PICUS major alis aureis: The Gold-winged Wood-pecker. This Bird weighs five ounces: the Bill black, an inch and half long,
and a little bending: from the angles of the Mouth on each side
runs down a broad black lift, about an inch long: the upper part
of the Head and Neck of a lead-colour. On the hind part of the Head
is a large scarlet spot. On the hind part of the Neck, Throat, and
about the Eyes, of a bay colour; the Back, and part of the Wing
next to it, is intermix'd with black spots, in form of half moons.
The larger Wing-Feathers brown. What adds to the elegancy of this
bird, and what alone is sufficient to distinguish it by, is, that
the beams of all the Wing-Feathers are of a bright gold-colour.
The Breast has in the middle of it a large black spot, in form of
a crescent, from which to it's vent it is dusky white, and spotted
with round and some heart-shaped black spots. The Rump white, the
Tail black, which, with the Feet, are formed as others of this kind.
It differs from other Wood-peckers in the hookedness of it's Bill,
and manner of feeding, which is usually on the ground, out of which
it draws worms and other insects; neither do they alight on the
bodies of trees in an erect posture as Wood-peckers usually do,
but like other Birds.
The Hen wants the black lift, which is at the Throat of the Cock,
except which, she differs from him not in colour.
Quercus castaneae foliis, procera arbor virginiana: The Chestnut
Oak.
This Oak grows only in low and very good land, and is the tallest
and largest of the Oaks in these parts of the World: the Bark white
and scaly; the Grain of the Wood not fine, though the Timber is
of great use: the Leaves are large, indented round the edges, like
those of the Chesnut. None of the other Oaks produce so large Acorns.
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