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cutler-letters_species-birds_1791-05-28_01
May 28 1791 Eagle--white head, or bald. Falco leucocephalus. * not peculiar to America, it is found in Europe also. The speciman which I had measured between the wings 7 feet, weighed 10 lbs grey a horn. Falco lulvers? + larger than ye form King fisher. Alcedo Alcyon.* White Goose. Anas [?erathrophus?] + Black head or Wild. Anas canadensis. Coot. Anas nigra.*
white headed Anas spectabilis ? + brown Anas hisea? + of these I have seen only the first. The males have all, according to linnous, the Base of the Beak yellwo; I thought conjecture our Coats are to be refered to these Sp. The name is improperly applied, a species of Fulica is the Coat of Europe.
Blue Goose. Anas corulescens? + Brant. Anas Bernicla? + Sea Duck Anas mollifsima.* Black + Anas Dipper. Anas Albeola.* Old wife Anas Strepera?* My specimen was a formale, cannot therefore determine whether it is the A. strepera.
Grey Duck + Anas Widgeon Anas Penelope? + Mallard, Sprig. tail Duck. Anas acuta.*
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White bellied Duck + Anas. Blue winged Teal. Anas discors?+ Green winged + Anas Shelldrake great white. [?pyed?] blue brown Fresh water
As I do not know these birds by these names, I cannot form any mobable conjecture, to which linear species they are to be referred. I have examined but these species, but did not find that any of them perfectly agreed with the linn. Definitions they were the following.
1 Cream coloured. Mergus Merganser?* The head blueish black; the Back black; wings black & white tail ash coloured. The rest of the body entirely of a cream colour with a most delicate tinge of pale pink.
2 pyed? Mergus Castor?* The head dreft and upper part of the neck chesnut; Throat white; Back variegated with grey and ash colour; Tail ash coloured; bill + feet red; Abdomen cream coloured, not so much tinged as in the former.
3 Mergus Senator?* This varies from the Linnean Species in having the bill and feet red, which in that are black. Its head in black with a greenish cast, crested; which ring round the neck; heart pale rust colour; back toward the neck black, toward the tail grey with small black streaks; bill and feet red. These 3 were males.
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Gannet. Pelecamus Bafsannus?+ Shag + An pelecane Species? a species of Pelican is called Shag in Europe. I have never seen ours. Loon Sheck. back. Columbies Immer.* grey. + caperace. + Gull white Larus cannes?* It approaches this species but differs in the colour of the Bill and feet from all the Linnearn Lari. grey. The same bird while young. Macknel. Larus ridifundus.* Curlew.+ Scolopax
Ox Eye + Humility. + By what I am told, I suspect Birds are species of Fringa. a sp. of [?tifmorse?] is called opeye in Europe. Plover-silber + Charadrius. black beaked Charadrius Hiaticula?+ Kildee Charadrius vociferus.* Peep Rallus carolinus?* It varies in some respects.
Penguin, Water hen, Pulper, Gump-Read, Potch-knot, Murr. Of these I can form no conjecture Those which are alterized(*) I have examined, and when the arts[illegible] stands alone I am pretty certain arereferred to the right species of Linnous. Those marked with an abelistic (+) I have never seen and where it occurs with, what Linnous calls the Signcern dubritationis (?), I have merely conjectured that the Linnean name [illegible] belongs to them. These Conjectures of rights, I have great
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hopes that are worthy W Cutler will be able to confirm, if wrong, to correct; as he wrote me that he had examined a considerable num ber of our birds. Indeed I place great confidence upon this information. These conjectures may possibly be of some little service to him while he is engaged on the subject. I would not otherwise hazard them.
[?Hittug?] 28th May. 1791.