( 101 ) 
"Ihi Summer Duck of Catesby. 
T his Bird is lels than the common Duck ; I take it to be about the Size of a fVigeon'. It 
meafures from Tip to Tip of the Wings extended, 30 Inches and a Half, from the Bill 
Point to the End of the Tail, nineteen Inches and a Half, to the Ends of the Toes only 18 
and a Half; the Bill, from the Tip to the Angles in the upper Mandible that point into the 
Forehead, is two Inches long. 
The upper Mandible of the Bill is Yellow where it joins to the Head, the Middle is Red, and 
toward the Tip it is whitilh; it hath a long black Spot in its upper Part between the Noftrils, and 
its Edges and hooked Part are Black; the lower Part of the Bill is wholly Black; the Tongue 
and Infide of the Mouth is of a Flelh-colour ; the lris of the Eye is of a Hazel-colour, encompalfed 
with Eyelids of a fine Red-colour: It hath a double loofe Plume or Creft hanging backward ; the 
uppermoft is Green, of a fliining Luftre; then fucceeds a white Line, beginning at the Bafis of 
the Bill, and palling above the Eye the whole length of the Plume: Beneath this is the fecond 
Creft, of a dark fhining Purple-colour ; a fecond white Line proceeds from behind the Eye, and 
parts the lower Creft from the hind Part of the Head : The Sides of the Head are of a Purple- 
colour, but fomething greenifh next the Bill; the Throat is White, from which proceeds a white 
Line on each Side, and turns up behind the Eyes; below thefe there paffcs backward on each Side 
a white Line; thefe almoft meet in the hind Part of the Neck under the Creft: The Neck and 
Breaft are of a dark brownilh Red, thick fpotted on the fore Part with triangular Spots of White ; 
at the Bottom of the Neck on each Side is a broad tranlverfe Bar of White, and immediately be¬ 
neath ^ and joining to them, is a tranfverfe Bar of Black ; the Back is of a dark Brown-colour, 
with changeable GIoffes of Copper-colour and Green; the Tail and its Covert are Duflcy, but the 
Edges of the Feathers Ihine with a fine green Glols: There are amongft the Coverts of the Tail 
a few long gloffy Copper-colour’d Feathers, which hang down on each Side : The greater Quills 
are firftofa Dufky Colour, with green Tips, the Edges of the outer Webs being White; the 
middle Quills are of a moft illuftrious Blue, with narrow white Tips; a few of the Quills next the 
Back are wholly Blue; the firft and fecond Row of covert Feathers that cover the blue Quills are 
of the fame Colour, yet all thefe Feathers fometimes caft a Purple or greenifh Refledtion ; the lefier 
Coverts of the Wings are of a gloffy Brown like the Back. The Infides of the Quills are dark 
Afh-colour; the inner covert Feathers of the Wings are White, with irregular tranverfe Lines 
of Black: The Feathers of the Sides, which fall over Part of the Wings, are beautifully painted 
with arched Lines of Black and White, tranfverfely drawn; the Sides juft beneath thefe are of a 
yellowifh Brown-colour, with very fine tranfverfe Lines of Dufky, below which on each Side are a 
few round dufky Spots; The lower Part of the Breaft, and Middle of the Belly, all along to the 
Vent, is purely White ; the covert Feathers beneath the Tail are Black ; the Legs and Toes are 
of a brownifh Orange-colour; the Webs Dusky ; the Claws Black: 1 could difcover no appendant 
Fin on the hind Toes. 
This Bird wasfentmeby my honour’d Friend, Sir Robert Abdy^ Bart. It was fhot in a Pond 
at the Seat of Rdilliam Nicholas^ Efq; a Relation of Sir Robert's. It is a Native of North America^ 
and is fuppofed to have ftray’d from fome Gentleman’s Houfc to the Place where it was kill’d. 
Mr. Catesby hasdefcribed this Bird in his Hiftoty of Carolina, vol. i. p. 97. Therefore to compleat 
this Hiftory I fhall borrow the following Lines of my Friend : “ They breed m Virginia and Caro-- 
“ Una, and make their Nefts in Holes of tall Trees (made by Wood-Peckers) growing in Water^ 
“ particularly Cyprefs-Trtts. While they are young, and unable to fly, the old Ones carry them 
“ on their Backs from their Nefts into the Water; and at the Approach of Danger they fix with 
“ their Bills on the Backs of the old Ones, who fly away with them. The Female is all over 
“ Brown.” I liippofe, by the Name, it is a Bird of PaflTage, and retires Southvvard from 
Carolina, &c. at the Approach of Winter. I have had the Advantage of feeing feveral of thefe 
Birds brought from Carolina to London alive, as well as the above defcrilaed, which was newly kill’d ; 
1 he Females of thofe I have feen are all over Brown, having fomething of a Creft, like the Male, 
I did not figure this to make an Amendment to Mr. Catesbfs, but at the Requeft of the above 
mentioned Gentlemen, who favoured me with the Bird, and are Sabferibers to this Work. 
O 
