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The Red-throated Homing Bird. 
T hese Birds, which I am pretty well afTured are Cock and Hen, together with 
the Nefl: and Eggs, are reprefented of their natural Size; the firft or Cock-bird 
has already been very well done by Mr. Catesby^ in his Hiftory of Carolma^ yet I did 
not care to leave him out of this Plate, fince I have the Hen, Neft and Eggs ; the Bills 
are long, Bender, Braight, and of a black Colour in both; the upper Part of the Head, 
Neck, Back, andlefler Coverts of the Wings in both, are of a fine filky-looking dark 
Green, which feems to be intermixed with very fine golden Threads ; the prime Fea- 
thers in the Wings of both are of a dirty Purple-colour, as they are in all or moft 
Huming Birds ; in the Cock the Tail is Purple, except the middle Feathers, which are 
'Green; the middle of the Belly and Covert-ftathers under the Tail are White, the Sides 
under the Wings Green, like the Back ; but what chiefly diftinguiflies the Cock from 
the Hen, is a moft beautiful Ihining Scarlet-colour under the Chin, which reaches to the 
Breaft, changing its Colour in different Pofitions to the Light, fbmetimes into a deep 
Sable-colour, then again to the Colour of fliining Gold ; the Feathers in this red Part 
are firm and regularly placed, like the Scales of Fifh ; the Hen differs from the Cock, 
in that her whole under Side is white from Bill to Tail, and the Purple Feathers of her 
Tail are tip'd with White, the middle Feathers being Green ; the Legs and Feet in both, 
are very fmall and of a black Colour; the Nefl:, which was faflened on the upper Side 
of a Branch, was compos’d of a woolly Subflance and Mofs, theinfide being Wooll or 
fome foft Subflance, of a light yellowilh brown Colour ; the outfide is cover’d with 
Mofs very firmly and clofely laid together, which is not eafily ruflled with flight 
handling ; the Eggs are fmall and white, feeming to be no fliarper at one End than the- 
other, as is common to moft Eggs. 
Mr. Betcr Colmfon^ F, R, S. oblig’d me with a Sight of this curious Pair of Birds and 
Nefl. They are found in Carolina^ and as far North as New England in the Summer 
Seafon, but retire Southward, or difappear in Winter. I have been informed that no 
Bird of this Genus, except this one, ever vifits the Colonies in 'North America. 
T his Fly is of a black or dark Sable-colour, having a pretty large foarlet Spot 
acrofs each of the upper Wings, befide fome Streaks of the fame Colour near the 
Body ; the lower Wings have each four little round red Spots near the Body. I know 
not from wLat Part this Fly came. I had it of Mr. William Gou^ey. 
Ths 
