IT weighed twenty Drams ; its Length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Taif
is feven Inches ; Breadth, when the Wings are extended, eleven Inches and a quarter.
The Bill is three Inches long, thick, ftrong, ftreight and (harp pointed; the Point and
upper Chap is black; the Angle of the lower Chap of a rediih yellow; the Tongue
is ihort, broad and (harp pointed; the Mouth within of a faffron Colour; the Noftrils
oblong; the Chin is white, with a mixture of rediih brown Feathers; the Belly of the fame
Colour but darker, as is alfo the under part of the Tail and Wings. From the Neck thro’
the middle of the Back, almoft to the end of the Tail.it is of a bright pale blewiih green,
very fplendid and delightful to the Eyes of the Beholders. Between the Noftrils and Eyes is
a rediih brown Spot, which is continued .beyond the Eyes and terminates in a whitifh Colour;
the Crown of the Head is of an obfcure dark green, with crofs difcontinued Lines
of a blewiih green.
In each Wing are twenty three quill Feathers, of which the third is the longeft;
both the quill Feathers, and thofe next to them, have their exterior Webs blewiih green;
their interior duiky ; the lefler Row of Wing Feathers, all excepting thofe covering the
bafe of the Wing, have blewiih Tips; the long Feathers fpringing from the Shoulders
and, covering the Back are of a blewiih green; the Tail is about an Inch and a half
long rriade up of twelve Feathers, of a dark blue very obfcure towards the end.
The Legs and Feet are very ihort and little, of a red Colour; the Claws black; the
Jjtru&ure of the Feet in this Bird is lingular and different from all others, for the three
lower Joints of the outermoft Toe are joined to the middlemoft; of the inmoft only one:
This inner Toe is the leaft, and ihorter by half than the middlemoft ; the outer almoft
equal to the middlemoft; the back Toe is fomewhat bigger than the inner fore Toe.
The third or loweft Bone of the Leg is greater than is ufual in other Birds: The Bones
of the Tongue are lefler and ihorter than is ufual in Birds of this Bignefs.
The Stomach is great and lax, as in carnivorous Birds; in one of them difle&ed was
found Bones- and Scales of Fifties. The Guts are more (lender towards the Vend Gefrnr
aflirms that the Fat of this Bird is red,, which is alfo mention’d by Willoughby to be true.
They commonly make' their Neft in a Hole in the Bank of a River about half a Yard
deep, ■ in; which they have commonly five young ones.
SI is a vulgar Opinion that this Bird being hung by an untwifted Silk, or Horfe-Hair,
by the Bill in any Room, will turn its Bread to that quarter o f the Heavens whence the
Wind blows.
Dr. Cbarleton in his Onomajlicon makes mention of a King Fiiher brought out of India
which fcarce exceeds a Wren in Bignefs: I have feen one brought from Smyrna by the
ingenious Dr. Sherwood, three times as big as ours, and of different Colours: Another
fomething bigger than that, which was a native of Carolina, of a darkifh Colour, having
a large Creft of the fame Colour; the Belly, Breaft and Thighs o f a pale red; the Bill
and Legs dark aih; the Throat and part of ¿he Neck white; This laft was colledtedby
Mr. Catesby»