[1041 ] 
A Letter from Mr. Ray, Fellow of the R. S. to 
Dr. Robinfon ; concerning the French Macreufe. 
Had no fooner feen the Cafes of the Male, and Fe- 
male Macreufe^ which you fent me, but inftantly I 
found that the Macreufe was no ftranger to me, 
though unknown by that name : I was very much pleaf- 
ed tobefo fuddenly rid of my long continued fcruples 
about it, and not a little furprized, when I found it to be 
another kind of Bird then I imagined ; a particular de- 
fcription of the Cock, you may find in Mr. Willughbys 
Ornithohgy pag. i66. of the Englifti Edition, among 
the Sea-Ducks, to which kind this Bird belongs, and not 
to the 'Divers or DucJ^ers [Mergi or Colymbi,) as I falfly 
fancied to my felf. Thefirft knowledge of this Bird, we 
had from Mr. Jeffbpy who fent us the skins of this a- 
mong others ftufc, from Sheffield in Tor ks hire y by the 
name of Scoter as it feems they call it thereabouts whe- 
ther from the dark or black colour of it, or (which is 
more likely J from Scotland, whence they might fuppofe 
it to come. Afterwards the Cock of this kind was found 
in the Market at Chejier^ by the thenBifhop Wzli^ins his 
Steward, who bought it; and brought it home to the 
J?allace, where I then hapned to be, and fawand def- 
cribedit. LaftofallSr. Thomas Brown of Norrvich, fent 
among many others, the picture of this Duck s and Mr. 
Johnfon of Brignal neer Greta bridge in Torh^hire the 
Defcription, as I have related in the Book, and Page 
fore-quoted. 1 need not tell yoii how I diftinguifli the 
Sea-pucks from the (hallow or Plafh-Ducks, becaufe I 
have done it already in the place mentioned. 
I \ % Mr, 
