B I R 
wing, and the middle quil feathers were white : 
the reft of the wing dulky. In Mr. Edwards ’s 
bird, a bare (kin of a fine red color joined the 
bill to the eye : the whole under fide from the 
S. 
[Clafs II. 
chin to the rump was white : on the thighs were 
a few black fpots. In our bird, the whole neck 
was afh-colored : fo probably it might have been 
a young bird, or different in fex. 
SPECIES V. The little Grebe. Plate jf i. 
Didapper, dipper, dobchick, finall 
doucker, loon, or arsfoot. Wit. 
orn. 340. 
Rail fyn. av. 125. 
T H E weight of this fpecies is from fix 
to feven ounces. The length to the 
rump ten inches : to the end of the toes 
thirteen : the breadth fixteen. The head is thick 
fet with feathers, thofe on the cheeks, in old birds 
are of a bright bay : the top of the head, and 
whole upper fide of the body, the neck and breaft, 
are of a deep brown, tinged with red : the greater 
quil feathers dufky; the interior webs of the lefler 
white : the belly is afh-colored, mixed with a fil- 
very white, and fome red : the legs of a dirty 
green. The wings of this fpecies, as of all the 
others are frnall, and the legs placed far behind : 
* 
fo that they walk with great difficulty ; and very 
feldom fly. They truft their fafety to diving j 
Colvmbus fluviatilis. Briffon av. 
VI. 59 - ’ 
Mergulus fluviatilis. Gefner av. 141. 
*>_ ’ t ' 
which they do with great fwiftnefs, and continue 
Iono - under water. Their food is fifh, and water 
plants. This bird is found in rivers, and other 
freffi waters. It forms its neft near their banks, 
in the water; but without any faftning, fo that 
it rifes and falls as that does. To make its neft 
it colle&s an amazing quantity of grafs, water- 
plants, &c. It lays five or fix white eggs ; and al¬ 
ways covers them when it quits the neft. It 
ffiould feem wonderful how they are hatched, as 
the water rifes through the neft, and keeps them 
wet} but the natural warmth of the bird bringing 
on a fermentation in the vegetables, which are full 
afoot thick, makes a hot bed fit for the purpofe. 
CTION 
Webbed footed Birds. 
GENUS X. The AVOSETTA. 
SPECIES I. The Avofetta. Plate £. 
JVil. orn . 321. 
Raii fyn . av. 117. 
The fcooper. Charlton ex. 102. 
The crooked bill. Dale s hift. Har¬ 
wich. 402. 
T HIS bird may at once be diftinguiffied 
from all others, by the fingular form 
of its bill y which is three inches and 
a half long, (lender, comprefled very thin, flexible, 
Plotfshift. Staff. 231. 
Avofetta. Briffon av. VI. 538. Tab. 
47 *. Fi S- 2 - 
Recurviroftra avofetta. Lin. Jyfi. 
151- 
and of a fubftance like whalebone ; and contrary 
to the bills of other birds, is turned up for near 
half its length. The tongue is ffiort: the head 
very round : that, and half the hind part of the 
neck 
