Frequent sitting thereon,
and their Roosting on Trees always at Night, under which
their Dung commonly lies half a Foot thick, and kills every thing that grows
where it falls.
{Turtle Doves.}
Turtle Doves are here very plentiful; they devour the Pease; for which Reason,
People make Traps and catch them.
{Parrakeetos.}
The Parrakeetos are of a green Colour, and Orange-Colour'd
half way their Head. Of these and the Allegators, there is none found
to the Northward of this Province. They visit us first,
when Mulberries are ripe, which Fruit they love extremely.
They peck the Apples, to eat the Kernels, so that the Fruit rots and perishes.
They are mischievous to Orchards. They are often taken alive, and will become
familiar and tame in two days. They have their Nests in hollow Trees,
in low, swampy Ground. They devour the Birch-Buds in April,
and lie hidden when the Weather is frosty and hard.
{Thrushes.}
The Thrushes in America, are the same as in England,
and red under the Wings. They never appear amongst us but in hard Weather,
and presently leave us again.
{Wood-Peckers.}
Of Wood-peckers, we have four sorts. The first is as big as a Pigeon,
being of a dark brown Colour, with a white Cross on his Back, his Eyes circled
with white, and on his Head stands a Tuft of beautiful Scarlet Feathers.
His Cry is heard a long way; and he flies from one rotten Tree to another,
to get Grubs, which is the Food he lives on.
