[ 192 3 



in Maryland feeding on them prevents their in- 

 creafing faft. — The beating of the Pheafant, as 

 we term it, is a noife chiefly made in the fpring 

 of the year by the cock- birds ; it may be dif- 

 tin6lly heard a mile in a calm day. They fwell 

 their breafts like the pouting pigeon, and beat 

 with their wings, which makes a noife not un- 

 like a drum in found ^ but the Pheafant fhort- 

 ens each founding note, till they run one 

 into another indiftinguifhably like ftriking two 

 empty bottles together," 



In order to perfed, as far as I am able, the 

 hiftory of this" bird, I fhall give a quotation from 

 Byron Lahontan's voyages to North- America, 

 pubMied in Englifh. See vol. firft, page 67th, 

 where he fpeaks of a bird found near the lakes 

 of Canada, v/hich I think can be no other than 

 the above defcribed, though the names given 

 them difagree. 



Lahontan fays, " I went in company with 

 fome Canadians on purpofe to fee that fowl flap 

 with its wings. I believe this fight was one of the 

 greateil curiofities in the world -, for their flap- 

 ping makes a noife much like a drum for about 

 I the 



