They frequent high up in our Rivers, and Creeks,
and keep themselves in the thick Bushes, very difficult to be seen
in the Spring. They sing very prettily.
{Whippoo-Will.}
Whippoo-Will, so nam'd, because it makes those Words exactly.
They are the Bigness of a Thrush, and call their Note under a Bush,
on the Ground, hard to be seen, though you hear them never so plain.
They are more plentiful in Virginia, than with us in Carolina;
for I never heard but one that was near the Settlement, and that was hard-by
an Indian Town.
{Red Sparrow.}
This nearest resembles a Sparrow, and is the most common Small-Bird we have,
therefore we call them so. They are brown, and red, cinnamon Colour, striped.
{Water Fowl.}
Of the Swans we have two sorts; the one we call Trompeters;
because of a sort of trompeting Noise they make.
{Swans.}
These are the largest sort we have, which come in great Flocks in the Winter,
and stay, commonly, in the fresh Rivers till February,
that the Spring comes on, when they go to the Lakes to breed.
A Cygnet, that is, a last Year's Swan, is accounted a delicate Dish,
as indeed it is. They are known by their Head and Feathers,
which are not so white as Old ones.
{Hooper.}
The sort of Swans call'd Hoopers, are the least. They abide more
in the Salt-Water, and are equally valuable, for Food, with the former.
It is observable, that neither of these have a black Piece of horny Flesh
down the Head, and Bill, as they have in England.
{Wild Geese.}
Of Geese we have three sorts, differing from each other only in size.
Ours are not the common Geese that are in the Fens in England,
but the other sorts, with black Heads and Necks.
{Gray Brants.}
The gray Brant, or Barnicle, is here very plentiful, as all
other Water-Fowl are, in the Winter-Season. They are the same
which they call Barnicles in Great-Britain, and are a very good Fowl,
and eat well.
{White Brant.}
There is also a white Brant, very plentiful in America.
This Bird is all over as white as Snow, except the Tips of his Wings,
and those are black. They eat the Roots of Sedge and Grass
in the Marshes and Savannas, which they tear up like Hogs.
The best way to kill these Fowl is, to burn a Piece of Marsh, or Savanna,
and as soon as it is burnt, they will come in great Flocks to get the Roots,
where you kill what you please of them. They are as good Meat as the other,
only their Feathers are stubbed, and good for little.
{Sea-Pie, or Curlue.}
The Sea-Pie, or gray Curlue, is about the Bigness of a very large Pigeon,
but longer.
