trees. 



NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 67 



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



like the word Krsek : 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 Mntet. 



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



common opinion, grows on trees, are almoft 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 (hell is quite opened, they are 



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



Drake (huns them as if they were ftrange ones. Thefe fort, or 



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



and this circumftance, amongft 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 anatiferse, or Angle-Tasker, of which I have treated r 



in the former chapter, and have claiTed 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, & fequ. where this learned 



jefuit, in a full and particular dilTertation, diverts this fable of all 



appearance of truth. I {hall only quote the conclufion, p. o>]6 



as follows : 



A jo I. Aves Britannicas non oriri ex arborum fru&ibus aut foliis 

 aut ex lignis navium in mare decidentibus atque in fungos aut 

 conchulas degenerantibus. Fundamentum habeo, quod nee ratio, 

 nee experimentum, nee auftoritas 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- 

 riiTimus alioquin foret, cedit aliis, quod naves diutius in eo theli- 

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

 chulis fupradiftis reperiri vermes aviformes, qui paulatim crefcant 

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

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

 fuum ; quoniam nullus fupra citatorum Scriptorum id vidit, nee 

 dlius alterius oculati teftis atteftatio adeft, fed omnes mens con- 

 jeQuris agunt, vulgi opinione addudi, ut ex verbis ipforum con- 

 ftat. Nullum enim experimentum haaenus docuit, animalcula 



exigua 



