The Sea-Pie, or Olive. Hasmatopus.
Numb. LXXVIII.
ITS Length from the Tip of the Bill to the End of the Tail is one Foot
four Inches; Breadth when the Wings are extended, thirty Inches and
alf; Weight feven Ounces and a half; its Bill is ftreight, two Inches and
a half long, narrow, and comprefled Tideways, ending in a lharp Point of
a red Colour; by its Figure the Bill feemsto be framed by Nature to thruft
under Limpets, and to raiie them from the Rocks, that fo it may feed
upon their Meat; the upper Chap is a little longer than the nether ; the
Jrides of the Eyes, and Edges of the Eye-lids of a curious red Colour; the
Legs and Feet yellowiih red, in fome Orange Colour; the outeimoil
Toe and middle Toe are joined together by a Membrane: So that this Bird
feems to be of a middle nature between whole and cloven Footed; the
■Claws were black, and the Head, Neck, Back and Throat to the middle
of theBreaft, are black; the reft of the Breaft and Belly white, as alfo
the Rump; from this Likenefs of Colour it took the Name of Sea-Pie. In
one Bird there was a white Spot under the Chin, and another lcffer under
each Eye.
The'Tail is made up of twelve equal Feathers of four Inches long, the
lower half white, the upper black; the prime Feathers of each Wing are
about twenty eight, of which the firft is black, having only the interior
Edge white; the reft in order, the white Part is enlarged, till in the twentieth
and three following it takes up the whole Feather ; the fucceeding
from the twenty third grow gradually black again; the covert Feathers of
the middle Quills are white, and together make a tranfverfe Bed of white
.in the Wing. ‘ . ■
The Stomach is great, not mufculous, but membranous, in which differed
were found Limpets entire, upon which it ieems chiefly to feed and
live, as from the Make of its Bill was gathered before; it hath a great Liver
divided into two Lobes, with a Gall annexed, and a fmall Spleen; the
Cock differs from the Hen in Colour, and its Flefh is very black and hard,
having a rank Tafte, being very bad Meat, which is to be wondered at,
feeing it feeds chiefly upon Shell-fiih, as do alfo the beft reliihed and moft
favoury of Water-fowl. - On the Coaft of IVales, and elfewhere on the
Weftern Shores of England,\ t h e r e is a great many of thefe Birds.