in Mr. Johnfon to Mr. Ray. 



pardon this Trouble, The conje£tural Reafons which 

 I here and there add of the Parts of Fowls, I ex> 

 prefs pofitively, to avoid Prolixity of Words $ and if 

 in many, of them I err, (as like enough I may) it is 



not for want of — — . 



Moft of the Latin Names I give, wtjo. or Ge/h. 

 for I have not Aldrovand. tho' I confefs fometimes 

 their Defcriptions are imperfe£t, or do not exa&ly 

 agree: And fometimes (tho' rarely) I take the Liberty 

 to feign a Name, where I find not one. 



'Tis commonly reported with us of the Heron and 

 Bittour, .that they have but one wide Gut > and there- 

 fore (they fay) when they eat an Eel, fhe prefently goes 

 through them, which the Heron in her Flight catches 

 again and again 5 but v/hen I opened them, I found 

 the Story falfe, for they had Guts like other Birds 

 for any thing I faw 3 therefore I rather think the 

 Eel (if at all) makes her Efcape out of her Feet. 



, JBtignall, Jan. 15. l6\%> 



I have often taken Notice that the Summer Birds 

 do all, or moll of them, feed on fuch Infefe, whofe 

 being confifis moft what in Motion, I mean, who 

 have more Store of Animal Soul than of all the reft, 

 and therefore afford a plentiful Supply of Animal Spi- 

 rits to the Brain^ and Genus Nervofum of the Birds \ 

 which I fometimes fancy to be the Reafon why thefe 

 Birds are fo refrlefs in Motion, and fuch continual 

 - Singers : And perhaps fome Reafon may be taken from 

 hence why the Soros, and fome other Infects, are fo 

 beneficial to the nervous Kinds, and why a greater Me- 

 dicinal Improvement may be made of lnfe£ts. ( 



Mr. 



