5« NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, 



CHAPTER 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 fever al other _ kinds. Sect. V. The Dove, and feveral 

 others. Sect. VI. Ducks, and other Waterfowl. Sect. VII. The Falcon, 

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

 Of fever al Sea and Frejh-water Birds. 



SECT. I. 



IN the Natural Hiftory of Norway, the defcription of Birds 

 is yet to come, and that of the Fifli ; 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 claffes. 



Birds accord- ~: « , , r , t - . <__ . . r r . . i 



ing to their Aldrovandus, Geinerus, Willughbicus, Zornius*, Klein, and 

 "''others, who, ex profeffo, 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 diftinfitions would give a more 

 diftincl: idea of them, and would be matter for a treathe on the 

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

 have place, and make all the clafles compleat ; I find on the 

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

 chufes, there will be no quite diftincl:, or abfolute feparate 

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

 to a certain clals ; but have, in another refpecl, fomething 

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

 fequently there is no rule without exceptions, contractions, or 

 extenfions. 



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

 reader's thoughts to any of the before-mentioried clafles, and 

 particularly as none would be compleat, efpecially with enume- 



* This author treats the moft regular and mofb amply, but. is rather top prolix on 

 the diftin&ions of Birds, and the limits of thofe diftinc1:ions,<in his Petino Theologic. 

 P. ii. c. i. from §. i to §. 81. 



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