Edwards, George, 1694-1773. / A natural history of birds. Most of which have not been figur'd or describ'd, and others very little known from obscure or too brief descriptions without figures, or from figures very ill design'd.
The Chinese sparrows, pp. [Plate] 43-43
( 43 ) The CHINESE SPARROWS. H ES E Birds are figur'd of their Natural Bignefs; they are of the Finch-kind, 1 tho' they have Bills of a larger Size; the Bills in both are very large, jufi of the fame Shape and Bignefs, of a light bluifh Afh-colour; the Head, in the firft Bird, which I fuppofe to be the Cock, is Black; in the fore Part of the Neck, the Black reaches down to the Breaft; the Eye is of a dark Colour; the whole Body, Wings, and Tail, are of an equal Red-brown or dark Cinnamon-colour; the Legs and Feet of an Afh-colour. TIr H E fecond Bird, which I fuppofe to be the Hen, hath a dark-colour'd Eye ; the 1 Sides of the Head, round the Eye, the under-fide of the Neck, Breaft, Belly, and Covert-feathers under the Tail, are of a dirty White, a little inclining to a faded Bloffom-colour; the Top of the Head, hinder Part of the Neck, Back, and Wings, are of a dirty brownifh Afi-colour; the upper Covert-feathers of the Tail, White ; the Tail and greater Quill-feathers, are of a Black or Dusky-colour; the Legs and Feet are of a Flefh-colour. I drew thefe Birds at a Bird-Merchant's in [7Thite-Hirt Yard in the Strand, who call'd them Indian Sparrows. They were in a Cage together, and feem'd to agree like Cock and Hen. Though A/bibn has figur'd this with a black Head, and a Bird different to what I have here placed with it, which he fays is the Hen ; I ihould not have re- peated A/bin's Bird, had not this I call the Hen, been a Bird not yet defcrib'd. A/bin's Cock differs from mine, in that it hath a broad black Stroke drawn from the Breafi downward, through the whole Length of the Belly, which I could not difcover; though I have, fince I made this Draught, had one of thefe Birds myfelf, and examin'd it narrowly to find this Mark, but Idund the Belly wholly of the red Ruffet-colour. I have been told thefe Birds are brought from China. I have given it Mr. A/bin's Name, which I think not improper; befides, a multiplicity of Names for the fame Thing, caufes much Confufion in Natural Hiftory. See A/bin's Figure in to/. 2. Plate 53. of his Hiftory of Birds. 2Ve
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