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The Greatejl Bulfinc h-C ock. 
HIS Bird is here figured of its natural Bignefs. The Shape of the Bill and 
the Colour of the Bread agreeing with our Bulfinch, I fuppofe them both to 
belong to the fame Genus. 
It hath a pretty ftrong Bill ; the upper Mandible arched and over-hanging the 
Lower a little, (but not fo remarkably as in Parrots) is of a black or dulky Colour. 
The lower Mandible is of a reddifh Flefli-Colour next the Throat, the Point is Black. 
The whole Head, Throat, Bread and Rump, are of a very fine Red, or Scarlet-Co- 
lour.There paffes from the Nodrils (which are covered with dulky Feathers) to the Eyes, 
on each Side, a blackifh Line. The Hinder-part of the Neck and Back is covered with 
black Feathers tipped with Scarlet, which makes a beautiful Mixture. The Wings 
are Black ; the greater Quills next the Back are tipped and bordered with White : 
Thofe next the Belly have narrow Borders of Red : The fird and fecond Rows of 
Covert-Feathers are tipped with White, which form two oblique Bars of White acrofs 
each Wing. The lefler Covert of the Wings are a little fringed with Red. The In- 
fides of the Wings, Sides under the Wings, Belly and Thighs are of a light Afh- 
Colour ; the Covert-Feathers under the Tail are whitifh. The Tail is Black above, 
and inclining to Adi-Colour beneath ; the Legs, Feet and Claws are formed and dand 
after the ufual Manner, all of a blackifh, brown Colour. 
Two of thefe Birds, which I take to be Male and Female, were brought from 
Hud/on’s-Bay by Mr. JJham who told me, they continue all the Winter there ; which 
is an Argument of their being very hardy Birds. Nature feems to have given them 
drong and hooked Bills, the better to enable them to provide for themfelves, by 
pecking out the Buds of Trees and Shrubs that are hardly vifible in the rigid Win- 
ters of North America. It is not common to meet with Birds of fo gay a Colour in 
Climates fo far North, for it is obfervable, that in very Northern Countries, Birds have 
no Colours but White, Black, or Brown, and that they are all Water Birds j few or 
no Land Birds being found by the Whale-fifliers in Greenland. 
a 
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