56 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



CHAPTE R III. 



Of BIRDS. 



Sect. I. Order and divifion. Sect. II. Of Amphibious Birds, their nature 

 and properties. Sect. III. Dangerous bird-catching in fome places. Sect. 

 IV. The Growfe, and feveral other kinds. Sect. V. The Dove ; and feveral 

 others. Sect. VI. Ducks, and other Water-fowl. Sect. VII. The Falcon, 

 and other like kinds. Sect. VIII. The Kite, a?id feveral others. Sect. IX. 

 Of feveral Sea and Frejh-water Birds. 



I 



SECT. I. 



' N the Natural Hiftory of Norway, the defcription of Birds 



is yet to come, and that of the Fifh ; they make the two 



moft interefting heads : and firft, fomething is to be faid in re- 



The order of gard to the divifion and order of Birds into their proper clalTes. 



in g to their Aldrovandus, Gefnerus, Willughbicus, Zornius*, Klein, and 

 others, who, ex profefTo, have treated on Ornithology, or the 

 Hiftory of Birds, in particular writings, claffing them either by 

 their element, or where' they take up their abode, their magni- 

 tude, or form ; particularly their claws and bills, their legs, way 

 of fubfifting, their fervices or injuries to mankind : but as I on 

 one fide allow that thefe limitted diftinclions would give a more 

 diftinct. idea of them, and would be matter for a treatife on the 

 fubjecl: alone, where all the known Birds of all countries might 

 have place, ancU^nake all the dalles compleat ; I find on the 

 other hand, that which ever of thefe methods of clafling one 

 chufes, there will be no quite diftin6r, or abfolute leparate 

 bounds, to be expected ,* many Birds, in one refpecl:, may belong 

 to a certain clafs 5 but have, in another refpecl:, fomething 

 which, with as much reafon, would range them in another : con- 

 iequently there is no rule without exceptions, contractions, or 

 extenfions. 



, For this reafbn, I have not thought it necefTary to confine the 

 reader's thoughts to any of the before-mentioned clauses, and 

 particularly as none would be compleat, efpecially with enume- 



* This author treats the moft regular and moft amply, but is rather too prolix on 

 the diftin&ions of Birds, and the limits of thofe diftinftions, in his Petino Theologic. 

 P. ii. c. 1. from §. 1 to §. 81, 



rating 



