{Green-Plover.}
The Lap-Wing Or Green-Plover Are Here Very Common.
They cry pretty much,
as the English Plovers do; and differ not much in Feather,
but want a third of their Bigness.
{Gray-Plover.}
The gray or whistling Plover, are very scarce amongst us.
I never saw any but three times, that fell and settled on the Ground.
They differ very little from those in Europe, as far as I could discern.
I have seen several great Flocks of them fly over head; therefore, believe,
they inhabit the Valleys near the Mountains.
{Pigeons.}
Our wild Pigeons, are like the Wood-Queese or Stock-Doves,
only have a longer Tail. They leave us in the Summer. This sort of Pigeon
(as I said before) is the most like our Stock-Doves, or Wood-Pigeons
that we have in England; only these differ in their Tails,
which are very long, much like a Parrakeeto's? You must understand,
that these Birds do not breed amongst us, (who are settled at,
and near the Mouths of the Rivers, as I have intimated to you before)
but come down (especially in hard Winters) amongst the Inhabitants,
in great Flocks, as they were seen to do in the Year 1707,
which was the hardest Winter that ever was known, since Carolina
has been seated by the Christians. And if that Country had such hard Weather,
what must be expected of the severe Winters in Pensylvania, New-York,
and New-England, where Winters are ten times (if possible)
colder than with us. Although the Flocks are, in such Extremities,
very numerous; yet they are not to be mention'd in Comparison with
the great and infinite Numbers of these Fowl, that are met withal
about a hundred, or a hundred and fifty, Miles to the Westward of the Places
where we at present live; and where these Pigeons come down, in quest of
a small sort of Acorns, which in those Parts are plentifully found.
They are the same we call Turky-Acorns, because the wild Turkies
feed very much thereon; And for the same Reason, those Trees that bear them,
are call'd Turky-Oaks. I saw such prodigious Flocks of these Pigeons,
in January or February, 1701-2, (which were in the hilly Country,
between the great Nation of the Esaw Indians, and the pleasant Stream
of Sapona, which is the West-Branch of Clarendon, or Cape-Fair River)
that they had broke down the Limbs of a great many large Trees
all over those Woods, whereon they chanced to sit and roost;
especially the great Pines, which are a more brittle Wood,
than our sorts of Oak are. These Pigeons, about Sun-Rise,
when we were preparing to march on our Journey, would fly by us
in such vast Flocks, that they would be near a Quarter of an Hour,
before they were all pass'd by; and as soon as that Flock was gone,
another would come; and so successively one after another,
for great part of the Morning. It is observable, that whereever these Fowl
come in such Numbers, as I saw them then, they clear all before them,
scarce leaving one Acorn upon the Ground, which would, doubtless,
be a great Prejudice to the Planters that should seat there,
because their Swine would be thereby depriv'd of their Mast.
When I saw such Flocks of the Pigeons I now speak of, none of our Company
had any other sort of Shot, than that which is cast in Moulds,
and was so very large, that we could not put above ten or a dozen of them
into our largest Pieces; Wherefore, we made but an indifferent Hand
of shooting them; although we commonly kill'd a Pigeon for every Shot.
They were very fat, and as good Pigeons, as ever I eat.
I enquired of the Indians that dwell'd in those Parts, where it was
that those Pigeons bred, and they pointed towards the vast Ridge of Mountains,
and said, they bred there. Now, whether they make their Nests
in the Holes in the Rocks of those Mountains, or build in Trees,
I could not learn; but they seem to me to be a Wood-Pigeon,
that build in Trees, because of their 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.
{Second.}
The second sort are of an Olive-Colour, striped with yellow. They eat Worms
as well as Grubs, and are about the Bigness of those in Europe.
{Third.}
The third is the same Bigness as the last; he is pied with black and white,
has a Crimson Head, without a Topping, and is a Plague to the Corn and Fruit;
especially the Apples.
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