• WIN 
xpanfion of the wings is upwards of two feet. 
The bill is lead coloured, and black at the extre- 
mity ; the head and upper part of the neck are of 
a bright light bay colour; the forehead is paler, 
in fome almoft white; the plumage of the back, 
and the fides iindtr the wings, are elegantly 
marked with narrow black and white undulated 
lines i the bread is of a purplifli hue, fometimes, 
though rarely, marked with round black fpots ; 
the belly is white; and the vent-feathers are 
black. In fome of thef^ birds, the coverts of the 
wings re almoft wholly vv?hite; in. others, of a 
pale brown hue, edged with white. The greater 
quiil-ieathers are dufi-cy ; the extreme webs of the 
middle feathers, are of a fine green colour, tipped 
with black; the laft are elegantly ftriped Vv'ich 
black and white; the two middle feathers of the 
tail are longer than the reft, black, and fiiarp- 
pointed ; the remainder are alh-coloured ; and 
the legs arc duflcy. 
The head of the female is of a rufty brown co- 
lour, fpotted with black; the back is of a deep 
brown, edged with a paler; the tips of the lefler 
quill-feathers are white ; and the belly is of the 
lame colour. 
WILLOW GALLS. A name commonly 
given to a kind of protuberances found on the 
leaves of the feveral fpecies of willow ; originating 
from a fly which depofits her eggs there, and 
leaves them to be hatched by the ufual courfe of 
nature. 
WIMBREL. See Whimrrel. 
WINDER MEB ; the Larus Cinerarius of 
Linnaeus. A bird lb called by Ray ; and de- 
fcribed by Aldrovandus under the appellation of 
the Larus Maior. 
WINE FLY. A fmail infeir, of a black co- 
lour, fourKi in empty wine caflcs, and about wine 
lees; whence it has obtained the appellation of 
Bibio by the Latins. It is produced from afmall 
red worm, very common in the fediment of 
wine. 
This Fly is extrennely fmall when the wings are 
not extended; but is, however, very beautiful. 
The breafr and body are yellow ; the reticulated 
eyes are red; and the wings contain a beautiful 
variety of colours. In fliort, thcfe Flics form very 
beautiful microfcopical obje(5ls; and, when viewed 
through that medium, they appear as elegant and 
perfect as the largeft and moft beautiful Flies that 
fall under the natural eye. 
WING. That part of a bird which in gene- 
ral affifcs it in flying ; but, in fome fpecies, tends 
only to accelerate it's running, as in the dodo, the 
oilrich, the auk, and the penguin. The Wing has 
an appendage, near it's extremity, covered with 
four or five feathers, called the Baftard Wing; the 
leffer coverts are denominated the teftuces; and 
the greater coverts are thofe which lie beneath the 
form.er, and cover the quill- feathers and feconda- 
ries. The quill-feathers, or primores, fpringing 
from theiirft bones of the wings, are ten in num- 
ber, and broader on their inner than exterior 
fides ; the fecondaries are thofe which arife from 
the fecond pait, or cubitus, being in number about 
eighteen, and equally broad on both fides. The 
primary and fecondary wing-feathers are called 
remiges. The tertials are a tuft of feathers placed 
beyond the fecondaries, near the jun6lion of the 
Wings with the body : this, in water-fowl, is ge- 
nerally longer than the fecondaries, and cuneiform. 
The fcapulars are compofed of a tuft of long fea- 
thers rifing near thejunflion of the Wings with the 
W O L 
body, and lying along the fides of the back, but 
ftill eafily difdnguilhable. The inner CQverts are 
thofe which clothe the under- fide of the Wing. 
- The Wings of fome birds are farther adapted 
for inftruiiients of defence : the Anhema of Marc- 
grave, the whole tribg of Jacana, and tlie Gambo 
of Willughby, afford inilances of this kind. 
Wings alio. belong to the infe6t tribe; which, 
befide enabling them to fly, form feveral fubordi- 
nate diftindions of the genera of thofe animals. 
WOLF. The Canis Lupus of Linnsus. An 
animal of the canine kind, with a long head, 
pointed nofe, fharp and ereifl ears, a long bufiiy 
tail, long legs, and longifh hair. He has large 
teeth, and is taller than any greyhound. . His co- 
lour is generally a pale brown, tinged with yel- 
low ; though fometimes foui^d white, and in Ca- 
nada fometimes black. 
The feature which principally difl:inguifhes the 
vifage of the Wolf from that of the ciog, is the 
eye, which opens flantingly upwards, in the fame 
diredion with the nofe ; for in the dog it opens 
more at right angles with the nofe, as in man.' 
The tail alfo, in this animal, is long and bufliy ; 
and he carries it rather more between his hind legs, 
than the dog. The colour of the eye-balls in the 
Wolf is a fiery green ; and gives his vifage a fierce 
and formidable air, which his natural difpofition 
is by no means adapted to contradidt. 
The Wolf is, in reality, one of thofe animals 
whofe carnivorous appetite is the mod vehement; 
I £nd whofe means of fatisfying this appetite are 
the mofl: various. Nature has furnifhed him with 
fl:rength, cunning, agility, and all chofe requifites 
which qualify an animal for purfuit, fpeed, and 
conqueft ; and yet, with all thefe, the Wolf fre- 
quently dies of hunger, for he is the avowed enemy 
of mankind. Having been long profcribed, and 
a reward offered for his head, he is obliged to fljf 
from the habitanons of men, and to live in the 
woods, where the few wild animals that frequent 
the forefl:s efcape him, either by their fleetnefs ch: 
art ; or, at befb, are not fufficiently numerous to 
gratify his rapacious dilpofition. He is naturally 
dull and cowardly; but being frequently difap- 
pointed, and as often reduced to the verge of fa- 
mine, he becomes ingenious from want, and cou- 
rageous from neceffity. When impelled by hun- 
ger, he braves danger; and ventures to attaels 
thofe animals which are under the protection qi" 
man, particularly fuch as he can readily carry ofT, 
as lambs, fheep, or even dogs themfelves, for all 
animal food becomes then equally acceptable. 
When he has fucceeded in this excurfion, he 
often returns to the charge; till having been 
v/ounded, or hard preffed by the dogs or fhep- 
herds, he hides himfelf by day in the thickeft co- 
verts, and only ventures out at night: he then 
traverfes the country, prowls about the villages, 
carries ofi^ fuch animals as are unprote<5ted, at- 
tacks the fheep-folds, fcratches up and under- 
mines the threfholds of doors where they are 
houfed, enters furiouOy, and deftroys all, before 
he begins to feled: what prey he intends to carry 
along with him. When thefe fallies prove un- 
fuccefsful, he returns to the thickeft part of the 
foreft, and contents himfelf with purfuing thofe 
fmaller animals which, even when captured, afford 
him but a fcanty fupply. He there proceeds re- 
gularly to work, following by the fcent, and anxi- 
oufly expeding fomiC other Wolf to come to his 
afTiftance; for, fingly, he has but very' little hope 
of overtaking the prey. At laft, when his ne- 
ceflities 
