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HAEMAT0PUS. Will. p. 297. Bellon. Lib. III. p. 203
The Oyster Catcheer
Weighs one pound and two ounces; the Bill long, streight and of a
bright red colour, contracted near the basis, and towards the end compress'd: the Irides
of their Eyes are yellow, encompassed with a red Circle: the whole Head and Neck black,
having a spot of' white under the Eyes; all the under part of the Body, dusky white : the
larger Quill-feathers are dusky black: the Tail is short, black towards the End, and
towards the Rump white: the upper part of the Body and Wings, brown, except a broad
white line, which runs along the middle of each Wing; the Legs are long and thick, and of
a reddish colour. It has only three fore-toes, wanting the back-toe. Their Feet are
remarkably armed with a very rough scaly skin
In Rivers and Creeks near the Sea
there are great quantities of Oyster-banks, which at low Water are left bare: On these
Banks of Oysters do these Birds principally, if not altogether, subsist; Nature having not
only formed their Bills suitable to the Work, but armed the Feet and Legs for a defence
against the sharp edges of the Oysters.
The Hens differ from the Cocks in not having
the red circle round their Eyes, and their Bellies are of a more dirty white than in the
Cocks: In the Maw of one was found nothing but indigested Oysters.
This Bird seems to be the Haematopus of Bellonius , Will. p. 297. notwithstanding
there is some small difference in their description. I have seen them on the Sea Coasts
both of Carolina and the Bahama Islands.
Frutex Bahamensis foliis oblongis succulentis, fructu Subrotundo unicum nucleum continente.
This grows to the size of a small Tree; the leaves stand by pairs on foot-stalks about
an inch long; they are long, thick and s ucc ulent at the ends of the stalks grow in pairs,
and sometimes singly, round flat Seed-vessels, about the breadth of a shilling: the fruit is of
the substance of a Bean, and, like that, divides in the middle: it is cover'd with a thin
membrane of a pale green colour. I had no opportunity of seeing the Blossoms, tho' I was
told they were very small and white. The Bark of this Tree is used for tanning of
Sole-leather.
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ANSERI BASSANO congener Avis fluviatalis.
The Great Booby.
It's Size is about that of a Goose, the Head and Neck remarkably thick the Bill large, and almost Six
Inches in length, a channel or cranny extends from one End to the other of the Upper Mandible.
The Wings extended six Feet, and when clos'd, reach to the End
of the Tail. The middle Feather of the Tail was longest, the Rest gradually decreasing in length, the
Eyes are large, of a hazel Colour, encompassed with a Skin bare of Feathers. These Birds were of
a dark brown colour, elegantly spotted with white on their Heads, the Spots are thick and s m a l l , on
the Neck and Breast they are thinner and broader, and on the Back thinnest and broadest. The
Wings are likewise spotted, except the large Quill-Feathers and the Tail, which are brown. The
Belly of a dusky white. The Feet black, and shaped like those of a Cormorant.
That which is
most remarkable in these Birds is, that the Upper Mandible of the Bill, two Inches below the Angle of
the Mouth is jointed, by which it can raise it from the lower Mandible two Inches, without opening
their Mouths.
This Bird so nearly resembles the Booby (particularly in the singular Structure of the Bill) that I
thought the Name of Great Booby agreed best with it. It frequents large Rivers, and plunges into them
after Fish, in like Manner as the Booby does at Sea, continuing under Water a considerable Time, and
there pursuing the Fish: And as as I have several times found them disabled and sometimes dead on
the Shore, probably they meet with Sharks and other large voracious Fishes that maim and
sometimes devour them.
They frequent the Rivers and Sea Coast of Florida.
The Colours of
the Cock are brighter, and more beautiful than those of the Hen.
A n T h y m e l a e a f o l i i s o b t u sis.
This Shrub riseth to the Height of eight or ten Foot, with a small Trunc covered with a whitish Bark,
the Leaves are placed alternately on Footstalks, one third of an Inch long, narrow at the Beginning,
growing broader and rounding at the Ends, two Inches long, and one over, where broadest of a
shining Green, with one single Rib.
The Flowers are tubulous, divided at Top into four Sections, they are white, except that within the
Cup there is a faint Tincture of red, they grow in Bunches at the Ends of the Branches.
These Shrubs grow in many of the Bahama-Islands on the Rocky Shores amongst Sedge.
p. 87
ANSERI BASSANO AFFINIS FUSCA AVIS.
Sir Hans Sloane's Hist. Jam.
The Booby
Is somewhat less than a Goose; the basis of the Bill is yellow, and bare of feathers; in which the
Eyes are placed of a light gray colour; the lower part of the Bill is of a light brown.
These
Birds vary so, that they are not to be distinguished by their colours only: in one of them the Belly was
white, and the Back brown; in another the Breast and Belly was brown; in others all brown; nor could
I perceive any outward difference in the Cock and Hen. Their Wings are very long ; their Legs
and Feet pale yellow, and shap'd like those of Cormorants. They frequent the Bahama Islands,
where they breed all months in the year. They lay one, two, and sometimes three eggs on the bare
rocks. Dampier says, they breed on Trees in an Island called Bon-airy, in the West-Indies, which he
observes not to have seen e l s e where. While young, they are covered with a white Down, and
remain so till they are almost ready to fly.
They subsist on Fish only, which they catch by diving.
This and the great Booby are remarkable for having a joint in the upper mandible of the Bill.
It is diverting to see the frequent contests between the Booby and the Man of War Bird, which last
lives on rapine and spoil of other SeaBirds, particularly the Booby; which so soon as the Man of War
Bird perceives he hath taken a Fish, flies furiously at him, and obliges the Booby for his security to dive
under water. The Man of War Bird being incapable of following him, hovers over the place till the Booby
rises to breathe, and then attacks him again, and so repeats it at every opportunity, 'till the Booby at
length, tired and breathless, is necessitated to resign his fish: yet not being discouraged, industriously
goes to fishing again, and suffers repeated losses by fresh assaults from his rapacious Enemy.
Having had no opportunity of seeing the Man of War Bird any otherwise than in the Air, I cannot well
describe it, nor say any thing more of it, except what has been related to me, which is this: While they
are sitting and hatching their young, their Heads change from a brown to a Scarlet colour, which
becomes brown again when they have done breeding: This was affirmed to me by many who have
often seen them on their Nests; for at that time they are very tame, and will suffer one to come near to
them, tho' at other times very wild. These Birds are numerous on most of the Bahama Islands.
p .
8 8
H I R U N D O
M A R I N A
M I N O R
C a p i t e
AIbo.
Sir Hans Sloane's Hist. Jam. p. 31.
T h e
N o d d y
Weighs four ounces. The Bill black, long and sharp: the Eyes above and below are edged with white.
The Crown of the Head white, which grows gradually dusky towards the back part of the Head. All the
rest of these Birds are brown, their Tails and Quill-feathers being darkest. Their Wings and Tails are of an
equal length. They lay their Eggs on bare Rocks on many o f t h e B a h a m a Islands, where they
breed in company with Boobies. It is pleasant to see them fishing, accompanied with variety of other
Sea-Birds in numerous flights, flying on the surface of the water, and continually dropping to snatch up
the little fish drove in sholes by larger ones to the surface of the water. This seems to be done with great
pleasure and merriment, if we may judge from the various Notes and great noise they make, which is
heard some miles off. The sholes of fish they follow, cause a ripling and whiteness in the water, which is
a plain direction for the Birds to follow them, and may be seen from the Hills several miles off. Where the
ripling appears most there the Birds swarm thickest This is done in breeding time, but that being past,
these Noddies roam the 0cean over separately, and are seen several hundred leagues from any land, but
are seldom met with without the Tropicks. They are stupid Birds, and like the Booby will suffer themselves
to be laid hands on and taken from off the yards or parts of the Ships on which they alight. The Cocks
and Hens differ very little in colour.
p. 8 9
L AR U S M AJ O R
T h e Laug h i ng G ul l .
This Bird weighs eight ounces. The Bill is red, hooked towards the point; the lower mandible having
an angle to wards the end : the Head, of a dusky black : the Eyes are edged above and below with
white: half the Quill-feathers of the wing, towards the ends, are dusky black: all the rest of the Body
is white, as is the Tail, the feathers of which are of an equal length, and not so long as the wings by
two inches: the Legs are black, as are also the Feet, which are webbed.
These Birds are numerous in most of the Bahama Islands. The noise they make has some
resemblance to laughing, from which they seem to take their name. I know not whether the Hen differs
from this, which is a Cock.