The French F ield Duck.
Numb.- ' X L I .
T T is a Bird peculiar to France, where there is not a Countryman but
* knows it, at leaft by the Name. It is fo called, not becaufe it is a
Water Bird, but becaufe it fits on the Ground like the Water-Duck, but
it hath no Similitude or Agreement with Water-Fowl, being a Land-
‘Bird; it is of the bignefs o f a Pheafant; the Head, faving the bignefi,
refembling a Quail's, the Bill a Pullet's. It is more known by its Name
than by its Shape: for they have a Country-Proverb againft fufpicious
Perfons, wherein they fay, that they play the Land-F>ucL It is taken
in Plains and open Fields, as they take Partridges, in Snares, with
Nets, and alfo with Hawks; but it is very crafty in defending and ¿lifting
for itielf, -flying near the Ground .with, great Force and Swiftnefs for
two or three hundred Paces, and then alights, running ib fwiftly, that
fcarce any Man can overtake it. It hath only three Toes on each Foot,
like the Bujlard\ the Head, Back and Wings are o f a yellowiih brown,
•variegated with black and white, the Breaft, Belly and Thighs were paler,
inclining to white, the Legs and Feet cinereous; all its interior
parts are as in other granivorous Birds; it is reckoned among the delicate
Birds, and efteemed as good Meat as the Pheafant. It feeds on all forts
.of Grain, and upon Ants, Beetles, and Flies, and alio on the Leaves of
green Corn. , This Bird feems not to have been mentioned by the An-
.tients; I had it out of the Collection of Sir Thomas Lowther.
7he
£ June to
+7361