8o NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, 



Regionis calidse montibus fatis abunde reperiatur. Verum nullus 

 dubito, quin avis ilia, quam Bellonius &C Scaliger hoc nomine 

 intelligunt, in Alpibus quippe Pyrenaeis & Arvernienfibus mon- 

 tibus degens, quamque Bellonius ad plana defcendere negat, lago- 

 podi noftrse omnino eadem fit. Et forte etiam Aldrovandi non 

 diverfa fuerit, cum utrique turn Bellonianse avi, turn Aldrovan- 

 dinse Francoloni nomen commune fit, & Aldrovandi attagenem 

 fuam monticolam elTe fcribit. Nee refert, quod Sicilian, ubi inve- 

 nitur, regio calida fit, montes enim Sicilise, prsefertim iEtna adeo 

 frigidus eft, ut per maximam seftatis partem nivibus fit opertus, 

 &c. Caro hujus avis laudatiffima eft, facilis concoclionis, nutri- 

 menti multi & optimi, unde 6C primum dignitatis gradum apud 

 veteres obtinuit. 

 imber. The Imber, Imbrim, Ember, or the great Northern Diver, 



is a pretty large Sea-Bird, a little bigger than a Goofe : it has 

 a long Neck, the upper part black, as well as the bill and feet ; 

 but from the breaft downwards 'tis white : there are alio fbme 

 white feathers at the extremity of the wings and tail. The 

 wings are fo fhort, that they can hardly raife themfelves with 

 them ; and the legs ftand fo far backwards, that they are not fo 

 fit to walk with, as to paddle themfelves along the water. 

 Hence arifes that ftrange account in which every body agrees, that 

 the Immeren is never feen to come afhore, excepting in the week 

 before Chriftmas • from whence the fourth Sunday in Advent is 

 called by the people in general Immer, or, according to their way 

 of expreffing, Ommer-Sondag. On enquiry, how they find place 

 and opportunity to hatch their young, I have been informed they 

 lay but two eggs, which is very likely ; for one never lees more 

 than two young ones with them. Under their wings in their body 

 there are two pretty deep holes, big enough to put one's fift in : in 

 each of thefe they hide an egg, and hatch the young ones there, 

 as perfecl, and with lefs trouble, than others do on more. Relata 

 refero, fed conftanter & a plurimis relata. Hr. Lucas Debes, whom 

 I confider as a pretty cautious writer, does not look upon this 

 to be improbable, where he, in his Delcription of Faroernes, p. 

 128, & fequ. treats of that Bird. He obferves that the Immeren, 

 according to the opinion of fome, is not the Isfuglen or Halcedo, 

 which Franzius, in his Hiftor. animalium facra, defcribes to be 

 of quite a different form, and indeed a little Bird. It is faid 

 the young ones are eafily enticed afhore, and killed ; but the old 

 ones, which are moft valued on account of their fine feathers and 

 down, know very well how to guard themfelves againft Gun-fhot 



for 



