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The Blue R e d - B r e a s t « 
H I S Bird feems to be of that Tribe or Family of fiender-bill’d Birds who 
feed on Infedts: The Print gives its natural Size, or if there be any Difference, 
the Bird is rather bigger than the Figure, if I, contrary to Cuftom, may be allow’d 
to point out my own Miftakes : It is fhap’d like a Redjlart; the Bill is fharp-pointed, 
flender, of a moderate Length and dusky Colour; the whole upper Side, Head, Neck, 
Back, Wings and Tail, are of a fine full blue Colour* except the Ends of the greater 
Quills, which are black with brown Tips * the whole under Side, from the Bill, 
to the Covert-feathers under the Tail, is of a redifh Colour * juft under the Bill, 
White, or very light Ruffet * on the Breaft the Colour gradually heightens to a full 
Orange, or the Colour of a Robin' s Breaft; towards the Belly the Colour dies again 
into a faint Red, and fo continues to the Covert-feathers of the Tail; the Thighs 
are of the fame faint or light Red; the Legs and Feet, which are form’d and ftand 
after the ufual manner, are of a brown Colour; it hath dusky Claws. 
I had this Bird of Mr. Peter Colinfon, who, I think, told me it came from Bermudas . 
Mr. Catesby has, in his Hiftory of Carolina , Vol. i . p. 47. defcrib’d and figur’d a Bird 
nearly refembling this, which he calls fimply the Blue-Bird ; but as this differs fome- 
thing from his Bird, I thought it would not be amifs to.figure and defcribe it under 
the above Name. The only difference between this Bird and his, is, that the red 
Colour in mine was continued quite to the Bill; his was blue on the under Side of 
the Neck, from the Bill to the beginning of the Breaft, and by his Defcription mine 
feems to be of a brighter Red on the Breaft, yet I believe them to be the fame or 
near of Kin. I fhould not have prefumed to re-publifh any thing that was dire&ly 
the fame with what has been publifhed by Mr. Catesby , becaufe I know myfelf not 
capable to add any Amendments to what he has done. Mr. Catesby has called his 
Bird Rubecula Americana , which is a proper Name enough fince both his Bird and 
mine are certainly of that Genus, of which the Robin Red-hreajl is,a Species. 
The 
