The largest is as big as a good Hen, the smaller
the Bigness of a Snipe, or something bigger.
{Bitterns, three sorts.}
We have three sorts of Bitterns in Carolina. The first is the same
as in England; the second of a deep brown, with a great Topping,
and yellowish white Throat and Breast, and is lesser than the former;
the last is no bigger than a Wood-cock, and near the Colour of the second.
{Herns.}
We have the same Herns, as in England.
{White-Herns.}
White Herns are here very plentiful. I have seen above thirty
sit on one Tree, at a time. They are as white as Milk, and fly very slowly.
{Water-Pheasant.}
The Water-Pheasant (very improperly call'd so) are a Water-Fowl
of the Duck-Kind, having a Topping, of pretty Feathers, which sets them out.
They are very good Meat.
{Little gray Gull.}
The little Gray-Gull is of a curious gray Colour, and abides near the Sea.
He is about the Bigness of a Whistling-Plover, and delicate Food.
{Dipper.}
We have the little Dipper or Fisher, that catches Fish so dexterously,
the same as you have in the Islands of Scilly.
{Duck and Mallard.}
We have of the same Ducks, and Mallards with green Heads, in great Flocks.
They are accounted the coarsest sort of our Water-Fowl.
{Black Duck.}
The black Duck is full as large as the other, and good Meat.
She stays with us all the Summer, and breeds. These are made tame by some,
and prove good Domesticks.
{Summer Duck.}
We have another Duck that stays with us all the Summer.
She has a great Topping, is pied, and very beautiful. She builds her Nest
in a Wood-pecker's Hole, very often sixty or seventy Foot high.
{Whistling Duck.}
Towards the Mountains in the hilly Country, on the West-Branch
of Caip-Fair Inlet, we saw great Flocks of pretty pied Ducks,
that whistled as they flew, or as they fed. I did not kill any of them.
{Scarlet Ey'd Duck.}
We kill'd a curious sort of Ducks, in the Country of the Esaw-Indians,
which were of many beautiful Colours. Their Eyes were red,
having a red Circle of Flesh for their Eye-lids; and were very good to eat.
{Blue-Wings.}
The Blue-Wings are less than a Duck, but fine Meat. These are the first Fowls
that appear to us in the Fall of the Leaf, coming then in great Flocks,
as we suppose, from Canada, and the Lakes that lie behind us.
{Widgeon.}
Widgeons, the same as in Europe, are here in great Plenty.
{Teal two sorts.}
We have the same Teal, as in England, and another sort
that frequents the Fresh-Water, and are always nodding their Heads.
They are smaller than the common Teal, and dainty Meat.
{Shovellers.}
Shovellers (a sort of Duck) are gray, with a black Head.
They are a very good Fowl.
{Whistlers.}
These are called Whistlers, from the whistling Noise they make, as they fly.
{Black-Flusterers, or Bald-Coot.}
Black Flusterers; some call these Old Wives. They are as black as Ink.
The Cocks have white Faces. They always remain in the midst of Rivers,
and feed upon drift Grass, Carnels or Sea-Nettles. They are the fattest Fowl
I ever saw, and sometimes so heavy with Flesh, that they cannot rise
out of the Water. They make an odd sort of Noise when they fly.
What Meat they are, I could never learn. Some call these the great bald Coot.
{Turkeys.}
The wild Turkeys I should have spoken of, when I treated of the Land-Fowl.
There are great Flocks of these in Carolina. I have seen about five hundred
in a Flock; some of them are very large. I never weigh'd any myself,
but have been inform'd of one that weigh'd near sixty Pound Weight.
I have seen half a Turkey feed eight hungry Men two Meals.
Sometimes the wild breed with the tame ones, which, they reckon,
makes them very hardy, as I believe it must. I see no manner of Difference
betwixt the wild Turkeys and the tame ones; only the wild are ever
of one Colour, (viz.) a dark gray, or brown, and are excellent Food.
They feed on Acorns, Huckle-Berries, and many other sorts of Berries
that Carolina affords. The Eggs taken from the Nest, and hatch'd
under a Hen, will yet retain a wild Nature, and commonly leave you,
and run wild at last, and will never be got into a House to roost,
but always pearch on some high Tree, hard-by the House,
and separate themselves from the tame sort, although (at the same time)
they tread and breed together. I have been inform'd, that if you take
these wild Eggs, when just on the point of being hatch'd,
and dip them (for some small time) in a Bowl of Milk-warm Water,
it will take off their wild Nature, and make them as tame and domestick
as the others. Some Indians have brought these wild Breed hatch'd at home,
to be a Decoy to bring others to roost near their Cabins,
which they have shot. But to return to the Water-Fowl.
{Fishermen.}
Fishermen are like a Duck, but have a narrow Bill, with Setts of Teeth.
They live on very small Fish, which they catch as they swim along.
They taste Fishy. The best way to order them, is, upon occasion,
to pull out the Oil-Box from the Rump, and then bury them five or six Hours
under Ground. Then they become tolerable.
{Divers.}
Of Divers there are two sorts; the one pied, the other gray; both good Meat.
{Raft-Fowl.}
Raft-Fowl includes all the sorts of small Ducks and Teal,
that go in Rafts along the Shoar, and are of several sorts,
that we know no Name for.
