The Cw/ American Martin. 
HIS Bird is figured of its natural Bignefs. On comparing it with our Black 
Martin or Swift, it feem’d to be fomething bigger bodied, but not altogether 
fo long winged. The Bill and Legs are bigger and flronger in Proportion than I have 
obferved them to be in other Birds of this Genus. 
The Bill is flronger than what is obfervable in the Swallow-kind, having a fmall 
Angle on each Side of the upper Mandible toward its Point ; both the upper and 
lower Mandible are of a dufky or black Colour, and very broad toward the 
Head, whereby the Throat is enlarged 5 the Noftrils are round, and placed near the 
Forehead : The Eyes are almofl over the Angles of the Mouth, which are cleft 
pretty deep ; at the Bafe of the Bill both above and beneath are whitifh Feathers. The 
Head, upper Part of the Neck, Back, Rump, and Covert-Feathers of the Wings 
are Black, with a (Lining Purple Glofs. The Throat and Bread are cover'd with dark 
grey Feathers ; the Quills of the Wings and the Feathers of the Tail are of a dufky 
Black with brownifh Edges \ both Quills and Tail are fomething lighter beneath ; 
the Covert-Feathers within Side of the Wings are dufky, with whitifh Edges 5 the 
Ridge of the Wing is whitifh ; the Sides under the Wings are dufky. The Belly, 
Thighs, and Covert-Feathers under the Tail are White, a little clouded with a dufky 
Colour. The Legs, Feet and Claws of a dark or blackifh Colour. The Legs and 
Toes longer than in our Black Martin or Swift , the Legs are not feather'd, nor the 
Toes flan ding all forward as in the Swift ; but three are forward and one backward; 
the middle and outer Toe being join’d as far as the firfl Joint. 
This Bird was brought from Hudfon's-Bay by Mr, IJham, and I believe it differs from any 
Thing yet defcribed, tho’ on a fuperficial View it may very eafily be taken for our Black Martin 
or Swift : Yet in the Bill and Feet 1 find a very material Difference. Poffibly it may be the Ta - 
pera of Marcgrave\ See his Hiftory of Brafd , P. 205. Mr. Catesby , in his Natural Hiftory 
of Carolina , hath figured and defcribed two American Swallows altogether different from this, 
the one figur’d, Vol . I. P. 51. call’d the Purple Marlin , the other Vol. II. in the Appendix, 
P. 8. call’d the American Swallow. Sir Hans Sloane has alfo mentioned a Swallow in his Na- 
tural Hiftory of famaica , which he imagines may be the fame with our Black Martin or Swift . 
I think it muff appear very plain to Naturalifls, that the above defcribed differs fpecifkally 
from our Swift. The Name the Northern Americans give it is Sajhaun Pajhu. 
The Fly, I take to be a Kind of Fire-Fly, and that Part on his Head, the Lanthorn. The 
Wings are all flat, and the upper ones hard and fnooth like thofe of the Beetle or Scarabeei 
Kind, of which it is a Species, The Body and lower Wings are Orange- Colour, except the 
Tips of the Wings, which have a broad Border of Black •, the upper Wings are Green, varie- 
gated and fpotted with Yellow ; the yellow Spots and Marks having fmaller Spots within them 
of an Orange-Colour. The under Side is colour’d and fpotted as the above, but not fo bright. 
This Fly was brought from China , by Captain lfaac Worth. 
