Mr. Ray to Dr. Robinfon. 149 



ption of Monfieur Graindorge is fcarce fufficient to 

 determine to what Genus it belongs, much lefs whe- 

 ther it be a non-defcript Species. Thofe Notes of 

 having flat Feet, and thofe weak and unfit for 

 marching on Land, a fmall flat Back Claw, or Toe, 

 fmall Wings in Proportion to the Bulk of its Body, 

 being all over black, argue it to belong to the Genus 

 of Colymbi^ or Douckers. But what he adds of the 

 Flatnefs of its Bill, and its rifing up with a high Emi- 

 nency, and its various Colours, agree not to the 

 Douckers , but rather to the Palmipedes Trida&yte: 

 So that I am ftill at a Lofs about it} but yet do now 

 conje£ture it to be of the Douckers Tribe, becaufe it 

 comes in the Winter-Time, and breeds not here : 

 Whereas the Palmipedes TrldaByl^ come to us in 

 Summer, and breed with us, none appearing in our 

 Seas all Winter. But if it be a Colymhus (as is now t<y 

 me moil likely) it is of a middle Size, and of the 

 caudate Kind j for they only have mufculous Sto- 

 machs, or Gizards, and are by Extremity of Wea- 

 ther driven into our Seas, and the Mouths of great 

 . Rivers in Winter-time. What he hath of the Mo- 

 bility of the upper Chap of its Bill, I believe to be 

 a Miftake. From this . Defcription I can conclude 

 negatively, that it is not what I imagined it once to 

 be*, viz. the Puffin of the Silly es and IJle of Man ; an 

 exact Picture, or the Skin ItufF'd, when obtained, 

 will at firft fight inform us to what Tribe it apper- 

 tains, and whether it be already defcribed or no, 



Monfieur Tournefort is a Perfon I have no Know- 

 ledge of. When I was at Paris ^ Monfieur Joncquet 

 demonftrated the Plants in the King's Garden. Mon- 

 fieur Marchand and Dr. Magnole of Montpellier^ were 

 the moft skilful Herbarifis I met with in France: But 

 it is now about 17 Years fince I was there, and there 

 may be fome arifea of Note and Eminency fince that 

 Time, 



As 



