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.
{Marsh-Hen.}
Marsh-Hen, much the same as in Europe, only she makes another sort of Noise,
and much shriller.
{Blue-Peters.}
The same as you call Water-Hens in England, are here very numerous,
and not regarded for eating.
{Sand-Birds.}
The Sand-Birds are about the Bigness of a Lark, and frequent our Sand-Beaches;
they are a dainty Food, if you will bestow Time and Ammunition to kill them.
{Runners.}
These are called Runners; because if you run after them,
they will run along the Sands and not offer to get up;
so that you may often drive them together to shoot as you please.
They are a pleasant small Bird.
{Tutcocks.}
A sort of Snipe, but sucks not his Food; they are almost the same
as in England.
{Swaddle-Bills.}
Swaddle-Bills are a sort of an ash-colour'd Duck, which have
an extraordinary broad Bill, and are good Meat; they are not common
as the others are.
{Mew.}
The same Mew as in England, being a white, slender Bird, with red Feet.
{Shel-Drakes.}
The same as in England.
{Bald-Faces.}
The bald, or white Faces are a good Fowl. They cannot dive,
and are easily shotten.
{Water-Witch.}
Water-Witch, or Ware-Coots, are a Fowl with Down and no Feathers;
they dive incomparably, so that no Fowler can hit them.
They can neither fly, nor go; but get into the Fish-wares,
and cannot fly over the Rods, and so are taken.
Thus have we given an Account of what Fowl has come to our Knowledge,
since our Abode in Carolina; except some that, perhaps,
have slipt our Memory, and so are left out of our Catalogue.
Proceed we now to treat of the Inhabitants of the Watry Element,
which tho' we can as yet do but very imperfectly; yet we are willing
to oblige the Curious with the best Account that is in our Power
to present them withal.
The Fish in the salt, and fresh Waters of Carolina, are,
Whales, several sorts.
Thrashers.
Divel-Fish.
Sword-Fish.
Crampois.
Bottle-Noses.
Porpoises.
Sharks, two sorts.
Dog-Fish.
Spanish-Mackarel.
Cavallies.
Boneto's.
Blue-Fish.
Drum, red.
Drum-Fish, black.
Angel-Fish.
Bass, or Rock-Fish.
Sheeps-Heads.
Plaice.
Flounder.
Soles.
Mullets.
Shad.
Eat-Backs.
Guard, white.
Guard, green.
Scate or Stingray.
Thornback.
Congar-Eels.
Lamprey-Eels.
Eels.
Sun-Fish.
Toad-Fish.
Sea-Tench.
Trouts of the Salt Water.
Crocus.
Herring.
Smelts.
Shads.
Breams.
Taylors.
Fresh-Water Fish are,
Sturgeon.
Pike.
Trouts.
Gudgeon.
Pearch English.
Pearch, white.
Pearch, brown, or Welch-men.
Pearch, flat, and mottled, or Irishmen.
Pearch small and flat, with red Spots, call'd round Robins.
Carp.
Roach.
Dace.
Loaches.
Sucking-Fish.
Cat-Fish.
Grindals.
Old-Wives.
Fountain-Fish.
White-Fish.
The Shell-Fish are.
Large Crabs, call'd Stone-Crabs.
Smaller flat Crabs.
Oysters great and small.
Cockles.
Clams.
Muscles.
Conks.
Skellop.
Man of Noses.
Periwinkles, or Wilks.
Sea-Snail-Horns.
Fidlars.
Runners.
Spanish or Pearl-Oysters.
Flattings.
Tortois and Terebin, accounted for among the Insects.
Finger-Fish.
Shrimps.
Fresh Water.
Craw-Fish.
Muscles.
{Whale.}
Whales are very numerous, on the Coast of North Carolina,
from which they make Oil, Bone, &c. to the great Advantage of those
inhabiting the Sand-Banks, along the Ocean, where these Whales come ashore,
none being struck or kill'd with a Harpoon in this Place,
as they are to the Northward, and elsewhere; all those Fish being found dead
on the Shoar, most commonly by those that inhabit the Banks, and Sea-side,
where they dwell, for that Intent, and for the Benefit of Wrecks,
which sometimes fall in upon that Shoar.
Of these Monsters there are four sorts; the first, which is most
choice and rich, is the Sperma Caeti Whale, from which the Sperma Caeti
is taken. These are rich Prizes; but I never heard but of one found
on this Coast, which was near Currituck-Inlet.
The other sorts are of a prodigious Bigness.
