$22 A N 
tells us, that thefe birds are found in great abundance in 
Connaught, in Ireland, in the month of February only; 
and that they are much efteemed for their delicacy. 
2 6. The glacialis, or long-tailed duck, is inferior in dze 
to the former. The bill is fhort, black at the tip and bale, 
orange-coloured in the middle ; the cheeks are of a pale 
brown; the hind part of the head, and the neck both be¬ 
fore and behind, are white ; the bread and back are, of a 
'deep chocolate colour; the four middle feathers - of the tail 
are black, and two of them near four inches longer than 
the others, which are white; the legs dufky. Thefe birds 
breed in the mod northern parts of the world, and only 
vilit our coafts in the fevered winters. It breeds in Hud- 
fon’s Bay and Greenland, among the (tones and grafs, 
making its ne(t, like.the eider, with the down of its own 
bread, which is equal in value to that of the eider, if it 
could be got in equal quantity ; but the fpecies is (career. 
It lays five eggs; fwims and dives admirably, and feeds 
on diell-fidi, which it gets in very deep water. It dies 
irregularly, fometimes Blowing its back, fometimes its 
belly. It continues in Greenland the whole year, in un¬ 
frozen places ; but there are feafons fo very fevere, as at 
times to force them towards the fouth. Thofe which breed 
between Lapland and the polar circle, are often driven in¬ 
to Sweden and the neighbourhood of Pcterfburgh ; thofe 
■ ‘from the coaft of the Icy Sea, as low as latitude 55 : but, 
cn the fetting-in of frod, they retire dill farther fouth, 
unlefs where Come open fpofs remain in the rivers.- They 
vilit the frelh-water lakes in the Orkneys in October, and 
continue there till April. At fun-fet they are feen in great 
docks, returning to and from the bays, where they fre¬ 
quently pafs the night, and make fuch a noife as to be 
heard fome miles in frody weather. 
27. The ferina, pochard, or red-headed wigeon of Ray, 
has a lead-coloured bill : the head and neck are of a bright 
gay colour : the bread and part of the back where it joins 
the neck, are black : tire coverts of the wings, the fcapu- 
lars, back, and ddes under the wings, are of a pale grey, 
elegantly marked with narrow lines of black : the tail con- 
'dds of twelve (hort feathers, of a deep grey colour : the 
legs are lead-coloured ; and the iridesof a bright yellow, 
tinged with red. The head of the female rs of a pale 
reddidi brown. With us, thefe birds frequent the fens in 
the winter feafon, and are brought up to the London mar¬ 
kets fometimes in condderable numbers, where they are 
known by the name of dun birds, and are edeemed excel¬ 
lent eating. In winter, they pads pretty far to the fouth, 
being found in Egypt, about Cairo. They come into 
France the end of October in final 1 flocks, from twenty to 
forty ; and are found in Carolina in winter. They feed on 
Email fifli and (hells. Their flight is rapid and flrong ; but 
the flocks form no particular (hape in flying. 
2S. The querquedula, gargeny, or firfl teal of Aldro- 
-vandus, has a green fpot'on the wings, and a white, line 
above the eyes. It frequents the fredi waters of Europe. 
In many places it is called the fummer teal. 
29; The creca, or common teal, has a green fpot on the 
wings, and a white line both above and below the eyes. 
It is of a frriall flze, only fourteen inches in iength. The 
teal is frequent in the London markets along with the 
wild-duck. It is met with in Duddington-loch, a frefli- 
water lake, within a mile of Edinburgh. In France it 
days throughout the year, and makes a nefl in April among 
the ruflies, on the edges of ponds ; it is compofed of the 
tendered: dalks of them, with the addition of the pith, 
and a quantity of feathers. The nefl is of a large dze, 
and placed in the water, fo as to rife and fall with it. The 
eggs are the dze of thofe of a pigeon, of a dirty white, 
marked with fmall hazel fpots. It is (aid to feed on the 
grafs and weeds which grows on the edges of the ponds 
which it frequents, as well as the. feeds of the ruflies; 
it will alfo eat fmall fiih. The fledi is accounted excellent. 
It is found to the north as high as Iceland; and is men¬ 
tioned as inhabiting the Cafpian Sea to the Couth. 
3cs The hidrionica, or dufky fpotted duck of Edwards,' 
A S. 
is of a brown colour, varigated with white and blue ; it 
has a double line on the ears and temples ; the collar is 
white, and there is a white ltreak on the neck. It inhabits 
from Carolina to Greenland : in the lad it frequents, du¬ 
ring fummer, the rapid rivers, and the molt (hady parts; 
neftling on the banks, among the low dirubs. It fwims 
and dives admirably. In winter it leeks the open fea, dies 
high and fwiftly, and is very clamorous. It feeds on 
diell-d(h, fpawn, and the larvae of gnats. Is found in 
Iceland, and as low as Sondmor. It is common from the 
lake Baikal to Kamtfchatka ; and breeds there, as well as 
every where elfe, about the mod: rocky and rapid torrents. 
31. The minuta, or little white and brown duck of 
Edwards, is of a greyidi colour, with white ears, and the 
prime feathers of the wings blackidi. This and the for¬ 
mer, according to Latham, are found both on the old and 
new continents. On the firfl, it is feen as far fouth as the 
lake Baikal, and from thence to Kamtfchatka, particularly 
up the river Ochotfka ; al(o in Iceland, and as low as 
Sondmor. In America, it is found from Carolina to New¬ 
foundland, and ILudfon’s Bay ; alfo in Greenland, where 
it frequents, during fummer, bays and rivers, efpecially 
near their mouths; and is a very noify fpecies. It 
is fond of diady places, and makes the nefl on the (bore 
among the dirubs. Its food is fmall diells, eggs of fidies, 
and particularly the larvae of gnats. It fwims well, even 
in the mod: rapid dreams ; and dives to admiration : it 
likewife flies fvvift, and to a great height: from which 
circumdances it is not eadly taken. Our late navigators 
met with it at Aoonaladika. It is pretty frequent in the 
fmall rivulets of Fludfoii’s Bay, about ninety miles inland ; 
feldom in large rivers. It lays ten or more white eggs, 
like thofe of the pigeon, on the grafs ; and the young 
brood are fpecked in a very pretty manner. It migrates 
fouth in autumn. 
32. The bofehas, common wild-duck of Ray, or mal¬ 
lard ; the intermediate tail-feathers of the drake are turned 
backward, and the bill is (trait. It frequents the lakes of 
different countries, and feeds upon frogs and feveral forts 
of infects. The wild-ducks pair in the fpring ; build 
their, nefts among rudies near the wafer, and lay from ten 
to dxteen eggs. The female is a very artful bird ; and 
dees not always make the ned clofe to the water, but fre¬ 
quently at a good didance from it; in which cafe the duck 
will take the youngrin its beak or between its legs. It is 
known'fometimes to lay the eggs in a high tree, in a de¬ 
ferred magpie’s or crow’s ned. At moulting-time, when 
they cannot dy, they are caught in great numbers. They 
abound particularly in Lincolnfhire, the great magazine of 
wild-fowl in this kingdom; where prodigious numbers are 
taken annually in. the decoys. Birds with flat bills, that 
find their food by groping, have three pair of nerves that 
extend to the end of their bills : thefe nerves are remark¬ 
ably confpicuous in the head and bill of the wild-duck, 
and are larger than thofe of a goofe or any other bird yet 
known : this is the reafon they grope for food more than 
any other bird whatever. The common tame fpecies - of 
diicks take their origin from this, and may be traced to it 
by unerring characters. The drakes, hovvfoever they vary 
in colours, always retain the curled feathers of the tail, and 
both (exes the form of the bill, of the wild kind. Nature 
fports in the colours of all domedic animals; and for a 
wile and ufeful end, That mankind may the more readily 
didinguifh and claim their refpefilive property. lit France 
this fpecies is not often feen, except in winter; appearing 
in October, and going north in fpring. They are caught 
in various manners; among the reft, in decoys, as in Eng¬ 
land ; the chief place for which is Picardy, where prodi¬ 
gious numbers are taken, particularly on the river Somme. 
It is alfo cuftomary there to wait for the flocks paflingover 
certain known places, and the fportfman having a wicker 
cage, containing a quantity of tame birds, lets out one at a 
time, at a convenient feafon, which enticing the palfengers 
within gun-(hot, five or fix are often killed at once by an 
expert markfman. They are now and then taken alfo by 
a hook. 
