V) 
( I 93 ) 
The Black-bilPd Whistling Duck. 
I T is fomething fmaller than a common Tame Duck, and longer 
legged in Proportion than other Ducks generally are. 
The Bill is like that of a common Duck, pedinated on its Edges, a 
little hooked at the Point, and of a black or dusky Colour ; the Eyes 
are of a Hazel-Colour. The Head on its Sides is- of a brown Colour ; 
the Top of the Head is Black, the Feathers being long, and pointing 
backwards in form of a Creft ; the Hinder-part of the Neck is of a 
dusky Colour ; the under Sides of the Head, Throat and Neck, are 
White ; the Neck is fpctted with fmall black Spots ; the Back, and 
upper Sides of the Wings are Brown ; the greater Quills are dark 
Brown, approaching to Black ; the Covert-Feathers of the Wings have 
each of them a black Spot in their Middles. The Feathers of the Tail 
are Black, as are the Rump, and the Feathers that cover the Tail 
above ; the Tail-Feathers are not of equal Length, the Tail being a 
little pointed in the Middle. The Breaft or Craw, is of a bright— 
reddifh Brown, fpotted with Black, and its lower Part has a little Mix- 
ture of White; the whole Belly is White, having a large Mixture of 
Black on the Sides, and a very little down its Middle-part. The Co- 
vert-Feathers beneath the Tail are White, with round black Spots. The 
Legs are longer than what is common in the Duck-Kind ; they are 
bare of Feathers a little above the Knees. The three forward Toes 
are all webbed together ; it hath alfo a lateral Web on the Infide of 
each of its inner Toes ; the Legs and Feet are covered with Scales of 
a Lead-Colour ; the Hinder-Toe is placed fo high as hardly to touch 
the Ground ; the Claw’s are Black. 
This Bird was the Property of Sir Charles Wager, at whofe Houfe, 
on Parforis- Green, I made a Draught of it. I w'as informed it came 
from the Wejl-lndies, where it is called a Whijlling-Duck. Sir Hans 
Sloarn fays, in his Natural Hijlory of "Jamaica , V ol. II. P . 3 24, 
they make a whiffling Noife, from whence they have their Name, 
and that it very ufually pearches on Trees, and is common in that 
Ifland. 
The 
