. 



As for the Wings, the ten outmoft quils and moft of the covert-feathers are of a 

 dark cinereous £ In fome Birds the interiour edges of the feventh, eighth, ninth, and 

 tenth quils are white. ] The fecond decad of quils is particoloured 5 for the tips of 

 all are white, £ or from white red ] then in the outer Web fucceeds a black line, the 

 remaining part thereof, as far as appears beyond the incumbent feathers being of a 

 gliftering purple, or purplifh blue colour : The interiour Webs of all are of the fame 

 colour with the reft of the feathers. Of the following the exteriour Webs are cine- 

 reous, the interiour black. The covert feathers of the fecond row immediately in- 

 cumbent on the fecond decad of quils have their tips of a fair red or Lion-colour. The 

 long feathers covering the Thighs are elegantly varied with black and white tranfverfe 

 lines, beneath which the Plumageis yellow. 



The Tail is made up of fixteen feathers, all afh-coloured excepting their exteriour 

 edges, which are whitifh. The two middlemoft run out into very long and {harp 

 points,being produced two inches and an half beyond the reft: Whence alfo this Bird 

 is in fome places of England called the Sea-pheafant. 



Its feet are of a lead-colour, darker about the joynts. It hath a fmall Labyrinth, and 

 a great Gall. 



The Hen is like in colour to the common Wild- Duck, but fairer, and variegated 

 with more full and lively white and brown colours. The Wing-feathers agree in co- 

 lour withthofe of the Cock, fave that they are duller and lefs lively. The Belly is 



reddifh. 



