( 2 
the wings, which have each of them 
about thirty quills or prime feathers in a 
row. The tail hath ten feathers, the 
two middlemoft fhorter by half than the 
outer feathers. The legs, which are 
feathered to the knees, are the fhorteft, 
for the proportion of the bird, that I 
have yet met with: they had fmall 
flumpy feathers on their outer fides 
quite to the feet, as fhewn in the large 
figure of the leg. The four toes are 
all webbed together, as in the Pelecan, 
Soland Goofe, Cormorant, Shag, &c. of 
which genus this bird is a fpecies : the 
toes were not webbed to their ends, as 
is common in moft water-fowls; but 
one joint of each of the three forward 
toes was left free and at liberty, the better 
to enable it to hold its prey, (fifhes) 
which are flippery. The legs and feet 
are of a dirty yellowifh colour. 
The CHINESE FISH I have kept 
alive twenty months in a bafon of water: 
It is drawn from life, of its natural fize. 
It had no fins on the back, but had 
little nfings on the middle of the back 
in the place where the fins generally 
are. On its under fide it had three pair 
of fins; the firft pair near the gills, the 
fecond in the middle of the belly, and 
the third nearer the tail, between which 
lafl the vent was placed. It is common 
amongft thefe fillies, to have fome of 
them fingle, others double tails, but 
joined together on their upper edges: 
this, here figured, had the tail partly 
double, as exprefifed in the figure. The 
fins and tail were of a red colour. It 
was covered with firm fcales, and had 
lateral lines palling on each fide from 
head to tail. The colour of its back 
[O ) 
cipales , dans une r mi gee. La queue ejl 
compofee de dix plumes , dont les deux du 
milieu font de la moitie plus courtes que 
cedes des cotes. Les cuijfes , qui font cou- 
vertes de plumes jufquaux genous , font les 
plus courtes y a proportion de I'oifeau , que 
j'aie encore rencontrees. Les pattes font 
aujfi tres courtes , et ont de petits foots, 
jufques fur les pieds , com me on le voit 
dans la grande figure de la patte. Les 
quatre doigts font attaches enfemble y comme 
font ceux du Pelican , de I'Oye Sauvage, 
du Cormorant , du Chague, &c. du genre 
defquels cet oifeau ejl une efpece : fes orteils 
ne font pas attaches d'un bout a V autre , 
comme il ejl ordinaire d la plupart des 
oifeaux aquatiques y mais feulement jufqu'd 
la derniere jointure ; de forte qu'il y a 
une jointure a chaqne orteil qui ejl libre y 
et en pleine liberte y a fin que 1' oifeau puijfe 
d'autant plus aifement retenir fa proye, 
c'eft a dire du poijfon , qui ejl glijj'ant. 
Les jambes et les pattes font d'un jaundtre 
fale. 
Le POISON CHINO IS, que jai 
garde en vie dans un bajjin d'eau pendant 
vingt mois y eft dejfne d'apres le fujet 
me me de grandeur naturelle. II n avoit 
point de nageoircs fur le dos y mais feule- 
ment de petites Elevations fur le milieu du 
dos , dans la place ou les nageoires font 
generalement placees. II avoit en deffous 
trois paires de nageoires ; la premiere pres 
des ouies, la feconde jur le milieu du ventre y 
et la troifieme pres de la queue ; l 'anus 
etoit place entre cette derniere. LI eft 
commun a ces poijjons d' avoir la queue 
quelquefois fimple y et quelquefois double y 
mais jointe par k bord fuperieur . Celui - 
ci avoit la queue en partie double y comme 
il eft exprime dans la figure. Les na- 
geoires et la queue etoient rouges. Il etoit 
couvert d'ecailles fortes y et il avoit des 
lignes laterales depuis la tete jujqu'd la 
