The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, Vol. 1 (1777) - Page 29

A bookplate stamp in the top left corner indicates this volume was once part of a private collection. It reads: "From the books of Mildred R..." Original Latin: "EX LIBRIS MILDRED R..."

A hand-colored natural history illustration depicts a Swallow-tailed Kite, shown from the side while perched on a short, diagonal branch. The bird has a white head, neck, and underparts. There is a soft bluish-grey shade on the top of its head. Its back and long, pointed wings are a dark brownish-purple. The most striking feature is its very long, deeply forked tail of the same dark color. The bird has a large eye with a yellow iris, a black hooked beak, and greyish-blue talons. The background is plain.

The Hawk with the forked, scissor-like tail. original Latin: "Accipiter cauda forcipata furcata."

The Swallow-tailed Hawk.

THE HAWK with the forked tail. original Latin: "ACCIPITER Cauda furcata."

The Swallow-Tail Hawk.

A decorative initial letter 'I' is illustrated with a plant in an ornate pot on a pedestal, set against a small landscape. It weighs fourteen ounces. The beak is black and hooked. It does not have the tooth-like angles on the sides of the upper mandiblethe upper part of a bird's beak that are common in other hawks. The eyes are very large and black, with a red iristhe colored ring around the pupil of the eye. The head, neck, breast, and belly are white. The upper parts of the wings and the back are dark purple. This color becomes more muted toward the lower parts and has a hint of green. The wings are very long in proportion to the body. When extended, they reach four feet across. The tail is dark purple mixed with green and is remarkably forked. The outermost and longest feathers are eight inches longer than the middle feathers, which are the shortest.

Like swallows, these birds stay in the air for long periods. They catch beetles, flies, and other insects from trees and bushes while flying. They are also said to hunt lizards and snakes. This habit has led some people to call them the Snake-Hawk. I believe they are birds of passagemigratory birds that travel according to the seasons. I have never seen them during the winter months.

The Swallow-Tail Hawk. original French: "Epervier à queue d'hirondelle."

A decorative initial letter 'C' is set within a classical frame.