NATURAL HISTORY of NOR WAY. 67 



of others, becaufe they are always making a noife, which founds 

 like the word Kraek : they are fomething fmaller than the former ; 

 in colour brown, and they don't go into fait water ; there are alfo 

 others which are called Rod-Nakker, which differ only by a 

 reddifh colour round the neck. The fo called Stock-iEnder, and stock jEsfe* 

 by another name Hav-iEller, the Duck, which, according to the 

 common opinion, grows on trees, are almofl like the Tame Ducks. 

 The Drake is dark grey, and white tufted, with a particular ^ 

 feather on the back of his head, about fix inches in length. The 

 Duck is lighter, grey and white, with a ring round her neck, a 

 red bill, and longifh red legs, and lays annually 12 or 16 eggs : 

 the male and female fit alternately ; they hatch them in four 

 weeks. The third day after the fhell is quite opened, they are 

 taken by the old ones to the waters, and from that time tire 

 Drake fhuns them as if they were flrange ones. Thefe fort, or 

 the Wild iEnder, are found on the coaft in great quantities ; 

 and this circumftance, amongfl others, has occafioned thofe 

 who have not been better informed of their breeding and origin, 

 to imagine that they grow on trees, and have their fource of Grow on 

 the conchae anatiferae, or Angle -Tasker, of which I have treated trees * 

 in the former chapter, and have clafTed them with the infe&s. 

 Should any, neverthelefs, be in doubt of this thing, it is to be 

 found, fully examined and determined, in Gafpari Schotti Phy- 

 fica Curiofa, Lib. ix. cap. xxii. p. 960, 8c fequ. where this learned 

 jefuit, in a full and particular difTertation, divefts this fable of all 

 appearance of truth. I fhall only quote the conclufion, p. 9J6. 

 as follows : 



A jo I. Aves Britannicas non oriri ex arborum fru£tibus aut foliis, 

 aut ex lignis navium in mare decidentibus atque in fungos aut 

 conchulas degenerantibus. Fundamentum habeo, quod nee ratio, 

 nee experimentum, nee au£toritas id perfuadet. Concedo equidem 

 ex lignis putrefcentibus in mari nafci vermes, non circa Scotiam 

 tantum, fed alibi etiam : hanc enim unam ob caufam portus Mef- 

 fanenfis in Sicilia, qui omnium toto orbe pulcherrimus ac fecu- 

 riffimus alioquin foret, cedit aliis, quod naves diutius in eo hseren- 

 tes a vermibus ibidem natis exedantur. Concedo etiam in con- 

 chulis fupradi£tis reperiri vermes aviformes, qui paulatim crefcant 

 8c avolent, cum id tarn multi 8c oculati tefles afferant. Nego 

 tamen aves Britannicas, de quibus hie fermo eft, inde habere ortum 

 fuum ; quoniam nullus fupra citatorum Scriptorum id vidit, nee 

 ullius alterius oculati teftis atteftatio adefl, fed omnes meris con- 

 jeQuris agunt, vulgi opinione addu£ii, ut ex verbis ipforum con- 

 ftat. Nullum enim experimentum haclenus docuit, animalcula 



exigua 



