( '49 )
'the AR C T I C K BI R D, fupp ofed to be the HeIn.
T    1 IE  Bird here figur'd agrees with the laff defcribed (to which I fuppofe
it is the lIen)
in the Shape and Make of the Bill, Legs, Feet and other Parts, but in Size
it exceeds it
a little; the principal Difference is, its wanting thofe two long Feathers
found in the Tail of the
fuppofed Cock.
Tihe Bill is fhaped and colour'd as in the laff described; the Head and whole
upper Side is
of a dark Afh-colour'd Brown ; the greater Quills and Tail are fomething
darker; the Shafts
of fome of the Prime Quills are White, as alfo the inner Webs next their
Bottoms, the Tips
being blackilh; the inner Coverts of the Wings are variegated tranfverfly
and confusedly,
with Bdack, White, and dufky Brown; the Rump is of a reddifh Bown, with tranfverfe
I ines of Black; the Tail hath the middle Feathers a little longer than thofe
on the Sides; the
F"ore-part of the Neck, Breaff, and Belly is of a light Brown or dirty
W hite; the Thighs,
lower Belly, and Covert-Feathers under the Tail have tranfverfe Lines of
Whitifh, Brown,
and Black; the Legs are bare of Feathers a little above the Knee; the Legs
and Toes are; all
Yellow, the Webs Black, being rough on the Hinder-part of the Legs and Bottoms
of the
keet, as in the foregoing.
This Bird, together with the laff, were brought from Hqdfon's-Bay by Mr.
ji/ain. At the
Bottom of the Copper Plate you may fee the Head and Bill figured of their
natural Bignefs;
this Bird, I believe, has never been defcribed.
he TRoPICK BI RD.
TH I S Bird appears to be of the Bignefs of a Pigeon; the Wing when clofed
is above
ten Inches long; the flying Figure on the Top of the Plate reprefents the
whole Bird, the
Head and Foot are fhewn at the Bottom of the Plate of their natural Size;
the longeft Feather
in theTail was full twenty-three Inches and a half long, which is many Inches
more than any
other natural HiF'torian has described it to be: In another Bird I found
the longeft Feather only
fixteen Inches long.
The Bill is Red, and bigger in Proportion than in theArfick Bird; the Head,
Body, Wings
and Tail, both above and beneath are White, excepting the following Spots,
viz., a very re-
markable Spot round each Eye (fhewn in the Head of the Bignefs of Life at
the Bottom of
the Plate;) the fix outermoff Quills on each Side are BMack with white Tips,
a large black
Spot beginning in the leffer Coverts of each Wing, and taking in two or three
of the Quills
next the Body ; a lefier black Spot on each Shoulder, befide lorme fmall
Spots or Mixzure in
the white Feathers. on the lower Beliy ; the Tail hath twelve Feathers, Short
on the Outficles,
and increafing gradually to the two Middle ones, which are very narrow, and
fhoot out near
twenty Inches beyond the reff ; the Shafts of the Tail-Feathers are Black,
as are thofe of the
Covert-Feathers of the Wings, which fall over the black Prime Quills. It
hath fmall and weak
Legs and Feet in P'roportion to its Size, with four Toes on a Foot, all webbed
together, wit
a lateral Fin on the Outride of the outermofl: Toe (ice the Foot as big as
Life.)  rhe Les
and Beginning of the Toes are Red, the Webs and inds of the Toes black, as
are the Claws.
I have feen another of thele Birds,,fpotted with a Numriber of fmall black
Spots, in the Place of
the larger Beds of Black described in the above. The Legs and Bill appear
yellowifh. in the
dried IEwrd, but I am inform'd they are Red in the living Birds.
This Bird i, the Property of my good F riend 76hb Fothergill, M. D. who lent
it me finely
preferved. Tho' the TIopick Bird hath often been defcribed, I believe I have
made frme
Amendments i but my principal Purpofe in figuring, it was, to bring the Tropick
and A} &lick
Birds together into one Vim±w. Vide TJl.'ughby's Ornitbaol(gy, P.
33 I,