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.
{Bull-Necks.}
These are a whitish Fowl, about the Bigness of a Brant;
they come to us after Christmas, in very great Flocks, in all our Rivers.
They are a very good Meat, but hard to kill, because hard to come near.
They will dive and endure a great deal of Shot.
{Red-Heads.}
Red-Heads, a lesser Fowl than Bull-Necks, are very sweet Food,
and plentiful in our Rivers and Creeks.
{Tropick-Birds.}
Tropick-Birds are a white Mew, with a forked Tail. They are so call'd,
because they are plentifully met withal under the Tropicks, and thereabouts.
{Pellican.}
The Pellican of the Wilderness cannot be the same as ours;
this being a Water-Fowl, with a great natural Wen or Pouch under his Throat,
in which he keeps his Prey of Fish, which is what he lives on.
He is Web-footed, like a Goose, and shap'd like a Duck,
but is a very large Fowl, bigger than a Goose. He is never eaten as Food;
They make Tobacco-pouches of his Maw.
{Cormorant.}
Cormorants are very well known in some Parts of England;
we have great Flocks of them with us, especially against the Herrings run,
which is in March and April; then they sit upon Logs of dry Wood
in the Water, and catch the Fish.
{Gannet.}
The Gannet is a large white Fowl, having one Part of his Wings black;
he lives on Fish, as the Pellican. His Fat or Grease,
is as yellow as Saffron, and the best thing known, to preserve Fire-Arms,
from Rust.
{Shear-Water.}
Shear-Waters are a longer Fowl than a Duck; some of them lie on the Coast,
whilst others range the Seas all over. Sometimes they are met
five hundred Leagues from Land. They live without drinking any fresh Water.
{Pied-Gull.}
We have a great pied Gull, black and white, which seems to have a black Hood
on his Head; these lay very fair Eggs which are good; as are the young ones
in the Season.
