NATURAL HISTORY of NO RTF AY. 95 



The Strand -Skade, which lives near the water, and feeds on 

 fnails and oyfters, has red- legs, but no back- toe : this is fuppofed 

 to be the Haemantopus of Pliny. 



The Skarv, the Columbus, or Loon, is a pretty large Sea-Bird 5 skarv. 

 'tis larger than a Duck, and has legs and feet like them, excepting 

 that the outermofl toe is much longer than the reft : on all the toes 

 it has long, crooked, and fharp claws ; thefe, as alfo the whole body 

 of the Bird, are black ; the legs fland further out on each fide, 

 than on the Duck or Goofe ; fo that they ftraddle a great deal 

 wider : their neck, tail and wings are very long ; on the top of 

 their neck there is a green bright feather. We have three kinds 

 of them ; the firft is called Top-Skarv, becaufe it has a tuft on 

 his head ; this does not come into the rivers, but keeps to the 

 outermofl iflands, The other fort are larger ; and thefe are 

 diftinguifhed by a large white fpot, like a crown piece, on each 

 of their black thighs, which gives them the name of Huiidlaaring, 

 White Thighs. The third fort are without any fuch diftin&ion - 

 but they are lefs than the firft, and larger than the laft : this Bird 

 keeps near the fea on the fteepeft rocks % and lay three fnow- 

 white eggs like Goofe eggs ; they fit upon them, by turns, three 

 weeks : thefe eggs have this particular quality, that they cannot be 

 boiled hard, but always remain liquid. The young are white ar 

 firft ; they don't grow black till after the third week ; and 

 then they live with the old ones, which are mighty expert at 

 catching fmall filh, and dive, as ihs fifhcrmen fay, very deep even 

 2,0 or 30 fathoms, to fetch up all kind of fmall' fid), of which one 

 fometimes finds fuch a number in their craw when they are killed 

 that it is impofiible to conceive it ; and flill more furprifing it mull 

 appear, yet neverthelefs it is ftri&ly true, and ftands confirmed 

 by many that have made their obfervations, that tho' the Loon's 

 neck is long and {lender, and it would be difficult to thruft down 

 two fingers into it, yet the Bird can ftretch the mufculous parts 

 of his throat fo wide, as to f wallow, a flounder half a foot 

 broad, fuch having been found in his flomach. When the Loon 

 comes afhore he ftretehes himfelf upon his legs againft the wind 

 that he may be thoroughly dried ; but as this feldom happens' 

 we call, in this country, any body that is wet, flovenly, and 

 difagreeable, a Loon ; or if they have their cloaths but feldom 

 dry, we fay, He is as wet as a Loon. 



* As thefe Birds harbour together in great numbers, the farmers ufe this piece of 

 art to catch them : in the evening, when they are all got together, they take their 

 boats and row under thefe rocks, and make a large fire; the fudden heat and fmoak 

 intoxicates them, and they drop down in heaps, and are eafily killed, 



The 



