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Of Achalalactli and Amalozque, birds with rings about their necks.
ITs silver-coloured ring adorns the Neck of Achalalactli, or the Bird that tosses and throws fishes about. Some call it Michalalactli. It is of the bigness and shape of a Dove, hath a black, sharp Bill, three inches long, and thick for the proportion of its body. Its Head is adorned with a long crest, from blue inclining to black. Its Belly is covered with white feathers, and its Neck beautified with a white ring. Its Wings underneath are white, but their ends brown, spotted with white: Above, like the rest of the body, blue, but their extreme parts black, and spotted every where with white specks. Its Tail is partly black, partly blue, but at intervals also varied with white spots. Its Legs are red; its Feet divided into Toes, ending in black Claws: Its Eyes black, and Irides white. It is a * 1.1 stranger to this Country of Mexico, and frequents Rivers and Fountains, feeding upon little fish and water Insects. It is edible, but of like taste and nourishment with other Fen and Marsh birds.
Nor is the Amalozque or red-neckt bird of less beauty. It is also a Marsh-bird, of the bigness of our common Turtle-dove: Its Legs and Feet (which are divided into Toes) being of a delayed red, [or white dashed with red:] Its Claws black: Its Bill of a mo∣derate length, slender, and black: Its Eyes black, and Irides red. The lower parts of the Breast, Belly, and Wings are white: But its Tail, which is of a moderate big∣ness, is sprinkled with fulvous and black: But, what is most remarkable, two black collars, distant by the breadth of ones little finger, encompass the Neck and Breast; the foremost whereof incircles it round, the hindmost fails and disappears in the upper part, [or above the Neck.] On both sides are two white spots of equal big∣ness, above the Eye toward the Neck, and reaching almost to it. The upper part of the body and also the tail are of a white, black, and fulvous colour. But the Wings above fulvous and brown. This Bird is native of the Lake of Mexico, breeding and bringing up its young there in the Spring-time. Its flesh is eaten, and affords like nou∣rishment with that of other Water-fowl. It feeds upon little fishes, Gnats, and other Water-Insects. It hath a louder and stronger cry than sutes to the proportion of its body: yet is it not to be numbred among the clamorous birds.