Grus Americana Alba: The Hooping Crane.
Is about the Size of the common Crane. The Bill is brown, and six
Inches long; the Edges of both Mandibles towards the End, about
an Inch and half, are serrated. A deep and broad Channel runs from
more than half way along its upper Mandible. Its Nostrils are very
large. A broad white Lift runs from the Eyes obliquely to the Neck;
except which the Head is brown. The Crown of the Head is callous
and very hard, thinly beset with stiff black Hairs which lye flat,
and are so thin that the Skin appears bare of a reddish Flesh-Colour.
Behind the Head is a Peek of black Feathers. The larger Wing-Feathers
are black. All the Rest of the Body is white. This Description I
took rom the entire Skin of the Bird, presented to me by an Indian
who made Use of it for his Tobacco-Pouch. He told me that early
in the Spring great Multitudes of them frequent the lower Parts
of the Rivers near the Sea; and return to the Mountains in the Summer.
This Relation was afterwards confirmed to me by a white Man; who
added, that they make a remarkable hooping Noise; and that he hath
seen them at the Mouths of the Savanna, Aratamaha, and other
Rivers nearer St. Augustine; but never saw any so far North
as the Settlements of Carolina.
Prunus Buxi folio cordato, fructu nigro rotundo: The Bullet-Bush.
The larger Part of the Stem of this Shrub is seldom bigger than
the Small of a Man's Leg. The Height is usually five Feet. The Branches
shoot forth near the Ground and spread. The Leaves are stiff like
those of Box, and about the same Bigness, with Notches at the Ends.
The Berries hang to the smaller Branches by Footstalks not half
an Inch long, and are globular, somewhat larger than a Black Cherry,
of a blueish Black; and contain each a single Stone.