Travels in North America. 89 



cxcelient Soup. Oar Wood-Peckers are very beautiful ; there 

 are foma which are of all Colours, others are black or a dark 

 brown all over except the Head and the Neck, which are of a 

 very fine red. 



The Nightingale of Canada, is much the fame as that of France 

 for Shape, but ithas but half its Song: The Wren has robbed it of 

 the other Half. The Goldfinch has not fo fine a Head as in 

 Europe^ and all its Plumage is mixt v^ith Yellow and Black. As 

 I never favv any of them in a Cage, I can fay nothing of their 

 Song. All our Woods are full of a Sort of Birds, which are 

 Yellow all over, about the Bignefs of a Linnet, which has a 

 pretty Note, but -its Song is very fhort, and not varied. It- 

 has no other Name but that of its Colour, being called the Yel- 

 low Bird, A kind of Ortolan, whofe Plumage is of an Afti 

 Colour on the Back, and White under the Belly, and which they 

 call the Y/hite Bird, is the bell Songfter of all the Inhabitants of 

 our Woods : It is little inferior to the Nightingale of France^ but 

 it is the Male only that fmgs, the Female which is of a deeper 

 Colour is filent even in a Cage. This little Bird has a very 

 pretty Plumage, and is well called an Ortolan for its Tafte. I 

 know not where it retires during the Winter, but it is always 

 the firll to proclaim to us the Return of Spring. As foon as the 

 Snow is melted in fome Places, they come in great Flocks, and 

 we tî^ke as many of them as we pleafe. 



It is feldom, but at a hundred Leagues from hence towards the 



Of the Cardinal ^^'^^ begin to fee the Cardinal Bird, 



^ .^ ■^ There are fome at Paris^ that were tranfported 



fi-om Lcuifianay and I believe they will make 

 their Fortune in France^ if they can breed them there like the 

 Canary-Birds. - The Sweetnefs of its Song, the Brilliancy of its 

 Plumage, which is of a fine Scarlet, a little Tuft of Feathers they 

 have upon the Head, and which pretty well refembles the Crowns 

 which Painters give to Indian Kings and Americans^ feems to 

 confirm to them, the Empire of the Air. They have neverthelefs 

 a Rival here who would have all the Votes for it, if it pleafed 

 the Ear as much as it charms the Sight. This is what they call 

 in this Country VOifeau Mouche, (the Fly-Bird.) It is thus called 

 for two Reafons : The firil, on Account its 



OftheFly-'Bird^ Smallnefs, for it is but little bigger than 

 nvith its Feathers. the common May-Bug, or Chaffer. The 

 fécond, is on Account of a pretty loud 

 Humming, which it makes with its Wings ; which is much like 

 that of a great Fly. Its Legs, which are about an Inch long, 

 are like two Needles, its Bill is the fame, and it puts out of it a 

 little Trunk, which it thrufts into the Flowers, to draw out their 

 Juice, upon which it feeds. The Female has nothing brilliant, 



N o a pretty 



