A Modern System of Natural History: Containing Accurate Descriptions, and Faithful Histories, of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals. Together with Their Properties, and Various Uses in Medicine, Mechanics,manufactures, &c, Volume 7F. Newbery, the corner of St. Paul's Church-Yard, Ludgate-Street, 1775 |
Common terms and phrases
afh-colour almoft animals bafe beautiful belly is white bill breadth breaft and belly breed brown chaffinch claws confifts coverts crane creft curlew deep purple defcribed defcription drupeds duck dufky duſky edged eggs eyes faid fame colour fcapulars feathers feeds feems feen feldom female feven fhort fhould fides finging firft five eggs five or fix fize flender fmall fmaller fome fometimes fong fpecies fpotted with black fpring frequently ftate ftork fuch fulmar fwallow fwan gannet GARGANEY goofe green hawfinch head heron hind-part ibid ifland inches long infects itſelf kind lark lays four leffer lefs legs and feet LITTLE BITTERN little grebe lour lower-part male mofs moft moſt neck neft nightingale pale plumage Quadrupeds quill feathers quill-feathers reddish refembling reft rump ſmall ſpots tail thefe birds themſelves theſe birds thofe thoſe throat toes tribe ufually upper-part vifit water-fowl wings winter yellow yellowish young
Popular passages
Page 48 - Returning home,' saith Sir Charles, ' in the spring of the year, as I came into soundings in our channel, a great flock of swallows came and settled on all my rigging ; every rope was covered ; they hung on one another like a swarm of bees, the decks and carvings were filled with them. They seemed almost famished and spent, and were only feathers and bones ; but being recruited with a night's rest, took their flight in the morning.
Page 144 - I have seen a carp," continues he, " taken out of a heron's belly, nine inches and a half long. Several gentlemen who kept tame herons, to try what quantity one of them would eat in a day, have put several smaller roach and dace in a tub ; and they have found him eat fifty in a day, one day with another. In this manner a single heron will destroy fifteen thousand carp in half a year.
Page 53 - ... was preluded by a dirge of a quarter of an hour's length. That others would unite in laying hold of a ftraw with their bills, and fo plunge down in fociety.
Page 141 - The stork's an emblem of true piety; Because, when age has seized and made his dam Unfit for flight, the grateful young one takes His mother on his back, provides her food, Repaying thus her tender care of him, Ere he was fit to fly...
Page 48 - I came into soundings in our channel, a great flock of swallows came and settled on my rigging ; every rope was covered ; they hung on one another like a swarm of bees ; the decks and carving were filled with them. They seemed almost famished and spent, and were only feathers and bones ; but, being recruited with a night's rest, they took their flight in the morning.
Page 169 - It is near six inches in length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, the former being about half an inch, and the latter two inches and a half.
Page 66 - The length of the peacock, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail', is about three feet eight inches.
Page 85 - ... form ; the crown of the head, and the coverts of the wings, are of a deep blackish green, spotted with bright azure ; the back and tail are of the most resplendent azure ; the...
Page 139 - The stork-assembly meets; for many a day, Consulting deep, and various, ere they take Their arduous voyage through the liquid sky. And now their...
Page 28 - The mountain nymph, fweet Liberty ; And, if I give thee honour due, Mirth, admit me of thy crew, To live with her, and live with thee, In unreproved pleafures free...