84 NATURAL HISTORY of TV r RW A T. 



therefore it builds its neft in the ruflies, or on the fides of frefh 

 water lakes ; but fo clofe to the water, that the dams can roll 

 themfelves down into their proper element from the neft, without 

 the help of their legs. Though they live by frefti waters, ftill 

 they fly to the fea aifo, to feek for food. There, as well as in 

 the former place, they live upon all kind of fmall fifh, worms, 

 and infe&s, which they feek for by ducking twelve or fixteen 

 fathom deep in the water. The hen lays two dark brown eggs, 

 and fits alternately with her mate to hatch them. This is done 

 in four weeks, and if the water rifes fo high that it gets into the 

 neft, one or other ftill continues fitting on them. When this 

 Bird is in a lportive humour it makes a frightful ugly noife, juft 

 like the cries of a human creature in imminent danger, and calling 

 for relief. It makes another very different noife, which is a iignal 

 to the farmers for fine weather, after a great deal of wet and 

 ftormy feafons : at thefe times they are leen to fly up pretty hio-h 

 over their neft. TheLumme's fkin is drawn off with down and 

 all, and is ufed to line caps with, and is reckoned better than 

 fwan-lkins. After this was wrote, there was publifhed a Work, 

 call'd Olai Wormii Epiftolse j in the fecond part of which there is 

 found, fub N°. DCCCCLIX. p. 1021. a letter to him from Ab- 

 folon Chriftophorus, treating particularly of this Norvegian Bird ; 

 from which I fhall quote the moft important part of what is faid 

 thereon, to illuftrate and confirm further what has been delivered 

 here. Confultis itaque Iflandis interpretibus, geminas vocis Loom 

 fignificationes, alta jam a multis annis oblivione in Norvegia ob- 

 rutas ac fepultas didici. Aiunt enim voce hac & anxiam cujufque 

 rei curam, & fummam infuper calliditatem denotari. Quod 

 utrumque nomen huic avi peperifle tanto certe crediderim faci- 

 lius, quanto plura & majora utriufque nobis prsebeat arguments. 

 Hujus quidem, dum pedum ad inceffum ufu deftituta, nidum 

 adeo prope aquam fibi ftruit, ut ex eo in vicinamaquam fe devol- 

 vat facillime demit tatque rurfumque nidum petitura, infixo terras 

 roftro, quod aduncum habet, molem corporis fublevet, defeclum- 

 que ita pedum utcunque fuppleat. Illius etiam non fpernenda 

 funt documenta : quam enim fit pro nido atque pullis fuis anxia 

 &C follicita, exemplo erit, quod quoties largiores imbres prsefen- 

 tilcat, toties, ne torrentium repentino confluvio intumefcens ftag- 

 num, alluvione fua nidum inveftefque pullos inundet ac fuffocet, 

 metuit, huncque metumquerula femper voce atque ejulatu tefta- 

 tur. Contra vero, cum futuram coeli ierenitatem & clementiam 

 praefagierit, lastis quafi acclamationibus fibi atque pullis fuis gra- 

 tulatur. Atque ex diverfa colymbi noftri vociferatione, ruftici 



noftrates, 



