The Witer-Ouzel Merula aquatica.
Nutab. XXXIX.
T .T S -Weight.is two Ounces and a half; its Length from the Point of
r®- the Bill to the End of the Tail, eight Inches and a half, to the End
of the Claws nine ; Breadth, when the Wings were expanded, fourteen
Inches. It hath a ihorter Body than the Blackbird, and a thicker Neck;
its Bill is ftreight, iharp pointed, ilenderer than the Blackbird’s, mea-
furing from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth about an Inch long,
or fomewhat leis, black coloured; the Head and upper Side of the
Neck are of a dark dusky Colour or black, with a Tincture of red; all
the Back, and both prime and covert Feathers of the Wings are party
coloured of cinereous,and black, the middle of the Feathers being black,
the Edges blue; the under Side of the Neck and fore Part of the Breaft
are milk white, the Feathers contiguous to the white are rediih, the
lower Belly towards the Tail black; the Eye-lids .white round about.
It hath in each Wing eighteen Quills; the Tail is ihorter than in
the reft of this Kind, fcarce two Inches and a half long, compofed of
twelve Feathers of equal Length; the Legs, Feet, and Claws are black;
the-outmoft fore Toe at Bottom joined to the middlemoft; the Tongue
is black, ilender, and a little cloven at the T ip; the Circles encompaffing
¿the Pupils of the Eyes great, broad, and of a fair hazel Colour; the Eyes
furniihed with ni£tating Membranes; the Noftrils long, the Plumage covering
the whole Body thick fet as in water Birds.
It frequents ftony Rivers -and water Courfe's in the mountainous Parts
.of Wales, Northumberland, Wejlmoreland, Yorkfhsre, & c.
This Bird was ihot by Sir Robert Abdy, and fent to me out of Cumberland.
It feeds upon Fiih, yet refufeth' not Infefts; fitting on the Banks of
Rivers it now and then flirts up its Tail; although it be not webfooted
yet it will fometimes dive or dart it felf quite under Water. It is a folir
itary Bird, accompanying only with its mate in coupling and breeding
Time.
The