298 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. gulls, and ffiags were feen off the coaft; and the two laft 
t j alfo frequent the Sound. They are of the common forts ; 
the fhags being our corvorant or water-crow. We faw two 
forts of wild-ducks; one black, with a white head, which 
were in confiderable flocks; the other white, with a red bill, 
but of a larger flze; and the greater famine , or diver, found 
in our northern countries. There were alfo feen, once or 
twice, fome fwans flying acrofs the Sound to the North¬ 
ward ; but we knew nothing of their haunts. On the 
fhores, befides the fand-piper, defcribed above, we found 
another, about the flze of a lark, which bears a great affi¬ 
nity to the burre; and a plover differing very little from 
our common fea-lark. 
Fifh are more plentiful in quantity than birds, though 
the variety is not very great; and yet, from feveral circum- 
ftances, it is probable, that even the variety is conflderably 
increafed at certain feafons. The principal forts, which we 
found in great numbers, are the common herring, but 
fcarcely exceeding feven inches in length ; a fmaller fort, 
which is the fame with the anchovy, or fardine, though 
rather larger; a white, or fllver-coloured bream, and an¬ 
other of a gold-brown colour, with many narrow longitu¬ 
dinal blue ftripes. The herrings and fardines, doubtlefs, 
come in large ihoals, and only at ftated feafons, as is com¬ 
mon with that fort of fifh. The bream of both forts, may 
be reckoned the next to thefe in quantity; and the full 
grown ones weighed, at leaft, a pound. The other fifh, 
which are all fcarce, are a flnall brown kind of Jculpin , fuch 
as is found on the coaft of Norway; another of a brownifh 
red caft; froft-fiffi; a large one, fomewhat refembling the 
bull-head, with a tough fkin, deftitute of fcales; and now 
and then, toward the time of our leaving the Sound, the 
natives 
