Woodcrachr^) be not the leffer fort of Pieus Martius f^a- 
riusy for fince the publiftiing of Mr. Willu^hby s Ornitho-' 
logyy lhave oblerved that Bird fitting on the top of an 
Oaken Tree^ making with her Bill fuch a cracking or 
fnapping noife, as we heard a long way ofFj the leverall 
fnaps or cracks fucceeding one another with that ex- 
traordinary fwiftnefs, that we could not but wonder at 
it : but how fhe made the noife, whether by the nimble 
Agitationofherbilltoo and fro in a rift of the bough, or 
by the fwift ftriking of the Mandibles one againft ano- 
ther, as the Stork doth, I could not clearly dilcern : but 
an intelligent Gentleman, who was very diligent inob» 
ferving rhe fame Bird, faid it was the former way. 
lam Sir, Your Very 
Humble Servant 
JOHN J^AT. 
Epijlola 
