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Brown Spotted Heathcock. 
I T is fomething bigger than an Englijh Partridge, or near the Bignefs of our fmaller 
Sort of domeftick Poultry ; it feems to be a little longer bodied, and hath a longer 
Tail, in Proportion, than the Partridge. 
The Bill is Rlark, covered with brown Feathers, which turn forward over the Nof- 
trils j it hath a fmall Space of red Skin above the Eye j from the Bafis of the Bill to the 
Eye there is a white Line ; from the Eye backwards there proceed two white Lines,, 
the lowermoft being the longeft : The Top of the Head, upper Side of the Neck and 
Back, are covered with Feathers of a dark Brown, intermixed with dirty Orange and 
Afli-colour ; the covert Feathers of the Wings are dark Brown, edged with a lighter 
Brown, having a Line of light Brown within them running parallel with their Edges 
the greater Quills are duiky or black, powdered with W^hite on the Edges of the outer 
Webs; the lefler Quills next the Back are light Brown, with tranfverfe Bars of darker 
Brown ; the covert Feathers within Side of the W^ings are duiky, with white Tips 
there are fome Feathers between the Back and Wings with white Dalhes long-ways 
drawn at their Tips ; the Tail is of a duiky Brown or Black, the middle Feathers barred 
a-crofs with light reddilh Brown inclining to Orange; the Side Feathers powdered ands 
tipped with the fame Colour; The Throat, beneath the Bill, is of a yellowilh White,, 
with fmall duiky Spots; the Neck and Bread: below that, of a dull Orange-colour,, 
barred a-crofs with bkck Spots in the form of Half-Moons, with' their Points upwards 
there is Ibme W^hite mingled with the Orange and Black on the'Brealf : The Remain- 
der of the under Side, from the Breaft to the Coverts under the Tail inclulive,, are 
White, a little clouded with Cream-colour, and fpotted with Black in the fame Form 
as the Neck and Breaft : The Legs, from above the Knees down to the Feet, are co- 
vered with Feathers having the Appearance of Hair, of a Brown-colour, variegated with 
fine tranfverfe Lines of Black: The Feet are of a reddilh Brown-colour. ; the three 
Toes that Hand forward in each Foot are pedinated or toothed on each Side;, the 
hinder Toes are fmooth on the Sides ; the Claws are pretty long, and of a Black Colour. 
I take this Bird to be a Species of the Attagen. I have compared it with all the De- 
fcriptions I can find of this Genus, and find it fo different, that I think I may pronounce 
it a Species hitherto undefcribed. It was lent to me from Hudfon' s-Bay ^ by my Frieiid 
Mr. Light, who fays it continues in thofe Parts all the Year. This Tribe of Birds in 
North America are Inhabitants of the low and plain Country: in Europe they are 
found only in high Lands and on the Tops of Mountains,, whole Altitude caules a- 
Coldnefs in the Air equal to that of the lower Lands in Hudfon' s-Bay, which is the moft 
Northern inhabited Part of America. Among Authors there is much -Obfcurity and 
Difagreement in what they have faidon this Genus of Birds, moft of which Mr. Wil- 
loughby has-colledted in his Ornithology,, where they may be confulted from Page 172 
to Page 1,78.. 
