Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray. 129 



" great Enemies to the Flying Fijh. As foon as we 

 " eroded the Tropic, we were met by a Bird called 

 u the Tropic- Bird, becaufe they commonly are fir ft 

 u feen at zz or 2,3 Degrees of Latitude. They are 

 " about the Bignefs of a Parrot y the Feathers ap- 

 ^ c peared white,with red intermix'd > the Beak crook- 

 cc ed, and of a Scarlet Colour 5 their "Tail at a Di- 

 p 6 fiance not to be feen, but, nigh at hand, about 

 " the Thicknefs and Length of an ordinary Tobac- 

 u co-Pipe. I wonder what their Food may be fo 

 H far from Land y for I cannot learn that they have 

 u been obferved to prey upon any Fiih, or Birds, 

 u unlefs they refort to fome fmall .Ifland yet undif- 

 " covered. I heard, fince I came hither, that they 

 <c frequent the Rocks on the Windward (or Eaft- 

 " Part) of this Iflandj which, if true, 111 endea- 

 u your to procure fome, &c. 



Mr. Ray to Dr. Lifter. 



Dear SIR, Middleton, Dec 19. — 74. 



I Thank you for the Information fent about the v 

 Birds. I have read of the one in fome Books of 

 Voyages, viz. the Booby, but know nothing elfe of 

 it but the Name. I wifh I had a particularJDefcri- 

 ption of it, that fo I might infert it in our Ornithology. 

 The Doctor, your Friend, feems to promife you the 

 Bird dried y which, when you receive, I fhall beg a 

 Defcription of it from you. 



The Tropic Bird dried I have feen in the Repofitory 

 of the Royal Society, and have defcribed as well as 

 I can. I find it to belong to that Sort of Birds which 

 I call Palmiped, with all the four Toes webbed to- 

 gether, fuch as are the Cormorant and Soland-Goofe y 

 and therefore, without doubt, preys upon Fifties, and 



S lives 



