[ 5°2 3 
* wings, which founds not unlike a drum. They 
4 fhorten each found in flroke, till they run into one 
* another undiftinguifhed.’ 
Lahontan, in his voyage to North America, Vol I. 
p. 67 . fpeaking of the fowls about the lakes of Ca- 
nada, I believe, mentions this fame pheafant as fol- 
lows: 
c Their flapping makes a noife like a drum, all 
4 about, for the fpace of a minute - t then the noife 
* ceafes for half a quarter of an hour, after which it 
* begins again. By this noife we were directed to the 
* place, where the unfortunate moor-hens fat, and 
* found them upon rotten moffy trees. By flapping 
c one wing againfl: the other, they mean to call their 
* mates j and the humming noife, that enfues there- 
‘ upon, may be heard a quarter of a league off. This 
4 they do only in the months of April, May, Sep- 
c tember, and October ; and, which is very remark- 
c able, a moor-hen never flaps in this manner but upon 
‘ one tree. It begins at break of day, and gives over 
c at 9 in the morning, beginning again an hour before 
5 fun-fet, and flaps its wings till night.’ This is all 
the light I could gather, relating to the phealant of 
North America. 
The coloured print, Plate XVI. reprefents the otis 
minor, anas campeftris, canne petiere, the field duck, 
which was taken in the well of England, and laid 
before the Royal Society about three years ago : And 
as there happened to be no gentleman prefent, who 
knew the bird, Mr. Haukfbee, by order of the fo- 
ciety, fent the porter with it to me, to defire I would 
communicate to the fociety what I knew of it. I, 
ac- 
