( 17 ) 
The Minor or M i n o, Greater and Lefs. 
I Suppofe the above Name may be the Name of this Bird, in the Country 
from whence it is brought. I take it to be near of Kin to the Jacdaw ; the 
Greater, for Bignefs, equals a Jackdaw or Magfye, the LelTer hardly exceeds a Black- 
Bird, fo that the one is at leaft twice as big as the other ; they have middling fiz’d 
Heads, pretty plump round Bodies, and Ihort Tails ; the Legs of a middling Length • 
the Bill is pretty thick at the Bafis, from upper to under Side, but fomething oxn- 
prefled Sideways, of a red Colour towards the Head, and a yellow Point in the lelTer 
Bird, and all oyer Yellow in the Greater ; the Bill ends in a Point not very fuddenly or 
fliarp ; the Feathers on eaclrSide point into the Bill as far as the Noftrils ; the Eyes are 
Hazel-colour'd in both ; in the hinder-part of the Head in both, are two little Flaps 
of yellow_ Skin in the form of Crefcents with the Points upwards, one Corner of each 
being behind the Eyes, the other Corners uniting in the hinder-part of the Head : under 
the Eyes are other yellow bare Spots of Skin, which are joined to the before-mention’d, 
in a manner not eafy to exprefs ; but by the Figure, I have been more full in this Par- 
ticular, becaufe Mr. Albin has publilhed this Bird, and falfly'defcrib’d thefe Marks 
which are the Charaderifticks, both in his Figure and Defcription. I have had oppor- 
tunity to examine feveral of thele Birds, tho’ they are very rare: The Head Neck 
whole Body, Wings and Tail, are cover’d with black Feathers of a great’ Lullre’ 
Ihining in different Lights with blue, green and purple Gloffes; the Feathers on the 
hinder-part of the Head, that are encompafs’d by the bare Flaps of Skin, referable 
Hairs or Velvet for their Finenefs ; the Bottoms of fome of the firft of the’ Quills are 
white, which form a white Spot in the middle of the Wing; the Legs and Feet arc 
of a yellow Colour inclining to Orange in the leffer Bird, more Yellow in the Greater • 
the Claws light Brown ; the Number and Pofition of the Toes, as in the Figure. ’ 
The leffer Bird I faw at a Dealer’s in curious Birds, in White-Hart Tard in the Strand 
London. The Greater, belong’d to the late Dr. George Wharton, Treafurer of the 
College of ‘Phyficians, London, who employ’d me to draw it for his Lady, and gave me 
leave to take a Draught for myfelf. After it died, I open’d it and fet up the Skin : I 
found it to be a Hen Bird. Whether thefe two Birds, fo unequal in Size, tho’ fo exaft 
in Likeneis, be Male and Female of the fame Species, I leave to the Judgment of the 
Curious. I find in Willoughby a very brief Account of a Bird, which T take to be 
this, it is Bout ms’s Indian Stare, T. i p 6 . Tab. 3 8. For Whiffling, Singing and Talking, 
it is accounted in the firft Rank, expreffing Words with an Accent nearer Human than 
‘Parrots or any other Birds ufually taught to talk. They are faid to come from the 
Ifland Borneo, and ’tis likely they came from thence and the adjacent Parts. They are 
brought to us by the India Company's Ships. See Mr. Jlbm’s Figure, in his Hiflory 
of Birds, Vol. 2. Plate 38. ^ j j 
F 
The 
