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BY ALEXANDER WILSON AND PRINCE CHARLES LUCIEN BONAPARTE. %\t Wmxm^t jootw mx Kft of il^ison BY SIR WILLIAM JARDINE, Bart.. F.R.S.E.. F.L.S. IN THREE VOLUMES.~VOL. /. CASSELL PETTER & GALPIN: LONDON, PARIS d- NFAV YORK /^M '!m::: ^nv^lT',nfi I'vllrt'i-!! t f COJ^TENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. The names printea in italics are species not containea in tke original, .hick ka.e been introduced into the notes. "'* Blue Bird . Blue Bird, Arctic Blue Bird, Mexican Blue Bird, Wilson's Bunting, Black-throated Bunting, Common Bunting, Cow . Bunting Finches" , Bunting, Painted Bunting, /teed Bunting, Eice . Bunting, Snow . Bunting, Towhe . Chat, Yellow-breasted Creeper, Black and White Creeper, Brown Creeper, European Crow, Clark's , Cuckoo, American Cuckoo, European Knch, Indigo Finch, Pine Finch, Purple Finch, Snow Finch, Winter 122, 123 . 122 Flycatcher, Bonaparte's . agg Flycatcher, Canada . . agg Flycatcher, Fan-tailed . 102 Flycatcher, Great Crested . 225 Flycatcher, Green Black-capt 391 Flycatcher, Hooded . . 389 Flycatcher, Little , * 227 Flycatcher, Red-eyed . .' 205 Flycatcher, Richardson's . 227 Flycatcher, SdbT/s . , 358 Flycatcher, Small Blue-grav 304 Flycatcher, Small Green- crested . • • • Flycatcher, Solitary Flycatcher, Trail's Flycatcher, Tyrant . Flycatcher, White-eyed Flycatcher, Wood Pewee Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Goldcrest, Crested Goldcrest, Cuvier's Goldcrest, Fieri/.crested Goldcrest, Reguloid Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, or Yellow-bird 226 284 227 215 306 231 117 127 129 129 127 12 11 vl CONTENTS. Ornkle, Purple . Grakle, Rusty . Grosbeak, Blue . Orosbeak, CurcUnal , Groabeak, Pino . Oroabeak. Roao- breasted Grouse, Pinnated , Hawk, American Sparrow . Hawk, Pigeon . Humming-bird . I/imming-bird, Ruff-necked, or Nootka Jay, Blue . . . . Jay, Canada t/ay, Short-billed . Kinrjfishera .... Kingfisher, Belted Kite, Mississippi Lark, Meadow , Lark, Shore Larkfaich, Lapland . Larkfinch, Painted Mocking-bird Mocking-bird, Cat Mocking-bird, Fox-coloured Mocking-bird, Thrus/i-like Nuthatch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, European . Nuthatch, Golden-winged Nuthatch, Red-bellied Black- capt .... Nuthatch, Veiled Nuthatch, White-breasted Black-capt Orioles . . ^ _ Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard . FAOI .333 330 367 188 79 277 302 2G2 2S4 176 177 1 . 322 4 . 348 . 348 . 368 . 311 . 85 . 325 . 326 163, 233 . 240 . 233 . 175 . 252 . 253 36, 40 36 41 36 36 18 16 64 Owl, Mottled Owl, Tawny Parrot, Carolina . Pewee, Little Pewee, Jiichardson'a Pewee, Wood Pewit, Trail's . J'ipilo, or Oroundfinch, Arctic 187 Pipilo, or Oroundfinch, Spotted 187 PAOR 307 308 376 227 227 231 228 Red-bird, Summer Redstart, American . Robin Shrikes " • • Shrike, Great American Shrike, American Oray Shrike, Carolina . Shrike, Collared . Shrike, Elegant . Shrike, European Shrike, Loggerhead Shrike, Ludovician Shrike, Natka Shrike, Northern . Siskin, Pine Snow-bird . Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Fox-coloured Sparrow, Field . Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song . Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Tree . Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-winged Stonechats, British Tanager, Louisiana Tanager, Scarlet . Thrush, Cat-bird . 95 . lOS . 29 . 344 . 73 • 346 . 346 . 345 . 347 . 73 . 344 . 346 . 347 73, 346 . 276 . 272 . 271 . 341 . 265 . 342 . 269 . 338 . 267 . 340 . 365 . 60 . 317 . 192 . 240 CONTENTS. Thrush, Ferruginous . Thrush, Golden-crowned Thruih, Olivaceout , Thrush, Water . Thrush, Wood . Titmice Titmouse, American Crested Titmouse, Bearded Titmouse, Black-capt Titmouse, Greater Titmouse, Long- tailed Titmouse, Marsh . Trichas, Masked . Tyrant, Great Crested Tyrmt, Gray-breasted Tyrant, King-bird Tyrant, Northern Tyrant, Sulphur . Vireo, Bartram's Vireo, Olivaceua . Vireo, Vigor's . . . uy Warbler, Autumnal . . 355 Warbler, Bay-breasted . 247 Warbler, Blackburnian . 354 Warbler, Black and Yellow 353 Warbler, Black-throated Blue 260 Warbler, Black-throated Green 279 Warbler, Blue-green . . 406 Warbler, Blue-winged Yel- ^°^ 256 Warbler, Blue-eyed Yellow 258 Warbler, Cerulean . . 283 Warbler, Chestnut-sided . 248 Warbler, Children's . .214 Warbler, Golden- winged . 259 Warbler, Kentucky . . 373 Warbler, Mourning . . 249 PAOB 233 238 31 356 22 138, 140 140 . 142 . 138 . 139 . 142 . 138 88, 303 . 225 . 217 . 215 . 217 . 217 117,205 . 117 Vii 407 316 362 376 214 214 372 363 280 213 106 109 109 Warbler, Nashville . Warbler, Pine-creeping Warbler, Protonotary Warl)ler, Prairie . Warbler, Rathbone's Warbler, Roscoe'a Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yollow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throat Waxwing, Cedar IFaxicing, European . Waxwing, Red-winged Woodpecker, Black and niiite 146 43 158 43 155 321 168 158 43 44 146 113 261 152 . 152 . 132 . 134 . 127 . 210 . 132 . 207 . 83 . 142 88, 303 Woodpecker, Brazilian . Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Goldeu-winged Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Lewis's . Woodpecker, Little Georgian Woodpecker, Little Midland Woodpecker, Mexican . Woodpecker, Plain Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, Audubon's Wrens Wren, Bewick's . Wren, Golden-crested Wren, Great Carolina Wren, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Wren, Winter . Yellow-throat Marjdand I i LIFE OF ALEXAJfDER WILSON". In looking at our present knowledge of the natural history of any vast country, we generally lose sight of a very important circum- slance,-the value which its early naturalists, and their sources of information, should hold, in the opinions and deductions that we form regarding it. "Mines, as it were, of the relics of animal crea- tion are daily discovered, containing forms we have never seen or imagmed-of whose s>>ape and figure even the slightest tradition does not exist ; and we possess later records of animals and birds whose trutli we cannot substantiate, or of whose present existence we can find no trace. Independent, however, of the great changes which have taken place upon the surface of the earth, embracing, in their convulsions, all creation, whether animate or inanimate, there IS one powerful existing cause, which tends sometimes to render of no avail and at other times to vary, those laws, which would regu- larly influence the distribution of animal life in a natural or wild state, -cmhsation, and, consequent upon it, the extirpation of some, and the introduction and naturaUsation of other, species, to countries and climates originally not their own. Of these, the former is most to be dreaded. Introduction will destroy the exclusive locality; but It may benefat the nations or individuals who are at the trouble and exp^ense of it; and the animals introduced being generally conducive b X LIFE OF to some want or luxury, we are less liable to lose the tradition of their first uses. When destroyed, the species is either entirely lost or Its locality becomes more limited. This takes place, by the cul ' tivation of the country destroying the natural productions, and introducing others not adapted for the sustenance of the native animals; or by the great and indiscriminate destruction of the dif ferent species, either for food, or articles of commerce; or it arises from the jealousy and hatred of the native tribes towards their more civilised aggressors. Thus, late travellers in the interior of North America, frequently complain of the scarcity of various sorts of game in parts where they previously abounded. Major Long particularly notices this, in his expedition to the source of the St Peter's River Speaking of the native Indians there, he says,-- They hunt without reserve, and destroy the game more rapidly than it can be repro- duced. They appear, since their intercourse with the white men to have lost the sagacious foresight which previously distinguished them. It was usual for them formerly, to avoid killing the deer during the rutting season. The does that were with young were in like manner, always spared, except in cases of urgency ; and the young fawns were not wantonly destroyed : but, at present, the Indian seems to consider himself as a stranger in the land which his fathers held as their own. He sees his property daily exposed to the encroachments of white men; and therefore hunts down indiscriminately eveiy animal that he meets with, being doubtful wheherhewm be permitted to reap, the ensuing year, the fruits of his foresight during the present ; and fearing lest he may not be able to hunt undisturbed upon his pix,perty for another season " The department of nature about which we are now more immedi- ately interested, points out similar instances, occurring ahnost to our personal observation. In our own little islands, many of those birds formerly esteemed common, ar^ now hardly to be met with. The busurd IS almost extinct from our plains; and the noble capercalzie of the Scottish forests, has disappeared for nearly a century. The ostrich and large bustards of Africa, the rhraand emu of their respective countries, are driven by the settlers and coloni^te, to seek for new and undisturbed ab'odes TTZ^^. grounds ; and in « Canada, and the now densely peopled parts of the United States," says the coutinuator of Wilson, « wild turkeys ALEXANDER WILSON. XI like the Indian and buffalo, have been compelled to yield to th« destructive ingenuity of the white settlers " * ^ In those rapid changes, then, appearing to our view slow frn,„ their constancy, we should be in danger of losin Ja^ tllTf specie, or of possessing a tradition'or ^^^of, X^'Z. according to the station which the author of it'at tLTaieheldt llTT ""'r'^'^'^' '" '"^^ ^^«P-*' *^« ornithology f North America has been most fortunate TTn. », * i- . , "^ from observations, the Wt of heir!! Ub^ ''"\"°"8'" have not trusted to tbe beaj, S:™ 'b^T^dZt.' "1 the spee.es of that eo„ti„e„t are at this time better Cn'tSn hose of any part of the world, northern Europe excepted 7.^" from tbe more pnmitive ornithologists, from Edwards and Carbl embracing in their histories the birds of the kZl t 1 ^' the southern continent, and also from the^rltll T* " <.r establishment, wb'o f^isbedTJ 'iSt rrlZ're^*' mg the more arctic inhabitants, we find, in the VivaJZ T it ..nerable Bartram and the elder Peale, v;arm admi^^^^^'^^^^^^^^^^^ all her forms, paving the way for the favourable reception 1/.^ arduous, and then novel, labours of our countrvVr A W.SO.. He .as the first who truly^^Zd ^ J^^^^^^^^^^^^ America in their natural abodes, and from real oZrL^X \ h. workwiU remain an everW-admired^sto:^ I^t and perseverance-one certainly unrivalled in descriptions atdS some plates and iUustrations may vie with it in fi , ' admirable continuator and commentator the Princ of M • of Mr Ord, and the younger Peale .„^ ,i T """''g"""". Messrs Say and Long ri^ntCJa ,heTr T™^' "' have done much to fin „„ ^ '"'*™' ™" 'he Rocky Mountains, the faunrori^oVh aI L :hrtb™"'7 'V'' '"""™"' °' «:edi,erent arctic e.p:d^;s:rd:rer;1^^^^^^^^^ particularly the last overland, under the chargi of Ca„wl Sir T F,^khn,have brought down our knowledge^ the p^l JlJ" and are beautifullv illustratpH in +i,» • 1 present date, the "Northern IZ^T^ ^1^7"^""' '"'"' "^^""« ^^ ^ooiogy, by Dr Richardson, and Mr Swainaon. Bonap. Continuation, Part I. p. go. Xll LIFE OF To the» my be added, though l«t, cert«,Jy „„t Ua^j, a,. „_;. ..cent work of Mr A„d„bo«, now in course of pubUc..i;„, wUl^^i en^rpnemg author ietr.ver.ing the wilde of Lerioa in^T^ o^ objects for its completion. -*wj ut The naturalists who ha,e contributed to our knowledee of th. oTthetft°f r'^'™"' "'""« '-'^ "'«" -ton aci n of the „ent of the.r respective works, let us endeavour to trace the m»v .t Z °" "■? '"""'"°' °°''' »'"'• ''y Pe'^'verauce amidst e^ZiroTth':^ ZZ '""^'" '" " "-"»" - <" "■« -' The population of themannfaoturing districts differs most essenti- ally .n Its constUuhon and character, from the other parts of Z comm„n,ty of Great Britain. Composed of men primarily devoW to the acq„.s.t,on of independence, activity and decision fZ a strong feature m their dispositions, and stamps them with Tvid mpressjoas of .he worldly changes which may ultimately couduj o the loss or prosperity of their engagements. In pLley th^ argest manufacturing town in Scotland, the middle and Z^Lt We .ntere ted ohielly moved, are respectable a.,d industrious-or Z of r^tl«s d,spos.t,ons, and preferring dissipation and revelry aCZ world. The greater part of the employment in this important town « g.ven out .n p,ece, which permits the labourer to enlyTl^ter proporfon of leisure than he could do by the more us„7meCt working a fixed t.me. A little exertion and assiduity will Tl owhim some hours of relation, and the manner in which thL is ™„ often bears a high mfluence on the future prospects of theMiWd«r Numerous clubs have at various times been instituted, "h most of the operatives resort, and spend their leisure time Z^^Z to their inclmations. In some, intemperance prevails w JhT? ! and wrangling discussion of the aifai^s and fj let' I th r Jll' rent masters, and the politics of the day. What are c»ll!^ r^ ,' senth^ents are promulgated; .«dwithl!ltlTce fhet:^ Tet^rtir"- *''°""^r">° » '"<> '^ that jealousy of tt ::i:r:ifrc:rtrd:tt::f"r^^^^^ r: "™ '"' ^^^ neighbours, properties, .J^^^T^'TZ^, I / ALEXANDER WILSON, bring themselves to ruin, can never promote either their happiness or welfare In others, though, to a certain extent, the same courses are run, they are generally conducted with moderation-intemper- ance ,s avoided-politics and literature are freely entered upon and keenly contested, and the argument is conducted with a ready con- viction to the truth, and more for the sake of information, than the obstmate mamtenance of any untenable opinion. Libraries of con- siderable extent belong to some of these clubs ; the taste for read- ing and study is gradually increasing, and many of the more sedate members avail themselves of their privilege, to advance their knowledge of some favourite subject, and occasionally launch into debates with ardour and penetration, and talent, not often found so varied among this class of society. Other sources of information and improvement also occupy the unemployed hours of the more respectable operatives. The different branches of mechanics are eagerly pursued, and often practically applied, with such success as to raise the individual from dependency to the higher ranks of society, isatural history is also studied, and the more interesting works on he subject sought after and eagerly perused ; and botany! or rather the culture of flowers, forms one of the most favouri^^ and universal recreations. Almost every one possesses his flower garden, and as his taste directs, enters warmly into the culture of ^hat are called florist's plants,-polyanthuses, ranunculi, anemonies, hyacinths, pinks, and carnations ; and ' much pleasure is afforded and emulation excited, in watching the success of a favourite bulb or seedling, as could arise from an indulgence in more common, but es« innocent amusements. The naming of their flowers, too is a natter of great importance, and serves to draw their attention to Poli^raT T' "'i"'"^^^ "'°" *^^^ ^^^^ *« commemorate Political characters, and men renowned for great talents or learning every townsman of any celebrity, or friend with some endearing qualifications, has a favourite tulip, or pink, or carnation dedicated to his pmise, and the memorjr of those who have long departed are yet called to remembrance by the same fleeting emblems Such IS a rude sketch of the nature of the society in which Wilson spent his infancy and early youth. The son of honest and industrious parents, whoee -• cumstances were never such as to enable him to procure tho.. .anches of education at length so Xiv LIFE OF eminently displayed, he was indebted almost to his own exertions, and the generous assistance of some friends, who were capable and willing to direct his mind in the occasional sallies of his younger days, and allowed him accebs to their larger libraries, for the rudi- ments, at least, of all his after acquirements. The father of our author was a respectable gauze weaver in Paisley, wLare he spent the greater part of his early life; but having married, he removed to Auchinbathie Tower, near the village of Lochwinnoch, thinking that more extensive and varied employ- ment would improve the condition of an increasing family. He now rented a piece of ground, which he cultivated himself, keeping, at the same time, employment for several looms, and commencing a sort of trade in distilling and smuggling. He would thus seem to have been of a somewhat speculative disposition, but in other respects was well informed, and bore the character of a shrewd, upright, and independent man. His eldest son, Alexander, now better known as the "American Ornithologist," was born at Paisley on the 6th of July. 1766, previous to the removal of his father from that town. His childhood was most likely passed as that of many others ; nor can it be supposed that the boyish pranks of one bom m comparative obscurity, should have been treasured up and con- verted into the dawning promises of .'uture greatness, or his young mind charged " With meanings that he never had. Or, having, kept conceal'd." In the earliest notice of his youth, we find him near Lochwinnoch in the capacity of a herd (to Mr Stevenson of the Treepwood) a circumstance accidentally recorded, from his having already attempted to celebrate the beauties of Castle Semple in a song,* -extending to six verses, curious as the first specimen, and remark- aole for its truisms, the characteristic of his later poems. The ready quickness, and mild disposition "of the boy now induced his father to hope that some profession higher than that of " Castle Semple stands sae sweet, The parks around are bonnie, 0 ; The ewes and lambs ye'll hear them bleat, And the herd's name is Johnnie, 0," &c. —Paialey Magazine for November 1828, p. 583. ALEXANDER WILSON. XV an operative would be more suitable to the character of his son ; and the laudable pride shown by a great part of the Scottish peasantry, that one of their offspring, at least, should embrace a learned profession, medicine or the church, confirmed his parents in deciding upon the latter as his future avocation, and he was placed under the charge of Mr Barks, then a student of divinity, to whom, I believe, many of the youth of Paisley have been since indebted for scientific acquirements. We are not informed how long Wilson enjoyed the tuition of this divine ; it could not, however, be for any great period, as at the age of ten he suffered the loss of a kind and affectionate mother ; and to this melancholy bereavement may, perhaps, be traced the whole bent and inclinations of his varied life. His father, feeling the care of conducting his household and young family, and, at the same time, of attending to his different occupa- tions, too great a burden without assistance, again married. His family still increasing, the funds sufficient to defray the expenses of an education suited for a learned profession were found too limited, and Wilson, upon the recommendation of his relatives, but much against his own wishes, was, at the age of thirteen, bound an apprentice to Mr William Duncan, a respectable operative weaver in Paisley. While he remained with Mr Duncan, every attention was paid to his business and tasks, apparently from an honourable motive, though an opportunity was never let slip in which he could gratify his taste for reading, or indulge his romantic fancy in wandering about the beautiful vicinity of his native town. His perhaps otherwise dormant mind had been roused during his short acquaintance with Mr Barlas, and the stealthy snatches which he now obtained of his favourite authors served only to inflame his desire for information. At the conclusion of his apprenticeship he wrote the following quaint lines upon his indenture, showing distaste for his business, and the reluctance with which he filled up his time : — " Be't kent to a' the warld in rhyme, That wi* right mickle wark an' toil, For three lang years I've ser't my time, Whiles feasted wi' the hazel oil."— August 1782.* * His indenture for three years, dated Slst July 1779, is now in poasessiun of Mr Clark, Seedhill Mills, Paisley. XVI LIFE OF % 1 He now laboured at the employment of a journeyman only when necessxty urged Such books aa the kindness of his'friends s^plieS him with were kept about his loom, and much time was occupied m pemsing them, and in attempts to turn his ideas into verse. His enviable faculty of seizing upon the strong and bearing points of Zl'T "\ '°r'T* '''' '"''"' '^PP^'^"^' '^"d *t« «'"i- of suTri T ;"'/^'^^'^f '^'"-"g 1^« companions, gained for him a superiority far beyond what was due to his years * ^ Having spent some time in this manner at Paisley, he became a LoZr^'"" """^ " '^^ '^*^^^' ^^« resided^'sometiZ a Lochwinnoch, sometimes at Auchinbathie Tower; and though he now wrought more diligently, and bore the character of being " the Z J" .\' ""t "rr^ J«"-eyman that had ever entered the iltfn'f V ?'^"«^V''' '' '*' '^^" disappointed in his pros- p cts of a higher profession-his utter distaste for the trade that ulrar; T I f'^-r^ *'^ '^«'" ^^^""«^ -^-h t- flight o W C \ ^^'^^-^kened-bore the mastery over his anxiety them rth" ?"^' *f ^' ^"' '^ "" «^"^«*-- -^-d ^-™ wool f n ./r"? ^' ^^Perienced in rambling among the woods of Castle Semple, or by the banks of the river Calder^one of the most beautiful and romantic mountain streams I have eve turnof v''' .'t*"^/^^^^^ «°»fi™«'»* S^^'^- He spent the evening to his satisfaction, and returned to his home undiscovered. A contmuance of this unsettled life threw him into iU health and a state of great mental despondency. Of the deplTng^t'ls j the latter he was fully aware. In a letter to Mr Lhto„,ttys Among the many and dismal ingredients that embitter tie cup of hfe, none affect the feelings or distress the spirit so deeply Jde spondence." In another, written nearly a year after, he appe^s to have been really ill,, and stiU more diseased in mind: ye 'I dst "Not single spies, But in battalions 1 " W ■ It he never loses sight of the consolations he expected to receive from 1.3 rebgion, and endeavoured, a, he elsewhere expresaesCTlf . " To lift his thoughts from things below And lead them to divine." f ' mie extracts from this letter wiU show that the principles of andTs ""."=" ^'' -" -0 early implanted L Tstind and h,s future writmgs bear witness that they were never upr„"w Driven by po-erly and disease to the soUtudes of relireZt t ai the same period when the flush of youth, the thirst of feme and he expected applause of the world, welcomed me to the Add '^1 I feel my body decay daily, my spirits and strength l&ua^ decrease »d something within tells me that dissolution^^d^^ ful dissolution, js not far dUtaot. No heart can conceivelTe to- rors of those who tremble under the apprehension of death -Z. mcreases their love of life, and every new advance of tie King ^ hi.'*;;""'''""' "" •» i»»™».«ory COM, which th^tened to fi. „p.„ t Hymn VI. Poems, p. no. Z He was now at Auchinbathie Tower. 0 receive from ALEXANDER WILSON: xxiii Terrors overwhelms them with despair. How hard— how difficult —how happy to prepare for eternity ! and yet, how dreadful to live or to die unprepared ! Oh ! that I were enabled to make it my study to interest myself in His favour, who has the keys of hell and of death. Then aU the vanities of life would appear what they really are, and the shades of death would brighten up a glorious path to everlasting mansions of felicity ! "— « These are the sincere eflFusions of my soul, and I hope that, through the divine aid, they shaU be my future delight, whether health shall again return, or death has left the commissioned dart." For his recovery from this low state, he was as much indebted to the kind and salutary coun- sels of Mr Crichton, as to the prescriptions of his physicians • but as that gentleman remarks, he was "soon up and soon down, and the air of the country, and temporary removal from Paisley, the scene of his distress," in some measure recovered his bodily strength and wonted spirits. There is another circumstance which may have weighed on his mind. Although it has been said, by most of his biographers, " that female attachments he had none," were there no other proof it would be almost impossible to conceive a young man of ardent temper and keen perceptions, totally insensible to the charms of female beauty. In his younger days, I have good authority for saying that he had several liaisons, and for some time had been attached to the sister of Mrs Witherspoon, a pretty and respectable girl, to whom he made frequent allusion in his poems, though two only of those published contain any reference to her; and there can be little doubt that Martha Maclean bore an influence in his fits of despondency. In the New World he formed new attachments, and, had he lived, was to have married Miss Miller, daughter of a con- siderable proprietor in the vicinity of Winterton, and whom he appointed his executrix. His spirits being roused by the counsels and exertions of his friends, he again commenced traveUing, still carrying with him the pack and poems; and, as another resource, endeavoured to procure some employment by writing for the periodicals of the day. He also projected a work, to be edited and conducted by himself, and to be caUed the FaisUy Repositary. Of this, a prospectus was printed and circulated ; but the advice of Mr Crichton and of Mr H m XXIV Z/FJS OF Brodie saved him from farther embarrassment as a publisher. He contributed several pieces, in prose and poetry, to the Glasgow Magazine, and wrote « The Solitary Philosopher," * as a specimen, for the Bee, under charge of Dr Anderson, hoping, by its merits, to gain farther employment. The character of the singular being who formed the subject of this memoir,— a "botanist, philosopher, naturalist, and physician," is thus sketched; and I have transcribed a part, as I consider the intimacy of a young man with secluded characters, possessing such eccentricities as the philosopher and Tippenny Kobin, f must have cast their influence over his after feelings, and laid the first shade in his love for seclusion. " On the side of a large mountain, in a little hut of his own rear- ing, which has known no other possessor these fifty years, lives this strange and very singular person. Though his general usefulness, and communicative disposition, require him often to associate with the surrounding rustics, yet, having never had an incUnation to travel farther than to the neighbouring village, and being totally unacquainted with the world, his manners, conversation, and dress are strikingly noticeable. A little plot of ground that extends round his cottage, is the narrow sphere to which he confines him- * Published first in the Bee, and afterwards in a « Collection of Ancient and Modern Characters," printed at Paisley in 1805, p. 2.50 t This very eccentric character, whom Wilson had discovered during his rambles, and frequently visited, was an Irishman, named Robert CarsweU and received his nickname from the circumstance of his never accepting more than twopence for a day's work, except during harvest, when he allowed it to be doub ed. He lived in a small thatched house, at the Kaim. on the • ^h!"ni,\ r'^A^'"^ *"^'°"' **" ^°''''' "°''*^"'" ^^«"'°g' °^J«cting to that n which he lived, on account of a loft, which he said prevented his prayers from reaching heaven. The inside was very dirty, filled with peats and potatoes, and was never allowed to be swept, unless by himself. He had hoarded up some money, which was kept in paper parcels, of a few shiUings each, generally scattered about the floor, and which, It his death, he bequeathed a r!n! r. ^""\ ^" ^T "" " ^^'^ P'"'^'"^^ '^""^l^*' *l^« --«* girt with a rope of straw or tow, m the one side, of which was always hung the key of hisdoor and in the other stuck a bountree sheath, for holding lis knitting wires. Notwithstanding these habits, he had received a better educa bn ou Id r ; "T '"' P""""*' ' considerable number of books h^ could also fence. He was a Cameronian ; and every Friday left his Luse early for some wild elevated ground, carrying with him a cLlful o book! and remamed abroad the whole day. .dooks, on of Ancient and ALEXANDER WILSON. ■rt Jt V self; and in this wild retreat, he appears to a stranger as one of the early inhabitants of earth, ere poUshed by frequent intercourse or united in society. * " In this vale, or glen, innumerable rare and valuable herbs are discovered, and, m the harvest months, it is his continual resort He explores It with the most unwearied attention,-climbs every chff even the most threatening, and from the perplexing profusion of plants, collects those herbs, of whose qualities and value he is well acquainted. For this purpose, he has a large basket with a iteelf. With this he IS often seen labouring home to his hut where they are suspended in large and numerous parcels from the roof while the sage himself sits smiling amidst his simple stores "About six months ago, I went to pay him a visit along with an intimate friend, no less remarkable for a natural curiosity On arriving at his little hut we found, to our no small disappoint- ment, that he was from home. As my friend, however, had never been m that part of the country before, I conducted him to the glen to take a view of some of the beautifully romantic scenes, and wild prospects, that this place affords. We had not proceeded far along the bottom of the vale, when, hearing a rustling among the branches above our head, I discovered our hoary botanist with his basket passing along the brow of a rock that hung almost over the centre 0 the stream. Having pointed him out to my companion, we were at a loss for some time how to bring about a conversation with him Having however, a flute in my pocket, of which music he is ex- ceedingly fond, I began a few airs, which, by the sweetness of the echoes, was heightened into the most enchanting melody In a few minutes this had its desired effect, and our little old man stood beside us with his basket in his hand. On stopping at his approach, he desired us to proceed, complimented us on the sweetness of our music, expressed the surprise he was in on hear- ing It and, leaning his basket on an old trunk, listened with all w h asight of the herbs he had been collecting, entertained us with a narrative of the discoveries he had made in his frequent searches through the vale, 'which,' said he. 'contains treasures that few know the value of.' " At this time Wilson wrote the well-known K-ilkd o* Wt^v -W XXVI LIFE OF t I: I r f \ .iS Meg. It was nearly contemporary with the Tarn, o' Shanter of Bums ; and its great success, with the thought that, for a time, the productions of the Paisley poet could be taken for those of the Ayrshire bard, raised his spirits to their usual pitch. There is a difference of opinion regarding the residence of the heroes of this piece. One of my correspondents is of opinion, that the couple resided at Lochwinnoch, and that the male actor was a drunken coachman, " one of Smithie's drunken core," in the service of Mr M'Dowell of Garthland, and thinks this confirmed by his real name, Peter Thomson,* being mentioned in the poem. By the attention of Mr Lang, I was introduced to the Paisley Watty and Meg, residing near the Seedhills, and one might easily conceive they had performed the parts so graphically described by our author, ■whose persons and domicile would work well under the pencil of Hervey. It was now, also, that he wrote the review of Tarn o' Shanter for the Bee, but which Dr Anderson refused to publish. On receiving this refusal, he sent the paper, in the height of his indignation, to Burns himself, who answered his communication with it, assuring him, that he had received innumerable criticisms, and had never answered any of them, but as Wilson's was of a superior order, he would reply to it, and proceeded to justify his poem. This was Wilson's first introduction to a short acquaintance with Burns ; previously, be had gone to Ayr on purpose to visit him, but found him from home, and had only the satisfaction to converse for a considerable time with his sister, who must have made a favourable impression upon his mind, as he was heard to remark, on his return, that " Burns must be a very superior man if like his sister." The poets met, some years after, at Burns' farm, spent a pleasant evening, and made an exchange of the poems which occa- sioned their introduction. This was their first and last meeting. It was natural to suppose that a disposition, bearing a stamp so superior and different from his fellow-operatives in a similar station, would form associations with somewhat kindred minds. Mr Crichton, Dr Barlas, and Mr Brodie, he looked up to with a certain * " Dyster Jock was sitting crackin' Wi' Pate Tamaon o' the Hill, ' Come awa,' quo' Johnny, ' Watty t Haith, we'se hae auither gill.' " ALEXANDER WILSON. xxvii awe, and held them more as preceptors, or friends, to whose steady guidance he could trust, than as participators in all his whims and youthful frolics ; and we find him in frequent society with Gavin TurnbuU, E, Picken, and James Kennedy, who formed part of his companions in his song of "The Group." It was by their means that he was introduced to a debating society held in the Edinburgh Pantheon, where the merits of various questions given out for discussion were contested in speeches by individuals taking different sides, and decided by the votes of the audience, which consisted of both ladies and gentlemen. Wilson made all his addresses in poetry, generally in the form of a tale applicable to the subject, and wrote for this society several pieces, which, considering the time he devoted to them, may rank among the best of his juVenile performances. The first address he delivered there was unpremeditated ; he had gone without any intention of mingling in the debate ; but, after others had spoken upon the subject, " Whether affection or interest was the greatest inducement to matrimony," — his feelings had been warmed, and a pause ensuing, during which the audience seemed to expect some other orator, he availed himself of the opportunity, and delivered an address which astonished the audience as much as it surprised himself. The ice was now broken unawares; he began to throw aside his natural diffidence, and appeared a frequent disputant. He took part in the questions, " Whether is diffidence or the allurements of pleasure, the greatest bar to the progress of knowledge?" "Whether suffering humanity received most assistance from the male or female sex % " and " Whether is disap- pointment in love, or the loss of fortune, hardest to bear ? " But, of all his poems written for this society, the best perhaps is the " Laurel Disputed," or a comparison of the merits of Allan Ramsay and Eobert Fergusson. I received the following history of this poem :— Wilson one day called upon Mr Brodie, at Quarleton, to ask his advice regarding a letter he had received from James Kennedy, at Edinburgh, intimating that a prize was to be awarded at the Pantheon for the best essay upon " Whether have the exertions of Allan Ramsay or Robert Fergusson done most honour to Scottish poetry." Kennedy intended to compete, and strongly urged Wilson to do the same, and offered to present his essay, as those in poetry might be delivered by deputy. Mr Brodie, however, advised Wilson xxvin LIFE OF to go himself, and deliver his essay in person, if he intended to compete ; but the poet declared his total inability to perform the journey for want of funds ; and, besides, said, « It is long since I read Ramsay, and, as to Fergusson, I never saw a copy of his poems in my life ; I am at a loss, therefore, which side of the argument to espouse." He was answered, that " Ramsay would most probably be the favourite^ His Gentle Shepherd had made a deep impression on the public, and would always continue popular; he, besides, enjoyed superior advantages over Fergusson,— Thomson, the author of the Seasons, having seen and criticised the Pastoral previous to its publication. The poems of Fergusson possess great merit ; but the diflBculties the young poet had to contend with, and his un- timely and melancholy death, left it difficult to speculate upon what he would have attained had he lived to the years of his predecessor." " For these reasons," replied Wilson, " will I espouse his cause ; I shall go to Edinburgh myself ; " but, stopping suddenly, he ex- claimed, " Where am I to get the siller, or see a copy of his poems ? " Mr Brodie kindly furnished him with his own copy of Fergusson, and advised him to finish his web at Lochwinnoch, which, if he could get done in time, would yield him the means to undertake the journey. With a light and joyous heart he set out ; and, in one week, returned from Lochwinnoch, visiting his father at Auchinbathie by the way ; having in that short period, woven forty ells of silk gauze (of itself a good week's work), read and studied Fergusson, and had composed, written, and learned to recite his poetical address of the " Laurel Disputed." Our youthful poet walked to Edinburgh, and was one of the seven candidates on this, to him, eventful evening. To use his own expression, " We were ranged on a front seat in the Pantheon, like so many pamphlets on a shelf." Drawing lots to regulate the precedence of the orators, Wilson found his turn about the middle ; and when the first had concluded his address, he thought that he could do better than it. The audience, who were also the judges, consisted of nearly five hundred persons. Six of the competitors took the side of Ramsay, Wilson stood singly and alone for Fergusson. The medal was adjudged to a Mr Gumming ; Wilson was declared second in merit, and Picken third ; the essays of the others were not taken into consideration. Wilson was both elevated and pro- ALEXANDER WILSON. xxix yoked at this award; for he considered that he had the true majority. Gumming was only first by seventeen votes ; and his friends shrewdly suspected these were obtained by presenting forty tickets to the ladies, which, although only sixpence each, was a mode of canvassing beyond the humbler means of our author, who, even had he possessed them, would have spurned the idea of such corruption.* We have now reached the only period in the history of our author'8 career, which is tarnished by the performance of actions discredit- able to him, and totally at variance with his real disposition, and the whole tenor of his former and after life. Entirely discouraged with the ill success of all his undertakings, and his habits of application being little improved during the unsettled life he had for some time led, he found still greater difficulty in applying to any sedate occupation. Though he perceived the necessity of this course, and had expressed his wishes to various friends for some regular employment, more suited to his taste than that which he had hitherto professed, his unsteadiness would not permit him to follow up those better resolves. He was recommended to qualify himself for a clerk to some mercantile establishment. A letter from Mr Gavin, Commerc^ial Academy, Paisley, to whom he applied for instruction in some of the branches necessary for his occupation, will best show the state of his mind at this time :— " W.Uson came to my school, and requested that he might be taught some branches of arithmetic, in which he was deficient, in order, he said, to qualify him to become a clerk to some merchant or manufacturer. I cheer- fully undertook to teach him all I knew, and he sat down at a desk, apparently in good earnest. Before to-morrow, another thought had struck him,— he never returned to school." f He tried it again, while on a journey, at Callander, but with no better success. He records the circumstance himself in a letter to Mr Brodie : — " Having agreed with the town schoolmaster," he says, " I accordingly went, purchased a slate, and set seriously about it. Two days elapsed ; I persevered; but the third day gave it up." Thus, a mind, too roving for a respectable and stable business, led him into the society • The poem delivered by Picken, and the " Laurel Disputed," were published together in a shilling pamphlet, t Letters of Senex, p. 42. XXX of those LII-E OF companions, whose temporary applause made him forget the precepts of his father, afterwards so strongly impressed upon his mind."* ^ The west country was now in such a state as to require the more immediate attention of government. The general depression of trade, occasioned by the wars incident to the French Revolution threw into comparative idleness many of the young operatives, who began so openly to promulgate revolutionary principles, and senti- ments of discontent against the steadier manufacturers, who would not yield to all their unreasonable demands, that many of them became marked men," and were obliged to remain in temporaiy con- cealment or entirely to leave their country. It was Wilson's misfortune to have formed an intimacy with some of these, who, knowing his talents, prevailed upon him to revile and satirise the conduct of those who were most oflFensive to their views of liberty, or of propriety of conduct as masters. Wilson himself, well acquainted with all the circumstances regarding these matters in Paisley, and ever ready to redress what he imagined wrongs, was too easily wrought upon • and, entering into the feelings and prejudices of the operatives, at the' solicitation of others, produced a number of poetical squibs which held up the subjects of popular dislike to contempt and ridicule The principal ones went under the designations of -The Pedlar Insulted," " Hab's Door, or the Temple of Terror," - The Hollander or L,ght Weights," and "The Shark, or Long' Mills D^teld" the titles bearing reference to local circumstances of the times and persons, which are now of no consequence. For one of these he underwent a trial, but the charge could not be proved, and for the last, written against a respectable and wealthy manufacturer perhaps contammg some truths, he was prosecuted, and sentenced to impnsonment in the jail of Paisley, and to burn the offens ve poem with his own hand. It will be sufficient to say, that he deserved the punishment, having behaved with neither propriety nor honour m the transaction. Of this he was himself sensible and deeply regretted his error; and such was the opinion ever; of his prosecutors, that the sentence would have been averted 18, never to use it to wound the feelings of others." ^ '^"* NMiiilfiiaiiMnaiMMi ALEXANDER WILSOM. ^xxi if possible, after the verdict had been pronounced : it was, however carried into execution in the moat private and gentle manner, a very few of hir intimate friends only seeing him burn the obnoxious pamphlet in question. In those his evil days, he seems to have been carried oflF by the persuasions of his companions, or, as he says, "led astray" by his too keen "imagination," without con- sidering the pain or injury he inflicted on the objects of his satire, or the evil consequences it might bring upon himself. His future opinions were very different. In a copy of his poems, in possession of Mr Ord, his able editor, there is written by himself, " I pub- lished these poems when only twenty-two, an age more abundant in sail than ballast. Header, let this soften the rigour of criticism a little.— 1804." In a letter to his father of a later date, he says, " In youth I had wrong ideas of life ; imagination too often led me astray. You will find me much altered from the son you knew me in Paisley, more diffident of myself, and less precipitate, though often wrong." And when copies of these poems were afterwards brought to him, in America, by a friend, he threw them into the fire, saying, "Ay, David,* have you been at all this trouble? These were the follies of my youth, and I sincerely wish they had never seen the light. Had I taken the advice of our kind and excellent father, I should have done well, and saved myself many an uneasy hour." After these unfortunate circumstances, we might easily judge, that the keen feelings of our author would not allow him to remain in Paisley, and might fancy him resuming for a time his travelling occupations. His thoughts, however, took a wider range. An honourable fear of ruining his friends actuated him. He could not trust to his own strength of mind to refrain from those satires, for which he was now under bail ; and after using every argument to convince his father and favourite sister, } ^ary, of the propriety of his intentions, he at last observed, " I am bound now, and cannot ruin Thomas Witherspoon (his security), and I must get out my mind." He imagined, also, that his misfortunes would continue ; and the ideal charms of a free land, and of liberty, drew his atten- tion to a more distant country. His mind had become gradually, but firmly, reconciled to seek a new fortune in America. * David WilBon, the poet's half brother. XXXIl LIFE OF By a little exertion at the loom, and some kind assistance from other quarters, he was enabled to earn the funds necessary to defray the expenses of his intended voyage ; and, bidding a long farewell to ijis parents, and those companions, who had so often assisted him to the extent of their means—to the scenes where he had wandered from his boyhood— where every bush and tree had its story— every crag or bold feature in the landscape its associations and recollections, to be felt only by those who have been placed in similar circumstances, —he set out on foot from the land of his birth, and arrived at Belfast, where he had accidentally heard that a vessel was nearly ready to sail. His nephew, William Duncan, a lad of sixteen, was his companion. He had shared his confidence, aad agreed to share his fortunes ; and, on the morning of the 23rd May 1794, the young men set sail from Ireland ; and, after a dangerous passage of twenty-two days, they arnved in safety at Newcastle, in the state of Delaware. We now find Wilson in the land where he imagined all his wrongs would cease. « He had often," says xMr Ord, in his excellent "Memoirs," "cast a wistful look towards the western hemisphere; and his warm fancy had suggested the idea, that among that people only, who maintained the doctrine of an equality of rights, could political justice be found. He had become indignant at beholding the influ- ence of the wealthy converted into the means of oppression, and had imputed the wrongs and suflFerings of the poor, not to the condition of society, but to the nature and constitution of the government " The sequel will show how these opinions are borne out. Upon landing in the New World, his funds were so scanty as to reqmre an immediate exertion, and he set out on foot in search of work to Philadelphia ; from thence he wrote to his parents, informing them of his safe arrival ; and this letter being fortunately preserved * 1 am enabled to give an account of his passage, and first opinions of America, in his own words : — " Philadelphia (United States), JuLy 25, 1794. " Dear Father and Mother,-You will see by this that I am at length landed in America, as is also my nephew, WUliam Duncan ALEXANDER WILSON. XXXIli Lose kindness — both in good health. We sailed in the ship Swift, from Belfast Loch, on Friday the 23rd of May, about six in the morning, at which time I would have wrote you ; but, hoping we would have a speedy passage, and feeling for the anxiety I feared you might be under in knowing we were at sea, I purposely omitted writing till our arrival in America. I fear that by this conduct I have given you more unhappineaa than I am aware of ; if I have, 1 hope you will forgive me, for I intended otherwise. We had 350 passengers, —a mixed multitude of men, women, and children. Each berth between decks was made to hold them all, with scarce a foot for each. At first sight, I own, it appeared to me almost impossible that the one-half of them could survive ; but, on looking around, and seeing some whom I thought not much stouter than myself, I thought I might have a chance as well as the rest of some of them. I asked Willy if he was willing, and he saying he was, we went up to Belfast immediately for our clothes ; and, in two days after we got on board, she sailed. We were very sick four days, but soon recovered ; and having a good, steady, fair breeze for near a fort- night, had hopes of making an excellent voyage. On the third day, and just as we lost sight of land, we spoke the Caledonia of Greenock, a letter of marque, bound for the Bay of Fundy j and, on the Monday following, Dr Reynolds, who was tried and condemned by the Irish House of Lords, was discovered to be on board, and treated all the passengers and crew with rum-grog, which we drank to the confu- sion of despots, and the prosperity of liberty all the world over. Till the 17th of June, we had pretty good weather, and only buried an old woman and two children. On the 18th, we fell in with an amazing number of islands of ice; I counted at one time thirty-four in sight, some of whom that we nearly passed was more than twice as high as our main-topgallant mast head, and of great extent : we continued passing among them, with a good breeze, for two days, during which time we run at the least five knots an hour. On the 20th we had a storm of wind, rain, thunder and lightning, beyond any- thing I had ever witnessed. Next day a seaman dropped overboard ; and, though he swam well, and made for the ship, yet the sea run- ning high, and his clothes getting wet, he perished within six yards of a hen coop, which we had thrown over to him. On the Uth of July, we could plainly perceive land from the mast head ; but a ter- ■I ! XXXIV LIFE OF rible gale of wind blowing all night from the dhore, it was Sunday before we had again the satisfaction of seeing it, scarcely perceptible through the fog ; but a pilot coming on board, and the sun rising, we found ourselves within the Capes of the Delaware, the shore on land having the appearance of being quite flat, and only a complete forest of trees. About seven at night, having had a good breeze all day, we cast anchor at a place called Reedy Island, where one of the cabin passengers and the first man who leapt ashore in the long boat was drowned in returning to the ship. We arrived at New- castle next day about mid-day, where we were all aa happy as mor- tals could be ; and being told that Wilmington was only five miles up the river, we sot out on foot through a flat woody country, that looked in every respect like a new world to us from the great pro- fusion of fruit that everywhere overhung our heads, the strange birds, shrubs, «fec., and came at length to Wilmington, which lies on the side of a hill, about a mile from the Delaware, and may be about as large as Kenfrew, or perhaps larger. We could hear of no em- ployment here in our business, though I saw two silk looms going, and some jennies prep.aring for establishing some manufactory of cotton cloth ; but they proceed with so little spirit, that I believe it may be some years before half-a-dozen of looms can be employed. From Wilmington we proceeded to Philadelphia, twenty-nine miles distant, where very little of the ground is cleared ; the only houses we saw were made of large logs of wood, laid one over another ; and what crops we could see consisted of Indian corn, potatoes, and some excellent oats. We made free to go in to a good many farm-houses on the road, but saw none of that kindness and hospi- tality 80 often told of them. We met with three weavers by the way, who live very quiet and well enough, but had no place for any of us. At length we came within sight of Philadelphia, which lies something like Glasgow, but on a much flatter piece of ground, extending in breadth along the Delaware for near three miles. Here we made a more vigorous search than ever for weavers, and found, to our astonishment, that, though the city contains be- tween forty and fifty thousand people, there is not twenty weavers among the whole, and these had no conveniences for journeymen, nor seemed to wish for any ; so, after we had spent every farthing we had, and saw no hopes of anything being done that way, we ALEXANDER WILSON. XXXV took the first offer of employment we could find, and have con- tinued BO since. " The weather here ia so extremely hot, that, even though writing in an open room, and dressed, according to the custom, in nothing but thin trousers and waistcoat, and though it is near eleven at night, I am wet with sweat. Judge, then, what it must be at noon with all kinds of tradesmen that come to this country, none with less encouragement than weavers ; and those of that trade would do well to consider first, how they would agree with the spade or wheelbarrow under the almost intolerable heat of a scorching sun. I fear many of them never think of these. Necessities of life are here very high, owing to the vast numbers of emigrants from St Domingo and France. Flour, though you will scarce believe it, ia near double the price to what it is in Scotland ; beef, ninepence of their currency, which is about sixpence of ours ; shoes, two dollars and a half ; while house-rents are most exhorbitantly high. I was told yesterday, by a person who had come immediately from Washington, that that city does not contain above two dozen of houses, and if it come not faster on than they have done, it won't contain one thousand inhabitants these twenty years. As we passed through the woods, in our A^ay to Philadelphia, I did not observe one bird such as those in Scotland, but all much richer in colours. We saw great numbers of squirrels, snakes about a yard long, and red birds, several of which I shot for our curiosity. I am sorry I have so little room. I beg once more you will write to me soon, and direct to the care of Mr William Young, bookseller, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia ; and wishing you both as much happiness as this world can afford, I remain your affectionate son, Alexander Wilson." Finding some difficulty to procure a livelihood in Philadelphia, by working at any of the occupations to which he had been accustomed, he introduced himself to a countryman, Mr John Aitken, who gave him a temporary employment at his own business, that of a copper- plate printer. From this period to about 1800, all his correspondence with friends in Scotland seems to have been destroyed, and we comparatively lose sight of him for nearly four years, getting only occasional glimpses as he from time to time settled, for a short XXXVl LIFE OF » \ period, in certain places. It is probable that he tried various schemes of bettering his fortune ; and though none was very success- ful, he did not, at this time, lose all hope. In a letter to Mr Crichton, he says, " Let no man who is stout and healthy be discouraged. If he is a weaver, and cannot get employment at his own business, there are a thousand others which will offer, where he will save as much as he can in Scotland, and live ten times better » He travelled again as a pedlar, on a sort of trading expedition with considerable success; and during his journey through New Jersey, kept a journal, in which is sketched, with considerable spirit, the manner of the inhabitants, and the habits of the most remarkable quadrupeds and birds. We next hear of him in a school at Frankfort, Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Milestone and taught in the village school-house. He had the merit while there, of studying several branches of liberal education, Ind of reaching, by his exertions, to considerable proficiency. He advanced so far m mathematics as to bear some note in the science and by his knowledge of surveying, was enabled to improve his income during the leisure ...hool hours. He also took a lead in a debating society, which the recollection of his essays in the Pantheon of Edinburgh, perhaps, gave him some claim to direct. It was con- ducted nearly in the same manner. The subjects proposed chiefly related to agriculture, such as, "Is the cultivation of the vine an object worthy of the attention of the American farmer?" This hard course of study, however, impaired his health, and we learn from his letters to Mr Ord, that on this account he was obliged Xo resign his situation twice. He finally left Milestone, and taught and wrought his wa> to Bloomfield, New Jersey. Becoming more discouraged with the country and his prospects, on his establishment Here, he thus writes to his friend Ord :— " Bloomfield, near Newark, New Jbksev, 12th /M/yl 801. " ^f ^^^« SiR,-If this letter reach you, it will inform you tha I keep school at twelve shillings per quarter, York currency with thirty-five scholars, and pay twelve shillings per week for board, and four shiUings additional for washing, and four shillings per week for my horse. After I parted with Davidson, the Quakers ALEXANDER WILSON. xxxvu not coming to any agreement about engaging me, I left Washington, and steered for New York, through a country entirely unknown to me ; visited many wretched hovels of schools by the way ; in two days reached York, and from every person who knew the Mitchells, received the most disagreeable accounts of them, viz., that James had, by too great a fondness for gaming, and sometimes taking his scholars along with him, entirely ruined his reputation, and lost his business; and, from his own mouth, I learned that he expected jail every day, for debts to a considerable amount. And William is lost for every good purpose in this world, and abandoned to the most shameful and excessive drinking, swearing, and wretched company : he called on me last Thursday morning, in company with a hocus-pocus-man, for whom he plays the clarionette. New York swarms with newly-imported Irishmen of all descriptions, clerks, schoolmasters, &c. (fee. The oity is very sickly : Mitchell and all the rest to whom I spoke of you, believed that your success here would be even more unsuccessful than in Philadelphia, and related so many stories to that purpose that I was quite dis- couraged. Mr Milne attempted it there, but was obliged to remove, and is now in Boston, wandering through the streets insane. I stayed only one night in Yofk, and being completely run out except three elevenpenny bits, I took the first school, from absolute necessity, that I could find. I live six miles north from Newark, and twelve miles from New York, in a settlement of canting, preaching and praying, and snivelling, ignorant Presbyterians. They pay their minister £250 a-year for preaching twice a-week, and their teacher forty dollars a quarter, for the most spirit-sinking laborious work, six — I may say twelve—times weekly. I have no company, and live unknowing and unknown. I have lost all relish for this country ; and, if Heaven spare me, I shall soon see the shores of old Caledonia. How happy I should be to have you beside me ; I am exceedingly uneasy to hear from you. Dear Ord, make no rash engagements that may bind you for ever to this unworthy soil. —I am, most sincerely, your affectionate friend, "Alexander Wilson." " F.S. — Let's contrive a plan to leave this country, and try old Scotia once more in company." 1 good map, and your usual stock of patience, you will be able to listen to my story, and trace all my wanderings. Though ALEXANDER WILSON. 1X1 IX generally dissuaded from venturing by myself on so long a voyage down the Ohio in an open skiff, I considered this mode, with all its inconveniences, as the most favourable to my researches, and the most suitable to my funds ; and I determined accordingly. Two days before my departure, the Alleghany river was one wide torrent of broken ice, and I calculated on experiencing considerable difficulties on this score. My stock of provisions consisted of some biscuit and cheese, and a bottle of cordial, presented me by a gentleman of Pittsburgh; my gun, trunk, and greatcoat occupied one end of the boat; I had a small tin, occasionally to bail her, and to take my beverage from the Ohio with ; and bidding adieu to the smoky confines of Pitt, I launched into the stream, and soon winded away among the hills that everywhere enclose this noble river. The weather was warm and serene, and the river, like a mirror, except where floating masses of ice spotted its surface, and which required some care to steer clear of; but these, to my surprise, in less than a day's sailing, totally disappeared. Far from being concerned at my new situation, I felt my heart expand with joy at the novelties which surrounded me ; I listened with pleasure to the whistling of the red bird on the banks as I passed, and contemplated the forest scenery, as it receded, with increasing delight. The smoke of the numerous sugar camps, rising lazily among the mountains, gave great eflFect to the varying landscape ; and the grotesque log cabins, that here and there opened from the woods, were diminished into 'mere dog-houses by the sublimity of the impending mountains. If you suppose to yourself two parallel ranges of forest-covered hills, whose irregular summits are seldom more than three or four miles apart winding through an immense extent of country, and enclosing a river lialf a mile wide, which alternately washes the steep decliWty on one side, and leaves a rich, forest-clad bottom on the other, of a mUe or so in breadth, you will have a pretty correct idea of the appearance of the Ohio. The banks of these rich flats are from twenty to sixty and eighty feet high ; and even these last were within a few feet of being overflowed in December 1808. " I now stripped with alacrity to my new avocation. The current went about two and a half miles an hour, and I added about three and a half miles more to the boat's way with my oars. In the course of the day, I passed a number of arks, or, as they are usually r Ixx LIFE OF called, Kentucky boats, loaded with what it must be acknowledged are the most valuable commodities of a country ; viz., men, women, and children, horses and ploughs, flour, millstones, &c. Several of these floating caravans were loaded with store goods, for the supply of the settlements through which they passed ; having a counter erected, shawls, muslins, &c., displayed, and everything ready for transacting business. On approaching a settlement, they blow a horn, or tin trumpet, which announces to the inhabitants their arrival. I boarded many of those arks, and felt much inter- ested at the sight of so many human beings migrating, like birds of passage, to the luxuriant regions of the south and west. The arks are built in the form of a parallelogram, being from twelve to fourteen feet wide, and from forty to seventy feet long, covered above, rowed onlr occasionally by two oars before, and steered by a long and powerful one fixed above. " The barges are taken up along shore by setting poles, at the rate of twenty miles oi o a-day ; the arks cost about one hundred and fifty cents per foot, according to their length ; and when they reach their places of destination, seldom bring more than one-sixth their original cost. These arks descend from all parts of the Ohio and its tributary streams, — the Alleghany, Monongahela, Muskingum, Sciota, Miami, Kentucky, Wabash, &c., in the months of March, April, and May, particularly with goods, produce, and emigiants, the two former for markets along the river, or at New Orleans, the latter for various parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and the Indiana territory. I now return to my own expedition : " I rowed twenty odd miles the first spell, and found I should be able to stand it perfectly well. About an hour after night, I put up at a miserable cabin, fifty-two miles from Pittsburgh, where I slept on what I supposed to be corn stalks, or something worse ; so preferring the smooth bosom of the Ohio to this brush heap, I got up long before day, and, being under no apprehension of losing my way, I again pushed out into the stream. The landscape on each side lay in one mass of shade j but the grandeur of the projecting head- lands and vanishing points, or lines, was charmingly reflected in the smooth glassy surface below. I could only discover when T was passing a clearing by the crowing of cocks, and, now and then, in more solitary places, the big homed owl made a most Mdeous ALEXANDER WILSON. Ixxi hollowing, that echoed among the mountains. In this lonesome manner, with full leisure for observation and reflection, exposed to hardships all day, and hard berths all night, to storms of rain, hail, and snow,— for it froze severely almost every night,— I persevered' from the 24th of February to Sunday evening, March 17, when I moored my skifif safely in Bear Grass Creek, at the rapids of the Ohio, after a voyage of seven hundred and twenty miles. My hands suffered the most ; and it will bo some weeks yet before they recover their former feeling and flexibility. It would be the task of a month to detail all the particulars of my numerous excursions, in every direction, from the river. In Stubenville, Charlestown, Ind Wheeling, I found some friends. At Marietta, I visited the 'cele- brated remains of Indian fortifications, as they are improperly called which cover a large space of ground on the banks of the Muskingum! Seventy miles above this, at a place called Big Grave Creek, I examined some extraordinary remains of the same kind there. The Big Grave is three hundred paces round at the base, seventy feet perpendicular, and the top, which is about fifty feet over, has sunk in, forming a regular concavity, three or four feet deep. This tumulus is in the form of \ cone, and the whole, as well as its immediate neighbourhood, is covered with a venerable growth of forest, four or five hundred years old, which gives it a most singular appearance. In clambering around its steep sides, I found a place where a large white oak had been lately blown down, and had torn up the earth to the depth of five or six feet. In this place I com- menced digging, and continued to labour for about an hour, examining every handful of earth with great care; but except some shreds of earthenware, made of a coarse kind of gritty clay, and considerable pieces of charcoal, I found nothing; else ; but a person of the neighbourhood presented me with some beads fashioned out of a kind of white stone, which vyere found in digging on the opposite side of this gigantic mound, where I found the hole still remaining. The whole of an extensive plain, a short distance from this, is marked out with squares, oblongs, and circles, one of which comprehends several acres. The embankments by which they are distinguished are still two or three feet above the common level of the field. The Big Grave is the property of a Mr Tomlinson, or Tumblestone, who Uvea near, and who would not expend three cents if *} Ixxii LIFE OF to see the whole sifted before his face. I endeavoured to work on his avarice, by representing the probability that it might contain valuable matters, and suggested to him a mode by which a passage might be cut into it, level with the bottom, and by excavation and arching, a most noble cellar might be formed for keeping his turnips and potatoes. * All the turnips and potatoes I shall raise this dozen years,' said he, 'would not pay the expense.' This man is no antiquary, or theoretical farmer, nor much of a practical one either, I fear ; he has about two thousand acres of the best land, and just makes out to live. Near the head of what is called the Long Reach, I called on a certain Michael Cressop, son to the noted Colonel Cressop, mentioned in Jefferson's notes on Virginia. From him I received the head of a paddle fish, the largest ever seen in the Ohio, which I am keeping for Mr Peale, with various other curiosi- ties. I took the liberty of asking whether Logan's accusation of his father having killed all his family, had any truth in it ; but he replied that it had not. Logan, he said, had been misinformed. He detailed to me all the particulars, which are too long for repeti- tion, and concluded by informing me that his father died early in the revolutionary war, of the camp fever, near New York. " Marietta stands in a swampy plain, which has evidently once been the ancient bed of the Muskingum, and is still occasionally inundated to the depth of five or six feet. A Mr Putnam, son to the old general of Bunker's Hill memory, and Mr Gillman, and Mr Feering, are making great exertions here in introducing and multi- plying the race of merinos. The two latter gentlemen are about establishing works by steam for carding and spinning wool, aud intend to carry on the manufacture of broadcloth extensively. Mr Gillman is a gentleman of taste and wealth, and has no doubts of succeeding. Something is necessary to give animation to this place, for, since the numerous building of ships has been abandoned here, the place seems on the decline. "The current of the Muskingum is very rapid, and the ferry boat is navigated across in the following manner : — A strong cable is extended from bank to bank, forty or fifty feet above the surface of the river, and fastened tight at each end. On this cable are two loose running blocks; one rope, from the bow of the boat, is fastened to the first of these blocks, and another from the after part ALEXANDER WILSON. Ixxiii and .e eu„e„t .«c • 5 " "'"'" "'"^ "ho intends l»,i„g it chiefly L Cp l" ,^1^^^ "T"' long, and contains about three hundred acres ha f^ ^l ""'' cultivation: but like all th. .^i IZ. ' of which is in Ohio,is,„bjec otauna u™ !^^^^^^^^ "7"°^ '"'""^ "' '^^ a Wgh plain and eontatas ol of fift ' 'Tt^' f* ^'^"^» "?»» the fields well fenced and weTuulLt 'h T f ,"'"' ^ '°"°* numerous, and a considera::?;^^^';," "teZr.' the original French settlers have removed to a tmct 'f u7 !" to the mouth of Sandv Eiver TM. ? i "^ "PP™"" blowing down trees and limbs i^ rdUtZ »o tt"; T ™°"' diate preservation, I was obUged to ste r out T^t„ tt '• " """"=- rolled and foamed like a sea, fnd «X bo t ne-^/i;;?,:":^ :h:::?h:-::e7a':s:f-d^^^^^ uproar of barkinr. TI,;., ^ "^"S" '" ^ perpetual .^^..otlrp^—r -Zd,lX-l;- / I i Ixxiv LIFE OF frontiers, advancing as the tide of civilised population approaches. They are the immediate successors of the savages, and far below them in good sense and good manners, as well as comfortable accommodations. "Nothing adds more to tie savage grandeur and picturesque eflfect of the scenery along the Oiiiu, than these miserable huta of human beings, lurking at the bottom of a gigantic growth of timber, that I have not seen equalled in any other part of the United States. And it is truly amusing to observe ho\, dear and how familiar habit has rendered these privations, whicli must have been first the offspring of necessity ; yet none pride themselves more on their possessions. The inhabitants of those forlorn sheds will talk to you with pride of the richness of their soil — of the excellence and abundance of their country— of the healthiness of their climate, and the puiity of their waters; while the only bread you find among them is of Indian corn, coarsely ground in a horse mill, with half of the grains unbroken ; even their cattle are destitute of stables and hay, and look like moving skeletons ; their own houses worse than pig-styes ; their clothes an assemblage of rags ; their faces yellow and lank with disease, and their persons covered with filth, and frequently garnished with humours of the Scotch fiddle, from which dreadful disease, by the mercy of God, I have been most miraculously preserved. All this is the effect of laziness. The corn is thrown into the ground in the spring, and the pigs turned into the woods, where they multiply like rabbits. The labour of the squatter is now over till autumn, and he spends the winter in eating pork, cabbages, and hoe-cakes. What a contrast to the neat farm, and snug cleanly habitation, of the industrious settler, that opens his green fields, his stately barns, gardens and orchards, to the gladdened eye of the delighted stranger ! '* At a place called Salt Lick I went ashore to see the salt works, and to learn whether the people had found any farther remains of an animal of the ox kind, one of whose horns, of a prodigious size, was discovered here some years ago, and is in the possession of Mr Peale. They make here about one thousand bushels weekly, which sell at one dollar and seventy-five cents per bushel. The wells are from thirty to fifty feet deep, but nothing very curious has lately bfceu dug up. I landed at Maysville, or Limestone, where a con- ALEXANDER WlLSOK j m the neighbourhood of Washington, assured me thnf r ' T^llT ^' - -"' '— -^- — ~ ages tie river Oiio las gradually sunk several hundred feet :trorari;r„:„':rr;jr "? -^^ bank the l«.t„ „< , I • ' '' ""^ ='™"'* "' next. Ugh oanE, the latter of which is never overflowed th."rf 'T .°' •^'""'"»»« """Pi" two beautiful plains one on of fiv 1' ", , r ""'" °" '■'^ "~"* ''-'^. -d conLn" 'upwards One b, \ i ""''„''" S'-'-P'oPO'tion of which are o bricT One block h„„se is all that remaius of Fort Washingtou tTo mer Licking comes in from the opposite shore, where the own of Newport, of forty or fifty houses, and a large aienal and bL^ks are lately erected. I ere I met with Judge Turner, a man ore^ ra ' ordinary talents, well known to the literati of PhihdeLlL hi exerted himself in my hehalf with aU the ardour „ an fdriend opened by Dr Drake, who showed me the coUectiou of cariosities rtlch he had found in that and others. L. the centre TtUs Ixxvi LIFE OF mound he also found a large fmgmfint of eartlienware, such as I found at the Big Grave, which is a pretty strong proof that these works had been erected by a people, if not the same, differing little from the present race of Indians, whose fragments of earthenware, dug up about their late towns, correspond exactly with these. Twenty miles below this I passed the mouth of the great Miami, which rushes in from the north, and is a large and stately river, preserving its pure waters, uncontaminated for many miles with those of the Ohio, each keeping their respective sides of the channel. I rambled up the banks of this river for four or five miles, and in my return shot a turkey. I also saw five or six deer in a drove, but they were too light-heeled for me. •' In the afternoon of the 15th I entered Big Bone Creek, which being passable only about a quarter of a mile, I secured my boat, and left my baggage under the care of a decent family near, and set out on foot five miles through the woods for the Big Bone Lick, that great antediluvian rendezvous of the American elephants. This place, which lies ' far in the windings of a sheltered vale,' afforded me a fund of amusement in shooting ducks and paroquets (of which last I skinned twelve, and brought off two slightly wounded), and in examining the ancient buffalo roads to this great licking place. Mr Colquhoun, the proprietor, was not at home ; but his agent and manager entertained me as well as he was able, and was much amused with my enthusiasm. This place is a low valley, everywhere surrounded by high hills ; in the centre, by the side of the creek, is a quat^mire of near an acre, from which, and another smaller one below the chief part of these large bones have been taken j at the latter places, I found numerous fragments of large bones lying scat- tered about. In pursuing a wounded duck across this quagmire, I had nearly deposited my carcase among the grand congregation of mammoths below, having sunk up to the middle, and had hard struggling to get out. > " As the proprietor intends to dig in various places this season for brine, and is a gentleman of education, I have strong hopes that a more complete skeleton of that animal called the mammoth, than has yet been found, will be procured. I laid the strongest injunc- tions on the manager to be on the look out, and to preserve every- thing, I also left a letter for Mr Colquhoun to the same purport, and ALEXANDER WILSON. j^j^^ij am persuaded that these will not be neglected. I„ this neighbour- hood, I ound the columbo plant in great abundance, and collected some of the seeds. Many of the old stalks were more than five feet high I have since found it in various other parts of this country. In the afternoon of the next day, I returned to my boat, replaced my baggage, and rowed twenty miles to the Swiss settlement, where I spent the night. These hardy and industrious people have now twelve acres closely and cleanly planted with vines from the Cape of Good Hope. They last year made seven hundred gaUons of wine. and expect to make three times as much the ensuing season Their houses are neat and comfortable. They have orchards of peach and apple-trees, besides a great number of figs, cherries, and other fruit trees, of which they are very curious. They are of opinion, that this part of the Indiana territory is as well suited as any part of France to the cultivation of the vine; but the vines, they say, require different management here from what they are accustomed to in Switzerland. I purchased a bottle of their last vintage, and drank to all your healths, as long as it lasted, in going down the river Seven miles below this, I passed the mouth of Kentucky river which has a formidable appearance. I observed twenty or thirty scattered houses on its upper side, and a few below; many of the former seemingly in a state of decay. It rained on me almost the whole of this day, and I was obliged to row hard and drink healths to keep myself comfortable. My birds' skins were wrapt up in my greatcoat and my own skin had to sustain a complete drenching, which how' ever, had no bad effects. This evening I lodged at the most wretched hovel I had yet seen. The owner, a meagre, diminutive wretch soon began to let me know of how much consequence he had for- merly been ; that he had gone through the war with General Washington-had become one of his life-guards-t^xid. had sent many a British soldier to his long home. As I answered him with indif- ference, to interest me the more, he began to detail anecdotes of his wonderful exploits. ' One grenadier,' said he, 'had the impudence to get on the works, and to wave his cap in defiance. My com- mander (General Washington, I suppose) says to me, Dick, says he can't you pepper that there fellow? says he. Please your honour says I, I'll try at it ; so I took a fair, cool, and steady aim, and touched my trigger; up went his heels like a turkey! down he turn- Ixxviii LIFE OF bled ! One buckshot had entered here, and another here' (laying a finger on each breast) ' and the bullet found the way to his brains, right through his forehead.' Though I believed every word of this to be a lie, yet I could not but look with disgust on the being who uttered it This same miscreant pronounced a long prayer before supper ; and, immediately after, called out;, in a splutter of oaths, for the pine splinters to be held to let the gentleman see. Such a farrago of lies, oaths, prayers, and politeness, put me in good humour in spite of myself. The whole herd of this filthy kennel were in per- petual motion with the itch j so, having procured a large fire to be made, under pretence of habit, I sought for the softest plank, placed my trunk and greatcoat at ray head, and stretched myself there till morning. I set out early, and passed several arks. A number of turkeys, which I observed from time to time on the Indiana shore, made me lose half the morning in search of them. On the Kentucky shore, I was also decoyed by the same temptations, but never could approach near enough to shoot one of them. These affairs detained me 80, that I was dubious whether I should be able to reach Louis- ville that night. Night came on, and I could hear nothing of the Falls. About eight, I heard the first roaring of the Eapids ; and, as it increased, I was every moment in hopes of seeing the lights of Louisville; but no lights appeared, and the noise seemed now within less than half a mile of me. Seriously alarmed, lest I might be drawn into the suction of the Falls, I cautiously coasted along shore, which was full of snags and sawyers, and at length, with great satisfaction, opened Bear Grass Creek, where I secured my skiff to a Kentucky boat, and, loading myself with my baggage, I groped my way through a swamp up to the town. The next day, I sold my skiff for exactly half what it cost me ; and the man who bought it wondered why I gave it such a droll Indian name {the Ornitlwlo- gist). 'Some old chief or warrior, I suppose?' said he. This day, I walked down along shore to Shipping Port, to take a view of these celebrated Rapids ; but they fell far short of my expectation . I should have no hesitation in going down them in a skiff. The Falls of Oswego, in the state of New York, though on a smaller scale, are far more dangerous and formidable in appearance. Though the river was not high, I observed two arks and a barge run them with great ease and rapidity. The Ohio here is something more than a ALEXANDER WILSON. Ixxix mile wide, with several islands interspersed ; the channel rocky, and the islands heaped with driftwood. The whole fall, in two miles, is less than twenty-four feet. The town of Louisville stands on a high second bank, and is about as large as Frankfort, having a num- ber of good brick buildings and valuable shops. The situation would be as healthy as any on the river, but for the numerous swamps and ponds that intersect the woods in its neighbourhood. These, from their height above the river, might all be drained, and turned into cultivation ; but every man here is so intent on the immediate mak- ing of money, that they have neither time nor disposition for im- provements, even where the article health is at stake. A man here told me, that last fall he had fourteen sick in his own family. On Friday the 24th, I left my baggage with a merchant of the place, to be forwarded by the first waggon; and set out on foot for Lexington, seventy-two miles distant. I passed through Middleton and Shelby- ville, both inconsiderable places. Nine-tenths of the country is in forest, the surface undulating into gentle eminences and declivities, between each of which generally runs a brook, over loose flags of limestone. The soil, by appearance, is of the richest sort. I ob- served immense fields of -Indian corn ; high, excellent fences ; few grain fields; many log-houses, and those of the meaner sort. I took notice of few apple orchards, but several very thriving peach ones. An appearance of slovenliness is but too general about their houses, barns, and barn-yards. Negroes are numerous ; cattle and horses lean, particularly the former, who appear as if struggling with star- vation for their existence. The woods are swarming with pigs, pigeons, squirrels, and woodpeckers. The pigs are universally fat^ owing to the great quantity of mast this year. Walking here in wet weather is most execrable, and is like travelling on soft soap: a few days of warm wdather hardens this again into a stone. Want of bridges is the greatest inconvenience to a foot traveller here. Be- tween Shelbyville and Frankfort, having gone out of my way to see a pigeon-roost (which, by the by, is the greatest curiosity I have seen since leaving home), I waded a deep creek, called Benson, nine or ten times. I spent several days in Frankfort, and in rambling among the stupendous cliflfs of Kentucky river. On Thursday evening, I entered Lexington. But I cannot do justice to these subjects at the conclusion of a letter, which, in spite of aU my abridgments, has Ixxx LIFE OF I far erceeded in length what I first intended. My next will be from Nashville. I shall then have seen a large range of Kentucky, and be more able to give you a correct delineation of the country and its inhabitants. In descending the Ohio, I amused myself with a poetical narrative of my expedition, which I have called the Pil- grim." To Mr Alexander Lawson. " Nashville, Tennessee, April 28, 1810. " My DEAR Sir, — Before setting out on my journey through the wilderness to Natchez, I sit down to give you, according to promise, some account of Lexington, and of ray adventures through the state of Kentucky. These I shall be obliged to sketch as rapidly as pos- sible. Neither my time nor my situation enables me to detail particulars with any degree of regularity, and you must condescend to receive them in the same random manner in which they occur, altogether destitute of fanciful embellishment, with nothing but thei^ novolty and the simplicity of truth to recommend them. " I saw nothing of Lexington till I had approached within half a mil« 'J the place, when, the woods opening, I beheld the town bflfore aie on an irregular plain, ornamented with a small white spire, .'lid consisting of several parallel streets, crossed by some ntVvrs. Hany of the houses are built of brick, others of stone, neatly painted; but a great proportion wore a more humble and inferior appearance. The fields around looked clean and well fenced; gently undulating, but no hills in view. In a hollow between two of these parallel streets, ran a considerable brook, that, uniting with a larger a little below the town, drives several mills. A large quarry of excellent building stone also attracted my notice as I entered th town. The main street was paved with large masses from this quarry, the foot-path neat, and guarded by wooden posts. The numerous shops filled with goods, and the many well dressed females I passed in the streets, the sound of social industry, and the gay scenery of ' the busy haunts of men,' had a most exhi- larating olTect upon my spirits, after being so long immured in the forest. My own appearance, I believe, was to many equally interest- ing ; and the shopkeepers and other loungers interrogated me wiiii ALEXANDER WILSON. Ixxxi curiosity. After fixing my quarters, disposing of my arms and vrs 2x ^ '""' ' ^^^^^ ^" *° ^^^^ ^ -^'« ^-^ "This little metropolis of the western country is nearly as We as Lancastei, m Pennsylvania. In the centre of the town I a pub' square, partly occupied by the court-house and market-place and t:^^:^^^t^''''''''^' ^^"^'"^'^^^^ thepinory?nd:toct Ihe former of these is so constructed as to serve well enough, if need be, occasionally for a gallows, which is not a bad thought o a nothing contributes more to make lu^rdened vUlch wa, related to me, ,ith all its minntiB oThorrLs A lh.s man s house stands by the roadside, f was induced by motivt of curiosity to stop and take a peep of hi„. On my arid TtZZ ^« persons in conversation under the piazza, one of C oT „fo™ d m. that he wa, the landlord. He was a dark mulatto, rather abTve the common size, inclining to corpulency, „ith leg, mall „ nT portion to his size, and walked lame, ffis countelcrb slfa on. capable of deeds of darkness, I had not been three m^utet 1 trIXT "d r"°' *= ""■'' """ ("1° I ™darstood wL Li-r^ttoizr ;t rar i:Tthr '- r, ' W of a rock, behind the hou,e-Z I ZTlnt:^, key to ,t and was crowded with pot, of milk, placed near The ruiming stream. The roof and side, of solid r ok wcrl Tt and dropping with water. Desiring _ to walk before with thl gh , I followed with my harfd on my pistol, reconnoitring on every S' and listening to his description of it, length and e.tenr A 1^ g nTZv ';!,''-'"« ™.'"- forty or fifty yards, he decH ej gomg any further, complammg of a rheumatism ; and I now first perceived that the other person had stayed behind, and that we two were alone together. Confident in my means of self-defend wha ever mischief the devil might suggest to him, I fi J my le etodily on his. and observed to him. that he could not be ignorint o the report, circulated about the countiy relative to th^Z 'I suppose,' said I. 'you know what I me.,n!' -Ye, I„„dLZ°i you ■returned he, without appearing the ,ea,t emll'sed" the wb ,T ^^ ^' ""'', """' "'™ '""> ""'^ «-'• I »n teUyOtt the whoe beginning of that damned lie,' said he; and without moving from the spot he detailed to me a long stor;, which we'd fill half my letter, to little purpose, and which, with other parttu lars. Isha 1 reserve for your amusement when we meet. HiTd hm. why he did not get the cave examined by three or four r^it able neighbours whose report might rescue L character fro7tbe susp^n of having committed so horrid a crime. He acknoXdged 3 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /, f/a A 1.0 I.I 11.25 La [28 |2.5 u£ 1^ i: 2.0 12.2 i.4 1.6 V^\:> Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRICT WeSSTfR.N.Y. MSSO (716) 873-4503 tf .^^^.A^ 3-^« geaybleu'du Canada: . , "1. p. 1^0 PL enl. 529. -Blue Jay, Catesb. Car. i. 15— Edw 2Sf> r„tN::-im "-^^ '^- *• ^- ^' »-*«™-. p. ^ -Si7. OARRULUS OSISTATUS.-Vimiufr, 0»r,«l„. orUtata,, r«(. e„,. *, 0,-.. p,. io2._jf„.,j ^ a „ 293 _ ao»aj.. Simv- No. 63.-KC ori.tota, IToj;, N„. 8. '^' Tms elegant bird, which, as far as I can leavn, is peculiar to No th Amenca, ,s distinguished as a kind of beau among the feathered tenants of our woods, by the brilliancy of his dress ■ and, l.ke most other coxcomlis, makes himself still more conspicuous by his loquacity, and the oddness of his tones and ges u,es. The jay measures eleven inches in length ■ the head .s oinamented with a crest of light blue or purple' feathers which he can elevate or depress at pleasure; a nariw hue of black runs along the frontlet, rising on eL,l, ide higher than the eye, but not passing over it, as Catesby ha, .-epi-esented, and as Pennant and many others have desoi-ibed ,t; back and upper part of the neck, a fine light A BLUE J A Y. l)nrple, in whioli the blue predominates ; a collar of black, proceeding from the hind head, passes with a graceful curve down eacli side of the neck to the upper part of the breast, where it forms a crescent ; chin, cheeks, throat, and belly, white, the three former slightly tinged with blue ; greater wing-coverts, a rich blue ; exterior sides of the primaries, light blue, those of the secondaries, a deep purple, except the three feathers next the body, which are of a splendid light blue ; all these, except the primaries, are beautifidly barred with crescents of black, and tipt with white ; the interior sides of the wing-feathers are dusky black ; tail long and cuneiform, composed of twelve feathers of a glossy light blue, marked at half inches with transverse curves of black, each feather being tipt with white, except the two middle ones, which deepen into a dark purple at the extremities. Bi-east and sides under the wings, a dirty white, faintly stained with purple ; inside of the mouth, the tongue, bill, legs, and claws, black ; iris of the eye, hazel. The blue jay is an almost universal inhabitant of the woods, frequenting the thickest settlements as well as the deepest re- cesses of the forest, where his squalling voice often alarms the deer, to the disappointment and mortification of the hunter ; one of whom informed me, that he made it a point, in summer, to kill every jay he could meet with. In the charm- ing season of spring, when every thicket pours forth harmony, the part performed by the jay always catches the ear. He appears to be among his fellow-nuisicians what the trumpeter is in a band, some of his notes having no distant resemblance to the tones of that instrument. The.se he has the faculty of changing through a great variety of modulations, according to the particular humour he happens to be in. When disposed for ridicule, there is scarce a bird whose peculiarities of song he cannot tune his notes to. When engaged in the blandish- ments of love, they resemble the soft chatterings of a duck, and, while he nestles among the thick branches of the cedar, are scarce heard at a few paces' distance ; but he no sooner ' I at ' BLUE JAY. •Ijovors yo„r approncl, than ho «el8 up a .udden and V . ment outcry %i„g off. „„d scea.ning with all hiB might, ns .f he called the whole feathered tribes of the neighbour- J^d to .v.tness some outrageous usage he had received. When he hops uud.sturbod among the high branches of the oak and Inckory. they become soft and musical ; and his calls oi he female, a stranger would readily mistake for the re- l.eated screakings of an ungreased wheelbarrow. All these he nccompan.es with various nods, jerks, and other gesticulations, or vvh.ch the whole tribe of jays are so remarkable, that .th sou,e other peculiarities, they might have ver; well .justified the great Swed.sh naturalist in forming them into a separate genus by themselves.* The blue jay builds a large nest, frequently in tlie cedar. * This has now been done; and modem ornitholo-ists adopt th^ .tie 6V.T«/«.. of Brisson, for this distinct and very well fine iTrof^^ ontainjng many species, which agree intimately in theirlnemf fZ' and habits, and are dispersed over every quarter of the world N w Holland excepted. The colours of their plumage are brown 'ray bluT .-UKl black; m some distributed with sober chastity, whil t others' the deep tints and decided markings rival the richest gems. ' Proud of coeriilean stHins, From heaven's unsullied arch jmrloined, the jay Screams hoarse. ^^^^om^^ WnlU InaForm. In geographical distribution, we find those of splendid plumage foJ lowing the warmer climates, and associating the^e with 'our Sso East rn magnificence ; while the more sober dressed, and. in our opinion not the least pleasing, range through more temperat; and northern egions, or those exalted tracts in tropical countries where all the pro^ J.telj sent to this country from the lofty and extensive plains of the Sv nhabi 1' 1 r?'*^P''^'''; ^''•'^''^ *^^™''"««' ^^d nutcracker. ihp inhabit ^^oody districts; m their dispositions are cunnincr bold to tlfe' c'at'o'f "^"^ ""'"''T' '"' '''^^ ''''' '^^''y ^^--i ^^-^ -"-duced ounds Th fT' "! ''P''^^^ '^ ""^'"S ^''^"Sl^* t"^k« -'i various .y Bewick ^IZl' "f "' i '' *^" '''''' P^^P^"^^*^ '^ "^"« ^^^-ted r>y iiewick .- We have heard one imitate the sound made bv the action of a saw, so exactly, that though it was on a SundTy we couM hardly be persuaded that the person who kept it had not a carpenter 4 BLUE JAY, sotnetiines on nn npplo tree, lines it with dry fibrous riM^ta, and liiys five eggs of a didl olive, spotted with brown. The male is particularly careful of not being heard near the place, making his visits as silently and secretly as possible. His favourite food is chestnuts, acorns, and Indian-corn. He occasionally feeds on bugs and caterpillars, and sometimes pays a plundering visit to the orchard, cherry rows, and potato patch ; and has been known, in times of scarcity, to venture into the barn, through ( )enings between the weather boards. In these cases ho is extremely active and silent, and, if sur- prised in the fact, makes his escape with precipitation, but without noise, as if conscious of his criminality. Of all birds, ho is the most bitter enemy to the owl. No sooner has he discovered the retreat of one of these, than he at work in the house. Another, at the approacli of cattle, had learned to hound a cur dog upon them, by whistling and calling upon him by his name. At last, during a severe frost, the dog was, by that means, excited to attack a cow big with calf, when the poor animal fell on the ice, and was much hurt : the jay was complained of as a nuisance ; and its owner was obliged to destroy it." They feed indiscriminately, and, according to circumstances, on either animal or vegetable substances ; plundering nests of their eggs and young, and even, in the more exposed farmyards, disappointing the hopes of the mistress, in the destruction of a favourite brood. They are also robbera of orchards and gardens of their finest fruits ; but, when without the reach of these luxuries, they will be content to satisfy their hunger with Nature's own produc- tions, the wild berries or fruits and seeds of the forest and the field. Several new species have been added to the North American list, some of which are described by the Prince of Musignano in our third volume ; and, in addition, we may mention one new species, published by l)r Richardson and Mr Swainson in the Arctic Zoology. The only specimen brought home was killed on the roof of the dwelling-house at Fort Franklin, and was so similar to the Canada jay, that it was not then recognised as a distinct species. The chief distinctions mentioned in the above work are the shorter bill, broader at the base, and nar- rower on the ridge. The plumage looser than in O. Canadensis; the secondaries proportionally longer, and all tud in slender, but very dis- tinct points, scarcely discernible in the blue jay, and not nearly so much developed in the whisky-jack. Tail is shorter than the latter, the tarsus is more robuf^X- F3. BLUE JAY. smuTnons the whole feathered fraternity to his assistance, who Burround the gliintneriiig solitaire, and atUick liini from all sides, raising such a shout as may be heard, in a slill day, more than half a mile off. When, in my hiuiting excursions, I iuive passed near this scene of tunudt, I have imagined to myself that I heard the insidting party venting their respective charges with all the virulency of a Billingsgate mob; the owl, meanwhile returning every compliment with a broad goggling stare. The war becomes louder and louder, and the owl at len<':tli, forced U) betake himself to fligjjt, is followed by his whole train of persecutors, until driven beyond the boundaries of iheir jarisdiction. ^ But the blue jay himself is not guiltless of similar depreda- tions with the owl, and becomes in his turn the very tyrant he detested, when he sneaks through the woods, as he frequently does, and among the thickets and hedgerows, plundering every nest he can find of its eggs, tearing up the callow young by piecemeal, and spreading alarm and sorrow around him. The cries of the distressed parents soon bring together a number of interested spectators (for birds in such circum- stances seem truly to sympathise with each other), and he is sometimes attacked with such spirit as to be under the neces- sity of making a speedy retreat. He will sometimes assault small birds, with the intention of killing and devouring them ; an instance of which I myself once witnessed, over a piece of woods near the borders of Schuylkill ; where I saw him engaged for more than five minutes pursuing what I took to be a species of Motacilla, wheeling, darting, and dotibling in the air, and at last, to my great satisfaction, got disappointed, in the escape of his intended prey. In times of great extremity, when his hoard or niagazine is frozen up, buried in snow, or perhaps exhausted, he becomes very voracious, and will make a meal of whatever carrion or other animal substance comes in the way, and has been found regaling himself on the bowels of a robin in less than five minutes after it was shot. 6 BLUE JA V. There are, however, individual exceptions to this general character for phinder and outrage, a proneness for which is probably often occasioned by the wants and irritations of necessity. A blue jay, which I have kept for some time, and with whom I am on terms ( f familiarity, is in reality a very notable example of mildness of disposition and sociability of manners. An accident in the woods first put me in possession of this bird, while in full plumage, and in high health and spirits; I carried him home with me, and put him into a cage aheady occupied by a golden-winged woodpecker, where he was saluted with such rudeness, and received such a drubbing from the lord of the manor, for entering his premises, that, to save his life, I was obliged to take him out again. I then put him into another cage, where the only tenant was a female orchard oriole. She also put on airs of alarm, as if she considered herself endangered and insulted by the intrusion ; the jay, meanwhile, sat mute and motionless on the bottom cf the cage, either dubious of his own situation, or willing to allow time for the fears of his neighbour to subside. Accord- ingly, in a few minutes, after displaying various threatening gestures (like some of those Indians we read of in their firsl interviews with the whites), she began to make her approaches, but with great circumspection, and readiness for retreat. Seeing, however, the jay begin to pick up some crumbs of broken chestnuts, in a liumble and peaceable way, ^he also descended, and began to do the same ; but, at the slightest motion of her new guest, wheeled round, and put herself on the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy vanished before evening ; and they now roost together, feed, and play together, in perfect harmony and good hunjour. When the jay goes to drink, his messn)ate very impudently jumps into the water to wash herself, throwing the water in showers over her com- panion, who bears it all j)atiently ; venturing now and then to take a sip betv^een every splash, without betraying the smallest token of irritation. On the contrary, he seems to take pleasure in his little fellow-prisoner, allowing her to pick I he BLUE JAY. ■ y (which she does very gently) about bis whiskers, and to clean bis claws from the minute fiagments of chestnuts which hap- pen to adhere to them. This attaclmient on the one part, and mild condescension on the other, may, perhaps, be partly the effect of mutual misfortunes, which are found not only to knit mankind, but many species of inferior animals, more closely together ; and shows that the disposition of the blue jay may be humanised, and rendered susceptible of a^^^ectionate impres- sions, even for those birds which, in a state of nature, he would have no hesitation in making a meal of. He is not only bold and vociferous, but possesses a consider- able talent for mimiciy, and seems to enjoy gieat satisfaction in mocking and teasing other birds, particularly the little hawk (F. sparvei ius), imitating his ciy wherever he sees him, and squealing out as if caught: this soon brings a number of his own tribe around him, who all join in the frolic, darting about the hawk, and feigning the cries of a bird sorely wounded, and already under the clutches of its devourer ; while others lie concealed in bushes, ready to second their associates in the attack. But this ludicrous farce often terminates tragically. The hawk, singling out one of the most insolent and pro- voking, sweeps ui)on him in an unguarded moment, and offers him up a sacrifice to his hunger and resentment. In an instant the tune is changed ; all their buffoonery vanishes, and loud and incessant screams proclaim their disaster. AVherever the jay has had the advantage of education from man, he has not only shown himself an apt scholar, but his suavity of manners seems equalled only by his art and con- trivances; though it must be confessed that his itch for thieving keeps pace with all his other acquirements. Dr Mease, on the authority of Colonel Postell, of South Carolina, informs me, that a blue jay which was brought up in the family of the latter gentleman, had all the tricks and loquacity of a parrot ; pilfered everything he could conveniently carry off, and hid them in holes and crevices ; answered to his name with great sociability, when called on; could articulate a |i 8 BLUE JAY. number of words pretty distinctly ; and, when he heard any uncommon noise or loud talking, seemed impatient to con- tribute his share to the general festivity (as he probably thought it) by a display of all the oratorical powers he was possessed of. Mr Bartram relates an instance of the jay's sagacity wortliy of remark. " Having caught a jay in the winter season," says he, "I turned him loose in the greenhouse, and fed him with corn (zea, maize), the heart of which they are very fond of. This grain being ripe and hard, the bird at first found a difficulty in breaking it, as it would start from his bill when he struck it. After looking about, and, as if considering for a moment, he picked up his grain, carried and placed it close up m a corner on the shelf, between the wall and a plant box, where, being confined on three sides, he soon eff'ected his purpose, and continued afterwards to make use of this same practical expedient. The jay," continues this judicious observer, "is one of the most useful agents in the economy of nature for disseminating forest trees, and other ruciferous and hard-seeded vegetables on which they feed. Their chief employment, during the autumnal season, is foraging to supply their winter stores. In performing this necessary duty, they drop abundance of seed in their flight over fields, hedges, and by fences, where they alight to deposit them in the polt-holes, &c. It is remarkable what numbers of young trees rise up iri fields and pastures after a wet winter and spring. These birds alone are capable, in a few years' time, to replant all the cleared lands." * The blue jays seldom associate in any considerable numbers, except in the months of September and October, when they hover about, in scattered parties of from forty to fifty, visiting the oaks in search of their favourite acorns. At this season they are less shy than usual, and keep chattering to each other in a variety of strange and querulous notes. I have counted fifty-three, but never more, at one time; and these generally * Letter of Mr William Bartram to the author. I I ^ f BLUE JA v. g following each other in straggling irregularity from one range of woods to another. Yet we are told by the leained Dr Latham — and his statement has been copied into many respectable European publications— that the blue jays of North America "often unite into flocks of twenty thousand at least ! which, alighting on a field of ten or twelve acres, soon lay waste the whole." * If this were really so, these birds would justly deserve tiie character he gives them, of being the most destructive species in America. But I will venture the assertion, that the tribe Oriolus phceniceus, or red-winged blackbirds, in the environs of the river Delaware alone, devour and destroy more Indian-corn than the whole blue jays of North America. As to their assembling in such immense multitudes, it may be sufficient to observe, that a flock of blue jays of twenty thousand would be as extra- ordinaiy an appearance in America, as the same number of magpies or cuckoos would be in Britain. It has been frequently said, that numbers of birds are common to the United States and Europe ; at present, how- ever, I am not certain of many. Comparing the best descrip- tions and delineations of the European ones with those of our native birds said to be of the same species, either the former are very erroneous, or the difference of plumage and habits in the latter justifies us in considering a great proportion of them to be really distinct species. Be this, however, as it may, the blue jay appears to belong exclusively to North America. I cannot find it mentioned by any writer or traveller among the birds of Guiana, Brazil, or any other part of South America. It is equally unknown in Africa. In Europe, and even in the eastern parts of Asia, it is never seen in its wild state. To ascertain the exact limits of its native regions would be difficult. These, it is highly probable, will be found to be bounded by the extremities of the temperate zone. Dr Latham has indeed asserted, that the blue jay of America is not found * Synopsis of Birds, vol. i. p. 387. See also Encyclopedia Britau- nica, art. Corvus. lO BLUE JAY. I \ farther noith than the town of Albany.* This, however, is a mistake. They are common iti tiie eastern States, and are mentioned by Dr Belknap in his enumeration of the birds of New Hampshire.f They are also natives of Newfoundland. I myself have seen them in Upper Canada. Blue jays and yellow birds were found by Mr M'Kenzie, when on his jour- ney across the continent, at the head waters of the Unjigah, or Peace Eiver, in N. lat. 54°, W. Ion. 121°, on the west side of the great range of Stony Mountains.! Steller, who, in 1741, accompanied Captain Behring in his expedition for the discovery of the north-west coast of America, and who wrote the journal of the voyage, relates, that he himself went on shore near Cape St Elias, in N. lat. 58° 28', W. Ion. 141° 46', according to his estimation, where he observed several species of birds, not hnoiun in Siberia; and one, in parlictdar, described by Catesby under the name of the blue jay.§ Mr William Bartiam informs me, that they are numerous in the peninsula of Florida, and that he also found them at Natchez, on the Mississippi. Captain Lewis and Clark, and their intrepid companions, in their memorable expedition across the conti- nent of North America to the Pacific Ocean, continued to see blue jays for six hundred miles up the Missouri.|| From these accounts it follows, that this species occupies, generally or partially, an extent of country stretching upwards of seventy degrees from east to west, and more than thirty degrees from north to south ; though, from local circumstances, there may be intermediate tracts, in this immense range, which they seldom visit. f * Synopsis, vol. i. p. 387. t History of New Hainpsliire, vol. iii. p. 16.3. t Voyages from Montreal, &c., p. 21(5, 4to, Lond § See Steller's Journal, apud Pallas. II This fact I had from Captain Lewis. -ton, 1801. J. YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. II % YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. {Fringilla trlatis) PLATE I.-FiG. 2. Linn. St/St. i. p. 320.-Carduelis Americana, Briss. iii. p. 6, 3.— Le Chardonnerat jaune, Buff. iv. p. 112. Fl. ml. 202, fo. 2— American Goldfinch, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 2\2.-Edw. 274.- Lath. Syn. iii. p. 288, 57. Id. Hup. p. im.— Bar- tram, p. 2W.— Peak's Museum, No. 6344. CABDUELIS AMERICAIfA.—^DWA^DS. New York Siskin, Pcnn. Arct. Zool. p. 372. (Male changing his plumage, and the male in his winter dress taken for female, auct. Swai«8.)— Fringilla tristis, Bonap. Syn. p. Ill, No. 181.— Carduelis Americana, North. Zool. ii. p. 268. This bird is four inclies and a half in length, and eight inches in extent, of a ricli lemon yellow, fading into white towards the rump and vent. The wings and tail are black, the former tipt and edged with white, the interior webs of the latter are also white ; the fore part of the head is black, the bill and legs of a reddish cinnamon colour. This is the sum- mer dress of the male; but in the month of September the yellow gradually changes to a brown olive, and the male and female are then nearly alike. They build a very neat and deli- cately formed little nest, which they fasten to the twigs of an apple tree, or to the strong branching stalks of hemp, covering it on the outside with pieces of lichen, which they find on the trees and fences ; these they glue together with their saliva, and afterwards line the inside with the softest downy sub- stances they can produre. The female lays five eggs, of a dull white, thickly marked at the greater end ; and they gene- rally raise two broods in a season. The males do not arrive at their perfect plumage until the succeeding spring ; wanting, duriiig that time, the black on the head, and the white on the wings being of a cream colour. In the month of April they begin to change their winter dress, and, before the middle of May, appear in brilliant yellow ; the whole plumage towards its roots is of a dusky bluish black. la YELLOIV BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. The song of the yellow bird resembles that of the goldfinch of Britain ; but is in general so weak as to appear to proceed from a considerable distance, when perhaps the bird is perched on the tree over your head. I have, however, heard some sing in cages with great energy and animation. On their first arrival in Pennsylvania, in February, and until early in April, they associate in flocks, frequently assembling in great numbers on the same tree to bask and dress themselves in the morning sun, singing in concert for half an hour together ; the confused mingling of their notes forming a kind of harmony not at all unpleasant * About tlie last of November, and sometimes sooner, they generally leave Pennsylvania, and proceed to the south ; some, however, are seen even in the midst of the severest winters.' Their flight is not direct, but in alternate risings and sinkings ; twittering as they fly, at each successive impulse of the wings.f * Carduelis of Brisson, having types in the common goldfinch and siskin of this country, is now generally used as the generic appellation tor the group to which our present species belongs. It contains several American and European species. They are closely allied to the true linnets ; and the lesser red-poll (the Frimjilla linaria auctorum), has even by some been ranked with them. They also much resemble the latter group in their manners, their haunts, their breeding, and feedin-. Lvery one who has lived much in the country, must have often re- marked the common European gray linnets, in the manner above described of the American goldfinch, congregating towards the close of a fine winter's evening, perched on the summit of some bare tree, -.lum- ing themselves in the last rays of the sun, chirruping the commence- ment of their evening song, and then bursting simultaneously into one general chorus ; again resuming their single strains, and again joining, as If happy, and rejoicing at the termination of their day's employment Mr Audubon has remarked the same trait in their manners, and con firins the resemblance of their notes : "So much does the song of our goldfinch resemble that of the European species, that, whilst in France and England, I have frequently thought, and with pleasure thought that they were the notes of our own bird which I heard."— Ed. ^ ' t The flight of the American goldfinch, and its manners durin" it are described by Mr Audubon with greater minuteness: it is exa^ctlv similar to the European bird of the same name, being performed in deep curved lines, alternately rising and falling, after each propellin.- motion / I YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. 13 During the latter part of summer they are almost constant visitants in our gardens in search of seeds, which they dis- lodge from the husk with great address, while hanging fre- quently head downwards, in the manner of the titmouse. From these circumstances, as well as from their colour, they are very generally known, and pass hy various names expressive of their food, colour, &c., such as thistle bird, lettuce bird, salad bird, yellow bird, &c. The gardeners, who supply the city of Philadelphia with vegetables, often take them in trap-cages, and expose them for sale in market. They are easily familiar- ised to confinement, and feed with seeming indifference a few hours after being taken. The great resemblance which the yellow bird bears to the canary has made many persons attempt to pair individuals of the two species together. An ingenious French gentleman, who resides in Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, assured me that he of the wings. It scarcely ever describes one of those curves, without uttering two or three notes whilst ascending, such as its European rela- tive uses on similar occasions. In this manner its flight is prolonged to considerable distances, and it frequently moves in a circling direction before alighting. Their migration is performed during the day. They seldom alight on the ground, unless to procure water, in which they wash with great liveliness and pleasure ; after which they pick up some particles of gravel and sand. So fond of each other's company are they, that a party of them soaring on the wing will alter their course at the calling of a single one perched on a tree. This call is uttered with much emphasis : the bird prolongs its usual note, without much altera- tion ; and as the party approaches, erects its body, and moves to the right and left, as if turning on a pivot, apparently pleased at showing the beauty of its plumage and elegance of its manners. This natural group has been long celebrated for their docility and easy instruction, whether in music or to perform a variety of tricks They are, consequently, favourites with bird-fanciers, and often doomed to undergo a severe and cruel discipline. The goldfinch, canary, the various linnets, the siskin, and chaffinch, are principally used for this purpose ; and it is often astonishing, and almost incredible, with what correctness they will obey the voice or motions of their masters. Mr Syme, in his " History of British Song Birds," when speaking of the Sieur Eoman, who some years since exhibited goldfinches, linnets, and 14 YELLOIV BIRD, OR GOLDFINCIF. bad tried the male yellow bird with the female canary, and the female yellow bird with the male canary, but without effect, though he kept them for several years togetber, and RU[)|)lied them with proper materials for building. Mr HaRsey of New York, however, who keeps a great number of native as well as foreign birds, informed me that a yellow bird l)aired with a canary in bis possession, and laid eggs, but did not hatch, which he attributed to the lateness of the season. Tbese birds were seen by Mr M'Kenzie, in his route across the continent of North America, as far north as lat. 54°; they are numerous in all the Atlantic States north of the Carolinas; abound in Mexico, and are aLso found in great numbers in the savannahs of Guiana. The seeds of the lettuce, thistle, hemp, &c., are their favourite food, and it is pleasant to ob.serve a few of them at work in a calm day, detaching the thistle down, in search of canaries, wonderfully trained, relates, that "one appeared dead, and was lield up by tlie tail or claw without exhihitini,' any signs of life • a second stood on its head with its claws in the air : a thfrd imitated a Dutch milkmaid going to market with pails on its shoulders; a fourth mimicked a Venetian girl looking out at a window ; a fifth appeared as a soldier, and mounted guard as a sentinel ; and tlie sixth acted as a cannonier, with a cap on its head, a firelock on its shoulder, and a match 111 its claw, and discliarge.l a small cannon. The same bird also acted as if it had been wounded. It was wheeled in a barrow, to convey it as It were, to the hospital ; after which it flew awav before the com- l-any : a seventh turned a kind of windmill ; and thJ last bird stood in the midst of some fireworks, which were discharged all round it, and this without exhibiting the least symptom of fear." Tlie American goldfinch is no less docile than its congeners. Mr Audubon relates that they are often caught in trap-cages ; and that he knew one, which' had undergone severe training, draw water for its drink from a -dass by means of a little chain fastened to a soft leathern belt round its body and another, equally light, fastened to a little bucket, which was kept by Its weight in the water: it was also oliliged to supply itself with food by being obliged to draw towards its bill a little chariot filled with' seeds. Female is represented on Plate VI. of Vol. III., in Bonaparte's con- tinuation.— Ed. YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. ^5 the Roeds, malvirig it fly in clouds around them. The figui-e on tlie plnte represents this bird of its natural size. The American goldfinch has been figured and described by Mr Catesby,* who says, that the back part of the head is a dirty green, &c. This description must have been taken while the bird was changing its plumage. At the approach of fall, not only the rich yellow fades into a brown olive, but the spot of black on the crown and forehead becomes also of the same olive tint. Mr Edwards has also erred in saying, that the young male bird has the spot of black on the fore- head ; this it does not receive until the succeeding sprin^.f The figure in Edwards is considerably too large ; and that by Catesby has the wings and tail much longer than in nature, and the body too slender— very diflPeient from the true form of the living bird. Mr Pennant also tells us that the legs of this species are black ; they are, however, of a bi-ight china- mon colour ; but the worthy naturalist, no doubt, described them as he found them in the dried and stuffed skin, shrivelled up and blackened with decay ; and thus too much of our natural history has been delineated. * Nat. Hist. Car., vol. i. p. 43. t These changes take place in the common siskin of this country : indeed, changes, and, in many cases, similar to those alluded to, are common, according to season, among all onv FrimjiUidw ; the common chaHinch lose? the pale gray of his forehead, which becomes deep bluish purple ; the head and back of the brambling, or mountain finch, becomes a deep glossy black ; and the forehead and breasts of the dif- ferent linnets, from a russet brown, assume a rich and beautiful crimson. They are chiefly produced by the falling ofl' of the ends of tlie plumules of each feather, which before concealed the richer tints of its lower parts ; at other times, by the entire change of colour. The tint itself, however, is always much increased in beauty and gloss as the season for its display advances ; at its termination the general moult com- mences, when the feathers are replaced with their new elongated tips, of a more sombre hue, which, no doubt, adds to the heat of the winter clothing, and remain until warmer weather and desires promote their dispersion. — Ed. i6 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. {Oviolm Baltimore.) PLATE I.-Fia, 3. Linn. Syst. i. p. 1G2, 10.— lotorus minor, Briss. ii. p. 109, 19. t. 12. fig. 1. — Lo Baltimore, Buff. iii. p. Zi). PI. enl. 500. fig. 1.— Biiltimore Bird, Catesh. Car. i. AB.—Arct. Zool. ii, p. 142.— Zan each side, black near the coverts, and orange towards the •^treniities, so disposed that, when the tail is expanded, and the coverts removed, the black appears in the form of a I>ymmid, supported on an arch of orange. Tail, slightly '"W"'S. yet, cont,;,' to T 'n^" ■ece,ved opnnon, they do not bnild e.acti; in the In e >"«.mer. As ,n,,ch diffcenoe will be found in l" sTy e neatness and finishing „f t,,« „,,(, „, 4,,^ ^, ' ^Z the.r vo,ees Son.e a,,,H.ar far superior work,ue„ to o'the,- • and probably age ,uay i.nprovo the,u in this, as it die „ t e r c„l„u,.s. I have a nn.uber of their nests now before J all co,npleted, and w.tl, eggs. One of these, the neatest, isTj They are for„,od of the d ir«re , ^ ,°',' " '"°'» '"'''' '""nJalion. of the country, b,„ had L,° aZ ej ''it '" '' " ''""y "»'""' »'-■» be.t„dvJ4. in.o,,r£dk3':™L:;h;r;;r^^^^^^^^^^ bemg round or resembling a compact b-ill tn „...Vi ^ x I ^ ' ^'^''"' gradation of form, until ^ ^^iTS:^!:;^^^^^ species being gregarious, tliev breed numerouslv on t^ . """^ their nests, suspended from" the iTen lie 1 Z J . ''"'' ^'''' ""^ wind, render the landscape and LS n-u kr t"' '"'^ "^^^"»" ^" *'^« and present appearances ihichthot;^, r^^^^^^^ to witness them iu their native .vilds can ap^^^^^^^^^^^^^ __The female is given by Wilson in Plate LIII. iu 'ou^ second volume ' 30 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. the form of a cylinder, of five inches diameter, and seven inches in depth, rounded at bottom. The opening at top is narrowed, by a horizontal covering?, to two inches and a half diameter. The materials are flax, hemp, tow, hair, and in wool, woven into a complete cloth ; the whole tightly sewed through and through with long horse-hairs, several of which measm-e two feet in length. The bottom is composed of thick tufts of cow-hair, sewed also with strong horse-hair. This nest was hung on the extremity of the horizontal branch of an apple tree, fronting the southeast ; was visible a hundred yards off, though shaded from the sun ; and was the work of a very beautiful and perfect bird. The eggs are five, white, slightly tinged with flesh colour, marked on the greater end with purple dots, and on the other parts with long hair-like lines, intersecting each other in a variety of directions. I am thus minute in these particulars, from a wisli to point out the specific difference between the true and bastard baltimore, which Dr Latham, and some others, suspect to be only the same bird in different stages of colour. So solicitous is the baltimore to procure proper materials for his nest, that, in the season of building, the women in the country are under the necessity of narrowly watching their thread that may chance to be out bleaching, and the farmer to secure his young grafts ; as the baltimore, finding the former, and the strings which *=e the latter, so well adapted for his l)urpose, frequently carries off both ; or, should the one be too heavy, and the other too firmly tied, he will tug at them a considerable time before he gives up the attempt. Skeins of silk and hanks of thread have been often found, after the leaves were fallen, hanging round the baltimore's nest ; but so woven up and entangled as to be entirely irreclaimable. Before the introduction of Europeans, no such material could have been obtained here ; but, with the sagacity of a good architect, he has improved this circumstance to his advantage ; and the strongest and best materials are uniformly found in those parts by which the whole is supported. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 21 Iheir prmc.pal food consists of caterpillars, beetles, and bugs particularly one -of a brilliant glossy green, fragments of which I have almost always found in their stomach, and sometimes these only. The song of the baltimore is a clear mellow whistle, re- peated at short intervals as he gleans among the branches, mere is in it a certain wild plaintiveness and nawete ex- tremely interesting. It is not uttered with the rapidity of the ferruginous thrush {Turdus rufus), and some otiier eminent songs ers; but with tiie pleasing tranquillity of a careless p oughboy, whistling merely for his own amusement. Whea alarmed by an approach to his nest, or any such circumstance, be makes a kind of rapid chirruping, very different from his ii««ml note. Tins, however, is always succeeded by those mellow tones which seem so congenial to his nature. High on yon poplar, clad in glossiest green, The orange black-capped baltimore is seen • The broad extended boughs still please him best, Beneath their bending skirts he hangs his nest ; Ihere his sweet mate, secure from every harm Broods o'er her spotted store, and wraps them warm • Lists to the noontide hum of busy bees, ' " ^r P^''^"^'"'« '"«11«^^ «ong. the brook, the breeze • These day by day the lonely hours deceive, From dewy morn to slow descending eve Two weeks elapsed, behold ! a helpless crew Claim all her care, and her affection too ; On wings of love the assiduous nurses fly. Flowers, leaves, and boughs, abundant food supply • Glad chants their guardian, as abroad he goes, And waving bxeezes rock them to repose. The baltimore inhabits North America, from Canada to Mexico, and is even found as far south as Brazil. Since the streets of our cities have been planted with that beautiful and stately tree, the Lombardy poplar, these birds are our constant visitors during the early part of summer ; and, amid the noise and tumult of coaches, drays, wheelbarrows, and the din of the multitude, they are heard chanting " their native wood notes wild ; " sometimes, too, within a few yards of an oyster- ar^ 22 ^OOD THRUSH. man, who stands bellowing, with the lungs of a Stentov, under the shade of the same tree ; so much will habit reconcile even birds to the roar of the city, and to sounds aud noises that, in other circumstances, would put a whole grove of them to flight. These birds are several years in receiving their complete plumage. Sometimes the whole tail of a male individual in spring is yellow, sometimes only the two middle feathers are black, and frequently the black on the back is skirted with orange, and the tail tipt with the same colour. Three years, I have reason to believe, are necessary to fix the full tint of the plumage, and then the male bird appears as already described. WOOD TimUSII. {Turdus melodus) Plate II.— Fig. 1. BaHram, p. 290. — Peale^s Museum, No. 5264. TURDUS MUSTELINUS.-Gviv.hm. Turdus niUstelinus, Om. Linn. ii. 817, No. 57.—Bonap. Synop. p. 75. — Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 337.— Tlie Wood Thrush, Aud. p. 372. W This bird is represented on the plate of its natural size, and particular attention has been paid to lender the figure a faithful likeness of the original. It mensures eight inches in length, and thirteen from tip to lip of the expanded wings ; the bill is an inch long ; the upper mandible, of a dusky brown, bent at the point, and slightly notched ; the lower, a flesh colour towards the base ; the legs are long, and, as well as the claws, of a pale flesh colour, or almost transparent. The whole upper parts are of a brown fulvous colour, brightening into reddish on the head, and inclining to an olive on the rump and tail; chin, white; throat and breast, white, tinged with a light buff colour, and beautifully marked with pointed spots of black or dusky, running in chains from the sides of the mouth, and intersecting each other all over the breast to the belly, which, with the vent, is of a pure white; a narrow circle of white surrounds the eye, which is large, full, the pupil black, U ITMn-hr.imUn ■fitta Knia. w WOOD THRUSH. «3 and the iris of a dark chocolate colour ; the inside of the mouth 18 yellow. The male and female of this species, as, indeed, of almost the whole genus of thrushes, differ so little, as scarcely to be distinguished from each other. It is called by some the wood robin, by others the ground robin, and by some of our American ornithologists Turdus minor, though, as will hereafter appear, improperly. The present name has been adopted from Mr William Bartram, who seems to have been the first and almost ordy naturalist who has taken notice of the merits of this bird.* w * Almost every country has its peculiar and favourite songsters, and even among the rudest nations the cries and songs of birds are listened to, and associated with their general occupations, their superstitions or religion In America, the wood thrush appears to hold a rank equal to the nightingale and song thrush of Europe . like the latter, he may be oftentimes seen perched on the summit of a topmost branch, durin- a warm and balmy evening or morning, pouring forth in rich melodv his all voice, and will produce associations which a foreigner would assimi- late with the warblers of his own land. "The song of the wood thrush," says Mr Audubon, "although com- posed of but few notes, is so powerful, distinct, clear, and mellow, that It IS impossible for any person to hear it without being struck with the effect It produces on the mind. I do not know to what instrumental sounds I can compare these notes, for I really know none so melodious and harmonical. They gradually rise in strength, and then fall in gentle cadence, becoming at length so low as to be scarcely audible" Uiey are easily reared from the nest, and sing nearly as well in confine- ment as when free. Prince C. L. Bonaparte, in his "Nomenclature of Wilson's North American Ornithology," remarks, that our author was the first to dis- tinguish the three closely allied species of North American thrushes bv decided characters, but that he has nevertheless embroiled the nomen- dature of this and his T. mustelinus .--"This bird being evidently the T. mustehnus of Gmelin and Latham, Wilson's new name, which is not modelled agreeably to any language, must be rejected." The title for our present species, allowing Bonaparte to be correct, and of which there appears little doubt, will therefore now stand, IFood TImish, Wilson ; Tttrdus mustelmus, Gmelin ; and T. melodus will come in as a synonym ; while Wilson's T. mustelmus, being without a name has been most deservedly dedicated to the memory of the "reat Ame- rican ornithologist himself.— Ed. •■D , 24 WOOD THRUSH. This sweet and solitary songster inhabits the whole of North America, from Hudson's Bay to the peninsula of Florida. He arrives in Pennsylvania about the 20th oi April, or soon after, and returns to the south about the be- ginning of October. Tiie lateness or earliness of the season ^eems to make less difference in the times of ai-rival of our birds of passage than is generally imagined. Early in April the woods are often in considerable forwardness, and scarce a summer bird to be seen. On the other hand, vegetation is sometimes no further advanced on the 20th of April, at which lime {e.g., this present year, 1807) numbers of wood thrushes are seen flitting through the moist woody hollows, and a variety of the Motacilla genus chattering from almost every bush, with scarce an expanded leaf to conceal them. But at whatever time the wood thrush may arrive, he soon announces his presence in the woods. With the dawn of the succeeding morning, mounting to the top of some tall tree that rises from u low thick shaded part of the woods, he pipes his few, but clear and musical notes, in a kind of ecstasy ; the prelude or symphony to which strongly resembles the double-tonguing of a Geiman flute, and sometimes the tinkling of a small bell ; the whole song consists of five or six parts, the last note of each of which is in such a tone as to leave the conclusion evi- dently suspended ; the finale is finely managed, and wilh such charming effect as to soothe and tranquillise tiie mind, and to seem sweeter and mellower at each successive repetition. Kival songsters, of the same species, challenge each other from diflferent parts of the wood, seeming to vie for softer tones and more exquisite responses. During the burning heat of the day, they are comparatively nmte ; but in the evening the same melody is renewed, and continued long after sunset. Those wlio visit our woods, or ride out into the country at these hours, during the months of May and June, will be at no loss to recognise, from the above description, this pleasing musician. Even in dark, wet, and gloomy weather, when scarce a single chirp is heard from any other bird, the clear IVOOD THRUSIT. as notes of the wood thrush tliiill through the dropping woods from morning to night ; and it may truly be said, that the sadder the day the sweeter is liis song. The favourite haunts of the wood thrush are low, thick shaded hollows, through which a small brook or lill meanders, overhung with alder bushes, that are mantled with wild vines! Near such a scene he generally builds his nest, in a laurel or alder bush. Outwardly it is composed of withered beech leaves of the preceding year, laid at bottom in considerable quantities, no doubt to prevent damp and moisture from ascending through, being generally built in low, wet situa- tions; above these are layers of knotty stalks of withered grass, mixed with mud, and smoothly plastered, above which is laid a slight lining of fine black fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are four, sometimes five, of a uniform light blue', without any spots. The wood thrush appears always singly or in pairs, and is of a shy, retired, unobtrusive disposition. With the modesty of true merit, he charms you with his song, but is content, and even solicitous, to be concealed. He delights to trace the irregular windings of the brook, where, by the luxuriance of foliage, the sun is completely shut out, or only plavs in a few interrupted beams on the glittering surface of the water. He is also fond of a particular species of lichen which grows in such situations, and which, towards the fall, I have uniformly found in their stomachs : berries, however, of various kinds, are his principal food, as well as beetles and caterpillais. The feathers on the hind head are longer than is usual with birds which have no crest ; these he sometimes erects ; but this particular cannot be observed but on a close examination.* Those who ht.ve paid minute attention to the singincr of birds know well that the voice, energy, and expressio." iu the same tribe, differ as widely as the voices of different indi- * In addition to the above picture of the manners of this thrush, Mr Audubon remarks, that it performs its migrations during the day, glidin- swiftly through the woods, without appearing in the open country" 26 WOOD THRUSH. vitliinls of the human species, or as one singer does from another. The powers of song, in some individuals of the wood thrusli, have often sin-prised and delighted me. Of these I rememher one, many years ago, whose notes I could instantly recognise on entering the woods, and with whom I had heen, as it were, acquainted from his first arrival. The top of a large white oak that overhung part of the glen, was usually the favourite pinnacle from whence he poured the sweetest melody ; to which I had frequently listened till night began 1o gather in the woods, and the fireflies to sparkle among the branches. But, alas 1 in the pathetic language of the poet- One morn I missed him on the accustomed hill, Along the vale, and on his favourite tree — Another came, nor yet beside the rill, \\ Nor up the glen, nor in the wood was he. *' A few days afterwards, passing along the edge of the rocks, I found fragments of the wings and broken feathers of a wood thrush killed by the hawk, which I contemplated with un- feigned regret, and not without a delermination to retaliate on the first of these murderers I could meet with. That I may not seem singular in ray estimation of this bird, I shall subjoin an extract of a letter from a distinguished American gentleman, to whom I had sent some drawings, and whose name, were I at liberty to give it, would do honour to my humble performance, and render any further observations on the subject from me unnecessary. " As you are curious in birds, there is one well worthy your attention, to be found, or rather heard, in every part of Ame- rica, and yet scarcely ever to be seen. It is in all the forests from spring to fall, and never but on the tops of the tallest trees, from which it perpetually serenades us with some of the that, on alighting upon a branch, it gives its tail a few jets, uttering at each motion a low chuckling note, peculiar to itself ; it then stands still for a while, with the feathers of the hind part a little raised. It walks and hops along the branches with much ease, and bends down its head to peep at the objects around. — Ed. IVOOB THRUSH. 27 sweetest notet and as clear as tliose of the nightingnle. I have followed it for miles, without ever but once getting a good view of it. It is of the size and make of the mocking bnd, lightly thrush coloured on the back, and a grayish white on the breasc and belly. Mr , my son-in-law, was in l)osse88ion of one, which had been shot bv a neighbour; he pronounced it a Mmcicapa, and I think ft much resembles the Mouche rolle de la Martinique, 8 Bnftbn, 374, PI. enlum., 568. As it abounds in all the neighbourhood of Philadelphia,' you may, perhaps, by patience and perseverance (of which much will be requisite), get a sight, if not a possession, of it. 1 have, for twenty years, interested the yoimg sportsmen of my neighbourhood to shoot me one, but, as yet,\vithout success." It may seem strange that neither Sloane,* Catesby, Edwards, nor Buflfon, all of whom are said to have described this bird', Hliould say anything of its melody; or rather, assert that it had only a single cry or scream. This I cannot account for in any other way than by 8Ui)posing, what I thirdc highly pro- bable, that this bird has never been figured or described by any of the above authors. Catesby has, indeed, represented a bird which he calls Tardus mimmus,f but it is difficult to discover, either from the figure or description, what particular species is meant ; or whether it be really intended for the wood thrusb we are now describing. It resembles, he says, the English thrush ; but is less, never sings, has only a single note, and abides all the year in Carolina. It must be confessed that, except the first circumstance, there are few features of the wood thrush in tins description. I have searched the woods of Carolina and Georgia m winter for this bird in vain, nor do I believe it ever winters in these States. If Mr Catesby found his bird mute during spring and summer, it was not the wood thnish otherwise he must have changed his very nature. But Mi- Edwards has also described and delineated the little thrush,| * Hist. Jam. ii. 305. f Catesby's Nat. Hist. Car., i. 31. ' J Edwards, 296. I a8 WOOD Til RUSH. and has referred to Catesby as having drawn and engiaved it before. Now this thrush of Edwards I know to be really a different species; one not resident in Pennsylvania, but pass- ing to the north in May, and returning the same way in Octohei-, and may be distinguished from the true song thrush {Turdm melodus) by the spots being much broader, brown, and not descending so far below the breast. It is also an inch shorter, with the cheeks of a bright tawny colour. Mr William Barlram, who transmitted this bird, more than fifty years ago, to Mr Edwards, by whom it was drawn and engraved, examined the two species in my presence ; and on comparing them with the one in Edwards, was satisfied that the bird there figured and described is not the wood thrush (Tunhcs melodus), but the tawny-cheeked species above men- tioned. This I have never seen in Pennsylvania but in spring and lull It is still more solitary than the former, and utters, at rare times, a single cry, similar to that of a chicken which has lost its mother. This very bird I found numerous in the myrtle swamps of Carolina in the depth of winter, and I have not a doubt of its being the same which is described by Edwards and Catesby. As the Count de Buffon has drawn his description from those above mentioned, the same observations apply equally to what he has said on the subject; and the fanciful theory which this writer had formed to account for its want of song, vanishes into empty air ; viz., that the song thrush of Europe (Turdus musicus), had, at some time after the creation, rambled round by the northern ocean, and made its way to America; that, advancing to the south, it had there (of consequence) become degenerated by change of food and climate, so that its cry is now harsh and unpleasant, " as are the cries of all birds that live in wild countries inhabited by savages."* * Buffon, vol. iii. 289. The figure in PI. enl. 398, has little or no resemblance to the wood thrush, beinj? of a deep green olive above, and spotted to the tail below with long streaks of browii. THE ROBm, «9 ROBIN. {Turdus migratoruis.) PmteII.-Fio. 2. Linn SyH i. p. 292 6.-Turdus Ca„ade„«iH, Brm. H. p. 225, 9. -La Litorne do Canada, Buff. „i. p. 307.-Grive de Canada, PL enl. 556, l.-Fie dZ of Carohna. Ca. Car. i. 29.-Red.brea«ted ThruBh, Arct. ZooL ii No iS - Lath. Syn. u. p. 26.-5arfl. is of a dark orange ; belly and vent, white, slightly waved with dusky ash ; legs, dark brown ; claws, black and strong. The colours of tho female are more of the light ash, loss deepened with black ; and the orange on the breast is much paler, and more broadly skirted with white. The name of this bird bespeaks him a bird of passage, as are all the different species of thrushes we have ; but the one we are now describing being more unsettled, and contiimally roving about from one region to another, during fall and winte°, seems particularly entitled to the appellation. Scarce fallen from their stocks, or have been already consumed by these and many other tribes that subsist upon them. Very few are quite solitary : during the breeding season they all separate, but after the broods have been raised, they congregate either in very large flocks or in groups of live or six. Those of smaller numbers generally either become more domestic, and approach dwellings and cultivated districts on the ap- proach of winter, or retire entirely to the depths of solitary forests. Those that congregate in large flocks are always remarkably shy, suffer persons to approach with dilHculty, and have a sentinel or watch on the look out, to warn them of danger. Their cry is harsh and sharp, or shrill and monotonous, except during the season of incubation, when they all produce strains of more interest. Some possess great melody, and in others the notes are remarkably pensive and melancholy. On this account they are universal favourites ; and the early song of the mows is watched for, by those residing much in the country, as the harbinger of a new season and brighter days. The true thrushes are all inhabi- tants of woods, and only from the necessity of procuring food resort to the open countries. In distribution, they range over the world, and the proportion seems pretty equal ; India and Southern Europe may, per- haps, have the most extensive list, and North America will rank in the least proportion. They are often used as articles of food, and the im- mense havoc made among the Northern robins of our author will show the estimation ni which they are held as luxuries for the table ; in Spain and Italy, great numbers are taken for the same purpose, with f THE ROBm. 31 ft Winter passes but innu.nernl.le thousands of them are seen in the ower parts of the whole Athintic States, fVoni New Wumpshire to Carolina, particularly in the neif^^hbourhood of our towns ; and, froin the circumstance of their leaving, durin.' that season, the country to the northwest of the great ran4 of he Alleghany, from Maryland northward, it would appear that they not only migrate from north to south, but from west o oast, to avoid the deep snows that generally prevail on these high regions for at least four months in the year. The robin builds a large nest, often on an apple tree, plas- ters It in the ins.de with mud, and lines it witii hay or fine grass. The female lays five eggs of a beautiful sea-green. Iheir principal food is berries, worms, and caterpillars Of the first, he prefers those of the sour gum {Nysm sylvatica). bo fond are they of gum-berries, that, wherever there is one of these trees covered with fruit, and flocks of robins in the nets and various kinds of snares ; with the severity of the season how- ever and the difference of food, the flesh acquires a'bitter firo^'whid m.ders thenx unfit for culinary purposes, and affords a ten.porary'respite from their merciless persecutions. ^ The m^Menda, M-hich Mr Swainson and several of our modern h s" "S': : " '^'-^^l' "" ""^^ '^ ^^^ «"^^ - ^ -bgenus amon" hi8 lardmum genus," and contained that division to which the black! bird and rin,ousel would belong ; furdus being confined to those wth iTeJTl' ■ ' '1 "'* ^"'^^'^^^ *^^« ^'^y *"«-S difference in ^r between the plain and spotted species to be of sufficient importance an Cgir;er ''' '-'''''' ""'-^ '' ^w..,asonewei[knr:':;;i Jiobin seems to be applied in America generally to several of the 'bfar^r/'^'-^'"' ^""^' '^'^" ^« clesignate\he species by habits, as wood robtn, swamp robin, ground robin, &c. Our present Bpecies IS THK KOBiN ; and, as the preceding was a /avourite 01 ! Zl of Its song this IS no less so from the unassuming and depend ntfam of the breast, winch first suggested the name of our own hoinelv bird to the earlier British settlers, and along with it part of the respe t w U which its namesake is treated in this country. ^ An Afri^can species, Turdus olivaceus (le Griveron, Vieill.) is nearly t,n q^ ^^,^«/'«^ributiou of the markings. I have another I belle l"^ •rom South America, which approaches both nearly.-Ec ' 32 THE ROBIN. nei-hbourlioocl. the sportsman need only take his stond near it. Toad, take aim. and fire ; one flock succeeding ""p^^^^^'' ^J; ^ little interruption, almost the whole day: by this me hod prodigious slaughter has been made among them with li tie fatigue When berries fail, they disperse themselves over the fields, and along the fences, in search of worms and o her insects. Sometimes they will disappear for a week or two, and return again in greater numbers than before; at which time the cities pour out their sportsmen by scores, and the markets are plentifully supplied with them at a cheap rate In January 1807. two young men. in one excursion after them Hhot thirty dozen. In the midst of such devastation, which continued many weeks, and, by accounts, extended from Ma - sachusetts to Maryland, some humane person took advantage of a circumstance common to these birds in winter to stop the general slaughter. The fruit called poke-berries {Fliyio- lacca decandra, Linn.) is a favourite repast with he robm. after they are mellowed by the frost. The juice o the beriies is of a beautiful crimson, and they are eaten in such quantities l,y these birds, that their whole stomachs are strongly tinged with the same red colour. A paragraph appeared m the public papers, intimating that, from the great quantities of hese berries which the robins had fed on. they had become unwhole- some, and even dangerous food, and that several persons had suffered by eating of them. The strange appearance of the bowels of the birds seemed to corroborate this account. 1 he demand for and use of them ceased almost instantly ; and motives of self-preservation produced at once what all the pleadings of humanity could not effect.* When fat they are iri considerable esteem for the table, and probably not inferior * Governor Drayton, in his " View of South Carolina " p. 86, observeB, that "the robins n winter devour the berries of the bead tree (Meka Tdaral) in such large quantities, that, after eating of them they are obsTrv^T 0 fall down, and are readily taken. This xs ascribed more to dten^on from abundant eating, than from any deleterious qualities ot the pllnt." The fact, however, is, that they are literally choked, many of the lierries being too large to be swallowed. THE ROBIN. 33 i to the Tnrd^ of the ancients, which they bestowed so much quently and eas.ly raised, bear the confinement of the cage pal'of t^r ' 'f ^' ^^•' «'■"» "^"' -^''^ ^-- to imitfte Intel T r'' '", ''' 7'"^ ^^^''^""* ^"^ ^^^^••^"I ^«°^e«tic8. In these I have always observed that tlie orange on the breast colom, owing, no donbt, to their food and confinement. 1 he robm ,s one of our earliest songsters ; even in March ^vh.le snow yet dapples the fields, and flocks of them are dis-' LTll I' T" 17 "'" '^'""^ * ^''' ^^ «t^ke of the fence, and make short and frequent attempts at their song.* Earlv nott'w m ' T ""'' '" ^ ''"" ''" P"'^«' ^"^ ^«'-^r their notes with great earnestness, from the top of some tree detached irom tlie woods. mmation of, he notes of the thrush or thrashei- ITurdus ny»); but ,f deficient in point of oKeoution, ha Assesses mo e B,n,phc,iy, and makes up in zeal what he wants in talent ; so that the notes o the robin, in spring, are universally known and as universally beloved. They are, as it were, the prelude thrZl" "■,* "r° "' *' ''""'°" ■"* »»«' "U""™ of the songsters *rt r W tht m' """T'"^ f «'"™« "'^ *'"' ^mediate ; o^ to Dr Richardson, in the "Northern ZooWy" -...ardina tl,/' T.t bird ; and he further adds rec^ardina tkl' v. '° r ^ . ^"^ ''^ *^'' range :-" Its nests were obL'f wThe tt Not^^ "' geographical ducted by Captain Sir J. Frankl . aV "^^^^^^^^^^ "S T"/ Tr' tude. It arrives on the Missouri in lat 4Uo f! I ^ ^ ''^ ^**'- 11th of April • and in tl,P n^' f :. ^ ' '''™ *^^ eastward, on the Severn Rive in Hudso^ Z , f' T'^'"^^^ "movement, reaches pearance at CalnnZi^^, y^ Sprint 'T' ''' '?' ^P" Ariril T., +1,., . •'^ io-i/, in lat. [^3° was on the 22d C 34 THE ROBIN. 10 the "rand general concert that is ahout to burst .,poi> us oill^d. fleUs, and thicket,, whitened -»;";--; ^^ 1 ^\\r.» fr^crmnce By the usual association of ideas, we wS S liU, mofe r.ea.u. ^ this cheerful bird than to many others possessed of far superior powers, and n,ucl> !^.Lr variety Even his nest is held more sacred among SIIL; hln that of some others ; and, while they wiii exu t „ ^unciering a jay's or . cat bird's, a general sentuuent o resiHiCt prevails on the discovery of a robm 8. Whethei he Z:Z some little of this veneration t. f-."""''"?-;;^^ long-established character of his namesake nj Br.ta.n by a like'association of ideas, I will not pretend to -lete.-mme _ He possesses a good deal of hi, suav.ty of »»»»^"' '^'_ *'™^'^ always seeks shelter for his young u. sumn.er and sute'stenc^ („r himself in the extremes of winter, near the habitations of '"The robin inhabits the whole of North America, from Hudson's Bay to Nootka Sound, and as far «,uth .v, Georgu. lou'h they rarely breed on this side the mounUms farther 'i; 2 than VirginL Mr Forster says, that ^J^^ ui..g of May they make their appearance m pairs at the settle • J t ™j till tliP Utli of Juno. Tho SHOW, oven then, par- Xu^e, ^ilS flavour^ ».,on„ after, the parent, o.tam a.ua- "•r »!«™'" '!L''::;r„'rre'Irity wUh V.M* the migration, are S >ir^=Tne*:u;;e;i:r': : or W helWe the varion. aXbundant plants eouU Hewer and perfect their frn,ts.-bD. THE ROBTN. on US 1, and ,s, we [ than much imotig . exult lent o£ ler he m and , by a J. He almost istence ,iou8 of I, from reorgia, farther begiu- 3 settle- len, par- es, abun- , Arbutus, er having le snows, uin abiiu- ations are bles tbeni ir journey e also see and those jrvation of J it not for >nt a more if, and all he various D. 35 he fl^t ^ason, are spotted with white on theO ZZ thatl,^ fi oonflnement of the cage, and never sin^ein know «; n! • TT- '?' ""'*''"S '"■'•'» (^'"■rf'«i>o%to) ."rbe te wir '"'« "'"* '' " '"'"'™"^ dLefticatei; " " "''"''' »i"i confinement, or sin-s in tlmt ,,(,* n«rc.eably than the robin They ..ene: Iv », ff ?"'•' moultino- f.'mo. . «. f. ,. "^ feeneidlly suiter severe y m moul .ng time ; yet often hve to a considerable ac^e A ladv • Phil. Trans. Ixii. 399. + Jownay to a.e NortL™ Ocean, p. 418, «„, Lo„<,. 1795. j6 WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. Not only the plumage of the robin, «8 of many other birdsU ..biect to slight periodical changes of colo,^ b«t even the eg , feet, and'bill ; the latter, in the male bo.ng frequenUy ,„;,;d tipt and ridged for half iU leng h "'«; >'", _" *°^ depth of winter their plumage .« generally be t ; at wh.ch t.me the full-grown bird, in hi8 most i«rfect dress, appears as exhibited in the plate. WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. {S>itta Carolinensis.) Plate II. Fio. 3. , r • ar,\ -R rWj., iii D 596, 4.— Sitta Carolinensia, Peak's Museum, No. 20, 36. SITTA CAROLINENSIS* Sitta crimen™, B-ap. %»... «.-»*. ™too.ei«. Vm. Oal. *. Oi. p. 280, pi. 174. Thb bill of this bird is black, the upper mandible straight, the Twer one rounded upwards towards the point, and wh« the base; the nostrils are covered will, long curvu.g black h,Urs • the tongne is of a horny substance, and endu.g m . The true nuthatchc, Silte (for I w,.ul,l not ado.it «•««''•'« »' hIS. a:d"o™ a,Ue',i ,>.ie., - *e .^^^^.T WUh^S pine cones, as mentioned by our author m las dcBcnption of the red WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. o i several sharp points; the general colour above is of a H^ht blue or lead; the tail consists of twelve feathers, the two middle ones lead colour, the next three are black, tipt with white for one-tenth, one-fourth, and half of an inch ; the two next are also bhick. tipt half an inch or more with white w! .J"" 1 T'^^ T "•''' "P *^^''' ^^^^'•'«'' «^'g^«' "»d both have the white at the tips touched with black ; the lec^s are of a purple or dirty flesh colour ; the hind claw is mucli the argest; the inside of the wing at the bend is black; below this IS a white spot spreading over the roots of the first five primaries; the whole length is five inches and a half; extent eleven. ' Mr Pennant considers this bird as a mere variety of the European nuthatch; but if difference in size, colour, and habits, be sufficient characteristics of a distinct species, this bud 18 certainly entitled to be considered as such. The head and back of the Eu.opean species is of a uniform bluish -lav • the upper parts of the head, neck, and shoulders of ourt, a'.e a deep black glossed with green ; the breast and belly of the former is a dull orange, with streaks of chestnut ; those parts m the latter are pure white. The European has a line of iWhe ZtZ.{ 7' "'"!;^"'^- !' ^^""'•''""' ^'^' *^« ^' ^''™i>- frequent- ing the orchards during the cider season, and picking the seeds from the retuse of the pressed apple.s. In a state of confinem^ent tl.ey w 11 hr ve ^vell upon raw meat or fat, and if taken at a proper age, become x! tremeiy faimhar and amusing ; if not, they will most likely destroy them selves in the. endeavours to get free from confinement' L Son i by the anonymous writer of an interesting account of this b d Loudon's "Magazine of Natural History." fhad lately an n nor univ of observing a nest of our native species which had been tuk ryou" J They became remarkably tame; and, when released fron t ir ca4' would run over their owner in all direction, .,n <.. i u- ! , " ' n 38 WHITE-BREASTED, BLA CK- CAPPED NUTHA TCH. black passing through the eye, half way down the neck; the present species has nothing of the kind, but appears with the inner webs of the three shortest secondaries and the primaries of a jet black ; the latter tipt with wliite, and the vent and lower parts of the thighs of a rust colour: the European, therefore, and the present, are evidently two distinct and dif- ferent species.* This bird builds its nest early in April, in the hole of a tree, in a hollow rail in the fence, and sometimes in the wooden cornice under the eaves ; and lays five eggs of a dull white, spotted with brown at the greater end. The male is extremely attentive to the female while sitting; supplying her regularly with sustenance, stopping frequently at the mouth of the hole, calling and offering her what he has brought, in the most endearing manner. Sometimes he seems to stop merely to inquire how she is, and to lighten the tedious moments with Ills soothing chatter. He seldom rambles far from the spot ; and when danger appears, regardless of his own safety, he flies produce a rather numerous brood. The male attends carefully during the time. According to Montagu, our British apecies chooses the de- serted habitation of some woodpecker. " The hole is first contracted by a plaster of clay, leaving only sufficient room for itself to pass out and in • the nest is made of dead leaves, chiefly those of the oak, which are heaped together without much order. If the barrier of plaster at the entrance is destroyed when they have eggs, it is speedily replaced,-a peculiar instinct to prevent their nest being destroyed by the wood- pecker and other birds of superior size, which build in the same man- ner" Or as Mr Rennie, in his late edition of the same work, thinks probable, the wall maybe to prevent the unfledged young from tum- bling out of the nest when they begin to stir about. It is probable that the nuthatch does not look forward to any of these considerations ; and although the efl-ects above mentioned may be in reality the conse- quence, I should conceive the hole contracted as being really too large, and as increasing the heat and apparent comfort within. When roost- ing, they Bleep with the head and back downwards, in the manner of several titmice. — Ed. . j- i- .. ♦ Wilson is perfectly correct in considering this species as distinct from that of Europe ; he has marked out the distinctions well in the description. It is described by Vieillot as &iiia. meUnocephala.-Ev. W II fi I I WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK'-CAPPED NUTHATCH. instantly to alarm her. When both are feeding on the trunk of IJie same tree, or of adjoining oneq, he is perpetually calling on her; and, from the momentary pause he makes, it is plain that he feels pleased to hear her reply. ^ The white-breasted nuthatch is co.umon almost everywhere in the woods of North America, and may be known, at a dis- tance, by the notes, quank, quanh, frequently repeated, as he moves, upward and down, in spiral circles, around the body and larger branches of the tree, probing behind the thin scaly bark of the white oak, and shelling off considerable pieces of It, m search after spiders, ants, insects, and their larvc^. He rests and roosts with his aead downwards, and appears to possess a degree of cmiosity not common to many birds; fre- quently descending, very silently, within a few feet of the root of the tree where you happen to stand, stopping, head down- ward, stretching out his neck in a horizontal position, as if to reconnoitre your appearance ; and, after several minutes of silent observation, wheeling round, he again mounts, with fresh activity, piping his unisons as before. Strongly attached to his native forests, he seldom forsakes them; and, amidst the rigours of the severest winter weather, his note is still heard in the bleak and leafless woods, and among the howlin.- branches. Sometimes the rain, freezing as it falls, encloses every twig, and even the trunk of the tree, in a hard trans- parent coat or shell of ice. On these occasions I have observed his anxiety and dissatisfaction at being with difficulty able to make his way along the smooth surface; at these times generally abandoning the trees, gleaning about the stables around the house, mixing among the fowls, entering the barn' and examining the beams and rafters, and every place where he may pick up a subsistence. ^ The name nuthatch has been bestowed on this family of birds from their supposed practice of breaking nuts by re- peated hatchings, or hammerings with their bills. Soft-shelled nuts, such as chestnuts, chinkopins, and hazel nuts, they may probably, be able to demolish, though I have never yet seen 40 WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. them 80 engaged ; but it must be rather in search of maggots, that Bometiraes breed there, than for the kernel. It is. how- ever, said, that they lay up a large store of nuts for winter ; but as I have never either found any of their magnzinea, or seen them collecting them, I ain inclined to doubt the fact. From the great numbers I have opened at all seasons of the year, I have every reason to believe that ants, bugs, small seeds, insects, and their larv*, form their chief subsistence, such matters alone being uniformly found in their stomachs. Neither can I see what necessity they could have to circum- ambulate the trunks of trees with such indefatigable and rest- less diligence, while bushels of nuts lay scattered round their roots. As to the circumstance mentioned by Dr Plott, of the European nuthatch " putting its bill into a crack in the bough of a tree, and making such a violent sound as if it was rendmg asunder," this, if true, would be sufficient to distinguish it fiom the species we have been just describing, which possesses no such faculty.* The female differs little from the male in colour, chiefly in the black being less deep on the head and wings. * When the nuthatch cracks or splits nuts, or stones of fruit, it is for the kernels alone ; it is seen, from our various accounts, to be both a seed and grain eater. The very curious manner in which our own nut- hatch splits nuts seems perfectly proved by several observers ; and it is no less curious, that the same place is often resorted to different times in succession, as if it were more fit than another, or required less labour than to seek a new situation. Montagu says, that the most favourite position for breaking a nut is with the head downwards ; and that in autumn it is no uncommon thing to find in the crevices of the bark of an old tree a great many broken nutshells, the work of this bird, who repeatedly returns to the same spot for this purpose : when it has fixed the nut firm in a chink, it turns on all sides to strike It with most advantage ; this, with the common ha/el nut, is the work of some labour ; but it breaks a filbert with ease.— Ed. HED-BELLIED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCIT. 41 RED-BELLIED. BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. {Sitta varia.) Plate II.— Fio. 4. Sitta varia, Bart. p. 289. -Sitta Canadensis, r«rto».-Sm«ll Nuthatch. Lath, i, 651. SITTA CANADENSIS.-LiayjEvs. Sitta Canadensis, Bonap. Symp. p. 90. This bird is much smaller than the h.st, measurincr only four inches and a half in length, and eight inches in extent. Li the form of its bill, tongue, nostrils, and in the colour of the back and tail-feathers, it exactly agrees with the former ; the secondaries are not relieved with the deep black of the other 8i)ecie8; and the legs, feet, and claws are of a dusky greer.ish yellow; the upper part of the head is black, bounded by a stripe of white passing round the frontlet ; a line of black passes through the eye to the shoulder; below this is another luie of white ; the chin is white ; the other under parts a licrht rust colour, the primaries and whole wings a dusky lead colo°ir The breast and belly of the female r e not of so deep a brown and the top of the head is less intensely black. ' This species is migratory, passing from the north, where they breed, to the southern States, in October, and returnin- in Aprd. Its voice is sharper, and its motions much quicker than those of the other, being so rapid, restless, and small, as to make it a difficult point to shoot one of them. When the two species are in the woods together, they are easily distin- guished by their voices, the note of the least being nearly an octave sharper than that of its companion, and repeated more hurriedly. In other respects, their notes are alike unmusical and monotonous. Approaching so near to each other in their colours and general habits, it is probable that their mode of buddmg, &c., may be also similar. Buffon's Torchepot dc la Caruxda (Canada nuthatch of other European writers) is either a young bird of the present species, ^a RED-BELLIED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. in its imperfect pluraa^e, or a different sort, that rarely visits tiie United States. If tiie figure (PI. et.l. 623) be correctly coloured, it must bo the latter, as the tail and head appear ot the same bluish grey or lead colour as the back. The young birds of this species, it may be observed, have also the crown of a lead colour during the first season ; but the tail-feathers are marked nearly as those of the old ones. Want of precision in the figures and descriptions of these authors makes it diffi- cult to determine ; but I thlidc it very probable that SiiUi Jamaiceiisis minor, Briss., the least loggerhead of Brown, SUta Janiaicensis var. t. st, Linn , and Sitta Canadensis of Linn^us, Gmelin, and Brisson, are names that have been ori- ginally api)lied to different individuals of the species we ar now describing. . t' This bird is particularly fond of the seeds of pme trees. You may traverse many thousand acres of oak, hickory, and chestnut woods, during winter, without meeting with a single individual ; but no sooner do you enter among the i)ines than, if the air be still, you have only to listen for a few moments, and their note will direct you where to find them. They usually feed in pairs, climbing about in all directions, generally accompanied by the former species, as well as by the titmouse, Parus airicapillus, and the crested titmouse. Farus hicolor, and not unfrequently by the small spotted woodpecker, Picus pubescens; the whole company proceeding regularly from tree to tree through the woods like a corps of pioneers ; while, in a calm day, the rattling of their bills, and the rapid motions of their bodies, thrown, like so many tumblers and rope dancers, into numberless positions, together with the peculiar chatter of each, are altogether very amusing; conveying the idea of hungry diligence, bustle, and activity.* Both these * It is curious to remark the similarity, as it were, in the feeling and disposition of some species. In this country, during winter, when the different kinds have laid aside those ties which connected tliem by sexual intercourse, nothing is more common than to see a whole troop of the blue, marsh, cole, and long-tailed titmice, accompanied with a host of golden-crested wrens, and perhaps a soliUry creeper, proceed in the AV^m-v./ K * "-'""■ .Jlm^.V-^W"" /I.-,/ J- .*»'•■""■'' J hli" I' "" Metacltla Suitu. 5. GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. .- little blr(l«, from tlie ^nent quantity of defitructive insPcts and arvcD they dcKtroy, both under the bark and among the tender buds of our fruit and forest treeH, are entitled to, and truly deKcrviDg of, our esteem and protection. GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. {Picus uuratm) I'LATK III.— Fia. 1. ^ ^t^^^fl^ ^T"' ,^"f "' ""■ ^^- '''' *"'• 693-Picu, anratu., Linn. u. m.-Bartram, p. 28 ' "'•'■•" 44 GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. E! tlio mere pleasure of destruction, and perhaps for the flavoni^ of his flesli, which is in general esteem. In the State of Penn- sylvania, he can scarcely be called a bird of passage, as, even in severe winters, they may be found within a few miles of the city of Pliiladelphia; and i have known them exposed for sale in market every week during the months of November, December, and January, and that, too, in more than commonly rigorous weather. They no doubt, however partially, migrate even here, being much more numerous in sining and fall than m winter. Early in the month of April they begin to prepare tiieir nest, which is built in the hollow body or branch of a tree, sometimes, though not always, at a considerable height fiom the ground ; for I have frequently known them fix ou tlie trunk of an old apple tree, at not more than six feet from the root. The sagacity of this bird in discovering, under a sound bark, a hollow limb or trunk of a tree, and its perse- verance in perforating it for the purpose of incubation, are and feed a threat .leal upon the ground ; they seem also to possess more of the activity of the nuthatch and titmice than the regular climh ot the typical woodpeckers. The golden-winged woodpecker is known to feed a great deal upon ants, seeking them about the hills, and, according to m" Audubon, also picks up grains and seed from the ground. In a Brazilian species, 7'tcH.s campcstris of Spix and Martins, we have analo- gous habits ; and, as the name implies, it is often seen upon the groun 1, frequenting the ordure of cattle, and turning it over in search of insects ; or in the neiglibourhood of anthills, where they find an abundant and very favourite food. We find also thc^ general development of form joined to liabit in the typical form of another group, the common green and grey-headed woodpeckers of Europe, which feed much on ants, and of course seek them on the ground. M. Lesson, in his " Manual d'Ornithologie," has given it the title of Cucupicus, making the African species typical. He of course was not aware of its having been previously characterised ; and in that of Ame- rica, all the fonns are more clearly developed. The C. Mexicanus, mentioned before, was met with in the last over- land expedition, aiul will form an addition to the North American species ; it was killed by Mr David Douglas to the westward of the Kocky Mountains. The more common country is Mexico, whence it extends along the shores of the PaciPc some distance northward of the Columbia lliver, and to New California.— Ed. GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. 45 truly surprising; the male and female alternatelv relievincr and encouraging each other, by mutual caresses] renewit,^ then- labours for several days, till the object is attained, and the place rendered sufficiently capacious, convenient, and secure. At this employment they are so extremely intent that they n.ay be heard till a very late hour in the eveni.ig' thumi)uig like carpenters. I have seen an instance where they had dug first five inches straight forward, and then downward more than twice that distance, through a solid black oak. They carry in no materials for their nest, the soft chips and dust of the wood serving for this purpose. The female lays six white eggs, almost transparent, very thick at the greater end, and tapering suddenly to the other. The young early leave the nest, and, climbing to the higher branches, are there fed by their parents. The food of this bird varies with the season. As the com- mon cherries, bird cherries, and berries of the sour gum succes- sively ripen, he regales plentifully on them, particularly on the latter; but the chief food of this species, or that which is most usually found in his stomach, is wood lice, and the young and larvffi of ants, of which he is so immoderately fond, tha't I have frequently found his stomach distended with a mass of these, and these only, as large nearly as a plumb. For the procuring of these insects, nature has remarkably fitted him: the bills of woodpeckers, ii> general are straight, grooved, or channelled, wedge-shaped, and compressed to a thin edge' at the end, that they may the easier penetrate the hardest w'lwd ; that of the gold-winged woodpecker is long, slightly bent' ridged only on the top, and tapering almost 'to a point, vet still retaining a little of the wedge form there. Both, hoV ever, are admirably adapted for the peculiar manner each has of procuring its food. The former, like a powerful wedge, to penetrate the dead and decaying branches, after worm^ and insects; the latter, like a long and sharp pickaxe, to dig up the hillocks of pismires that irdiabit old stumps in prodijjious multitudes. These beneficial services would entitle him to 46 GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. some regard from the husbandman, were he not accused, and perhaps^not without just cause, of being too partial to the Indian-corn when in that state which is usually called roasir ing-ears. His visits are indeed rather frequent about this time ; and the farmer, suspecting what is going on, steals thro-igh among the rows with his gun, bent on vengeance, and forgetful of the benevolent sentiment of the poet, that Just as wide of justice he must fall, Who thinks all luatle for one, not one for all. But farmers, in general, are not much versed in poetry, and pretty well acquainted with the value of corn, from the hard labour requisite in raising it. In rambling through the woods one day, I happened to shoot one of these birds, and wounded him slightly in the wing. Finding him in full feather, and seemingly but little hurt, I took him home, and put him into a large cage, made of willows, intending to keep him in my own room, that we might become better acquainted. As soon as he found him- self inclosed on all sides, he lost no time in idle fluttering, but, throwing himself against the bars of the cage, began instantly to demoUsh the willows, battering them with great vehemence, and uttering a loud piteous kind of cackling, similar to that of a hen wheirshe is alarmed and takes to wing. Poor Baron Trenck never laboured with more eager diligence at the walls of his prison than this son of the forest in his exertions for liberty ; and he exercised his powerful bill with such force, digging into the sticks, seizing and shaking them so from side to^skle^that he soon opened for himself a passage ; and, though I repeatedly repaired the breach, and barricaded every open- ing, in the best manner I could, yet, on my return into the rooin, I always found him at large, climbing up the chairs, or running about the floor, where, from the dexterity of hia motions, moving backward, forward, and sidewise, with the same facility, it became difficult to get hold of him again. Having placed him in a strong wire cage, he seemed to give up alfhopes of making his escape, and soon became very GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. 4/ tame; fed on young ears of Indian-corn, refused apples, but TJ^ bernes of the sour gum greedily, small winter grapes. and several other ku.ds of berries ; exercised himself f requenti; in chmbmg. or rather hopping perpendicularly along the sides ot the cage; and, as evening drew on, fixed bimself in a hio-h hanging or perpendicular position, and slept with his head n us wH.g As soon as dawn appeared, even before it was l.ght enough to perceive him distinctly across the room, he descended to the bottom of the cage, and began his attack on tlie ears of Indian-corn, rapping so loud as to be heard from every room m the house. After this, he would sometimes •esimie h.s former position, and take another nap. He was begmmng to become very amusing, and even sociable, when after a lapse of several weeks, he became drooping, and died' as I conceived, from the effects of his wound.* * Mr Audubon eays they live well in confinement. "The c^olden wxngec woodpecker never suffers its naturally lively spirit tolroop It feeds well ; and by way of amusement will continue to destroy as much furniture in a day as can well be mended by a different kind of workman in a week." The same gentleman, whfn speaSng of tte r flight, again adds, that it is more " strong and prolonged, bein<. Lrformed in a straighter manner, than any other of our Woodpeckers TW prope themselves by numerous beats of the wings, with shor ntervS of sailing, during which they scarcely fall from the horiZtal wS passing irom one tree to another, they also fly in a straigh line untU within a few yards of the spot on which thev intend to Ji 2 T b I :f r !' t ? *'7^^^^'^ ^ '^^ ^-^' and fl^n themsd ; s 'tl th^ bark of the trunk by their claws and tail Tl,n^„ • ^''^'^^^ "^o ine l.r.al (as many renLn even^ti:^^^ d!^; • tS^'S^^^S whi tr'^' "f r'"™"'' ""'''' "'S^'*' ^' '^ '^^ by their^notearrthe ^histling of their wings, which are heard from the ground ' Of its n oveiuen he also speaks : " It easily moves sidewise on a small branch keeping itself as erect as other birds usuallv do • bnt u-ltTT i ' does it climb by leaps along the trunkf of ^e. ^ h ^ nehT descend, and move sidewise or spirally, keeping at all tim s Shead upwards, and its tail pressed against the bark" as\ suppor "' ^ 1 have thus at length transcribed Mr Audubon's minrw a , m bet er observed when compared with tliose we have yet to des ribe Ihere xs another peculiarity in these birds, and sLe oSa of the g OOLD.WINGED WOODPECKER. Some European naturalists (and, among the rest, Linnsens himself, in his tenth edition of Systema Naturce) have classed this bird with the genus Guculus, or cuckoo, mforming then- readers that it Fssesses many of the habits of the cnckoo ; that it is almost always on the ground ; is never seen to climb trees like the other woodpeckers, and that its bill is altogether unlike theirs; everyone of which assertions, I must say, is incorrect, and could have only proceeded from an entue un- acquaintance with the manners of the bird. Except m the article of the bill-and that, as has been before observed, is Btill a little wedge-formed at the point-it differs in no one genuB xne.tione.U>yMr Audubon, which does not -e- t« have been noticed before, though I am not sure that it is confined to the Picv only. Tnltofo^Vsand^iper^^^^^^ haronhe adult fenlale in the nuptial dress ; and, in those which have black breasts, an occasional tinge of that colour may be traced. A great portu oft ese also receive at least a part of the winter dress during ^TZi year. What I have alluded to is as follows, and it may be wel that it s attended to in the description of the difterent species of wood- feck rs Mr Audui^on, however, uses the word ^^freciuently; as if it Tre no; a constant appearance in the young :-" In this species, as in a Tw others, there is a singular arrangement in the co ouring of the 5 lers of the upper part of the head, which I conceive it necessary for ^fo state that it m^v enable persons better qualified than myself to Tecide as to the reason^ of such arrangement. The young of this species Sently have the whole upper part of the head tinged with red hich at the approach of winter disappears, when merely a circuar n t; that colour is to bo observed on the hind part, becoming o a rich silky vermilion tint. The hairy, downy, and red-cockaded wood- pecke are subject to the same extraordinary changes, which, as ar as I know never reappear at any future period of their lives. I was at first of oZion that thfs change appeared only on the head of the ma e b rds but on dissection, I found it equally affecting both sexes. I am birds , Dut on , jg,^^.g of this, many young wood- ;: S of c^ffere t spels have bl described and figured as fornnng ^.;«nPcLs themselves I have shot dozens of young woodpeckers sons were thought by them to be of different species from what the iLrtivil were This occurrence is the more worthy ot notice as ute^S iHil the species of this genus on the heads of which, when in full plumage, a very narrow hue exists. -±.d. ( GOLD-WINGED WOODPECk'ER. cove,e,i w,tl, tuf s of recumbent liairs, or email feathers • its tongne ,« ,.„™d, w„rm.,|,aped, flattened towards t " 't n fl stance. The os hyoidee, or internal parts of the ton.'ne esemUmg whalebone, d,nd,.d into two branches, eacl, the tnckne^, of a knitting-needle, that pass, one on e^ch s le of along IJ e sknll ,n a groove, covered with a thin membrane or sheath, descend into the «p,«r mandible bv the ri," t side of the nght nostril, and reach to within half an incho he pomt of the bill, to which they are attached by anothe.- ex! remely elastic membrane, that yields ,vhen the ton- ,e I thrown out, and contracts as it is retracted. In the"other woodpeckers we behold the same apparatus, dift'ering a little ■n different species. In some, these cartilaginous s.rbstances the nostril ; and ,n one species they are wound round the bone left !■ '■? '''"• ,"* •"■"J""" ™»''''!^™l''y -nore than the lett lor its accommodation. The tongue of the gold-winged woodpecker, like the others ■s also supplied with a viscid fluid, sireted by tJo gl nd^ hat he under the ear on each side, and are at least five ime -ger i„ this species than in any other of its size ; wi h ", s the tongue is continually moistened, so that eveo' small in c .t touches instantly adheres to it. The tail, in its Ir nA and pointedness, as well as the feet and claw , prove t at the bud was designed for climbing; and in fact I havl ca cdv ever seen it on a tree five minutes at a time without cliubr'- Lopping not only upward and downward, but spirally r^^v- «"mg and playing with its fellow in this manner rid e boily „t t e tree. I have also seen them a hiin.lred m a : ' ; ™ iLT"' f "", '"^; "'""«'■ ''^y ™- '-I'-™ VOL. . "' ' •"" """ ""■y <="'»''. «»"«tn,ct like ( r! / 50 GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. nests, lay the same number and the like coloured eggs, and have'the manners and habits of the woodpeckers, is notorious to every American naturalist ; while neither in the form of their body, nor any other part, except in the bill being some- what bent, and the toes placed two before and two behmd, have they the smallest resemblance whatever to the cuckoo, ^ It may not be improper, however, to observe, that there is another species of woodpecker, called also gold-winged,* which inhabits the country near the Cape of Good Hope, and re- sembles the present, it is said, almost exactly in the colour and form of its bill, and in the tint and markings of its plumage, with this difference, that the mustaches are red, instead of black, an.l the lower side of the wings, as well as their shafts, are also red, where the other is golden yellow. It is also considerably less. With respect to the habits of this new species, we have no particular account ; but there is little doubt that they will be found to correspond with the one we are now describing. The abject and degraded character which the Count de Buffon, with equal eloquence and absurdity, has drawn of the whole tribe of woodpeckers, belongs not to the elegant and sprightly bird now before us. How far it is applicable to any of them will be examined hereafter. He is not " constrained to drag out an insipid existence in boring the bark and hard fibres of trees to extract his prey," for he frequently finds in the loose mouldering ruins of an old stump (the capital of a nation of pismires) more than is sufficient for the wants of a whole week. Re cannot be said to " lead a mean and gloomy life, without an intermission of labour," who usually feasts by the first peep of dawn, and spends the early and sweetest hours of morning on the highest peaks of the tallest trees, calling on his mate or companions ; or pursuing and gambol- ling with them round the larger limbs and body of the tree for hours together ; for such are really his habits. Can it be said, that " necessity never grants an interval of sound repose" • - , • PicuB csiior, Turton's Liim. k 4 COLDIVINCBD WOODPECKER. to that b,.d who, wl,ile other tribes a™ exposed to all fl,« pelt.«gs of the midnight st„™, lodges dry aTself i„ ' 8«ug chamber of his own constructing? or tilt " he „ar row crcumference of a tree circ.mscribes /.• d„,I IZi We, who as seasons and inclination inspire, roams fomth„ e.ts P 'o'"- '-f """• T""' ™ "''' '•'u;da„ce o" occasionally preferring ,o animal fl^ t"' c ^m il'^^ turn to il .'.T'r'' ^'""' ""' '•'^ "=«'»' ? Let tlfe reade tu.n to the faithful representation of him given in the ..laT, and say whether his looks be "sad aud mdancloly" ' tt escape the lips or pen of one so able to do justice to th„ r« spec ive merits of every species ; hut BuiTo d to^ o e "," favourite theory to prop up, that led him insensibly astr"v r. ol 3' e t "'"n '"""''^ •'' """"'-"^-^ '»- S; deal 1 1'„ ^""''"''' '° '""^fy "'" '»?"':<' of a whim- o-Stt T::';''' """ '^'^^ " """ '"^ '-" ">'" «>«-v -, and «entd Ititl' d^rea^lf ^ Vr -'T^ brown legs- another a yell w neck + a hid f 'T", ""J bi". a cuckoo ; t and, in I Engli"A;l , ^i tt!^ with black and green: cheeks ,,, „ ' r '^•-S'""' ^nped walks on foot, &c Th^ ptes of n !' ","• """'"• "'''" Bcmhle a faithful mir" i 1 „h " - ," - '""""■^ ^''™'''' - -images Of the living :.^:ln;rrvSS: * See Encyc. Brit. art. Picus + t ^i § P. griseo nigroque transve;aim strial^!^;,,,, \ '''''^^ 8candit.-Iud. Orn., vol. i. p. 242. arborum nou u t C2 GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. this department of them too often like the hazy and rough medium of wretched window-glass, through wljose crooked protuherances everything appears so strangely distorted, that one scarcely knows their most intimate neighhours and ac- quaintances. The gold-winged woodpecker has the back and wings above of a dark umber, transversely marked with equidistant streaks of black ; ui)per part of the head an iron-gray : cheeks and parts surrounding the eyes, a fine cirmamon colour : from the lower mandible a strip of black, an inch in length, passes down each side of the throat, and a lunated spot, of a vivid blood red, covers the hind head, its two points reaching within half an inch of each eye; the sides of the neck, below this, incline to a bluish gray; throat and chin, a very light cinna- mon or fawn colour ; the breast is ornamented with a broad crescent of deep black ; the belly and vent, white, tinged with vellow, and scattered with innumerable round spots of black, every feather having a distinct central spot, those on the thighs and vent being heart-shaped and largest ; the lower or inner side of the wing and tail, shafts of all the larger feathers, and indeed of almost every feather, are of a beautiful golden yellow ; that on the shafts of the primaries being very distin- guishable, even when the wings are shut ; the rump is white, and remarkably prominent ; the tail-coverts white, and curi- ously serrated with black ; upper side of the tail, and the tip below, black, edged with light loose filaments of a cream colour, the two exterior feathers, serrated with whitish; shafts, black towards the tips, the two middle ones, nearly wholly so ; bill, an inch and a half long, of a dusky horn colour, some- what bent, ridged only on the top, tapering, but not to a point, that being a little wedge-formed ; legs and feet, light blue ; iris of the eye, hazel ; length, twelve iiiclies ; extent, twenty. The female differs from the male chiefly in the greater ob- scurity of the fine colours, and in wanting the black mustaches on each side of the throat. This description, as well as the drawing, was taken from a very beautiful and perfect specimen. rough rooked d, that nd ac- I above streaks ka and om the passes a vivid within )w this, cinna- L broad ed with r black, 3 tbigljs ir inner eatbers, [ golden r distin- 8 wbite, nd curi- 1 the tip I cream ; shafts, lioUy so ; ir, sonie- ) a point, lit blue ; , twenty, eater ob- instachea II as the pec i men. BLACK-THKOATED BUNTING. Though this species, generally speaking, is migratory, yet they often remain w.th us in Pennsylvania during the whole from Hndsons Bay to Georgia; and have been fo.md b^ voyagers on the northwest coast of America. They arrive at Hudson s Bay m April, and leave it in September. Mr Hearne, however, informs us, that "the gold-winged wood- peckei-is almost the only species of woodpecker that winters near Hudson s Bay." The natives there call it Ou-tUe- quan-nor-ow, from the golden colour of the shafts and lower side of the wings. It has numerous provincial appellations in the different States of the Union, such as "High-hole " from the situation of its nest, and "Hittock," " Yucker" "'piut " ''Flicker." by which last it is usually known in Pennsylvania 1 hese names have probably originated from a fancied resem- blance of Its notes to the sound of the words; for one of its most common cries consists of two notes, or syllables, fre- quently repeated, which, by the help of the hearer's ima^^ina- tion, may easily be made to resemble any or all of them BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. {Emher Americana.) iza PLATE III.— Fig. 2. Culandra P-ten«s.Jthe Maj-bird ^a,.ra.. p. 291.-Peal,s Museum. No. 5952. ^>a. jiool. ^^8.— Embenza Americana, Ind. Orn, p. 44. EMBERIZA AMERICANA.-JAmmH* Frjngilla Americana, Bonap. Synop. 107. Of this bird I have but little to say. They arrive in Penn- sylvania from the south about the middle of May ; abound • America has no birds perfectly typical with the Emheriz^ of Europe • the group appears to assume two forms, under modificatiom tL. 7^' make, ot E. schanicuhis. To the former will be allied onr nro^.^V 54 BLACK- THRO A TED BUNTING. in the neighbourhood of Philadelpliia, and seetn to prefer level fields covered with rye-grass, tiniothy, or clever, where they btiild their nest, fixing it in the ground, and forming it of fine dried grass. The femjue lay;; iK. white eggs, sprinkled with specks and lines of h!.)« k. T"i - most part of their genus, they are nowihe celebrated for musical powers. Their whole song consists of five notes, or, more properly, of two notes ; the first repented twice, and slowly, the second Uirice, and rapidly, resembling c/t/p, c/t//?, che die che. Of this Ieasin.r to behohl h,s courtship, his solicitude to please and to seen rl^ the hivour of Jus beloved female. He uses the tenderest ex- pves«u,Ms. s.ts c ose by her. caresses and sings to her his n.ost endear,ng warbhngs When seated together, if he espies an nsect dehcous to her taste, he takes it np, flies ^ ith it to her. spreads h.s wing over her. and puts it in her mouth." - if a rival makes his appearance.-for they are ardent in their loyes,--he qu.ts her in a moment, attacks and pursues the intruder as he shifts from place to place, in tones that bespeak ^lie jealousy of his affection, conducts him with many reproofs %c>nd the extremities of his territory, and returns to warble out his transports of triumph beside his beloved mate The prelmi.na.ies beh.g thus settled, and the spot fixed on. thev begm to clean out the old nest and the rubbish of the former yea.-, and to p.epa.e for the reception of their futu.e offspri.... boon after this, another sociable little pilg.i.u {MotaciUa domesUca, house wren) also arrives f.om the south, and fitulmg s.ich a sung berth p.eocc.pied, shows his spite, by' watching a co.ivenient opport.mity, a..d, in the absence of the owne.-, popp.ng in and pulling o,.t sticks; but takes special caie to make off as fast as possible. The femde lays five, and sometimes six eggs, of a pale blue colon,- ; and .aises two. and sometimes th.ee b.oods iu a season; the male taking the youngest under his particular ca.ewh.le the female is again sitting. Their p.incipal food are msec s, part.cula.ly la.ge beetles, and othe.s of the cole- opte.ous k...ds that lu.k a...ong old. dead, and decaying t.-ees Si..de.s a.;e also a favourite repast with the,... In the fall they occas.onally regale themselves on the be.-ries of the soui- gum, and as winter app.-oacl.es, on those of the red cedar iast to the t.u..k8 of trees. Eipe persimmons is another of Letter fro.a Mr William Bartraiu to the author. 58 BLUE BIRD. their favourite dishes, and many other fruits and seeds which I have found in their stomaclis at that season, which, heing no botanist, I am unable to particularise. They are frequently pestered with a species of tape-worm, some of wliich I have taken from their intestines of an extraordinary size, and, in some cases, in great numbers. Mc3t other birds are also plagued with these vermin, but the blue bird seems more subject to them than any I know, except the woodcock. An account of the different species of vermin, many of which, I doubt not, are nondescripts, that infest the plumage and intes- tines of our birds, would of itself form an interesting publica- tion ; but, as this belongs more propeiiy to the entomologist, I shall only, in the course of this work, take notice of some of the most remarkable ; and occasionally represent them on the same plate with those birds upon which they are usually found. Tiie usual spring and summer song of the blue bird is a soft, agreeable, and oft-repeated warble, uttered with open quivering wings, and is extremely pleasing. In his motions and general character, he has great resemblance to the robin redbreast of Britain ; and, had he the brown olive of that bird, instead of his own blue, could scarcely be distinguished from him. Like him, he is known to almost every child ; and shows as much confidence in man by associating with him in summer, as the other by his familiarity in winter. He is also of a mild and peaceful disposition, seldom fighting or quarrel- ling with other birds. His society is courted by the inhabi- tants of the country, and few farmers neglect to provide for him, in some suitable place, a snug little summer-house, ready fitted and rent free. For this he more than sufficiently repays them by the cheerfulness of hia song, and the multitude of injurious insects which he daily destroys. Towards fall, that is, in the month of Ootobei', hi * song changes to a single ])lain- tive note, as he passes over the yellow many- coloured woods ; and its melancholy air recalls to our minds the approaching decay of the face of nature. Even after the trees are stript of \{ BLUE BIRD. 59 iheir leaves, he still lingers over his native fields, as ifloth to leave the.n. About the middle or end of November few or none of them are seen ; but, with every return of m'ild and open weather, we hear his plaintive note amidst the fields or m the an-, seeming to deplore the devastations of winter indeed, he appears scarcely ever totally to forsake ns; but to follow fan- weather through all its journeyings till the return of spnng. Such are the mild and pleasing manners of the blue bird and so universally is he esteemed, that I have often re )en weutlier. On the other hand, I have myself found them r iimerous in the woods of North and South Carolina, in the ( epth of v'inter ; and I have also been assured by dilferent J entlemen of respectability, who have resided in the islands \ f Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas and Bermudas, that this • I speak of the species here generally. Solitary individuals are ,und, particularly among our cedar trees, sometimes in the very depth I f wmter. m BlUE BIRD. 63 very b,rd ,s common there in winter. We also Bnd, from the works of Hernandez Pi™, and others, that it is well k„„w„ ;,! Mexico, Gumna, and Bra.il ; and, if so, the place of its winter retreat ,s eas.Iy ascertained, withont having reoonrse to all the trnmpery of holes and caverns, torpidity, hybernation, and such ridiculous improhahilities. Nothing is more common in Pennsylvania than to see 'ar^e heights m the a, r; from the south in the former, and from the north m the latter season. I have seen, in tl,; montl S October, about an hour after sunrise, ten or fifteen of them descend from a great height, and settle on the top of a taU detached tree, appearing, from their silence and sedaUiness to be strangers, and fatigued. After a pause of a few mim te they began to drees and arrange their plumage, and continued 80 eniployed for ten or fifteen minutes more° then, on a few warning notes being given, perhaps by the leader of the party for the soulhwest. In passing along the chain of the Bahama, owards the West Indies, no great difficulty can occur, f n the requency of these islands; nor even to the Bermudas which are said io be six hundred miles from the nearest pari of the continen . This may seem an extraordinary flight fo ^o small a bud; but it is, nevertheless, a fact thalit is p«.' formed. If „e suppose the blue bird iu this case to fly ol at the rate of a mile per minute, which is less than I have actually ascertained him to do over land, ten or eleven hou,! -ould be sufficient to accomplish the journey ; bes V te chaiiees he would have of resting-places by the ^ay f 0 , I e miinber of vessels that generally navigate those seas Ilk! manner, wo days at most, aHMving f„i „„,erous stn.es for rest, would conduct him from the remotest regions of Sle joo 01 th,it pait of the coi.t»„>;it and its adjacent isles is hetli- know.,, and the periods at which its hii 1 ^Z^X^^^, and depart are truly ascertained, . have no doubt btTle suppositions will be fully corroborated. h ^4 ORCHARD ORIOLE. OKCHARD ORIOLE. {Odolus mulatm) PLATE IV. Icier.. .p„ri„., b™„. Sj„„,. p. 5, _j^^ „,^^^_.^ ^^.^^^^ ^___^ . ^_^ ^^ ^^^^ Theke are no circumstances, relating to birds, wliicli tend so n.ncl, to render their history obscure and ,« plexing a" tie vanous changes of colour which many of tin, tZn^ Ihese changes are in some cases periodical; in othe,-s IC gress,ve ; and are frequently so extraordinary that, u.delTe na „ra hst has res.ded for years in the country which the hi ...hab,t, and has examined them at almost every season, he is extremely hable to be mistaken and imposed on by their nov appearance. Numerous instances of this kind mi.d.t be cited f«,m the pages of European writers, in which the°« n e W as been descnbed two, three, and even four different times by the same person, and each time as a different kin,l The speces we are now about to examine is a remarkable example of tins; and as ,t has never, to my knowledge, been either accurately figured or described, I have devoted one plate to the elucidation of its history. ' The Count de Bulfon, in introducing what he supposed to he the male o this bird, but which appear, evidentlv to „ " l«n the female of the baltimore oriole, make, the lollo ™ «I.rva,o„s, which I gi^,e in the words of his translator".:! I his bird IS so called (spurious baltimore), because the clours of ,t. plumage are not so lively as ii/lhe ,ZZ (iJatomor. 0.) In fact, when we compare these birds and find an exact corres,K,ndence in everything except the co lorn. «n,l not even in the .listribution of tliesc^but o ly , " ^ ferent tin s they assume, we cannot hesitate to infer that 1 e spurious haltunore is a variety of a more geneio , race iatua.) 49.— Le Baltimore I, Omelin, Syst. i. ). 290. ud. i. 221, pi. xlii. v/hich tend so >Iexirig, as the iera undergo, n others pro- lat, unless the licli the birds season, he is )y their novel light be c^*jed le same bird ferent times, ' Ifind. The ible example been either one plate to supposed to ntly to have le foljowinjr raiislator : — becanse the e pi'eceding 5 birds, and the coloui-s, in the dif- rer that the sroiis race, Oriohif fpurnt^; Onward Onoie i. i-cmaU ■> „„ , -' u / .- ^ '^""' ..^. ...... „..^.. --• *.--r^;r:.;vrf s*;;r«x*^r' KnanrfAi i\ H'-il:. I A I t ORCH/}RD ORIOLE. I «s degenerated by the influence of climate, or some other acci- dental cause. How the influence of climate could affect one portion of a speces and not the other, when both reside ia the same chma e. and feed nearly on the same food, or what acci- dental cause could produce a difference so striking, and also 80 regular, as exists between the two, are, I confess, matters beyond my comprehension. But if it be recollected that the bn-d which the Count was thus philosophising upon was nothing more than the female Baltimore oriole, which exactly corresponds to the description of his male bastard baltimore the difficulties at once vanish, and with them the whole super- structure of theory founded on this mistake. Dr Latham also while he confesses the great confusion and uncertainty that prevail between the true and bastard baltimore and their females, considers it highly probable that the whole Av.Il be found to belong to one and the same species, in their different changes of colour. In this conjecture, however, the worthy naturalist has likewise been mistaken; and I shall endeavour to point out the fact, as well as the source of this mistake. And here I cannot but take notice of the name which naturalists have bestowed on this bird, and which is certainlv remarkable Specific names, to be perfect, ought to express some peculiarity common to no other of the genus, and should at least, be consistent with truth; but, in the case now before us, the name has no one merit of the former nor even that of the latter to recommend it, and ought henceforth to be rejected as highly improper, and calculated, like that of c,oat8ucker,^r.,\ many others equally ridiculous, to perpetuate that error from which it originated. The word Ltard among men, has its determinate meaning; but when applied to a whole species of birds, perfectly distinct from any other, originally der.vmg their peculiarities of form, manners, colour &c from the common source of all created beings, and per- pet^ia^irig them, by the usual laws of generation, as unmixed E 66 ORCHARD ORIOLE. I and independent as any other, is, to call it by no worse name, a gross absurdity. Should the reader be displeased at this, I be"- leave to remind him, that, as the faithful historian of our feathered tribes, I must be allowed the liberty of vindicating them from every misrepresentation whatever, whether origi- nating in ignorance or prejudice; and of allotting to each respective species, as far as I can distinguish, that rank and place in the great order of natiue to which it is entitled. To convince the foreigner (for Americans have no doubt on the subject) that the present is a distinct species from the baltimore, it might be sufficient to refer to the figure of the latter in Plate I., and to fig. 4., Plate IV., of this work. I will, however, add, that I conclude this bird to be specifically different from the baltimore, from the following circum- stances: its size— it is less, and more slender; its colours, which are different, and very differently disposed ; the form of its bill, which is sharper pointed and more bent ; the form of its tail, which is not even, but icedged ; its notes, which are neither so full nor so mellow, and uttered with much more rapidity ; its mode of building, and the materials it uses, both of which are different ; and lastly, the shape and colour of the eggs of each (see figs, a and h), which are evidently unlike. If all these circumstances— and I could enumerate a great many more — be not sufficient to designate this as a distinct si^cies, by what criterion, I would ask, are we to discriminate between a variety and an original species, or to assure ourselves that the great horned owl is not, in fact, a bastard goose, or the carrion crow a mere variety of the humming bird ? These mistakes have been occasioned by several causes ; principally by the changes of colour to which the birds are subject, and the distance o( Europeans from the country they inhabit. Catesby, it is true, while here, described and figured the baltimore, and perhaps was the first who published figures of either species ; but he entirely omitted saying anything of the female, and, instead of the male and female of the present ■fjl ORCHAKD ORIOLE. «7 ^c,e«, a» 1,„ thought, he h„e only fl.„red the m«Ie i„ t™ of hu< d,ff„..e„t . ,™sc. ; and ,ucceodi„K compiler, have follows and «,,«ated the ««me error. Another oaL „,„y (,« „,a 3 v,z .he extreme »hync«, of the female orchard oHole.:! «nted at fig. 1. Thi« hird ha, hitherto escaped the ni ice ^f European „at„rali,ta, or ha, heen n.istaken f ,r anotll ap „ e" or perhaps for a young hird of the first season which it ,21; exactly re„e,„hles. In none of the nnmero,: w ' 't, hologyhas ,t ever before appeared in its proper character- tl.onsh the male has heen known to EuropeLs'for mo,e than a cen tary, and ha, nsnally been figured I one of hi, dre ,"" as male and m another as female ; these varyin. acco S to the fluctuating opinions of difTerent writers It , am f .ng to see how ge„tlen,en have gro,«d in the dark in p^Z- hese two speces of or.oles, of which the following example", may be given : ° c^aiupies ^oriole "'^'^ '''"''^'"'' '^'^^*''°°" \ i/«'«-Male baltiinore. i l/'?"'*7^*!« orchard oriole, fig. 4. (ATa^e-Femalebaltimore. f ^"?" '^^"l^ orchard oriole, fig. 2 f ilfa/c-Male baltimore i^*"J'''';;"K°""^ ""*'« baltimore. ( -^a^e-Male orchard oriole, fig. 4. ] f/»J«^«-I>itto ditto, fig. 2 S Male-Male baltimore. female— iiot mentioned, f Male-Mide orchard oriole, fig. 2. l^ma/e-Dittoditto, fig 4 ** * oriole. Spurious baltimore of ditto. Pennant's baltimore oriole. Spurious oriole of ditto. Catesby's baltimore oriole. Spurious baltimore of ditto. the male ; that it is seldom seen- nn.I fl,of 1 .? 2 %••". -.nc and ^^J::;'.ri:2:T^:::: the female, keep aloof, watching every moverae t of M ^ enemy „, ,,,t ess but silent an..iety ; it is'kss to be wo ..'d at, I say, that two bird, of the same kind h.,t yZ . .;lumage, making their appearanc tog t.e'r ^t s LhT '" should be fvken for male and female of the , 1" „e "1^^"; .'oubt or examination, as, from that strong s ^ X^ I ^. ^^< IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 ^ 1^ |2.2 M ij^ mwm ^ 1^ 12.0 •- u 1.4 11.6 ^ v: /A //> '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WiSSViR.N.Y. USSO (716) 172 -4503 «C^'V;<^ ^ ^ V €L^.r l/j 68 ORCHARD ORIOLE. other's distress which prevails so universally among them at this season, it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between the sufferer and the sympathising neighbour. The female of the orchard oriole, fig. 1, is six inches and a half in length, and eleven inches in extent ; the colour above is a yellow olive, inclining to a brownish tint on the back ; the wings are dusky brown, lesser wing-coverts tipt with yellowish white, greater coverts and secondaries ex- teriorly edged with the same, primaries slightly so ; tail, rounded at the extremity, the two exterior feathers three quarters of an inch shorter than the middle ones; whole lower parts, yellow ; bill and legs, light blue ; the former bent a little, very sharp pointed, and black towards the extremity ; iris of the eye, hazel ; pupil, black. The young male of the first season corresponds nearly with the above description. But in the succeeding spring he makes his appearance with a large patch of black marking the front, lores, and throat, as represented in fig, 2. In this stage, too, the black sometimes makes its appearance on the two middle feathers of the tail ; and slight stains of reddish are seen commencing on the sides and belly. The rest of the plumage jis in the female : this continuing nearly the same, on the same bird, during the remainder of the season. At the same time, other individuals are found, as represented by fig. 3, which are at least birds of the third summer. These are mottled with black and olive on the upper parts of the ])ack, and with reddish bay and yellow on the belly, sides, and vent, scattered in the most irregular manner, not alike in any two individuals ; and, generally, the two middle feathers of the tail are black, and the others centred with the same colour. This bird is now evidently approaching to its per- fect plumage, as represented in fig. 4, where the black spreads over the whole head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, wings, and tail ; the reddish bay, or bright chesiimt, occupy- ing the lower part of the breast, the belly, vent, rump, tail- coverts, and three lower rows of the lesser wing-coverts. The r^w "•^mm, ORCHARD ORIOLE. 69 black on the head is deep and velvety; that of the wings inclining to brown; the greater wing-coverts are tipt wifh white. In tlie same orcliard, and at the same time, males in each of these states of plumage may be found, united to their respective plain-coloured mates. In all these, the manners, mode of building, food, and notes, are, generally speaking, the same, differing no more than those of any other individuals belonging to one common species. The female appears always nearly the same. I have said that these birds construct their nests very diffe- rently from the baltimores. They are so particularly fond of frequenting orchards, that scarcely one orchard in summer is without them. They usually suspend their nest from the twigs of the apple tree ; and often from the extremities of the outward branches. It is formed exteriorly of a particular species of long, tough, and flexible grass, knit or sewed through and through in a thousand directions, as if actually done witli a needle. An old lady of my acquaintance, to whom I was one day showing this curious fabrication, after admiring its texture for some time, asked me, in a tone between joke and earnest, whether I did not think it possible to learn these birds to darn stockings ? This nest is hemispherical, three inches deep by four in breadth ; the concavity scarcely two inches deep by two in diameter. I had the curiosity to detach one of the fibres, or stalks of dried grass, from the nest, and found it to measure thirteen inches in length, and in that distance was thirty-four times hooked through and returned, winding round and round the nest! The inside is usually composed of wool, or the light downy appendages attached to the seeds of the Plntanus occidentalts, or button-wood, which form a very soft and commodious bed. Here and there the outward work is extended to an adjoining twig, round which it is strongly twisted, to give more stability to the whole, and prevent it from being overset by the wind. When they choose the long pendant branches of the weep- ing willow to build in, as they frequently do, the nest, though 70 ORCHARD ORIOLE. \ formed of the same materials, is made much deeper, and of slighter texture. The circumference is marked out by a number of these pensile twigs, that descend on each side like ribs, supporting the whole ; their thick foliage, at the same time, completely concealing the nest from view. The de{)th in this case is increased to four or five inches, and the whole is made much slighter. These long pendant branches, being sometimes twelve and even fifteen feet in length, have a large sweep in the wind, and render the first of these precautions necessary, to prevent the eggs or young from being thrown out ; and the close shelter afforded by the remarkable thick- ness of the foliage is, no doubt, the cause of the latter. Two of these nests, such as I have here described, are now lying before me, and exhibit not only art in the construction, but judgment in adapting their fabrication so judiciously to their l)articular situations. If the actions of birds proceeded, as some would have us believe, from the mere impulses of that thing called instinct, individuals of the same species would uniformly build their nest in the same manner, wherever they might happen to fix it ; but it is evident from those just men- tioned, and a thousand such circumstances, that they reason a priori, from cause to consequence ; providently managing with a constant eye to future necessity and convenience. The eggs, one of which is represented on the same plate (fig. a), are usually four, of a very pale bluish tint, with a few small specks of brown and spots of dark purple. An egg of the baltimore oiiole is exhibited beside it (fig. h) ; both of these were minutely copied from nature, and are suflScient of themselves to determine, beyond all possibility of doubt, the identity of the two 8i)ecies. I may add, that Mr Charles W. Peale, proprietor of the Museum in Philadelphia, who, as a practical naturalist, stands deservedly first in the first rank of American connoisseurs, and who has done more for the pro- motion of that sublime science than all our speculative theorists together, has expressed to me his perfect conviction of the changes which these birds pass through, having himself ex- Bi ORCHARD ORIOLE. 71 aiiiined tliera both in spring and towards the latter part of summer, and having at the present time in his possession thirty or forty individuals of this species, in almost every gradation of change. The orchard oriole, though partly a dependent on the in- dustry of the farmer, is no sneaking pilferer, but an open and truly beneficent friend. To all those countless multitudes of destructive bugs and caterpillars that infest the fruit trees in spring and summer, preying on the leaves, blossoms, and em- bryo of the fruit, he is a deadly enemy ; devouring them when- ever he can find them, and destroying, on an average, some hundreds of them every day, without offering the slightest injury to the fruit, however much it may stand in his way. 1 have witnessed instances where the entrance to his nest was niore tiian half closed up by a cluster of apples, which he could have easily demolished in half a minute ; but, as if holding tiie property of his patrori sacred, or considering it as a natural bulwark to his own, he slid out and in with the greatest gentle- ness and caution. I am not sufficiently conversant in entomo- logy to T^articularise the different species of insects on which he feeds, but I have good reason for believing that they are almost altogether such as commit the greatest dei)redations on the fruits of the orchard ; and, as he visits us at a time when his services are of the greatest value, and, like a faithful guardian, takes up his station where the enemy is most to be expected, he ought to be held in respectful esteem, and pro- tected by every considerate husbandman. Nor is the gaiety of his song one of his least recommendations. Being an exceed- ingly active, sprightly, and restless bird, he is on the ground —on the trees— flying and carolling in his hurried manner, in almost one and the same instant. His notes are shrill and lively, but uttered with sucii rapidity, and seeming confusion, that the ear is unable to follow them distinctly. Between these, he has a single note, which is agreeable and interestin«r Wherever he is protected, he shows his confidence and gratitude by his numbers and familiarity. In the Botanic 72 ORCHARD ORIOLE. B^rfr "K 7- "'"■"'^ r'^ ""»•"'«" '"«"''«. 'he Messrs Ba.tm™s of Kmgsess, which present an epitome of almct eve,-,tb,ng Iha ,s rare, useful, and beautiful i„ the vegetable k,ng■• the south their term of residence here being little more than four month. Previous to their departure, tlfe young Mdsb^ come gre^riouj^ and frequent the rich extensive meadows o^ the Schuylkdl, below Philadelphia, in flocks of from thirly to forty, or upwards. They are easily raised from the ne t and joon become ag..eable domestics. One which I reared and kept through the winter, whistled with gmat clea la and vrvacty at two months old. It had an odlmaunerTmovn! te head and neck, slowly and regularly, and in various dTrlc! na^Vl!. r T.""' ''/"" "■"* '"S-"*' ■"« that off snake. When at nijht a candle was brought into the room L^IT '•%"™"' «■"' «"''»'"ly dissatisfied, fluttering aZ the cage, as af seeking to get out; but when the c^e was friends, the Messrs 1 epitome of almcst tiful in the vegetable vhere the murderous >le revels without re- rs and blossoms, and, ira below, hangs his ^er his head. 3ung remain in the are abroad, which is ests of this species, IS the 20th of July, have lost their first raise two broods in of the fact, fiia rather later than week in May, and Uhey are also more latter species. In e, in the month of •ecies for one of the their departure for ng little more than the young birds be- iensive meadows of ^8 of from thirty to from the nest, and Inch I reared and *eat clearness and manner of movino- d in various direc- without stirring gular as that of a :ht into the room, l» fluttering about »en the cage was Dmmi /hnn Wan fyj (Bm Stfrtrei tjt WB.Uvn 1. great Jmtrican Shrike or Bxacher Bird.. 2. n'lu- iirKjabeaJe. .XSuby irown'd W>Yn. *.Skore Utrk. .i. IJI GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. 73 placed on the same table with the candle, it seemed extremely well pleased, fed and drank, drest, shook, and arranged its plumage, sat as close to the light as possible, and sometimes chanted a few broken, irregular notes in that situation, as 1 sat writing or reading beside it. I also kept a young female of the same nest during the greatest part of winter, but could not observe, in that time, any change in its plumage * GKEAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. {Lanius excuhitor.)'\ PLATE v.— Fig. 1. La pie grische-grise, Svffon, i. 296. PI. enl. iib.-Peale'a Museum, No. 664.- White WhiBky John, Phil. Tram. IxiL -iWo.—Arct. Zool. u. No. 127. LANIUS BOBEALIS.—Yi&\u.OT. Lanius borealis, Vieill.— North. Zool. ii. 3. The form and countenance of this bird bespeak him full of courage and energy ; and his true character does not belie his * This bird ia interesting, as showing the remarkable change of colour which takes place in the group, and which, in many instances, has been the occasion of a multiplication of species. It will rank with the balti- more bird in the Icterus of Brisson, and they will form the only indivi- duals belonging to the northern continent of America. According to Audubon, the flesh of the orchard oriole is esteemed by the Creoles of Louisiana, and at the season when the broods have collected, and feed most upon insects in the moist meadows, they are procured for the table in considerable abundance.— Ed. t "Wilson has marked this species with a note of doubt, showing the accuracy of his observation where he had such slender means of making out species ; a mistake also into which C. L. Bonaparte, with greater opportunities, has also fallen. Vieillot seems to have been the first to distinguish it, and Mr Swainson has satisfactorily pointed out the difference in the " Northern Zoology." Lanius excvhitor is not found at all in Ame- rica, and this species seems to fill up its want ; the chief differences are in the size, Lanius borealis being larger. The female is of a browner shade ; with more gray underneath ; the former a distribution of colour in the females unknown among those bearing similar shades ; in habits they in every way agree. — Ed. 74 GREA T AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. ' nppearancp, for he poflsesHes tliese qtinllties in a very eminent degree. He is represented on tlie plate rather less than his true size, but in just proportion, and with a fidelity that will enable the European naturalist to determine whetlier this be really the same with the »ww!»»»i'»- GKEA T AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. 75 particularly grasshoppers, which I helieve to be his principal food ; having at almost all times, even in winter, found them in his stomach. In the month of December, and while the country was deeply covered with snow, I shot one of these birds near tlie head waters of the Mohawk River, in the State of New York, tlie stomach of which was entirely filled with large black spiders. He was of a much purer white above than any I have since met with, though evidently of the same species with the present ; and T think it probable that the males become lighter coloured as they advance in age, till the minute transverse lines of brown on the lower parts almost disappear. In his manners he has more resemblance to the pies than to birds of prey, particularly in the habit of carrying oflP his surplus food, as if to hoard it for future exigencies ; with this diffeience, that crows, jays, magpies, &c., conceal theirs at random, in holes and crevices, where, perhaps, it is forgotten, or never again fomid ; while the butcher bird sticks his on' thorns and bushes, where it shrivels in the sun, and soon becomes equally useless to the hoarder. Both retain the same habits in a state of confinement, whatever the food may be that is presented to them. This habit of the shrike, of seizing and impaling grass- Ijoppers and other insects on thorns, has given rise to aa opinion that he places their carcases there by way of baits to allure small birds to them, while he himself lies in ambusli to surprise and destroy them. In this, however, they appear to allow him a greater portion of reason and contrivance than lie seems entitled to, or than other circumstances will altogether warrant ; for we find that he not only serves grasshopp^ers in this manner, but even small birds themselves, as those have assured me who have kept them in cages in this country, and amused themselves with their manoeuvres. If so, we mit^ht as well suppose the farmer to be inviting crows to his corn when he hangs up their carcases around it, as the butcher bird to be decoying small bhds by a display of the dead bodies of their comrades ! •je GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. Ill the Trannactions of the American Philosophical Society , vol. iv. p. 124, tlie reader may find a lon<:f letter on this Bubject from Mr John Heckewelder of Bethlehem to Dr Barton, the Rubstanco of which is as follows: — That on the 17th of Decem- ber 1795, he (Mr Heckewelder) went to visit a yonng orchard which had been planted a few weeks before, and was surprised to observe on every one of the trees one, and on some two or three grasshoppers, stuck down on the sharp thorny branches; that, on inquiring of his tenant the reason of this, he informed liim that they were stuck there by a small bird of prey, called by the Germans, neuntodter (ninekiller), which caught and stuck nine grasshoppers a day ; and he supposed, that, as the bird itself never fed on grasshoppers, it must do it for pleasure. Mr Heckewelder now recollected that one of these ninekillers liad, many years before, taken a favourite bird of his out of his cage at the window, since which, he had paid particular attention to it ; and being perfectly satisfied that it lived entirely on mice and small birds, and, moreover, observing the grasshoppers on the trees all fixed in patural positions, as if alive, he began to conjecture that this was done to decoy such small birds as feed on these insects to the spot, that he might have an opportunity of devouring them. " If it were true," says he, " that this little hawk had stuck them up for himself, how long would he be in feeding on one or two hundred grasshoppers ? But if it be intended to seduce the smaller birds to feed on these insects, in order to have an opportunity of catching them, that number, or even one-half, or less, may be a good bait all winter," &c. This is, indeed, a veiy pretty fanciful theory, and would entitle our bird to the epithet fowler^ perhaps with more pro- priety than lanius, or butcher ; but, notwithstanding the attention which Mr Heckewelder professes to have paid to this bird, he appears not only to have been ignorant that grasshoppers were, in fact, the favourite food of this nine- killer, but never once to have considered that grasshoppers would be but a very insignificant and tasteless bait for our mm GREA T AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. 77 winter birds, which aro chiefly thoso of tho nncli kind, tliat feed almost exchisively on hard seeds and gravel ; and among whom five hundred gnisshoppers might be stuck up on trees and bushes, and remain there untouched by any of them for ever. Besides, where is his necessity of having recomse to such retined stratagems, when he can, at any time, seize upon small birds by mere force of flight? I have seen him, in an open field, dart after one of our small sparrows with the rapi- dity of an arrow, and kill it almost instantly. Mr William Bartram long ago informed me, that one of these shrikes had the temerity to pursue a snow bird {F. Hudsonia) into an open cage, which stood in the garden, and, before they could arrive to its assistance, had already strangled and scalped it, though he lost his liberty by the exploit. In shoiV I am of opinion, that his resolution and activity are amply sufficient to enable him to procure these small birds whenever he wants them, which, I believe, is never but when hard pressed by necessity, and a deficiency of his favourite insects ; and that the crow or the blue jay may, with the same probability, be supposed to be laying baits for mice and flying squirrels when they are hoarding their Indian-corn, as he for birds while thus disposing of the exuberance of his favourite food. Both the former and the latter retain the same habits in a state of confinement ; the one filling every seam and chink of liis cage with grain, crumbs of bread, &c., and the other sticking up, not only insects, but flesh, and the bodies of such birds as are thrown in to him, on nails or sharpened sticks fixed up for the purpose. Nor, say others, is this practice of the shrike difficult to be accounted for. Nature has given to this bird a strong, shaip, and powerful beak, a broad head, and great strength in the muscles of his neck ; but his legs^ feet, and claws are by no means proportionably strong, and are unequal to the task of grasping and tearing his prey, like those of the owl and falcon kind. He, therefore, wisely avails himself of the powers of the former, both in strangling his prey, and in tearing it to pieces while feeding. I I 78 GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. The character of the butcher bird is entitled to no common det^ree of respect. His activity is visible in all his motions ; his courage and intrepidity beyond every other bird of his size (one of his own tribe only excepted, L. tyrannus, or king bird) ; and in affection for his young, he is surpassed by no other. He associates with them in the latter part of summer, the whole family hunting in company. He attacks the largest hawk or eagle in their defence, with a resolution truly aston- ishing, so that all of them respect him, and, on every occasion, decline the contest. As the snows of winter approach, he descends from the mountainous forests, and from the regions of the north, to the most cultivated parts of the coimtry, hovering about our hedgerows, orchards, and meadows, and disappears again early in April. The great American shrike is ten inches in length, and thirteen in extent; the upper part of the head, neck, and back, is pale cinereous; sides of the head, nearly white, crossed with a bar of black that passes from the nostril, through the eye, to the middle of the neck; the whole under parts, in some specimens, are nearly white, in others more dusky, and thickly marked with minute transverse curving lines of light brown ; the wings are black, tipt with white, with a single spot of white on the primaries, just below their coverts ; the scapulars, or long downy feathers that fall over the upper part of the wing, are pure white ; the rump and tail-coverts, a very fine gray or light ash ; the tail is cuneiform, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones wholly black, the others tipt more and more with white to the exterior ones, which are nearly all white; the legs, feet, and claws are black; the beak straight ; thick, of a light blue colour, the upper mandible furnished with a sharp process, bending 'lown greatly at the point, where it is black, and beset at the base with a number of long black hairs or bristles ; the nostrils are also thickly covered with recumbent hairs ; the iris of the eye is a light hazel ; pupil, black. The figure on the plate will give a perfect idea of the bird. The female is easily distiu- PINE GROSBEAK. 79 giilshed by being ferruginous on the back and bend ; and having the band of black extending only behind the eye. and of a dirty brown or burnt colour ; the under parts are also something rufous, and the curving lines more strongly marked ; she is rather less than the male, which is different from birds of prey in general, the females of which are usually the larcrer of the two. " In the "Arctic Zoology," we are told that this species is frequent ui Russia, but does not extend to Siberia ; yet one was taken within Behring's Straits, on the Asiatic side, in lat. 66° ; and the species probably extends over the whole con- tinent of North America from the Western Ocean. Mr Bell, while on his travels through Russia, had one of these birds given him, which ho kept in a room, having fixed up a sharpened stick for him in the wall ; and on turning small birds loose in the room, the butcher bird instantly caught them by the throat in such a manner as soon to suffocate them; and then stuck them on the stick, pulling them on with bill and claws ; and so served as many as were turned loose, one after another, on the same stick.* PINE GROSBEAK. {Loxia enucleator.) PLATE v.— Fig. 2. ^'""'nZn^'-""' fS\f^'*- '■ P- ^^' ^--^^ '^"^ ^««' °" ^°' ^^' d« Canada, fuffon,m p 457. Fl enl. 135, l.-Mw. 123, 124.-Lath. Si,n. iii. p. Ill o.— Peale'i Museum, No. 5652. i' ^^^> COB YTHUS ENUCLEATOR. -CuviER.f Loxia enucleator. »,„«. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 348. -Corythus enucleator, Cuv. Bean. c1 X^Lt rfi'V" f "'-P-je^rBouvreuil dur bee. P^rrhula en" fol , ~i 333.-P.ae Grosbeak, Pyrrhula enucleator, Selbj, Oi-n. III. 1. JDt), pi. 5o.— Pyrrhula enucleator, Bonap. Syn. 114. This is perhaps one of the gayest plumaged land birds that frequent the inhospitable regions of the north, whence they * Edwards, vii. 231. t This interesting species seems nowhere of common occurrence • it 13 very seldom seen in collections ; and boxes of skins, either from'dif- 8o PINE GROSBEAK. are driven, as if with reluctance, by the rigours of winter, to visit Canada and some of the northern and middle States, returning to Hudson's Bay so early as April. The specimen from which our drawing was taken was shot on a cedar tree, a few miles to the north of Philadelphia, in the month olt December ; and a faithful resemblance of the original, as it then appeared, is exhibited in the plate. A few days after- wards, another bird of the same species was killed not far from Gray's Ferry, four miles south from Philadelphia, which proved to be a female. In this part of the State of Pennsylvania, they are rare birds, and seldom seen. As they do not, to my know- ledge, breed in any part of this State, I am unable, from per- gonal observation, to speak of their manners or musical talents. ferent parts of Europe or America, can seldom rank the pine grosbeak among their number. The testimony of all travellers in America, who have attended to nature, correspond in their accounts, and one of the latest, Mr Audubon, has mentioned it to me as of extreme scarcity. In this country they seem to be of equal rarity, though they are generally placed in our list of British birds without any remark. Pennant ob- serves (Arct. Zool. ii. 348), that he has seen them in the forests of Inver- cauld ; and Mr Selby says (Br. Om. 257), that, from the testimony of the gamekeepers, whom he had an opportunity of speaking with in the Highlands, they may be ranked only as occasional visitants. I am aware, however, of no instance of their being killed in this country. Pennant infers, from those which he saw in the month of August, that they breed here. " Such a conclusion," Mr Selby justly remarks, " ouglit scarcely to be inferred from this fact, as a sufficient interval of time had elapsed for these individuals to have emigrated from Norway, or other northern countries, to Scotland, after incubation, as they are known to breed as early as May in their natural haunts." I have been unable to find any trace whatever of their ever breeding in this country ; most of the migrating species breed very early, and those that change their station for the sake of finding a breeding-place, commence the office of building, &c., immediately on their arrival, a necessary circumstance to enable the young to perform their migration before the change of season. Cuvier has formed his genus Corytlms of this individual, which still remains the only one that has yet been placed in it ; but I am of opinion that the crimson-necked bullfinch {Pi/rrhula frontalis, Say) should stand very near, or with it. Their alliance to the true bull- finches is very great, and Mr Swainson's genus, Crithagra, may form another near ally. — Ed, PINE GROSBEAK. 8i Mr Pennant sayMl.ey sing on their first arrival in the country round Hud«„„-» Bay, but soon become silent ; make the^n est on trees at n small height from the ground with s iks, and Ime .t „.th featljers. The female lays four white eggs, which are hatched m June. Forster observes, that they Wsi Hud- son s Bay only in May, on their way to the north ; and a,f not observed to return in the autumn ; and that their food cons,s s of b rchwdlow buds, and others of the same nature* Ihe ,,,ne grosbeak measures nine inches in length, and fourteen xuches m extent; the head, neck, breast, and iurnp middle of the back are centred with arrow-shaped spots of black and sknted with crimson, which gives the pl„ma,!e a cons,derable flush of red there ; those on the sho„lde,s arerf a deep elate colour, partially skirted with red, and light ash The greater wmg-coverts and next superior row are broadly ,p w,lh wh^e, and slightly tinged with reddish; wings and tad, black, edged w,th light brown; tail, considerably forked lower part of the belly, ash colour ; vent-feathers, skifted with «hte, and streaked with black; legs, glossy black; bill, a W„,sh horn colour, very thick, short, and hooked at ih pont, the upper mandible overhanging the lower consider- acy, approachmg „ its form to that of the parrot bZll Tl e^Lle"; ""' "™'^''"' '""■™ "f " '"^'^ "■•»- -lorn The whole plumage near the roots, as in most other birds is of a deep bhush ash colour. The female was half an inch shorter, and answered nearly to the above description- only those parts hat in the male were crimson, were in he'r of a d.rty yel ow«h colour. The female, acc;rdi„g to LsL referred to above, has those parts which in the male are red' more of an orange tint; and he censures Edwards for havTr!: represented the female of too bright a red. ll spo bt 1 a! rny s,«c,men of the female might have been a bird of it firs se^on. not eomc to its full colours. Those figured by M Edwar St were both brought from Hudson's Ba^, and Z^r Philosophical Transactions, Ixii. 402. + va -If VOL. I. F 82 PINE GROSBEAK. to be the same with the one now before us. though his coloui- incr of the female difiers materially from his description. \i this as Mr Pennant asserts, be the same species witli that of the eastern continent, it would seem t» inhabit almost the whole extent of the arctic regions. It is found in the north of Scotland, where Pennant suspects it breeds. It in- habits Europe as far north as Drontheim ; is common m all the pine forests of Asia, in Siberia, and the north of Kussia ; i8 taken in autumn about Petersburg, and brought to market in great numbers. It returns to Lapland in spring ; is found in Newfoundland, and on the western coast of North America^ Were I to reason from analogy, I would say, that, from the .reat resemblance of this bird to the purple finch {FringilU lurpurea), it does not attain its full plumage until the second suufmer ; and is subject to considerable change of colour in moulting, which may have occasioned all the differences we find concerning it in different authors. But this is actually ascertained to be the case ; for Mr Edwards saw two of these birds alive in London, in cages; the person in whose custody they were, said they came from Norway ; that they had moulted their feathers, and were not afterwards so beautiful as they were at first. One of them, he says, was coloured very much like the green finch {L. chloris). The purple finch though much smaller, has the rump, head, back, and breast, nearfy of the same colour as the pine grosbeak, feeds in the same manner, on the same food, and is also subject to like changes of colour. Since writing the above, I have kept one of these pine gios- beaks, a male, for more than half a year. In the month o Au-ust those parts of the plumage which were red became of a Kreenish yellow, and continue so still. In May and June its song though not so loud as some birds of its size, was ex- tremely clear, mellow, and sweet. It would warble out this for a whole morning together, and acquired several of the notes of a red bird {L. cardinalis), that hung near it. It is ex- * Pennant. ftUBY-CKOWNED WREN. 83 ceedingly tame and familiar, and when it wants food or water utta. a oontmual melancholy and anxious note ftti ::t'NeVY::L "■"■ '"^ ^"'"' ^-'' ""^'^ - ^--^^ -"^ KUBY-CEOWNED WEEN. (Sylvi<. cal^^) PLATE V. -Fig, 3. i"rafe'.itf»«„»,,No.72<4. ''°'°"'' -B"'*"". p. 2(0.- lUgulu. .Mendulu,, «q,J. Co,,,. Si. z^,. „l ,. ^ 7e().-*,„,y. s„^. <,,. This little bird visits ns early in the spring, from the south and .s genemlly first found among the ma^; bio JmsXt the hegmn,ngof April. These failing, it hL recours^totho^ of the peae h, apple, and other fruit trees, partly for thl to™ of the sweet and slender stamina of the flower and partly for he wmged insects that hover among them. In the Se o summer, I have rarely met with these birds in Pennsylvania and as they penetrate as far north as the connt^ Znd Hudson s Bay, and also reed the,., it accounts for their ate arnyal here, m fall. They then associate with the dXn^ spec.es of ftmouse and the golden-crested wren ; and a e Z t.cularly numerous in the month of October and heginlr^f tiees that at that season are infested with great numbere of small black-wmged insects, among which they make Zat havoc. I have often regretted the painful neces^ ofH under of takmg away the lives of such inoffensive, , fulTtt le creanres merely to obtain a more perfect know Llgeo « as to cont..H ^r ,chmg about the same twig, even after th J^ • See noie to Begutus crictalia. 84 RUBY-CROWNED WREN. companions have been shot down beside them. They are more remarkably so in autumn, which may be owmg to the great number of young and inexperienced birds which are then among them ; and frequently at this season, I have'stood under the" tree, motionless, to observe them, while they gleaned among the low branches sometimes within a foot or two of my head. They are extremely adroit in catching their prey ; have only at times a feeble chirp ; visit the tops of the tallest trees, as well as the lowest bushes; and continue generally for a considerable time among the branches of the same tree, darling about from place to place ; appearing, when on the top of a high maple, no bigger than humble bees. The ruby-crowned wren is four inches long, and six in ex- tent ; the upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are of a fine greenish olive, with a considerable tinge of yellow ; wings and tail, dusky purplish brown, exteriorly edged with yellow olive ; secondaries, and first row of wing-coverts, edged and tipt with white, with a spot of deep purplish brown across the secondaries, just below their coverts ; the hind head is orna- mented witii an oblong lateral spot of vermilion, usually almost hid by the other plumage ; round the eye, a ring of yellowish white ; whole under parts, of the same tint ; legs, dark brown ; feet and claws, yellow ; bill, slender, straight, not notched, furnished with a few black hairs at the base ; inside of the mouth, orange. The female differs very little in its plumage from the male, the colours being less lively, and the bird somewhat less. Notwithstanding my utmost endeavours, I have never been able to discover their nest ; though, from the circumstance of having found them sometimes here in summer, I am persuaded that they occasionally breed in Pennsylvania ; but I know several birds, no larger than this, that usually build on the extremities of the tallest trees in the woods ; which I have discovered from their beginning be- fore the leaves are out. Many others, no doubt, choose similar situations ; and should they delay building until the woods are SHORE 1.ARIC. 85 tliickened with leaves, it is no ea.y matter to discover them m lull tliey are m extremely fat. as almost to dissolve be- tween the fingers as yon open them; owing to the great abun- dance of their favourite insects at that time. SHORE LARK. {Alxxnda alpestris.) PLATE v.— Fig. 4. Alauda alpestris Linn. Sy»t 289.-Lath. Synop. ii. 385. -PeaZe', .If „,.„„». No. 5190.--Alauda campestns, gutture flavo, Bartram, p. 290.-L'Alouette de Virginia, Bvff. v. m.-Catesh. i. 32. i^Aioaette de ALAUDA ALPESTRIS.-lA^s&vs. Alauda alpestris alouette 4 Hause col noir, Temm. i. m.-Bonap Svrum 102 Vu.V. GaLdesOis. pi. 155, p. 256.- Alauda comuta, sZZ S^' mrJs of Mextco, Phil. Mag. & Ann. 1827, p. m.-JVortk. Zool. ii. p! S"' This is the rao.st beautiful of its genus, at least in this part of the world. It is one of our winter birds of passage, arrivin«- from the north in the fall ; usually staying with us the whole winter, frequenting sandy plains and open downs, and is numerous in the Southern States, as far as Georgia, during that season. They fly high, in loose scattered flocks ; and at these tunes have a single cry, almost exactly like the sky lark ot Britain. They are very numerous in many tracts of New Jersey; and are frequently brought to Philadelphia market. Ihey are then generally very fat, and are considered excellent eatmg. Their food seems principally to consist of small round compressed black seeds, buckwheat, oats, &c., with a large proportion of gravel. On the flat commons, within the boun- daries of the city of Philadelphia, flocks of them are regularly seen during the whole winter. In the stomach of these I have found, in numerous instances, quantities of the egatn., .Wn. Zool. Joum. No. 10 p. 167.-The Yellow-brea.tcd Warbler, or Maryland 5f ellow-throat, Aud. i. pi. 23, p. 1^1. This is one of the humble inhabitants of briers, brambles, alder bushes, and such shrubbery as grow most luxuriantly in low, watery situations ; and might with propriety be deno- minated HumUity, its business or ambition seldom leaduig it • Mr Swainson has formed from this species his genus Trichas, and bestowed upon it the new and appropriate name of penonatus, or masked^ Marilandica of Brisson and Wilson could scarcely be retamed, ^n Aa« of Linn^us having the priority. The latter is »«^^!^""^«'^^^'l^;J^ * generic term ; and as the species does not seem entirely confined to Maryland, another and more appropriate than either will perhaps make less confusion than the attempts to restore some old one. Mr Swainson makes the following remarks upon the genus :-" This form is mtimately connected with Synahxis, and two or three other groups peculiar to Africa and Australia. Feebleness of flight and strength of foot separate these birds from the typical genera; while the strength ami curvature of the hind claw forbid us to associate them with the true MotacxUm The female is figured on Plate XVIII. of this volume, where it is mentioned as one of the birds whose nest the cow bunting selects to deposit her eggs in. " The nest," according to Mr Audubon, is placed on the ground, and partly sunk in it : it is now and then covered over in the form of an oven, from which circumstance children name this warbler the avm-hird. It is composed externally of withered leaves and orass, and is lined with hair. The eggs are ..om four to six, of a white colour, spreckled with light brown, and are deposited about the middle of May. Sometimes two broods are reared in a season. I have never observed the egg of the cow bunting in the nests of the second brood. The male birds do not attain their full plumage until the second spring.— Ed. 1 Ivia iTurbler, Arct. ui. T. 292.- 1 enl. 709, fig. llow-breastcd 121. , brambles, luxuriantly ,y be detio- 1 leading it I Trichas, and us, or masked. lined, Trichas iverted into a y confined to perhaps make Mr Swainson n is intimately ps peculiar to if foot separate and curvature ! Motacillce." le, where it is ting selects to bon,"i8 placed in covered over Iren name this ered leaves and six, of a white lOut the middle I have never lecond brood." Qtil the second <»5(j««lt»5iS«eiS!'?»*»iy < i MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 89 higher thnn the tops of the nnderwood. Insects nnd their larvaa are its usual food. It dives into the deepest of the thicket, rnrables among the roots, searches round the stems exammes both sides of the leaf. raiHing itsc-If on its legs, so nii to peep into every crevice; amusing itself at times with a very smiple, and not disagreeable, song or twitter. whUititee whtltttlce, tohUititee; pausing for half a minute or so, and' then repeating its notes as before. It inhabits the whole United States from Maine to Florida, and also Louisiana • and IS particularly numerous in the low. swami)y thickets of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It is by no means shy ; but seems deliberate and unsuspicious, as if the places It frequented, or its own diminutiveness. were its suffi- cient security. It often visits the fields of growing rye wheat, barley, oXy,l.u..) PLATE VI.— Fro. 2. . -Garrulus Auatralis. ^...4.. 290. -iS'^SeTXlS "' '''' '''• Ictena dumicola, Vidll. Qal. dea Oia. pi. 85 p 119 Tnfa.- • • r „ fp genua in his ' Oruitholo,;.' Th' ^^^1^^ "^^"^ *^" relation to the Manakinf nJl ^ ''*^ '"^ '* ^''^ '^^^tainly no M'ithin the Unltei Statr %\u^kJ7 T "^ '^''' ^^""« ^'^^ ^'nM States. Tins bird has been placed by authora in half YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 91 vociferating around you, it differs from most other birds with which I ara acquainted, and has considerable claims to origi- nality of character. It arrives in Pennslyvania about the first week in May, and returns to the south again as soon as its young are able for the journey, which is usually about the middle of August ; its term of residence here being scarcely four months. The male^, generally arrive several days before the females, a circumstance common with many other of our birds of passage. When he has once taken up his residence in a favourite situation, which is almost always in close thickets of hazel, brambles, vines, and thick underwood, he becomes very jealous of his possessions, and seems offended at the least intrusion ; scolding every passenger as soon as they come within view, in a great variety of odd and uncouth monosyllables, which it is diffi- cult to describe, but which may be readily imitated, so as to de- ceive the oird himself, and draw him after you for half a quarter of a mile at a time, as I have sometimes amused myself in doing, and frequently without once seeing him. On these occasions, his responses are constant and rapid, strongly expressive of anger and anxiety ; and while the bird itself remains unseen, the voice shifts from place to place, among the bushes, as if it proceeded from a spirit. First is heard a repetition of short notes, resembling the whistling of the wings of a duck or teal, beginning loud and rapid, and falling lower and slower, till they end in detached notes ; then a succession of others, some- thing like the barking of young puppies, is followed by a variety of hollow, guttuial sounds, each eight or ten times repeated, more like those pioceeding from the throat of a quadruped than that of a bird ; which are succeeded by others not unlike the mewing of a cat, but considerably hoarser. All a dozen different genera. It was arranged in Muscicapa by Gmelin Latham, and Pennant ; in Turdus, by Brisson and Buffon ; in Ampelis by Sparrman ; and in Tanagra, by Desmarest. I was at first inclined to consider it as a Vireo; but, after having dwelt more upon the charac- ters and habits of this remarkable species, I have concluded to adopt Ictena as an independent genus, agreeably to VkilloC—ED. 92 VELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. hese are ntfered ^ith great vehem<.-,ce. in e„ch different key,, and w,th ,„oh peculiar m«i„Iati„„," of voice, as Ze- .mes to seem at a con»ideral,le distance, and instantly as if these manoeuvres of ventriioqnism, yon are utterly at a oss to ««ert,.m from wliat particular spot or quarter they proo^ If he weather bo mild and serene, with clear mo7nKTe contmues gabbling in the same strange dialeot, with v ry httle mterm.s,on, during the whole night, aa if disputing wiA h t «wn echoes; but probably with a design of inviting the !«' ■ng females to his retreat; for, when the sea,o„°i LXr advanced, they are seldom heard during the ni"ht is t™ll*/ "f'"°.f *^"' ""^ ''"Si" "> •""•"• Their nest 18 usually fixed m the upper part of a bramble bush, in an almost .mpenetrable thicket; sometimes in a thick ;i„e or ground It ,s composed outwardly of dry leaves ; within these are hud thm stnps of the bark of grape-vines, ^nd the in ^e s lined w,th fibrous roots of plants, „„d fine ,iry grass. The female lays four eggs, slightly flesh-coloured, andLckled all over w,th spots of brown or dull rejst. i. 935.-Motaoilla flavi- cuudft, Ginel. Si/st. i. 097 (fomalo).-Le gobe-mouohe d'Ameriquo, Brm. Orn. ii. 38;^, 14. ri. en!. 56C, fig. 1, 2.— Small American Redstart, Mw. 80. Id. 257 (female).— Yellow-tailed Warbler, Arct. Zuol. ii. No. 301. /(/. ii. No. 282.— Lr/Zr, Sjtfntw^ fir wa^Lumrj 7. ii I CEDAR BIRD. 107 the branches of one small cedar tree, phicking off the berries * They are also found as far south as Mexico, as appears from the accounts of Fernandez, Seba,t and others. Fernandez saw them near Tetzeuco, and calls them Coquantotl ; says they delight to dwell in the mountainous parts of the country, and that their flesh and song are both indifferent, J Most of our epicures here are, however, of a different opinion as to their palatableness ; for, in the fall and beginning of summer, when they become very fat, they are in considerable esteem for the table ; and great numbers are brouglit to the market of Philadelphia, where they are sold from twelve to twenty- five cents per dozen. During the whole winter and spring they are occasionally seen ; and about the 25th of May appear in numerous parties, making great havoc among the early * They appear all to be berry-eaters, at least during winter. Those of Europe have generally been observed to feed on the fruit of the moun- tain ash, and one or two killed near Carlisle, which I had an opportunity of examining, were literally crammed with hollyberries. " The appe- tite of the cedar bird," Audubon remarks, "is of so extraordinary a nature as to prompt it to devour every fruit or berry that comes in its way. In this manner they gorge themselves to such excess as sometimes to be unable to fly, and suffer themselves to be taken by the hand ; and I have seen some, which, though wounded and confined to a cage, have eaten apples until suffocation deprived them of life." — P. 227. " But they are also excellent flycatchers, spendins much of their time in the pursuit of winged insects ; this is not, however, managed with the vivacity or suddenness of true flycatchers, but with a kind of listlessness. They start from the branches, and give chase to the insects, ascending after them for a few yards, or move horizontally towards them, and as soon as the prey is secured, return to the spot, where they continue watching with slow motions of the head. This amusement is carried on during evening, and longer at the approach of autumn, when the berries become scarce. They become veiy fat during the season of fruits, and are then so tender and juicy as to be sought after by every epicure for the table, — a basketful of these birds is sometimes sent as a Christmas present." —P. 223.— Ed. t The figure of this bird in Seba's voluminous work is too wretched for criticism ; it is there called " Oiseau Xomotl, d'Amerique, huppee." Seb. ii. p. 66, t. 65, fig. 5. X Hist. Av. Nov. Hisp. S5. , 3 1 io8 CEDAR BIRD. cherries, selecting the best and ripest of tho fruit. Nor are they easily intimidated by the presence of Mr Scarecrow ; for 1 have seen a flock deliberately feasting on the fruit of a loaded cherry tree, while on the same tree one of these guardian angels, and a very formidable one too, stretched his stiffened arms, and displayed his dangling legs, with all the pomposity of authority. At this time of the season, most of our resident birds, and many of our summer visitants, are sitting or have young; while, even on the 1st of June' the eggs in the ovary of the female cedar bird are no larger thau mustard seed ; and it is generally the 8th or 10th of that month before they begin to build. These last are curious cir- cumstances, which it is difficult to account for, unless by sup- posing that incubation is retarded by a scarcity of suitable food in spring, berries and other fruit being their usual fare. In May, before the cherries are ripe, they are lean, and little else is found in their stomachs than a few shrivelled cedar berries, the refuse of the former season, and a few fragments of beetles and other insects, which do not appear to be their common food ; but in June, while cherries and strawberries abound, they become extremely fat ; and, about the 10th or 12th of that month, disperse over the country in pairs to breed; sometimes fixing on the cedar, but generally choosing the orchard for that purpose. The nest is large for the size of the bird, fixed in the forked or horizontal branch of an apple tree, ten or twelve feet from the ground ; outwardly, and at bottom, is laid a mass of coarse dry stalks of grass, and the inside is lined wholly with very fine stalks of the same material. The eggs are three or four, of a dingy bluish white, thick at the great end, tapering suddenly, and becoming very narrow at the other ; marked with small roundish spots of black of various sizes and shades ; and the great end is of a pale dull purple tinge, marked likewise with touches of various shades of purple and black. About the last week in June the young are hatched, and are at first fed on insects and their larv*, but, as they advance in growth, on berries of various kinds. CEDAR BIRD. 109 These facta I have myself been an eyewitness to. The female, if disturbed, darts from the nest in silence to a considerable distance ; no notes of wailing or lamentation are heard from either parent, nor are they even seen, notwithstanding you are in the tree examining the nest and young. These nests are less frequently found than many others, owing, not only to the comparatively few numbers of the birds, but to the remark- able muteness of the species. The season of love, which makes almost every other small bird musical, has no such effect on them, for they continue, at that interesting period, as silent as before. Tins species is also found in Canada, where it is called Recollet, probably, as Dr Latham supposes, from the colour and appearance of its crest resembling the hood of an order of friars of that denomination. It has also been met with by several of our voyagers on the northwest coast of America, and appears to have an extensive range. Almost all the ornithologists of Europe persist in considering this bird as a variety of the European chatterer {A. garrulus), with what justice or propriety a mere comparison of the two will determine.* The European species is very nearly twice the cubic bulk of ours ; has the v/hole lower parts of a uniform dark vinous bay ; the tips of the wings streaked with lateral bars of yellow; the nostrils, covered with bristles; f the feathers * The small American species, figured by our author, was by many considered as only the American variety of that which was thought to belong to Europe and Asia alone. The fallacy of this opinion was de- cided by the researches of several ornithologists, and latterly confirmed by the discovery in America of the B. garrulus itself, the description of which will form part of Vol. III. The genus Bomhycilla of Brisson is generally adopted for these two birds, and will now also contain a third very beautiful and nearly allied species, discovered in Japan by the enterprising, but unfortunate, natu- ralist Seibold, and figured in the Planches Coloriecs of M. Temminck, under the name of B. phoenicoptera. It may be remarked, that the last wants the waxlike appendages to the wings and tail, at least so they are represented in M. Temminck's plate ; but our own species sometimes wants them also. — Ed. ■)• Turton. '■|i no CEDAR BIRD. on the chin, loose and tufted; the wings, black; and the maikino-a of white and black on the sides of the head different from the American, which is as follows : — Length, seven inches ; extent, eleven inches ; head, neck, breast, upper part of the back and wing-coverts, a dark fawn colour, darkest on the back, and brightest on the front; head, ornamented with a high-pointed, almost upright, crest; line from the nostril over the eye to the hind head, velvety black, bordered above with a fine line of white, and another line of white passes from the lower mandible; chin, black, gradually brightening into fawn colour, the feathers there lying ex- tremely close ; bill, black ; upper mandible nearly triangular at the base, without bristles, short, rounding at the point, where it is deeply notched ; the lower, scolloped at the tip, and turning up ; tongue, as in the rest of the genus, brc:.d, thin, cartilaginous, and lacerated at the end ; belly, yellow ; vent, white ; wings, deep slate, except the two secondaries next the body, whose exterior vanes are of a fawn colour, and interior ones white, forming two whitish stripes there, which are very conspicuous ; rump and tail-coverts, pale light blue ; tail, the same, gradually deepening into black, and tipt for half an inch with rich yellow. Six or seven, and sometimes the whole nine, secondary feathers of the wings are ornamented at the tips with small red oblong appendages, resembling red sealing-wax; these appear to be a prolongation of the shafts, and to be intended for preserving the ends, and consequently the vanes, of the quills, from being broken and worn away by the almost continual fluttering of the bird among thick branches of the cedar. The feathers of those birds which are without these appendages are uniformly found ragged on the edges, but smooth and perfect in those on whom the marks are full and numerous. These singular marks have been usually 'con- eidered as belonging to the male alone, from the circumstance, perhaps, of finding female birds without them. They are, however, common to both male and female. Six of the latter are now lying before me, each with large and numerous CEDAR BIRD. Ill numerous clusters of eggs, and having the waxen appendages in full perfection. The young birds do not receive them until the second fall, when, in moulting time, they may be seen fully formed, as the feather is developed from its sheath. I have once or twice found a solitary one on the extremity of one of the tail-feathers. The eye is of a dark blood colour; the legs and claws, black ; the inside of the mouth, orange ; gap, wide ; and the gullet capable of such distension as often to contain twelve or fifteen cedar berries, and serving as a kind of craw to prepare them for digestion. No wonder, then, that this gluttonous bird, with such a mass of food almost continu- ally in its throat, should want both the inclination and powers for vocal melody, which would seem to belong to those only of less gross and voracious habits. The chief difference in the plumage of the male and female consists in the dulness of the tints of the latter, the inferior appearance of the crest, and the narrowness of the yellow bar on the tip of the tail. Though I do not flatter myself with being able to remove that prejudice from the minds of foreigners which has made them look on this bird also as a degenerate and not a distinct species from their own ; yet they must allow that the change has been very great, very uniform, and universal all over North America, where I have never heard that the European species has been found ; or, even if it were, this would only show more clearly the specific difference of the two, by proving that climate or food could never have produced these differ- ences in either when both retain them, though confined to the same climate. But it is not only in the colour of their plumage that these two birds differ, but in several important particulars in their manners and habits. The breeding place of the European species is absolutely unknown; supposed to be somewhere about the Polar Eegions ; from whence, in winter, they make different, and very irregular excursions to various parts of Europe; seldom advancing farther south than the north of i -s 113 CEDAR BIRD. England, in lat. 54° N., and so inegnlarly, that many years Bometimes elapse between their departure and reappearance, which, in more superstitious ages, has been supposed to portend some great national calamity. On the other hand, the Ameri- can species inhabits the whole extensive range between Mexico and Canada, and perhaps much farther both northerly and southerly, building and rearing their young in all the inter- mediate regions, often in our gardens and orchards, within a few yards of our houses. Those of our fellow-citizens who have still any doubts, and wish to examine for themselves, may see beautiful specimens of both birds in the superb col- lection of Mr Charles W. Peale of Philadelphia, whose ma<^nificent museum is indeed a national blessing, and will be a lasting honour to his memory. In some parts of the country they are called crown birds ; in others, cherry birds, from their fondness for that fruit. They also feed on ripe persimmons, small winter grapes, bird cherries, and a great variety of other fruits and berries. The action of the stomach on these seeds and berries does not seem to injure their vegetative powers ; but rather to promote them, by imbedding them in a calcareous case, and they are thus transported to and planted in various and distant parts by these little birds. In other respects, however, their usefulness to the farmer may be questioned ; and in the general chorus of the feathered songsters they can scarcely be said to take a part. We must, therefore, rank them far below many more homely and minute warblers, their neighbours, whom Provi- dence seems to have formed both as allies to protect the property of the husbandman from devouring insects, and as musicians to cheer him, while engaged in the labours of the field, with their innocent and delightful melody. M\ , RED-DELUED WOODPECKER. 113 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. {Vicus Carolinus.) PLATE VII.— Fio. 2. ricusCurolmus, Linn. Syst. i. 174, lO.-Pio varie de la Jamaique, Baffon, vii. 7- 1 L oil. .j97.— Picus varius modius Jftmaiconsis, Sloan. Jam 21)1) 15 — Jamaica Woodpecker, Edw. 'lU.-Catesh. i. 19, fig. 2.-Arct. Zool. ii. No. VM.~Lath. S!m. ii. 570, 17. Id. 571, 17 A. Id. |8.-L'Epeiohe ray6 de la Louismno, Buff. vii. 73. PI. enl. 692.-Pm?e'« Museum, No. 1944. COLAPTES CAROLIJ^US.—BwAimos. Picus Carolinus, Bonap. Synop. p. 45. -Pious erythrauchon, Waal. Suat Av No. 38. This species possesses all the restless and noisy habits so characteristic of its tribe. It is more shy and less domestic than the red-headed one (P. erT/ihrocephalus), or any of the other spotted woodpeckers. It is also more solitary. It prefers the largest, high-timbered woods, and tallest decayed trees of the forest ; seldom appearing near the ground, on the fences, or in orchards, or open fields ; yet where the trees have been deadened, and stand pretty thick, in fields of Indian-corn, as is common in new settlements, I have observed it to be very numerous, and have found its stomach sometimes completely filled with that grain.* Its voice is hoarser than any of the others ; and its usual note, chow, * This species will also range in the genus Colaptes, but will present a more aberrant form. In it we have the compressed and slightly bent 8hai.e of the bill, becoming stronger and more angular; we°have the barred plumage of the upper parts, but that of the head is uniform, and only slightly elongated behind ; and in the wings and tail the shafts of the quills lose their strength and beautiful colour. In Wilson's descrip- tion of the habits, we also find them agreeing with the modifications of form. It prefers the more solitary recesses of lofty forests ; and, though capable of turning and twisting, and possessing a great part of the acti- vity of the nuthatch and titmice, it seldom appears about orchards or upon the ground ; yet it occasionally visits the cornfields, and feeds on tlie grain ; and, as remarked above, is " capable of subsisting on coarser and more various fare." These modifications of habit we shall always find m unison with the structure ; and we cannot too much admire the wisdom that has thus mutually adapted them to the various offices they are destined to fill— Ed. VOL.1. jj i 114 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. has often reininded mo of tho barking of a little lapdog. It is a most expert eliniber, possesBing extraonliiiary strength \\\ the muscles of its feet and claws, and moves about the body and horizontal limbs of tbo trees with equal facility in all directions. It rattles like tho rest of the tribe on the dead limbs and with such violence as to bo heard, in still weather, raore'than half a mile off, and listens to hoar the insects it has alarmed. In tho lower side of some lofty branch that makes a considerable angle with the horizon, tho male and female in conjunction, dig out a circular cavity for then- nest, sometimes out of the solid wood, but more generally into a hollow limb, twelve or fifteen inches above where it becomes solid. This is usually performed early in Aprd. The female lays five eggs of a pure white, or almost semi- tiansparent ; and the young generally make their appearance towards tho latter end of May or beginning of June, climb- in- up to the higher parts of the tree, being as yet unable to°fly In this situation they are fed for several days, and often become the prey of tho hawks. From seeing the old ones continuing their caresses after this period, I believe that they often, and perhaps always, produce two broods in a season. During tlie greatest part of tho summer, the young have the ridge of the neck and head of a dull brownish ash ; and a male of the tbird year has received his complete colours. .11 The red-bellied woodpecker is ten inches in length and seventeen in extent ; the bill is nearly an inch and a half in length, wedged at the point, but not quite so much grooved as some others, strong, and of a bluish black colour ; the nostrils are placed in one of these grooves, and covered with curving tufts of ligbt brown hairs, ending in black points ; the feathers on tho front stand more erect than usual, and are of a dull yellowish red ; from thence, along the whole upper part of the head and neck, down tho back, and spread- ing round to the shoulders, is of the most brilliant golden glossy red; the whole cheeks, line over the eye, and under RED-BELLIED WOODrECKER. ns Bide of tlio neck, aro a palo biifT colour, wliich, on the breast arid belly, doepeiiH into a yellowisli a.sh, stained on tlie belly with a blood red ; the vent and thigh feathers are dull white, marked down their centres with heart-formed and lonvill stand as Vireo Viyorsii ; he has only met with a single individual in Pennsylvania, and enters into no description of its history, or distinctions from other allied birds. — Ed. H ■H I i f- Ii8 YELLOW-THROATED FLYCATCHER. ducing an agreeable effect, particularly during the burning heat of noon, when almost every other songster but these two is silent. Those who loiter through the shades of our magni- ficent forests at that hour, will easily recognise both species. It arrives from the south early in May ; and returns again with its young about the middle of September. Its nest, which is sometimes fixed on the upper side of a limb, sometimes on a horizontal branch among the twigs, generally on a tree, is composed outwardly of thin strips of the bark of grape vines, moss, lichens, &c., and lined with fine fibres of such-like substances ; the eggs, usually four, are white, thinly dotted with black, chiefly near the great end. Winged insects are its principal food. Whether this species has been described before or not, I must leave to the sagacity of the reader who has the oppor- tunity of examining European works of this kind to discover.* I have met with no description in Pennant, Buffbn, or Latham, that will properly apply to this bird, which may perhaps be owing to the imperfection of the account, rather than igno- rance of the species, which is by no means rare. The yellow-throated flycatcher is five inches and a half long, and nine inches from tip to tip of the expanded wings ; the upper part of the head, sides of the neck, and the back, are of a fine yellow olive ; throat, breast, and line over the eye, which it nearly encircles, a delicate lemon yellow, which, in a lighter tinge, lines the wings ; belly and vent, pure silky white ; lesser wing-coverts, lower part of the back and rump, ash ', wings, deep brown, almost black, crossed with two white bars ; primaries edged with light ash, secondaries with white; tail a little forked, of the same brownish black with the wings, the three exterior feathers edged on each vane with white ; legs and claws, light blue ; the two exterior toes united to the middle one, as far as the second joint ; bill, broad at the base, with three or four slight bristles, the upper mandible over- hanging the lower at the point, near which it is deeply notched; * See orange-tliroated warbler, Latham, Syn. ii. 481, 103. PURPLE FINCH. 119 tongne, thin, broad, tapering near the end, and bifid ; the eye is of a dark hazel, and the whole bill of a dusky light blue. The female differs very little in colour from the male ; the yellow on the breast and round the eye is duller, and the white on the wings less pure. PURPLE FINCH. (Fringilla pttrpurea.) PLATE VII.— Fio. 4. Fringilla purpurea, Gmel. Syst. i. 923.— Bouvreuil violet de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 395.— Purple Finch, Arct. Zool, ii. No. 258.— Ca. —The Creeper, fan. i. p. 410.— pean creeper their being , at different ins from North I separation of 0 apparently in the more nor- islied supply of m\ /Mivn fh m Mt^/r &y -i 0ilMl ^iTt,init'i\f ftv IVMJ.u'-itfv I hrcmt I'rMper. 2 th>i,hii iTV^ffe,/ H'/t/i XHiUv.; H'n/i ■t.Hitwk <-4i/'t TiOm'u.f,-. ,nyt\rtr,1 Titnuiixi-. i!.H'wr,-r Uicn. U 1^ BROWN CREEPER. 123 times, great numbers of these birds, and have endeavoured to make a correct drawing of the male, that Europeans and others may judge for themselves ; and the excellent artist to whom the plate was entrusted has done his part so well in the engraving, as to render the figure a perfect resemblance of the living original. The brown creeper is an extremely active and restless little bird. In winter it associates with the small spotted wood- pecker, nuthatch, titmouse, &c. ; and often follows in their rear, gleaning up those insects which their more powerful bills had alarmed and exposed; for its own blender incurvated bill seems unequal to the task of penetrating into even the decayed wood ; though it may into holes, and behind scales of the bark. Of the titmouse, there are generally present the individuals of a whole family, and seldom more than one or two of the others. As the party advances through the woods from tree to tree, our little gleaner seems to observe a good food draws them from their woody solitudes nearer to the habitations of man. It is often said to be rare, an opinion no doubt arising from the difficulty of seeing it, and from its solitary and unassuming manners. A short quotation frt.-^. a late author will best explain our meaning, and confirm the account of its manners, so correctly described above. " A retired inhabitant of the woods and groves, and not in any way conspi- cuous for voice or plumage, it passes its days with us, creating scarcely any notice or attention. Its small size, and the manner in which it procures its food, both tend to secret him from sight. In these pursuits its actions are more like those of a mouse than of a bird, darting like a great moth from tree to tree, uttering a faint trilling sound as it fixes on their boles, running round them in a spiral direction, Avhen, with re- peated wriggles, having gained the summit, it darts to the base of another, and commences again." The present species will form the type and only individual yet dis- covered of the genus Certhia. The other birds described by our author as Certhiw will all rank elsewhere ; and the groups now known under the titles Cinyris, Nectarinia, &c., which were formerly included, making it of great extent, and certainly of very varied forms, will also with pro- priety hold their separate stations. The solitary type ranges in Europe, according to Pennant, as far north as Russia and Siberia, and Sandmore in Sweden. In North America it will extend nearly over the whole continent. — Ed. 4 124 BROWN CREEPER. deal of regularity in his proceedings; for I have almost always observed that he alights on the body near the root of the tree, and directs his course, with great ninibleness, upwards, to the higher branches, sometimes spirally, often in a direct line, moving rapidly and uniformly along, with his tail bent to the tree, and not in the hopping marnier of the woodpecker, whom he far surpasses in dexterity of climbing, running along the lower side of the horizontal branches with surprising ease. If any person be near when he alights, he is sure to keep the opposite side of the tree, moving round as he moves, so as to prevent him from getting more than a transient glimpse of him. The best method of outwitting him, if you are alone, is, as soon as he alights, and diisappears behind the trunk, take your stand behind an adjoining one, and keep a sharp look out twenty or thirty feet up the body of the tree he is upon,— for he generally mounts very regularly to a considerable height, examining the whole way as he advances. In a minute or two, hearing all still, he will make his appearance on one side or other of the tree, and give you an opportunity of observing him. These birds are distributed over the whole United States ; but are most numerous in the western and northern States, and particularly so in the depth of the forests, and in tracts of large-timbered woods, where they usually breed, visiting the thicker settled parts of the country in fall and winter. They are more abundant in the flat woods of the lower dis- trict of New Jersey than in Pennsylvania, and are frequently found among the pines. Though their customary food appears to consist of those insects of the coleopterous class, yet I have frequently found in their stomachs the seeds of the pine tree, and fragments of a species of fungus that vegetates in old wood, with generally a large proportion of gravel. There seems to be scarcely any difference between the colours and markings of the male and female. In the mouth of March, I opened eleven of these birds, among whom were several females, as appeared by the clusters of minute eggs with which their BROWN CREEPER. 125 ovaries were filled, uiul ulso Rovunil woll-niftrkeil males ; ami, on the most careful comparison of their plumage, I could find little or no difference ; the colours, indeed, were rather more vivid and intense in some than in others ; but sometimes this superiority belonged to a male, sometimes to a female, and appeared to be entirely owing to difference in age. I found, liowever, a remarkable and very striking difference in their sizes ; some were considerably larger, and had the bill at least one-third longer and stronger than the others, and these I uniformly found to be males. I also received two of these birds from the country bordering on the Cayuga Lake, in New York State, from a pei-son who killed them from the tree in which they had their nest. The male of this pair had the bill of the same extraordinary size with several others I had examined before; the plumage in every respect the same. Other males, indeed, were found at the same time, of the usual size. Whether this be only an accidental variety, or whether the male, when full-grown, be naturally so much larger than the female (as is the case with many birds), and takes several years in arriving at his full size, I cannot i)osi- tively determine, though I think the latter most probable. The brown creeper builds his nest in the hollow trunk or branch of a tree, where the tree has been shivered, or a limb broken off, or where squirrels or woodpeckers have wrought out an entrance, for nature has not provided him with the means of excavating one for himself. I have known the female begin to lay by the 17th of April. The eggs are usually seven, of a dull cinereous, marked with small dots of reddish yellow, and streaks of dark brown. The young come forth with great caution, creeping about long before they venture on wing. From the early season at which they begin to build, I have no doubts of their raising two broods during summer, as I have seen the old ones entering holes late in July. The length of this bird is five inches, and nearly seven from the extremity of one wing to that of the other ; the upper part 1 1 126 BROWN CREEPER. of tliu lieaJ is of a deep brownish black ; tlie buck brown, and both streaked with white, the phimage of the latter being of a loose texture, with its filaments not adhering ; the white ia in the centre of every feather, and is skirted with brown ; lower part of the back, rump, and tail-coverts, rusty brown, the last minutely tipt with whitiHh ; the tail is as long as the body, of a light drab colour, with the inner web dusky, and consists of twelve quills, each sloping off and tapering to a point in the manner of the woodpeckers, but projiortionably weaker in the shafts. In many specimens the tail was very slightly marked with transverse undulating waves of dusky, scarce observable ; the two middle feathers the longest, the others on each side shortening, by one-sixth of an inch, to the outer one. The wing consists of nineteen feathers, the first an inch long, the fourth and fifth the longest, of a deep brownish black, and crossed about its middle with a curving bund of rufous white, a quarter of an inch in breadth, marking ten of the quills; below this the quills are exteriorly edged, to witiiin a little of their tips, with rufous white, and tipt with white ; the three secondaries next the body are dusky white on their inner webs, tipt on the exterior margin with white, and, above that, alternately streaked laterally with black and dull white ; the greater and lesser wing-coverts are exteriorly tipt with white ; the upper part of the exterior edges of the former, rufous white ; the line over the eye, and whole lower parts, are white, a little brownish towards the vent, but, on the chin and throat, pure, silky, and glistening ; the white curves inwards about the middle of the neck. The bill is half an inch long, slender, compressed sidewise, bending downwards, taper- ing to a point, dusky above, and white below ; the nostrils arc oblong, half covered with a convex membrane, and without hairs or small feathers ; the inside of the mouth is reddish ; the tongue tapering giadually to a point, and horny towards the tip ; the eye is dark hazel ; the legs and feet, a dirty clay colour ; the toes, placed three before and one behind, the two outer ones connected with the middle one to the first joint \ GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN, 127 the claws rather paler, large, almost semicircular, and extremely sharp pointed ; the hind claw the largest. The figure in ti»o plate represents a male of the usual size in its exact propor- tions, and but for the satisfaction of foreigners, might have rendered the whole of this prolix description unnecessary. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. {Sylvia regulm.) PLATE VIII.— Fio. 2. Motacilla regulus, Linn. Syst. i. 338, 49.— Lath. Si/n. iv. 508, 145. -Edw. 264.— Peale'a Museum, No. 7246. REGULUS REGULOIDES.*-jAtiT)lfiE. Regulus cristatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 91.— Female Golden-crowned Gold-crest, Cont. ofN. A. Orn. i. pi. 2, p. 22.— Sylvia reguloides, Sw. MSS. This diminutive species is a frequent associate of the one last described, and seems to be almost a citizen of the world at large, having been found not only in North and South America, * The gold-crests, the common wrens, with an immense and varied host of species, were associated together in the genus Syhia, until orni- thologists began to look, not to the external characters in a limited view only, but in connection with the habits and affinities which invariably connect species together. Then many divisions were formed, and among these subordinate groups, Regulus of Ray was proposed for this small but beautiful tribe. It was used by Stephens, the continuator of Shaw's "Zoology," and by Bonaparte in his " Synopsis of North American Birds," and the first volume of his elegant continuation of "Wilson. Mr Swainson makes this genus the typical form of the whole Sylviance, but designates it on that account under the title Sylvia. I have retained the old name of Regulus, on account of its former use by Ray, also from its having been adopted to this form by Stephens and Bonaparte, and lastly, as liable to create less confusion than the bringing forward of an old name (though denoting the typical affinity of the typical group) which has been applied to so many different forms in the same family. Wilson was in error regarding the species here figured and the com- mon gold-crest of Europe being identical, and Bonaparte has fallen into the same mistake when figuring the female. Regulus cristatus is exclu- sively European. Regulus reguloides appears yet exclusively North American. Upon comparing the two species minutely together, I find the following variations : — Length of R, reguloides three inches seven- II "11 ft 'a 1 4 1 H 128 GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. the West ludies, and Europe, but even in Africa and India. The specimen from Europe, in Mr Peale's collection, appears to be in nothing specifically different from the American; and eighths ; of R. cristatus, from three inches and a half to three inches six- eighths.' In B. cnstatus, the hill is longer and more dilated at the base, and the under parts of the body are more tinged with olive ; in R. regu- loides, the orange part of the crest is much broader, and the black sur- rounding it, with the bar in front, broader and more distinct ; the white streak above the eye is also better marked, and the nape of the neck has a pale ash-gray tinge, nearly wanting entirely in the British species.* This very hardy and active tribe, with one exception, mhabits the temperate and northern climates, reaching even to the boundaries of the Arctic Circle. They are migratory in the more northern countries ; and though some species are able to brave our severest winters, others are no doubt obliged, by want of food and a lower degree of cold, to quit the rigours of northern latitudes. The species of our author performs ml'-rations northward to breed ; and in Great Britain, at the commence- ment of winter, we have a regular accession to the numbers of our own gold-crest. If we examine their size, strength, and powers of flight, we must view the extent of their journeys with astonishment ; they are indeed often so much exhausted, on their first arrival, as to be easily taken, and many sometimes even perish with the fatigue. A remarkable instance of a large migration is related by Mr Selby as occurring on the coast of Northumberland in 1822, when the sandhills and links were perfectly covered with them. « On the 24th and 25th of October 1822, after a very severe gale, with thick fog, from the northeast (but veering, towards its conclusion, to the east and^south of east), thousands of these birds were seen to arrive upon the seashore and sandbanks of the Northumbriau coast ; many of them so fatigued by the length of their flight, or perhaps by the unfavourable shift of wind, as to be unable to rise again from the ground, and great numbers were in consequence caught or destroyed. This flight must have been immense in quantity, as its extent was traced through the whole length of the coasts of Northumberland and Durham. There appears little doubt of this having been a migration from the more nor- thern provinces of Europe (probably furnished by the pine forests of Norway, Sweden, &c.), from the circumstance of its arrival being simul- taneous 'with that of large flights of the woodcock, fieldfare, and red- win". Although I had never before witnessed the actual arrival of the • There is a curious structure in the covering of the nostrils in most buds ; where there is any addition to the horny substance, it is composed either of fine bristles or hairs, or of narrow feathers closely spread together. In the gold- crests it consUts of a single plumelet on each side, the webs diverging widely. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 129 the very accurate description given of this bird by the Count de Buffon agrees in every respect with ours. Here, as in Europe, it is a bird of passage, making its iSrst appearance in Pennsylvania early in April, among the blossoms of the maple, often accompanied by the ruby-crowned wren, which, except in the markings of the head, it very much resembles. It is very frequent among evergreens, such as the pine, spruce, gold-crested regulus, I had long felt convinced, from the great and sudden increase of the species during the autumnal and hyemal months, that our indigenous birds must be augmented by a body of strangers making these shores their winter's resort. " A more extraordinary circumstance in the economy of this bird took place during the same winter (Memoirs of Wernerian Society, vol. v. p. 397), viz., the total disappearance of the whole tribe, natives as well as strangers, throughout Scotlan and the north of England. This hap- pened towards the conclusion of the month of January 1823, and a few days previous to the long-continued snowstorm so severely felt through the northern counties of England, and along the eastern parts of Scot- land. The range and point of this migration are unascertained, but it must probably have been a distant one, from the fact of not a single pair having returned to breed, or pass the succeeding summer, in the situa- tions they had been known always to frequent. Nor was one of the species to be seen till the following October, or about the usual time, as I have above stated, for our receiving an annual accession of strangers to our own indigenous birds." They are chiefly if not entirely insectivorous, and very nimble and agile in search after their prey. They build their nests with great art ; that of this country has it usually suspended near the extremity of a branch, and the outside beautifully covered with different mosses, gene- rally similar to those growing upon the tree on which they build. In colours and the distribution of them, they closely agree, and all possess the beautiful golden crown, the well-known and admired mark of their common name. Our own iolaud possesses only one, and though strong hopes have lately been raised of finding the second European species, B. ignicapillus, our endeavours have hitherto been unsuccessful. But I do not yet despair ; they are so closely allied that a very near inspection is necessary to determine the individuals. Mr Audubon has described and figured a bird under the name of R. Cuvierii, which may prove an addition to this genus. Only a single specimen was procured in Pennsylvania, and the species will rest on Mr Audubon's plate alon-^,, until some others are obtained. The centre of the crest is described and represented of a rich vermilion. — Ed. VOL. I. I ! .' i| i 130 GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. cedar, juniper, &c., and in the fall is generally found in com- pany with the two species of titmouse, brown creeper, and small spotted woodpecker. It is an active, unsuspicious, and diligent little creature, climbing and hanging, occasionally, among the branches, and sometimes even on the body of the tree, in search of the larvee of insects attached to the leaves and stems, and various kinds of small flies, which it frequently seizes on wing. As it retires still farther north to breed, it is seldom seen in Pennsylvania from May to October, but is then numerous in orchards, feeding among the leaves of the apple trees, which, at that season, are infested with vast num- bers of small black-winged insects. Its chirp is feeble, not much louder than that of a mouse; though, where it breeds, the male is said to have a variety of sprightly notes. It builds its nest frequently on the branches of an evergreen, covers it entirely round, leaving a small hole on one side for entrance, forming it outwardly of moss and lichens, and lining it warmly with down. The female lays six or eight eggs, pure white, with a few minute specks of dull red. Dr Latham, on whose authority this is given, observes, " It seems to frequent the oak trees in preference to all others. I have more than once seen a brood of these in a large oak, in the middle of a lawn, the whole little family of which, us soon rs able, were in perpetual motion, and gave great pleasure to many who viewed them. The nest of one of these has also been made in a garden on a fir tree ; it was composed of moss, the opening on one side, in shape roundish ; it was lined with a downy substance, fixed with small filaments. It is said to sing very melodiously, very like the common wren, but weaker." In Pennsylvania, they continue with us from October to Decem- ber, and sometimes to January. The golden-crested wren is four inches long, and six inches and a half in extent ; back, a fine yellow olive ; hind head and sides of the neck, inclining to ash ; a line of white passes round the frontlet, extending over and beyond the eye on each side \ * Synopsis, ii. 509. GOLDEN.CRESTED WREN. 131 above this, another line or strip of deep black passes in the same manner, extending farther behind ; between these two strips of black lies a bed of glossy golden yellow, which, being parted a little, exposes another of a bright flame colour, extending over the whole upper part of the head ; when the little warbler flits among the branches in pursuit of insects, he opens and shuts this golden ornament with great adroitness, which produces a striking and elegant effect ; lores, marked with circular points of black ; below the eye is a rounding spot of dull white ; from the upper mandible to the bottom ol the ear-feathers runs a line of black, accompanied by another of white, from the lower mandible ; breast, light cream colour ; fiides under the wings, and vent, the same ; wings, dusky, edged exteriorly with yellow olive ; greater wing-coverts, tipt with white, immediately below which a spot of black extends over sever-l of the secondaries ; tail, pretty long, forked, dusky, exterior vanes broadly edged with yellow olive ; legs, brown,' feet and claws, yellow ; bill, black, slender, straight, evidently of the 3Iuscicapa form, the upper mandible being notched at the point, and furnished at the base with bristles, that reach half way to its point ; but what seems singular and peculiar to this little bird, the nostril on each side is covered by a single feather, that much resembles the antennte of some butterflies, and is half the length of the bill. Bufi'on has taken notice of the same in the European. Inside of the mouth, a reddish orange ; claws, extremely sharp, the hind one the longest. In the female, the tints and markings are nearly the same, only the crown or crest is pale yellow. These birds are numerous in Pennsylvania in the month of October, frequenting bushes that overhang streams of water, alders, briers, and particularly apple trees, where they are eminently useful in destroying great numbers of insects, and are at that season extremely fat. Ill r 132 HOUSE WREN. ■i HOUSE WREN, {^ijlvm domestica.) PLATE VIII.— Fio. 3. Motaoilla domestica (Regulus rufus). Bartram, m.-Peale^s Museum, No. 7283. TROGLODYTES (EDON.-YmUJyt. Troglodytes <.don, Bonap. Synop. p. 93. and note p. ^fr/"'^ ^*"''' "" ^'"'^ ^p. 316._The House Wren, And. pL 83. Orn. Bxog. 1. 427. This well-known and familiar bird arrives in fennsylvanm about tbe middle of April ; and about the 8th or 10th of May becrins to build its nest, sometimes m the wooden cornice u^nder the eaves, or in a hollow cherry tree, but mos commonly in small boxes fixed on the top of a pole m or nertreUen. to which he is extremely Pa^tial, or thereat number o^f caterpillars and other larv. with whicli i^^^^^^^^ «tantlv supplies him. If all these convemencies are wanting, he will evt put up with an old hat, nailed on the weather boards, with a small hole for entrance; and. if even this be denied him, he will find some hole, corner, or crevice about the house, barn, or stable, rather than abandon the d we lings of man. In the month of June, a mower hung up his coat unTer a shed near a barn ; two or three days elapsed before he had occasion to put it on again ; thrusting his arm up the sleeve, he found it completely filled with some rubbish as he expressed it. and. on extracting the whole mass, ound it to t^Tnestof a wren completely finished, and lined with a large quantity of feathers. In his retreat he was followed by the little forlorn proprietors, who scolded him with great vehemence for thus ruining the wiiole economy ot their household affairs. The twigs with wliich the outwai'd parts of the nest are constructed are short and crooked that they may the better hook in with one another, and the hole or entrance is bo much shut up, to prevent the intrusion o snakes or cats, that it appears almost impossible the body of the bird could be admitted ; within this is a layer of fine dried stalks of grass, and lastly feathers. The eggs are six HOUSE WREN. 133 or seven, and sometimes nine, of a red purplish flesh colour, innumerable fine grains of that tint being thickly sprinkled over the whole egg. They generally raise two broods in a season ; the first about the beginning of June, the second in July* • The wrens figured on this plate, and indeed all those of this nor- thern continent, seem to be great favourites with the country people, to which distinction their utility in gardens in destroying caterpillars and noxious insects, their sprightly social manner, with their clean and neat appearance, fully entitle them. They form the genus Troglodytes of moderns, are limited in numbers, but distributed over Europe, America, and Africa ; their habits are nearly alike, and the colours of the plumage are so similar, that some species are with difficulty distinguished from each other; and both those now figured have been confounded with that of this country, from which, however, the first differs, and the latter is stni doubtful. The colours of the plumage are brown, with bars and crossings of darker shades, intermingled occasionally with spots and irregular blotches of yellowish white. They make very commodious nests, with a single entrance ; all those with which we are acquainted are very prolific, breed more than once in the year, and lay at a time from twelve to sixteen eggs ; they are always to be met with, but never in such profusion as their numerous broods would lead us to infer if all arrived at maturi,ty. That of this country, though not so tame as to make use of a ready-made convenient breeding-place, is extremely fami- liar, and will build close by a window, or above a door, where there is a constant thoroughfare. It roosts, during the night, in holes of banks^ ricks, or in the eaves of thatched houses, and generally seven or eight individuals will occupy one hole, flitting about, and disputing, as it were, which should enter first. These are beautiful provisions for their wel- fare, and the proportion of animal heat possessed necessarily by so small a bulk. Another curious particular in the economy of these little birds, is the many useless nests which are built, or, as they are sometimes called by boys, cock nests. These are never built so carefully, or in such private and recluse situations, as those intended for incubation, and are even sometimes left in an unfinished half-built state. I have never been able to satisfy myself whether they were the work of the male bird only, or of both conjointly ; or to ascertain their use, whether really com- menced with the view of breeding in them, or for roosting-places. The generally exposed situation in which they are placed, with the concealed spot chosen for those that have young, would argue against ilie former and the latter would, perhaps, require a greater reasoning power than most people would be willing to grant to this animal. They may, per- haps, be the first instinctive efforts of the young. Notwithstanding their f k 134 HOUSE WREN. This little bird has a strong antipathy to cats ; for, having frequent occasion to glean among the currant bushes, and other shrubbery in the garden, thoKse lurking enemies of the feathered race often prove fatal to him. A box fitted up in the window of the room where I slept was taken possession of by a pair of wrens. Already the nest was built, and two eggs laid, when one day, the window being open, as well as the room door, the female wren, venturing too far into the room to reconnoitre, was sprung upon by grimalkin, who had planted herself there for the purpose ; and, before relief could be given, was destroyed. Curious to see how the survivor would demean himself, I watched him carefully for several days. At first he sung with great vivacity for an hour or so, but, becoming uneasy, went off for half an hour; on his return, lie chanted again as before, went to the top of the house, stable, and weeping willow, that she might hear him ; but seeing no appearance of her, he returned once more, visited the nest, small bulk, and tender-looking frame, tliey are very hardy, and brave the severest winters of this country ; driven nearer to our houses from the necessity of food, they seem to rejoice in a hard clear frost, singing merrily on the top of some heap of brushwood, or sounding, in rapid succession, their note of alarm, when disturbed by any unwelcome visi- tor. A kitty-hunt, in a snowstorm, used to be a favourite amusement with boys ; and many a tumble was got in the unseen ruggedness of the ground when in pursuit. At any time wlien annoyed, a hole, or thick heap of sticks, will form a refuge for this curious little bird, where it will either remain quiet until the danger is over, or, if there is any under way, will creep and run, escaping at another side ; in like manner, it will duck and dive in the openings or hollows of the snow, and at the moment when capture seems inevitable, will escape at some distant opening, disappointing the hopes of the urchin who already anticipated possession. We must here mention, in addition to the already described North American species, one figured by Mr Audubon, and dedicated to an artist, who will be long remembered by the British ornithologist, Trog- lodytes Bewickii. Mr Audubon has killed three specimens of it in Louisiana, and observes, " In shape, form, colour, and movements, it nearly resembles the great Carolina wren, aiivl forms a kind of link be- tween that bird and the house wren. It hatj not the quickness of motion, nor tLt' liveliness of either of these birds. ' — Ed. HOUSE wren: 13$ ventured cautiously, into the window, gazed about with sus- picious looks, his voice sinking to a low, melancholy note, as he stretched his little neck about in every direction. Keturn- ing to the box, he seemed for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after went off, as I thought, altogether, for I saw him no more that day. Towards the afternoon of the second day, he again made his appearance, accompanied with a new female, who seemed exceedingly timorous and shy, and who, after great hesitation, entered the box ; at this moment the little widower or bridegroom seemed as if he would warble out his very life with ecstasy of joy. After remaining about half a minute in, they both flew off, but returned in a few minutes, and instantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, and some of the sticks, supplying the place of the two latter with materials of the same sort ; and ultimately succeeded in raising a brood of seven young, all of which escaped in safety. The immense number of insects which this sociable little bird removes from the garden and fruit trees, ought to endear him to every cultivator, even if he had nothing else to recom- mend him; but his notes, loud, sprightly, tremulous, and repeated every few seconds with great animation, are extremely agreeable. In the heat of summer, families in the country often dine under the piazza, adjoining green canopies of mantling grape vines, gourds, &c., while overhead the thrilling vivacity of the wren, mingled with the warbling mimicry of the mocking bird, and the distant, softened sounds of num- erous other songsters, that we shall hereafter introduce to the reader's acquaintance, form a soul-soothing and almost heavenly music, breathing peace, innocence, and rural repose. The European who judges of the song of this species by that of his own wren {M. troglodytes), will do injustice to the former, as in strength of tone and execution it is far superior, as well as the bird is in size, figure, and elegance of markings, to the European one. Its manners are also different; its sociability greater. It is no underground inhabitant ; its nest sail ll 136 HOUSE WREN. is differently constructed, the number of its eggs fewer ; it is also migratory ; and has the tail and bill much longer. Its food is insects and caterpillars, and, while supplying the wants of its young, it destroys, on a moderate calculation, many hundreds a day, and greatly circumscribes the ravages of these vermin. It is a bold and insolent bird against those of the titmouse and woodpecker kind that venture to build within its jurisdiction ; attacking them without hesitation, though twice its size, and generally forcing them to decamp. I have known him drive a pair of swallows from their newly formed nest, and take immediate possession of the premises, in which his female also laid her eggs, and reared her young. Even the blue bird, who claims an equal, and sort of hereditary right to the box in the garden, when attacked by this little impertinent, soon relinquishes the contest, the mild placidness of his disposition not being a match for the fiery impetuosity of his little antagonist. With those of his own species who settle and build near him, he has frequent squabbles; and when their respective females are sitting, each strains his whole powers of song to excel the other. When the young are hatched, the hurry and press of business leave no time for disputing, so true it is that idleness is the mother of mischief. These birds are not confined to the country ; they are to be heard on the tops of the houses in the most central parts of our cities, singing with great energy. Scarce '4, house or cottage in the country is without at least a pair of them, and some- times two ; but unless where there is a large garden, orchard, and numerous outhouses, it is not often the case that more than one pair reside near the same spot, owing to their party disputes and jealousies. It has been said by a friend to this little bird, that "the esculent vegetables of a whole garden may, perhaps, be preserved from the depredations of different species of insects, by ten or fifteen pair of these small birds;"* and probably they miglit, were the combination practicable ; but such a congregation of wrens about one garden is a * Barton's Fragments, part i. p. 22. HOUSE WREN. 137 phenomenon not to be expected but from a total change in the very nature and disposition of the species. Having seen no accurate description of this bird in any European publication, I have confined my references to Mr Bartram and Mr Peale; but though Europeans are not ignorant of the existence of this bird, they have considered it, as usual, merely as a slight variation from the original stock {M. troglodytes), their own wren, in which they are, as usual, mistaken ; the length and bent form of the bill, its notes, migratory habits, long tail, and red eggs, are sufficient specific differences. The house wren inhabits the whole of the United States, in all of which it is migrator}'. It leaves Pennsylvania in September ; I have sometimes, though rarely, seen it in the beginning of October. It is four inches and a half long, and five and three quarters in extent, the whole upper parts of a deep brown, transversely crossed with black, except the head and neck, which is plain ; throat, breast, and cheeks, light clay colour ; belly and vent, mottled with black, brown, and white ; tail, long, cuneiform, crossed with black; legs and feet, light clay colour ; bill, black, long, slightly curved, sharp pointed, and resembling that of the genus CertMa considerably ; the whole plumage below the surface is bluish ash ; that on the rump having large round spots of white, not perceivable unless separated with the hand. The female differs very little in plumage from the male. !'*&' I J38 BLACK-CAPT TITMOUSE. BLACK-CArT TITMOUSE. {Varus atricapiUua.) PLATE VIir.-Fia. 4. Panis atricapillui, Linn. Si/gt. i. 341,'6.— Cme/, Sj/st. i. 1008.— La mesange iV t^te noire de Canada, Biiffon, v. 408. —Canada TitraouHe, Arct. Zool. i. No. ■6'2^.—Lath. Syn. iv. 542, 9.— Pea/e'* Museum, No, 7380. Parus atrioapillus, Bunm, "y.- ,->. p, 100.— iVor. ''V^; Pic noir^ domino Zool. il No. 160. . Picus, No. 14. — 141.— Melanerpes [i and American )irtl and tliat of tly had a doubt, id his synonyms ;oes a good deal . the birds. Mr bird as that of es distinctly that ry. It is likely , — one northern, may be identical I have retained determine those ecies. — Ed. oups among the rm is long and le cuhnen quite ir manners, they it entirely on the aste and simple :, will be another ^T •"ft >!'«<■ ■ fy.4 itMietv h',:t h.uili.l H;tul/'..hr. ^ f>-//,'H h, lh,;l II >//,///•■)• W. ■/. ll.'Kiiy If re!f!!is."i|Brj.igx.:i a t( o !i a ii tl o ti tl 8( Vi tl 8( 1] 01 tl n it ai RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 147 blaclc, glossed wilii steel blue, is so striking and chai-acteristic, and his predatory habits in the orchards and cornfields, added to his numbers, and fondness for hovering along the fences, so very notorious, that almost every child is acquainted with the red-headed woodpecker. In the immediate neighbourhood of our large cities, where the old timber is chiefly cut down, he is not so frequently found ; and yet, at this present time (June 1808), I know of several of their nests within the boundaries of the city of Philadelphia. Two of these are in button-wood trees {Platanus occidentaUs), and another in the decayed limb of an elm. The old ones, I observe, make their excursions regularly to the woods beyond the Schuylkill, about a mile distant, preserving great silence and circumspection in visiting their nests, — precautions not much attended to by them in the depth of the woods, because there the prying eye of man is less to be dreaded. Towards the mountains, par- ticularly in the vicinity of creeks and rivers, these birds are extremely abundant, especially in the later end of summer. Wherever you travel in the interior at that season, you hear them screaming from the adjoining woods, rattling on the dead limbs of trees, or on the fences, where they are perpetually seen flitting from stake to stake, on the )-oadside, before you. Wherever there is a tree or trees of the wild cherry covered with ripe fruit, there you see them busy among the brunches ; and in i)assing orchards, you may easily know where to find the earliest, sweetest a])ples, by observing those trees on or near which the red-headed woodpecker is skulking ; for he is so excellent a connoisseur in fruit, that wherever an apple or pear is found broached by him, it is sure to be among the ripest and best flavoured : when alarmed, he seizes a capital one by striking his open bill deep into it, and bears it off to the woods. When the Indian-corn is in its rich, succulent, milky state, he attacks it with great eagerness, opening a pas- sage through the numerous folds of the husk, and feeding on it with voracity. The girdled, or deadened timber, so common among cornfields m the back settlements, are his favourite 148 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. retreats, whence he sallies out to make his depredations. He is fond of tlie ripe berries of the sour gum, and pays pretty regular visits to the cherry trees when loaded witli fruit. To- wards fall he often approaches the barn or farmhouse, and raps on the shingles and weather boards : he is of a gay and frolicsome disposition ; and half a dozen of the fraternity are frequently seen diving and vociferating around the high dead limbs of some large tree, pursuing and playing with each other, and amusing the passenger with their gambols. Their note or cry is shrill and lively, and so much resembles that of a species of tree-frog which frequents the same tree, that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the one from the other. Such are the vicious traits, if I may so spenlc, in the character of the red-headed woodpecker ; and I doubt not but, from what has been said on this subject, that some readers would consider it meritorious to exterminate the whole tribe as a nuisance : and, in fact, the Legislatures of some of our provinces, in former times, offered premiums to the amount of twopence per head for their destruction.* But let us not con- demn the species unheard : they exist — they must therefore be necessary.f If their merits and usefulness bo found, on • Kalm. t The abundance of this species must be very great, and, from the depredations they commit, must be more felt, Mr Audubon says that a hundred have been shot in one day from a single cherry tree. In addition to their other bad habits, they carry off apples by thrusting in their bill as a spike, and thus supporting them. They also frequent pigeon-houses, and suck the eggs, — a habit not very common among this tribe ; and, for the same purpose, enter the boxes prepared for the mar- tins and blue birds. Another method of adding to their destruction, in Kentucky and the southern States, is in the following manner related by Audubon : — " As soon as the red-heads have begun to visit a cherry or apple tree, a pole is placed along the trunk of the tree, passing up amongst the central branches, and extending six or seven feet above tlie highest twigs. The woodpeckers alight by preference on the pole, and whilst their body is close to it, a man, standing at the foot of the pole, gives it a twist below with the head of an axe, on the opposite side to that on which the k. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 149 examination, to preponderate against their vices, let us avail ourselves of the former, while we guard as well as we cau against the latter. Though this bird occasionally regales himself on fruit, yet his natural and most useful food is insects, particularly those numerous and destructive species that penetrate the bark and body of the tree to deposit their eggs and larvsB, the latter of which are well known to make immense havoc. That insects are his natural food is evident from the construction of his wedge-formed bill, the length, elasticity, and figure of his tongue, and the strength and position of his claws, as well as from his usual habits. In fact, insects form at least two-thirds of his subsistence ; and his stomach is scarcely ever found without them. He searches for them with a dexterity and in- telligence, I may safely say, more than human ; he perceives, by the exterior appearance of the bark, where they lurk below; when he is dubious, he rattles vehemently on the outside with his bill, and his acute ear distinguishes the terrified vermin shrinking within to their inmost retreats, where his pointed and barbed tongue soon reaches them. The masses of bugs, caterpillars, and other larvae, which I have taken from the stomachs of these birds, have often surprised me. These woodpecker is, when, in consequence of the sudden vibration produced in the upper part, the bird is thrown off dead." According to the same gentleman, many of the red-heads (a name by which they are universally known) remain in the southern districts of the United States during the whole winter. The greater number, how- ever, pasi to countries farther south. Their migration takes place dur- ing night, is commenced in the middle of September, and continues for a month or six weeks. They then fly high above the trees, far apart, like a disbanded army, propelling themselves by reiterated flaps of their wings at the end of each successive curve which they describe in their flight. The note which they emit at this time is different from the usual one, sharp, and easily heard from the ground, although the birds may be out of sight. At the dawn of day, the whole alight on the tops of the dead trees about the plantations, and remain in search of food until the approach of sunset, when they again, one after another, mount the air, and continue their journey.— Ed. ISO RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. I \ larvaa, it should be remembered, feed woi only on the buds, leaves, and blossoms, but on the very vegetable life of the tree,— the alburnum, or newly forming bark and wood ; the consequence is, that whole branches and whole trees decay imder the silent ravages of these destructive vermin ; witness the late destruction of many hundred acres of pine trees in the northeastern parts of South Carolina ; * and the thousands of peach trees that yearly decay from the same cause. Will any one say, that taking half a dozen, or half a hundred, apples from a tree, is equally ruinous with cutting it down ? or, that the services of a useful animal should not be rewarded with a small portiori of that which it has contributed to preserve ? We are told, in the benevolent language of the Scriptures, not to muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn ; and why should not the same generous libera- lity be extended to this useful family of birds, which forms so powerful a phalanx against the inroads of many millions of destructive vermin ? The red-headed woodpecker is, properly speaking, a bird of passage ; though, even in the eastern States, individuals are found during moderate winters, as well as in the States of New York and Pennsylvania ; in Carolina, they are somewhat more numerous ihuing that season, but not one-tenth of what aie found in summer. They make their appearance in Pennsylvania about the 1st of May, and leave us about the middle of October. They inhabit from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and are also found on the western coast of North America. About the middle of May they begin to construct their nests, which, like the rest of the genus, they form in the body or large limbs of trees, taking in no materials, but smoothing it within to the proper shape and size. The female lays six eggs, of a pure white, and the young make their first • In one place, on a tract of two thousand acres of pine land, on the Sampit River, near Georgetown, at least ninety trees in every lumdred were destroyed by this pernicious insect,— a small, black-winged bug, resembling the weevil, but somewhat larger. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 151 appearance about the 20th of June. During the first season, the head and neck ol' the young birds are blackish gray, which has occasioned some European writers to mistake them for females ; the white on the wing is also spotted with black ; but in the succeeding spring they receive their perfect plum- age, and the male and female then differ only in the latter being rather smaller, and its colours not quite so vivid ; both have the head and neck deep scarlet; the bill light blue, black towards the extremity, and strong; back, primaries, wing-coverts, and tail, black, glossed with steel blue; rump, lower part of the back, secondaries, and whole under parts from the breast downward, white; legs and feet, bluish green ; claws, light blue ; round the eye, a dusky narrow skin, bare of feathers ; iris, dark hazel ; total length, nine inches and a half; extent, seventeen inches. The figure on the plate was drawn and coloured from a very elegant living specimen. Notwithstanding the care which this bird, in common with the rest of its genus, takes to place its young beyond the reach of enemies, within the hollows of trees, yet there is one deadly foe, against whose depredations neither the height of the tree nor the depth of the cavity is the least security. This is the black snake (Coluber constrictor), who frequently glides up the trunk of the tree, and, like a skulking savage, enters the woodpecker's peaceful apartment, devours the eggs or helpless young, in spite of the cries and flutterings of the parents ; and, if the place be large enough, coils himself up in the spot they occupied, where he will sometimes remain for several days. The eager schoolboy, after hazarding his neck to reach the woodpecker's hole, at the triumphant moment when he thinks the nestlings his own, and strips his arm, launching it down into the cavity, and grasping what he con- ceives to be the callow yoimg, starts with horror at the sight of a hideous snake, and almost drops from his giddy pinnacle, retreating down the tree with terror and precipitation. Several adventures of this kind have come to my knowledge ; and one of them was attended with serious consequences, where both I ^%. ^Tc- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I U£ lis 12.2 1^ S lia 12.0 11.25 i 1.4 1^ 1.6 ^4 0% / /A r 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WBBiiTER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4S0& m V o V ^V 6^ ^^> 5? ./W 152 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. snake and boy fell to the ground ; and a broken thigh, and long confinement, cured the adventurer completely of his ambition for robbing woodpeckers' nests. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. {Picns varius.) PLATE IX.— Fio. 2. Picas variu,ii«n5y,« i. m'lo.-Gmel. S.st. i. 735.-Lepic vari6 delaCaro- hne Buff vu. 77. Fleni. 785. -Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. Catesb. i. 21.- DENDROCOPUS VAUIUS.-ByfAimoN.* Pious varius, Bonap. Synop. p. 45.-Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, No. 16.-Dendro- oopus varius, North. Zool. ii. p. 309. i > This beautiful species is one of our resident birds. It visits our orchards in the month of October in great numbers, is • In this species and the two foUowing, the little woodpecker of this country^ and many otl;ers, we have the types of a subgenus (Dendro- copus, Koch) among the woodpeckere, which I have no hesitation in adopting, as containing a very marked group of black and white spotted birds, allied to confusion with each other. The genus is made use of for the first time in a British publication, the « Northern Zoolocry » by Mr Swamson, as the third subgenus of Picu8. He thus remarks •_ "The third subgenus comprehends all the smaller black and white spotted woodpeckers of Europe and America. Some hyy occur in the mountainous parts of India; but, with these exceptions, the group iTtitudes ^'""^ *''*'''''^^' """"^^ *•* belong more particularly to temperate " It ^f «|et with by the Overland Expedition in flocks, on the banks of the Saskatchewan, in May. Its manners, at that period of the vear were strikingly contrasted with those of the resident woodpeckers -for' instead of flitting in a solitary way from tree to tree, and assiduously' boring for insects, it flew about in crowded flocks in a restless manner and kept up a continual chattering. Its geographical range is exten-' sive ; from the sixty-first parallel of latitude to Mexico." Mr Swamson mentions having received a single specimen of a wood- pecker from Georgia, closely allied to this, which he suspcuts to be undescribed ; and, m the event of being correct, he proposes to dedicate u to Mr Audubon,— Z?endn)cqpM« AvdtJionii, Sw.— Ed. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 153 occasionally seen during the whole winter and spring, but seems to seek the depths of the forest to rear its young in ; for during summer it is rarely seen among our settlements ; and even in the intermediate woods, 1 have seldom met with it in that season. According to Brisson, it inhabits the conti- nent from Cayenne to Virginia; and I may add, as far as to Hudson's Bay, where, according to Hutchins, they are called Meksewe Paupastaow ; * they are also common in the States of Kentucky and Ohio, and have been seen in the neigh- bourhood of St Louis. They are reckoned by Georgi among the birds that frequent the Lake Baikal, in Asia ; f but their existence there has not been satisfactorily ascer- tained. The habits of this species are similar to those of the hairy and downy woodpeckers, with which it generally associates ; and which are both represented on the same plate. The only nest of this bird which I have met with was in the body of an old pear tree, about ten or eleven feet from the ground. The hole was almost exactly circular, small for the size of the bird, so that it crept in and out with difficulty ; but suddenly widened, descending by a small angle, and then running downward about fifteen inches. On the smooth solid wood lay four white eggs. This was about the 25lh of May. Having no opportunity of visiting it afterwards, I cannot say whether it added any more eggs to the number ; I rather think it did not, as it appeared at that time to be sitting. The yellow-bellied woodpecker is eight inches and a half lonjr. and in extent fifteen inches ; whole crown, a rich and deep scarlet, bordered with black on each side, and behind forming a slight crest, which it frequently erects ;| from the nostrils, which are thickly covered with recumbent hairs, a narrow strip of white runs downward, curving round the breast ; mixing with the yellowish white on the lower part of • Latham. t Ibid. X Thia circumstance seems to have been overlooked by naturalists. 1 54 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. R I.e breast ; throa, the same deep scarlet as the crown, bordered wth black proceeding from the lower mandible on each s,de and spreaxln.g into a broad rounding patch on the breast; th,3 black m birds of the first and second year, is dnslcy gray the feathers being only crossed with ciron ar tone hes of bhck ; a line of white, and below it another of black, proceed, the first from the upper part of the eye. the other from the posterior half of the eye, and both lose them- selves on the neck and back; back, dusky yellow, sprinkled and elegantly waved with black; wings, black, with'a large oblong spot of whde; the primaries, tipt and spoiled with white ; the three secondaries next the body are also variegated with wh> e; rump, white, bordered with black ; belly, yellow- sides under the wings, more dusky yellow, marked with Ion.; arrow-heads of black; legs and feet, greenish blue ; tail, black «>nsisting of ten feathei-s, the two outward feathers on each side tipt with white, the next totally black, the fourth edged on Its inner vane half way down with while, the middle one white on Its interior vane, and spotted with black ; tongue, flat, horny for half an inch at the tip, pointed, and arLd along Its sides with reflected barbs ; the other extremities of the tongue pass iip behind the skull in a groove, and end near the ngh nostril; in birds of the first and second year they reach only to the erown ; bill, an inch long, ehanne led weilge-formed at the tip, and of a dusky horn colour, S en.a le is marked nearly as the male, but wants the scarlet on the throat, which is whitish ; she is also darker under the wings and on the sides of the breast. The young of the fir t season o both sexes, in October have the cio^n ' ,," with black and deep scarlet; the scarlet on the throat mly b also observed m the young males. The principal food of these birds is insects ; and they seem ,,articular ly fond of requeutmg orchards, boring the trunks of the apple trees i„ their eager search after them. On opening them, the liver appears very large, and of a dirty gamboge cdour- Z stomach strongly muscular, and generally fiUed wUh \^1 /jS{a:1^tl|i^S^^i^Pft!R!f HAIRY WOODPECKER. 155 ments of beetles and gravel. In the morning, they are extremely active in the orchards, and rather shyer than the rest of their associates. Their cry is also different, but, though it is easily distinguishable in the woods, cannot be described by words. HAIKY WOODPECKEK. (Picus villosus.) PLATE IX.— Fio. 3. Pious villosus, Linn. St/at. i. 175, 16.— Pic chevelu de Virginie, Bvffon, vii. 7.— Pic vari^ male de Virginia, Fl. enl. 754.— Hairy Woodpecker, Catesby, i. 19, fig. 2.—Arct. Zool. ii. No. lQi.—Lath. Syn. ii. 572, 18. Id. Sup. 108.— Peale'a Museum, No. 1988. DENDROCOPUS VILLOSUS.-Sw Aimos. Picus villosus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46.— Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, 22.— Dendrocopus villosus, North. Zool. ii. p. 305. This is another of our resident birds, and, like the former, a haunter of orchards, and borer of apple trees, an eager hunter of insects, their eggs and larvss, in old stumps and old rails, in rotten b:anches and crevices of the bark ; having all the characters of the woodpecker strongly marked. In the month of May he retires with his mate to the woods, and either seeks out a branch already hollow, or cuts out an opening for him- self. In the former case, I have known his nest more than five feet distant from the mouth of the hole ; and in the latter he digs first horizontally, if in the body of the tree, six or eight inches, and then downward, obtusely, for twice that distance ; carrying up the chips with his bill, and scraping them out with his feet. They also not unfrequently choose the orchard for breeding in, and even an old stake of the fence, which they excavate for this purpose. The female lays five white eggs, and hatches in June. This species is more numerous than the last in Pennsylvania, and more domestic ; frequently approaching the farmhouse and skirts of the town. In Philadelphia I have many times observed them examining 156 HAIRY WOODPECKER. ii /(! \ old ragged trunks of the willow „„d poplar wl.ilo people were passing immediately below. Their cry is strong, sh ill and tremulous; they have also a single note, or ohucl, which' they often repeat, m an eager manner, as they hop ahout, and from Hudson's Bay to Carolina and Georgia The Imny woodpecker is nine inches long and fifteen in extent; crown, back; line over and under the eye, whit^ he back ; bind bead, scarlet, sometimes intermixed with black; nostrils, hul under remarkably thick, busby, recum- bent bans or bristles ; under the bill are certain Io„. I, ™ tl^wn forward and upward, as represented in the figure a„i al!>T •'■ " ? "'; ^'"°"'''- *"'S«'' «' "'« ^d. straight and abont an mcb and a quarter long ; touches of block prooeedmg from the lower mandible, end in a broad black stMp hat jo,„s the black on the shoulder; back, black ts'l wrl "'", '"'""' "'"""^ "'■"^- "- '«"l-« oom: po ng „ „cb „,.e i„„,e and unwebbed. resembling bairs,- whence ,ts name ; rump and shoulders of the wi^c- black- «mgs black, tipped and spotted with white, tbreo'Vows of .pots bemg visible on the secondaries, and five on the prl manes; greater wing-coverts, also spotted with white • tail as m the others, cuneiform, consisting of ten stro„rsbafW and pomted feathers, the four middle ones black Ihe ne^ part,a«y white, the two exterior ones white, tinged 'a the tp w.th a brownish burnt colour; tail-coverts, black; whole over side, pure white; legs, feet, and claws, light hue l5e la ter remarkably large and strong; inside of he mo,! iesb coloured ; tongue, pointed, beset with barbs, and cap Ue „ being p,.truded more than an inch and a half; the oXi^es m us Slices, passes on each side of the neck, ascends the than the tf f„'t ^'"^ "•""'' '""J'^'' considerably more man the left for its accommodation. The great mass „f bairs that cover the nostril appears to bo desigi:i^rprl »iW^«»!W?«?s<« HAIRY WOODPECKER. 157 tection to the front of tlie head when the bird is engaged in digging holes into the wood. The membrane which encloses the brain, in this, as in all the other species of woodpeckers, is also of extraordinary strength, no doubt to prevent any bad effects from violent concussion while the bird is employed in digging for food. The female wants the red on the hind head; and the white below is tinged with brownish. The manner of flight of these birds has been already described under a former species, as consisting of alternate risings and sinkings. The hairy woodpeckers generally utter a loud tremulous scream as they set off, and when they alight. They are hard to kill ; and, like the red-headed woodpecker, hang by the claws, even of a single foot, as long as a spark of life remains, before they drop. This species is common at Hudson's Bay, and has lately been foimd in England.* Dr Latham exarhined a pair whicli were shot near Halifax, in Yorkshire ; and, on comparing the male with one brought from North America, could perceive no difference, but in a slight interruption of the red that marked the hind head of the former ; a circumstance which I have frequently observed in our own. The two females corresponded exactly. ♦ This, I believe, is a mistake ; and although this bird is beginnin*^ to creep into our fauna in the rank of an occasional visitant, I can find no authentic trace of the hairy woodpecker being ever killed in Great Britain. It is a bird belonging to a northern climate ; and although it closely resembles a native species, it can never be mistaken, with any ordinary examination o" comparison. The halifax in Yorkshire will turn out in reality the halifax of the New World. — Ed. Ill 158 DOiVNY WOODPECKER. DOWNY WOODPECKER. {Picu, imhcscens) PLATE IX.-Fio. 4. Picus pubescen, it«n 5//.^ i. 175, \^.-GmcL Sim. i. 435.-Petit pic varie de DENDROCOPUS PUBESCENS.-BviAimoif. Picus pubescens, 5onap. 5^„op. p. 46.-Tr«^;. 5^,<. Av. Picus, No. 23 -Den- drocopus, pubescens, JVortli, Zool. ii. p. 307. This is tlie smallest of our woodpeckers * and so exactly re- sembles the former in its tints and markinss, and in almost everything except its diminutive size, that I wonder how it passed through the Count de Buffon's hands without beincr branded as a " spurious race, degenerated by the influence o'f food, climate, or some unknown cause." But thouHi it has escaped this infamy, charges of a much more heinous nature have been brought again.st it, not only by the writer above mentioned, but by the whole venerable body of zoolocrjsts in Europe, who have treated of its history, viz., tliat it is"almo8t constantly boring and digging into apple trees, and that it is the most destructive of the whole genus to the orchards. The * This species as Wilson observes, is the smallest of the American woodpeckers, an.l it ^nll fill the place in that country which is occ S in Europe and Great Britain by the Picr^s minor, orleast woodpecker imhke the latter, however, it is both abundant, and is familiar in its mannei-s. Mr Swainson,'in a note to the "Northern Zoology," thinks that several American species are confounded under tliis. « We have no doubt " b« says, " that two if not three, species of these little woodp ct^W different parts o North America, have been confounded under th con^ mon name oi puhescens." He proposes to distinguish them by the names oiBendrocopu, medianus, inhabiting the middle parts of North America chiefly different from D. puUscens in the greater portion of red on tie hind head, relative length of the quills, and shape of the tail-feathers • and Dardrocopus mendxonalis, inhabiting Georgia, less than D.puhescen and with the under plumage hair brown.— Ed. DOWNY WOODPECKER. 159 lar in its first pnrt of this charge I Blmll not pretend to deny ; how fur tlie otlier is founded in truth will appear in tlie sequel. Like the twc former species, it remains with us the whole year. About the middle of May, the male and female look out for a suitable place for the reception of their eggs and youn". An apple, pear, or cherry tree, often in the near neighbour- hood of the farmhouse, is generally fixed upon for this pur- pose. The tree is minutely reconnoitered for several days previous to the operation, and the work is first begun by the male, who cuts out a hole in the solid wood as circular as if desciibed with a pair of compasses. He is occasionally relieved by the female, both parties working with the most indefatig- able diligence. The direction of the hole, if made in the body of the tree, is generally downwards, by an angle of thirty or forty degrees, for the distance of six or eight inches, and then straight down for ten or twelve more ; within roomy, capa- cious, and as smooth as if polished by the cabinetmaker ; but the entrance is judiciously left just so large as to admit the bodies of the owners. During this labour, they regularly carry out the chips, often strewing them at a distance to prevent suspicion. This operation sometimes occupies the chief part of a week. Before she begins to laj% the female often visits the place, passes out and in, examines every part both of the exterior and interior with great attention, as every prudent tenant of a new house ought to do, and at length takes complete possession. The eggs are generally six, pure white, and laid on the smooth bottom of the cavity. The male occa- sionally supplies the female with food while she is sitting; and about the last week in June the young are perceived making their way up the tree, climbing with considerable dexterity. All this goes on with great regularity where no interruption is met with; but the house wren, who also builds in the hollow of a tree, but who is neither furnished with the necessary tools nor strength for excavating such an apartment for himself, allows the woodpeckers to go on, till he thinks it will answer his purpose, then attacks them with violence, i6o DOIVNY WOODPECKER. and gencrnlly succeeds in drivinp; them ofT. I saw some weeks ago a striking example of this, wlieie the woodpeckers we are now describing, after commencing in a cherry tree within a few 3'ards of the honse, and having made considerable progress, were turned out by the wren ; the former began again on a pear tree in the garden, fifteen or twenty yards off, whence, after digging out a most complete apartment, and one egg being laid, they were once more assaulted by the same imper- tinent intruder, and finally forced to abandon the place. The principal characteristics of this little bird are diligence, familiarity, perseverance, and a strength and eneigy in the head and muscles of the neck, which are truly astonishing. Mounted on the infected branch of an old apple tree, where insects have lodged their corroding and destructive brood in crevices between the bark and wood, he labours sometimes for half an hour incessantly at the same spot, before he has succeeded in dislodging and destroying them. At these times you may walk up pretty close to the tree, and even stand immediately below it, within five or six feet of the bird, with- out in the least embarrassing him ; the strokes of his bill are distinctly heard several hundred yards off ; and 1 have known him to be at work for two hours together on the same tree. Buffon calls this " incessant toil and slavery," — their attitude "a painful posture,"— and their life "a dull and insipid exist- ence ; " expressions improper, because untrue ; and absurd, because contradictory. The posture is that for which the whole organisation of his frame is particularly adapted ; and though, to a wren or a, humming bird, the labour would be both toil and slavery, yet to him it is, I am convinced, as pleasant and as amusing, as the sports of the chase to the hunter, or the sucking of flowers to the humming bird. The eagerness with which he traverses the upper and lower sides of the branches, the cheerfulness of his cry, and the liveliness of his motions while digging into the tree and dislodging the vermin, justify this belief. He has a single note, or chinh, which, like the former species, he frequently repeats ; and DOPyNY WOODPECKER. l6l when lie flies off, or alights on another tree, he utters a rather shriller cry, composed of nearly the same kind of note, quickly reiterated. In fall and winter, he associates with the titmouse, creeper, &c., both in their wood and orchard excursions ; and usually leads the van. Of all our woodpeckers, none rid the apple trees of so many vermin as this, digging off the moss which the negligence of the proprietor had suffered to accu- mulate, and probing every crevice. In fact, the orchard is his favourite resort in all seasons ; and his industry is unequalled, and almost incessant, which is more than can be said of any other species we have. In fall, he is particularly fbnd of boring the apple trees for insects, digging a circular hole through the bark, just sufficient to admit his bill ; after that a second, third, &c., in pretty regular horizontal circles round the body of the tree ; these parallel circles of holes are often not more than an inch or an inch and a half apart, and sometimes so close together, that I have covered eight or ten of them at once with a dollar. From nearly the surface of the ground up to the first fork, and Kometimes far beyond it, the whole bark of many apple trees is perforated in this manner, so as to appear as if made by succes- sive discharges of buckshot ; and our little woodpecker, the subject of the present account, is the principal perpetrator of this supposed mischief, — I say, supposed ; for so far from these perforations of the bark being ruinous, they are not only harmless, but, I have good reason to believe, really beneficial to the health and fertility of the tree. I leave it to the philo- sophical botanist to account for this ; but the fact I am con- fident of. In more than fifty orchards which I have myself carefully examined, those trees which were marked by the woodpecker (for some trees they never touch, perhaps because not penetrated by insects) were uniformly the most thriving, and seemingly the most prodiictive : many of these were up- wards of sixty years old, their trunks completely covered with holes, while the branches were broad, luxuriant, and loaded with fruit. Of decayed trees, more than three-fourths were untouched by the woodpecker. Several intelligent farmers, VOL. I. L 1 63 DOWNY WOODPECKER. with wliom I have conversed, candidly acknowledge the truth of these observations, and with justice look U{)on these birds as b meficial ; but the most common opinion is, that they bore the trees to suck the sap, and so destroy Us vegetation ; though pine and other resinous trees, on the juices of which it is not pretended they feed, are often found equally perforated. Were the sap of the tree their object, the saccharine juice of the birch, the sugar-maple, and several others, would be much more inviting, because more sweet and nourishing, than that of either the pear or apple tree ; but I have not observed one mark on the former for ten thousand that may be seen on the latter ; besides, the early part of spring is the season when the eap flows most abundantly ; whereas it is only during the months of September, October, and November, that wood- peckers are seen so indefatigably engaged in orchards, prob- ing every crack and crevice, boring through the bark, and, what is worth remarking, chiefly on the south and southwest sides of the tree, for the eggs and larvae deposited there by the countless swarms of summer insects. These, if suffered to remain, would prey upon the very vitals, if I may so express it, of the tree, and in the succeeding summer give birth to myriads more of their race, equally destructive. Here, then, is a whole species, I may say, genus, of birds, which Providence seems to have formed for the protection of our fruit and forest trees from the ravages of vermin, which every day destroy millions of those noxious insects that would otherwise blast the hopes of the husbandman, and which even promote the fertility of the tree ; and, in return, are proscribed by those who ought to have been their protectors, and incite- ments and rewards held out for their destruction I Let us examine better into the operations of nature, and many of our mistaken opinions and groundless prejudices will be abandoned for more just, enlarged, and humane modes of thinking. The length of the downy woodpecker is six inches and three quarters, and its extent twelve inches ; crown, black ; hind head, deep scarlet ; stripe over the eye, white ; nostrils, thickly ^of the 3 much lan that ved one I on the hen the ing the t wood- rt, prob- rk, and, uthwest B by the iered to express )irth to f birds, ction of , which t would ch even )scribed 1 incite- Let us 1^ of our indoned r 5' id three :; hind thickly hjitir.nnl t'lW.li.Lt'.ir^ "% MOCKING BIRD. 163 covered with recumbent hairs, or small feathers, of a cream colour; these, as in the preceding species, are tljick and bushy, as if designed to preserve the forehead from injury during the violent action of digging; the back is black, and divided by a lateral strip of white, loose, downy, unwebbed feathers ; wings, black, spotted with white ; tail-coverts, rump, and four middle feathers of the tail, black ; the other three on each side, white, crossed with touches of black ; whole under parts, as well as the sides of the neck, white; the latter marked with a streak of black, proceeding from the lower mandible, exactly as in the hairy woodpecker ; legs and feet, bluish green ; claws, light blue, tipt with black ; tongue formed like that of the preceding species, horny towards the tip, where, for one-eighth of an inch, it is barbed ; bill, of a bluish horn colour, grooved, and wedge-formed, like most of the genus ; eye, dark hazel. The female wants the red on the hind head, having that part white ; and the breast and belly are of a dirly white. This, and the two former species, are generally denominated Sap-suckers. They have also several other provincial appella- tions, equally absurd, which it may, perhaps, be more proper to suppress t'.an to sanction by repeating. MOCKING BIRD. {Turdus polyghttus) PLATE X.--FIG. 1. Mimic Thrush, Lath. Syn. iii. p. 40, No. i2.—Arct. Zool ii. No. 194.— Turdus polyglottuB, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 293, No. 10. —Le grand moqueur, BHss. (h-n. ii. p. 266, 29.— JB«/. Ois. iii. p. 325. PL enl. 558, fig. l.-Singing Bird, Mock- ing Bird, or Nightingale, Raii Syn. p. 64, No. 5, p. 185, 31.— Sloan. Jam. ii. 306, No. 34.— The Mock Bird, Cate^by, Car. i. pi. 27.— Peak's Museum, No. 5288 OltPHEUS POLYOLOTTUS.—BvfAimos. Turdus polyglottoB, Bonap. Synop. p. 74. The Mockiug Bird, Aud. pi. xxi. Orn. Biog. 108. This celebrated and very extraordinary bird, in extent and variety of vocal powers, stands unrivalled by the whole 164 MOCKING BIRD. feathered songsters of this or perhaps any other country ; and shall receive from us, in this place, all that attention and respect which superior merit is justly entitled to. Among the many novelties which the discovery of this part of the western continent first brought into notice, we may reckon that of the mocking bird ; which is not only peculiar to the New World, but inhabits a v^ry considerable extent of both North and South America ; having been traced from the States of New England to Brazil, and also among many of the adjacent islands. They are, however, much more numerous in those States south, than in those north, of the river Delaware ; being generally migratory in the latter, and resident (at least many of them) in the former. A warm climate and low country, not far from the sea, seems most congenial to their nature ; accordingly, we find the species less.numerous to the west than east of the great range of the Alleghany, in the same parallels of latitude. In the severe winter of 1808-9, I found these birds, occasionally, from Fre- dericksburg, in Virginia, to the southern parts of Georgia ; becoming still more numerous the farther I advanced to the south. The berries of the red cedar, myrtle, holly, cassine shrub, many species of smilax, together with gum berries, gall berries, and a profusion of others with which the luxuriant swampy thickets of those regions abound, furnish them with a perpetual feaet. Winged insects, also, of which they are very fond, and remarkably expert at catching, abound there even in winter, and are an additional inducement to residency. Though rather a shy bird in the northern States, here he appeared almost half-domesticated, feeding on the cedars, and among the thickets of smilax that lined the roads, while I passed within a few feet; playing aroimd the planter's door, and hopping along the shingles. During the month of February, I sometimes heard a solitary one singing ; but on the 2d of March, in the neighbourhood of Savannah, numbers of them were heard on every hand, vieing in song with each other, and with the brown thrush, making the whole woods B \ MOCKING BIRD. 165 vocal with their melody. Spring was at that lime considerably advanced ; and the thermometer ranging between 70 and 78 degrees. On arriving at New York, on the 22d of the same month, I found many parts of the country still covered with snow, and the streets piled with ice to the height of two feet ; while neither the brown thrush nor mocking bird were observed, even in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, until the 20th of April. The precise time at which the mocking bird begins to build his nest varies according to the latitude in which he resides. In the lower parts of Georgia, he commences build- ing early in April; but in Pennsylvania, rarely before the lOLh of May; and in New York and the States of New England, still later. There are particular situations to which he gives the preference. A solitary thorn bush, an almost impenetrable thicket, an orange tree, cedar, or holly bush, are favourite spots, and frequently selected. It is no great objection with him that these happen, sometimes, to be near the farm or mansion-house : always ready to defend, but never over-anxious to conceal, his nest, he very often builds within a small distance of the house ; and not unfrequently in a pear or apple tree; rarely at a greater height than six or seven feet from the ground. The nest varies a little with different individuals, according to the conveniency of collecting suitable materials. A very complete one is now lying before me, and is composed of the following substances : First, a quantity of dry twigs and sticks, then withered tops of weeds of the preceding year, intermixed with fine straws, hay, pieces of wool and tow ; and, lastly, a thick layer of fine fibrous roots, of a light brown colour, lines the whole. The eggs, one of which is represented at fig. 2, are four, sometimes five, of a cinereous blue, marked with large blotches of brown. The female sits fourteen days ; and generally produces two broods in the season, unless robbed of her eggs, in which case she will even build and lay the third time. She is, however, extremely jealous of her nest, and very apt to forsake it i66 MOCKING BIRD. if much disturbed. It is even asserted by some of our bird dealers, that the old ones will actually destroy the eggs, and poison the young, if either the one or the other have been handled. But I cannot give credit to this unnatural report. I know, from my own experience, at least, that it is not always their practice ; neither have I ever witnessed a case of the kind above mentioned. During the period of incuba- tion, neither cat, dog, animal, nor man, can approach the nest without being attacked. The cats, in particular, are I)ersecuted whenever they make their appearance, till obliged to retreat. But his whole vengeance is most particularly directed against that mortal enemy of his eggs and young, the black snake. Whenever the insidious approaches of this reptile are discovered, the male darts upon it with the rapidity of an arrow, dexterously eluding its bite, and striking it violently and incessantly about the head, where it is very vulnerable. The snake soon becomes sensible of its danger, and seeks to escape ; but the intrepid defender of his young redoubles his exertions, and, unless his antagonist be of great magnitude, often succeeds in destroying him. All its pretended powers of fascination avail it nothing against the vengeance of this noble bird. As the snake's strength begins to flag, the mocking bird seizes and lifts it up partly from the ground, beating it with his wings ; and when the business is completed, he returns to the repository of his young, mounts the summit of the bush, and pours out a torrent of song in token of victory. As it is of some consequence to be able to distinguish a ycmg male bird from a female, the following marks may be attended to, by which some pretend to be able to distinguish them in less than a week after they are hatched. These are, the breadth and purity of the white on the wings, for that on the tail is not so much to be depended on. This white, in a full-grown male bird, spreads over the whole nine primaries, down to, and considerably below, their coverts, which are also white, sometimes slightly tipt with brown. The white of the MOCKING BIRD. 1^7 primaries also extends equally far on both vanes of the feathers. In the female the white is less pure, spreads over only seven or eight of the primaries, does not descend so far, and extends considerably farther down on the broad than on the narrow side of the feathers. The black is also more of a brownish cast. The young birds, if intended for the cage, ought not to be left till they are nearly ready to fly, but should be taken rather young than otherwise; and may be fed, every half hour, with milk thickened with Indian-lneal ; mixing occa- sionally with it a little fresh meat, cut or minced very fine. After they begin to eat of their own accord, they ought still to be fed by hand, though at longer intervals, and a few cherries, strawberries, &c., now and then thrown into them. The same sort of food, adding grasshoppers and fruit, par- ticularly the various kinds of berries in which they delight, and plenty of clear fine gravel, is found very proper for them after they are grown up. Should the bird at any time appear sick or dejected, a few spiders thrown into him will generally remove these symptoms of disease. If the young bird is designed to be taught by an old one, the best singer should be selected for this office, and no other allowed to be beside him. Or if by the bird-organ or mouth-whistling, it shoulr'. be begun early, and continued, pretty constantly, by the same person, until the scholar, who is seldom inattentive, has completely acquired his lesson. The best singing birds, however, in my own opinion, are those that have been reared in the country, and educated under the tuition of the feathered choristers of the surround- ing fields, groves, woods, and meadows. The plumage of the mocking bird, though none of the homeliest, has nothing gaudy or brilliant in it ; and had he nothing else to recommend him, would scarcely entitle him to notice ; but h'> dgure is well proportioned, and even hand- some. The ea; '»'ygauce, and rapidity of his movements, the animation oi 4iu eye, and the intelligence he displays in i68 MOCKING BIRD. ■ %'■ listening and laying up lessons from almost every species of the feathered creation within his hearing, are really surpris- ing, and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To these qualities we may add that of a voice full, strong, and musical, and capahle of almost every modulation, from the clear mellow toneij of the wood thrush to the savage scream of the bald eagle. In measure and accent, he faithfully follows his originals; in force and sweetness of expression, he greatly improves upon them. In his native groves, mounted on the top of a tall bush or half-grown tree, in the dawn of dewy morning, while the woods are already vocal with a multitude of warblers, his admirable song rises pre-eminent over every competitor. The ear can listen to Im music alone, to which that of all the others seems a mere accompaniment. Neither is this strain altogether imitative. His own native notes, wliich are easily distinguishable by such as are well acquainted with those Of our various song birds, are bold and full, and varied seemingly beyond all limits. They consist of short expressions of two, three, or, at the most, five or six syllables ; generally interspersed with imitations, and all of them uttered with great emphasis and rapidity ; and continued, with undi- minished ardour, for half an hour or an hour at a time. His expanded wings and tail glistening with white, and the buoyant gaiety of his action arresting the eye, as his song most irresistibly does the ear, he sweeps round with enthusi- astic ecstasy — he mounts and descends as his song swells or dies away ; and, as my friend Mr Bartram has beautifully expressed it, " He bounds aloft with the celerity of an arrow, as if to recover or recall his very soul, expired in the last elevated strain." * While thus exerting himself, a bystander destitute of sight would suppose that the whole feathered tribes had assembled together on a trial of skill, each striving to produce his utmost effect ; so perfect are his imitations. He many times deceives the sportsman, and sends him in search of birds that perhaps are not within • Travels, p. 32, Introd. I^i MOCKING BIRD. igg miles of him, but whose notes he exactly imitates: even birds themselves are frequently imposed on by this admir- able mimic, and are decoyed by the fancied calls of their mates, or dive with precipitation into the depth of thickets, at the scream of what they suppose to be the sparrow hawk. The mocking bird loses little of the power and energy of his song by confinement. In his domesticated state, when he commences his career of song, it is impossible to stand by uninterested. He whistles for the dog, — Caesar starts up, wags his tail, and runs to meet his master. He squeaks out like a hurt chicken, — and the hen hurries about with hanging wings, and bristled feathers, clucking to protect its injured brood. The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, the creaking of a passing wheelbarrow, follow with great truth and rapidity. He repeats the tune taught him by his master, though of considerable length, fully and faithfully. He runs over the quiverings of the canary, and the clear whist- lings of the Virginia nightingale, or red bird, with such superior execution and effect, that the mortified songsters feel their own inferiority, and become altogether silent; while he seems to triumph in their defeat by redoubling his exer- tions. This excessive fondness for variety, however, in the opinion of some, injures his song. His elevated imitations of the brown thrush are frequently interrupted by the crowing of cocks ; and the warblings of the blue bird, which he ex- quisitely manages, are mingled with the screaming of swallows or the cackling of hens; amidst the simple melody of the robin, we are suddenly surprised by the shrill reiterations of the whip-poor-will; while the notes of the killdeer, blue jay, martin, baltimore, and twenty others, succeed, with such imposing reality, that we look round for the originals, and discover, with astonishment, that the sole performer iu this singular concert is the admirable bird now before us. During this exhibition of his powers, he spreads his wings, expands % 170 MOCKING BIRD. his tail, and throws himself around the ca^e in all tho ecstasy of enthusiasm, seeming not only to sing, hut to dance, keeping time to the measure of his own music. Both in his native and domesticated state, during the solemn stillness of night, as soon as the moon rises in silent majesty, he begins^'liis delightful solo, and serenades us the livelong night with a full display of his vocal powers, making the whole neighbour- hood ring with his inimitable medley.* Were it not to seem invidious in the eyes of foreigners, I might in this place, make a comparative statement between the powers of the mocking bird and the only bird, I believe, in the world, woithy of being compared with him,— the European nightingale. This, however, I am unable to do from my own observation, having never myself heard the song of the latter; and, even if I had, perhaps something might be laid to the score of partiality, which, as a faithful biographer, I am anxious to avoid. I shall, therefore, present the reader with the opinion of a distinguished English naturalist and curious observer on this subject, the Honourable Daines Barrington, who, at the time he made the communication, was Vice-president of the Royal Society, to which it was addressed.f " It may not be improper here," says this gentleman, " to • The hunters in the southern States, when setting out upon an excursion by night, as soon as they hear the mocking bird bcin to sing, know that the moon is rising. ° A certain anonymous author, speaking of the mocking birds in the island of Jamaica, and their practice of singing by moonlight, thus gravely philosophises, and attempts to account for the habit " It is not certain," says he, "whether they are kept so wakeful by the clear- ness of the light, or by any extraordinary attention and vigilance at such times, for the protection of their nursery from the piratical assaults of the owl and the night hawk. It is possible that fear may operate upon them, much in the same manner as it has been observed to affect some cowardly persons, who whistle stoutly in a lonesome place while their mind is agitated with the terror of thieves or hobc^oblins "' — iTw^orj/ o/./aTOatca, vol. iii. p. 894, 4to. " t Philosophical Transactions, vol. Ixii. part ii. p. 284. MOCKING BIRD. 171 consider whether the nightingale may not have a very for- midable competitor in the American mocking bird, though almost all travellers agree that the concert in the European woods is superior to that of the other parts of the globe." " I have happened, however, to hear the American mocking bird, in great perfection, at Messrs Vogels and Scotts, in Love Lane, Eastcheap. This bird is believed to be still living, and hath been in England these six years. During the space of a minute, he imitated the woodlark, chaffinch, blackbird, thrush, and sparrow ; I was told also that he would bark like a dog ; 80 that the bird seems to have no choice in his imitations, though his pipe comes near«>8t to our nightingale of any bird I have yet met with. With regard to the original notes, however, of this bird, we are still at a loss, as this can only be known by those who are accurately acquainted with the song of the other American birds. Kalm indeed infoims us, that the natural song is excellent;* but this traveller seems not to have been long enough in America to have dis- tinguished what were the genuine notes : with us, mimics do not often succeed but in imitations. 1 have little doubt, however, but that this bird would be fully equal to the song of the nightingale in its whole compass ; but then, from the attention which the mocker pays to any other sort of dis- agreeable noise, these capital notes would be always debased by a bad mixture." On this extract I shall make a few remarks. If, as is here conceded, the mocking bird be fully equal to the song of the nightingale, and, as I can with confidence add, not only to that, but to the song of almost every other bird, besides being capable of exactly imitating various other sounds and voices of animals, — his vocal powers are unquestionably superior to those of the nightingale, which possesses its own native notes alone. Further, if we consider, as is asserted by Mr Barrington, that " one reason of the nightingale's being more Travels, vol. i. p. 219. 172 MOCKING BIRD. attended to than others is, that it sings iu the night ; " and if we believe, with Shakespeare, tliat — The nightingale, if she should sing by day When every goose is cackling, would be thought No better a muaician than a wren, what mtist wo think of that bird who, in the glare of day, when a multitude of songsters are straining their throats in melody, overpowers all competition, and, by the superiority of his voice, expression, and action, not only attracts every ear, but frequently strikes dumb his mortified rivals ; when the silence of night, as well as the bustle of day, bear witness to his melody; and when, even in captivity, in a foreign cotmtry, he is declared, by the best judges in that country, to be fully equal to the song of their sweetest bird in its lohole compass? The supposed degradation of his song by the introduction of extraneous sounds and unexpected imitations, is, in fact, one of the chief excellences of this bird ; as these changes give a perpetual novelty to his strain, keep attention constantly awake, and impress every hearer with a deeper interest in what is to follow. In short, if we believe in the truth of that mathematical axiom, that the whole is greater than a part, all that is excellent or delightful, amusing or striking, in the music of birds, nmst belong to that admirable songster whose vocal powers are equal to the whole compass of their whole strains. The native notes of the mocking bird have a considerable resemblance to those of the brown thrush, but may easily be distinguished, by their greater rapidity, sweetness, energy of expression, and variety. Both, liowever, have, in many paits of the United States, particularly in those to the south, ob- tained the name of mocking bird ; the first, or brown thrush, from its inferiority of song, being called ♦'"e French, and the other the English mocking bird, — a mode of expression probably originating in the prejudices of our forefathers, MOCKING BIRD. ,-, with whom evcrythitjg 'French was inferior to everythinj? English* . The mocking bird is frequently taken in trap-cages, and, by proper nianagement, may be made sufHciently tame to sing. The upper parts of the cage (which ought to be of wood) should be kept covered, until the bird becomes a little more reconciled to confinement. If placed in a wire cage, uncovered, he will soon destroy himself in attempting to get out. These birds, however, by proper treatment, may be brought to sino- perhaps superior to those raised by hand, and cost less trouble. The opinion which the naturalists of Europe entertain of the great difficulty of raising the mocking bird, and that not one in ten survives, is very incorrect. A person called on me a few days ago with twenty-nine of these birds, old and young, which he had carried about the fields with him for several days, for the convenience of feeding them while enga«>-ed in trapping others. He had carried them thirty miles, and intended carrying them ninety-six miles farther, viz., to New York ; and told me, that he did not expect to lose one out of ten of them. Cleanliness, and regularity in feeding, are the two principal things to be attended to; and these rarely fail to succeed. The eagerness with which the nest of the mocking bird is sought after in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, has rendered this bird extiemely scarce for an extent of several miles round the city. In the country round Wilmington and Newcastle, they are very numerous, from whence they are frequently brought here for sale. The usual i)rice of a singing bird is from seven to fifteen, and even twenty dollars. I have known fifty dollars paid for a remarkably fine singer, and one instance where one hundred dollars were refused for a still more ex- traordinaiy one. ♦ The observations of Mr Barrington, in the paper above referred to, make this supposition still more probable. " Some nightingales," says he, " are so vastly inferior, that the bird-catchers will not keep them, branding them with the name of Frenchmen."— P. 283. 174 MOCKING BIRD. Attempts liave been madu to induce these cliarmiug birds to pair, and roar tlieir yonnjjf in a state of confinement, and the result has been sucli as to prove it, by proper manafijement, ])erfeclly practicable. In the sprinjij of 1808, a Mr Klein, living in North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, partitioned off about twelve feet square in the third story of his house. This was lighted by a pretty large wire-grated window. In the centre of this small room he planted a cedar bush, five or six feet high, in a box of earth, and scattered about a sufficient quantity of materials suitable for building. Into this place, a male and female mocking bird were put, and soon began to build. The female laid five eggs, all of which she hatched, and fed the young with great affection until they were nearly able to fly. Business calling the proprietor from home for two weeks, he left the birds to the care of his domestics ; and on his return, found, to his great regret, that they bad been neglected in food. The young ones were all dead, and the parents themselves nearly famished. The same pair have again commenced building this season, in the same place, and have at this time, July 4, 1809, three young, likely to do well. The place might be fitted up with various kinds of shrubbery, so as to resemble their native thickets ; and ought to be as remote from noise and interruption of company as possible, and strangers rarely allowed to disturb, or even approach them. The mocking bird is nine and a half inches long, and thirteen in breadth. Some individuals are, however, larger, and some smaller, those of the first hatch being uniformly the biggest and stoutest.* The upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are a dark brownish ash, and wL ' , now raoulted, a fine light grey ; the wings and tail are nf .irlN \u ' the firtr ♦ Many people are of opinion that there are two sorts, the large and the small mocking bird ; but, after examining great numbers of these birds in various regions of the United States, I am satisfied that this variation of size is merely accidental, or owing to the circumstance R^>.)V»3 mentioned. J. ■ t' MOCKING BIRD. 175 and (I rows of coverts tipt with white ; th second iu»*o ut uuveibH \i\\i\, wiiu Willie; me pntnary covert in some males, are wholly white, in others, tinged with brown. Tlie three first primaries are white from their roots as far as their coverts; the white on the next six extends from an inch to one and three-fourths farther down, descending equally on both sides of the feather ; the tail is cuneiform, the two exterior feathers wholly white, the rest, except the middle ones, tipt with white ; the chin is white ; sides of the neck, breast, belly, and vent, a brownish white, much purer in wild birds than in those that have been domesticated ; iris of the eye, yellowish cream coloured, inclining to golden ; bill, black, the base of the lower mandible, whitish; legs and feet, black, and strong. The female very much resembles the male ; what difference there is, has been already pointed out in a preceding part of this account. The breast of the young bird is spotte' like that of the thrush.* Mr William Bartram observes of the mocking bird, that " formerly, say thirty or forty years ago, they were numerous, and often stayed all winter with us, or the year through, feed- ing on the berries of ivy, smilax, grapes, persimmons, and other berries. The ivy {Hedera helix) they were particularly fond of, though a native of Europe. We have an ancient plant adhering to the wall of the house, covering many yards of surface; this vine is Tery fruitful, and here many would feed and lodge during the winter, and, in very severe cold weather, sit on the top of the chimney to warm themselves." He also adds, " I have observed that the mocking bird ejects • A bird is described in the "Northern Zoology" as the varied thrush of Pennant, the Turdus naevius of Latliam, which will rank as an addition to the North American species of this genus, and has been named by Mr Swainson 0. meruloides, thrush-like mocking bird. Mr Swainson has changed the name of Latham, to give it one expressive of its form, as he considers the structure intermediate between Orpheiis and Turdus, though leaning most to the former. According to Dr Richardson, it was discovered by Captain Cook at Nootka Sound, and described by Latham from these speci- mens.— Ed. iiil K H 170 HUMMING BIRD. from his stomach through his mouth the hard kernels of berries, such as smilax, grapes, &c., retaining the pulpy part." * HUMMING BIED.f {TrocUlus colubris) PLATE X.— Fiaa. 3 and 4. Trochilus colubris, Linn. Syst. i. p. 191, No. 12. — L'Oiseau mouche d, gorge rouge de la Caroline, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 716, No. 1.3, t. 36, fig. 6.— Le Kubis, Buff. Oia. vi. p. 13.— Humming Bird, Catesb. Car. i. 65. —Red-throated Humming Bird, Edv). \ 38, male and iemaHe.—Lath. Syn. ii. 769, No. 35.—Peale't Museum, No. 2520. TROCHILUS COLUBRIS.— LlHT^xvs. Trochilus colubris, Bonap. Synop. p. 98.— The Ruby -throated Humming Bird, And. pi. xlvii. Orn. Biog. i. 248. — Trochilus colubris. Northern Humming Bird, North. Zool. ii. p. 323. Nature, in every department of her work, seems to delight in variety ; and the present subject of our history is almost as * Letter from Mr Bartram to the author. t The " fairy humming birds," " the jewels of ornithology," Least of the winged vagrants of the sky, though amply dispersed over the southern continent of the New "World, from their delicate and slender structure, being unable to bear the severities of a hardier climate, are, with two exceptions, withdrawn from its northern parts ; and it is with wonder that we see creatures of such tiny dimensions occasionally daring to brave even the snows and frosts of a northern latitude. The present species, though sometimes exceeding its appointed time, is obliged to seek warmer abodes during winter ; and it is another subject for astonishment and reflection how they are enabled to perform a lengthened migration, where the slightest gale would waft them far from their proper course. Mr Audubon is of opinion, that they migrate during the night, passing through the air in long undulations, raising themselves for some distance at an angle of about 40°, and then falling in a curve ; but he adds, that the smallness of their size precludes the possibility of following them farther than fifty or sixty yards, even with a good glass. The humming birds, or what are generally known by the genus Trochilus of Linnceus, have been, through the researches of late travellers and naturalists, vastly increased iu their numbers ; they form a_ large and closely- couuected group, but show a considerable HUMMING BIRD. 177 singular for its minuteness, beauty, want of song, and manner of feeding as the preceding is for unrivalled excellence of notes and plainness of plumage. Though this interesting and beautiful genus of birds comprehends upwards of seventy species, all of which, with a very few exceptions, are natives of Ameiica and its adjacent islands, it is yet singular that the species now before us should be the only one of its tribe that ever visits the territory of the United States. According to the observations of my friend Mr Abbot, of Savannah, in Georgia, who has been engaged these thirty years in collecting and drawing subjects of natural history in that part of the country, the humming bird makes its first appearance there, from the sou*^^h, about the 23d of March ; two weeks earlier than it does in the county of Burke, sixty miles higher up the country towards the interior ; and at least five weeks sooner than it reaches this part of Pennsylvania. As it passes on to the northward, as far as the interior of Canada, where it is seen in great numbers,* the wonder is excited how so feebly constructed and delicate a little creature can make its way over such extensive regions of lakes and variety of form and character, and have been divided into different genera. They may be said to be strictly confined to the New World, with her islands ; and although other countries possess many splen- did and closely allied forms, "with gemmed frontlets and necks of verdant gold," which have been by some included, none we consider can properly range with any of those found in this division of the world. In India and the Asiatic continent, they may be represented by CcBreba, &c. ; in Africa, by JVedarinia and Cyniris ; and in Australia and in the Southern Pacific, by Meliphaga, Myrzomela, &c. Europe possesses no direct prototype. The second northern species alluded to was discovered by Captain Cook in Nootka Sound, and first described by Dr Latham as the rufi"- necked humming bird. Mr Swainson introduces it in the " Northern Zoology," under his genus Selasphorus. It ranges southwards to Real del Monte on the tableland of Mexico. — Ed. * Mr M'Kenzie speaks of seeing a " beautiful humming bird" near the head of the Unjigah, or Peace River, in lat. 54° ; but has not par- ticularised the species. VOL. I. U ■v fll 178 HUMMING BIRD. forests, among so many enemies, all its superiors in strength and magnitude. But its very minuteness, the rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, and that admirable instinct, reason, or whatever else it may be called, and daring courage, which Heaven has implanted in its bosom, are its guides and protectors. In these we may also perceive the reason why an all-wise Providence has made this little hero an exception to a rule which prevails almost universally through nature, viz., that the smalk^t species ol" a tribe are the most prolific. The eagle lays one, sometimes two, eggs ; the crow, five ; the tit- mouse, seven or eight ; the small European wren, fifteen ; the humming bird, two : and yet this latter is abundantly more numerous in America than the wren is in Europe. About the 25th of April, the humming bird usually arrives in Pennsylvania, and about the 10th of May begins to build its nest. This is generally fixed on the upper side of a hori- zontal branch, not among the twigs, but on the body of the branch itself. Yet I have known instances where it was attached by the side to an old moss-grown trunk, and others where it was fastened on a strong rank stalk, or weed, in the garden ; but these cases are rare. In the woods, it very often chooses a white oak sapling to build on ; and in the orchard or garden, selects a pear tree for that purpose. The branch is seldom more than ten feet from the ground. The nest is about an inch in diameter, and as much in depth. A very complete one is now lying before me, and the materials of which it is composed are as follows : — The outward coat is formed of small pieces of a species of bluish gray lichen that vegetates on old trees and fences, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, giving firmness and consistency to the whole, as well as keeping out moisture. Within this are thick matted layers of the fine wings of certain flying seeds, closely laid together; and, lastly, the downy substance from the great mullein, and from the stalks of the common fern, lines the whole. The base of the nest is continued round the stem of the branch, to which it closely adheres; and, when viewed HUMMING BIRD. 179 from below, appears a mere mossy knot or accidental protn- berance. The eggs are two, pure white, and of equal thickness at both ends. The nest and eggs in the plate were copied with great precision, and by actual measurement, from one just taken m from the woods. On a person's approaching their nest, the little proprietors dart around with a humming sound passmg frequently within a few inches of one's head ; and' should the young be newly hatched, the female will resume her place on the nest even while you stand within a yard or two of the spot. The precise period of incubation I am unable to give; but the young are in the habit, a short time before they leave the nest, of thrusting their bills into the mouths of their parents, and sucking what they have brought them. I never could perceive that they carried them any animal food ; though, from circumstances that will presently be mentioned' I think it highly probable they do. As I have found their nests with eggs so late as the 12th of July, I do not doubt but that they frequently, and perhaps usually, raise two broods in the same season. The humming bird is extremely fond of tubular flowers, and I have often stopped, with pleasure, to observe his manoeuvres among the blossoms of the trumpet flower. When arrived before a thicket of these that are full blown, he poises, or suspends himself on wing, for the space of two or three seconds, so steadily, that his wings become invisible, or only like a mist,' and you can plainly distinguish the pupil of his eye looking roimd with great quickness and circumspection ; the glossy golden green of his back, and the fire of his throat, dazzling in the sun, form altogether a most interesting appeaiance! The position into which his body is usually thrown while in the act of thrusting his slender tubular tongue into the flower to extract its sweets, is exhibited in the figure on the plate. When he alights, which is frequently, he always prefers the small dead twigs of a tree or bush, where he dresses and arranges his plumage with great dexterity. His only note is a single chirp, not louder than that of a small cricket or grass- • ii i8o HUMMING BIRD. liopper, genernlly uttered while passing from flower to flower, or when engaged in fight with his fellows ; for, when two males meet at the same bush or flower, a battle instantly takes place ; and the combatants ascend in the air, chirping, darting and circling around each other, till the eye is no longer able to follow them. The conqueror, however, gener- ally returns to the place to reap the fruits of his victory. I have seen him attack, and for a few moments teaze, the king bird ; and have also seen him, in his turn, assaulted by a humble bee, which he soon put to flight. He is one of those few birds that are universally beloved ; and amidst the sweet dewy serenity of a summer's morning, his appearance among the arbours of honeysuckles and beds of flowers is truly interesting. When the morning dawns, and the blest sun again Lifts his red glories from the eastern main, Then through our woodbines, wet with glittering dews. The flower-fed humming bird his round pursues ; Sips, with inserted tube, the honeyed blooms. And chirps his gratitude as round he roams ; While richest roses, though in crimson drest, Shrink from the splendour of his gorgeous breast. , What heavenly tints in mingling radiance fly ! Each rapid movement gives a difierent dye ; Like scales of burnished gold they dazzling show, Now sink to shade — now like a furnace glow ! \ V. The singularity of this little bird has induced many persons to attempt to raise them from the nest, and accustom them to the cage. Mr Coffer, of Fairfax county, Virginia, a gentleman who has paid great attention to the manners and peculiarities of our native birds, told me that he raised and kept two for some months in a cage, supplying them with honey dissolved in water, on which they readily fed. As the sweetness of the liquid frequently brought small flies and gnats about the cage and cup, the birds amused themselves by snapping at them on wing, and swallowing them with eagerness, ho that these insects formed no inconsiderable part of their food. Mr HUMMING BIRD. iSi Charles Wilson Peale, proprietor of the museum, tells me that he had two young humming birds, which he raised from the nest. Tiiey used to fly about the room ; and would fre- quently perch on Mrs Peale's shoulder to be fed. When the sun shone strongly in the chamber, he has observed thera darting after the motes that floated in the light, as flycatchers would after flies. In the summer of 1803, a nest of young humming birds was brought me, that were nearly fit to fly. One of them actually flew out by the window the same evening, and, falling against a wall, was killed. The other refused food, and the next morning I could but just perceive that it had life. A lady in the house undertook to be its nurse, placed it in her bosom, and, as it began to revive, dissolved a little sugar in her mouth, into which she thrust its bill, and it sucked with great avidity. In this manner it was brought up until fit for the cage. I kept it upwards of three months, supplied it with loaf-sugar dissolved in water, which it preferred to honey and water, gave it fresh flowers every morning sprinkled with the liquid, and surrounded the space in which I kept it with gauze, that it might not injure itself. It appeared gay, active, and full of spirit, hovering from flower to flower as if in its native wilds, and always expressed by its motions and chirping, great pleasure at seeing fresh flowers introduced to its cage. Numbers of people visited it from motives of curiosity ; and I took every precaution to preserve it, if possible, through the winter. Unfortunately, however, by some means it got at large, and flying about the room, so injured itself that it soon after died. This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and, if long deprived of the animating influence of the sunbeams, droops and soon dies. A very beautiful male was brought me this season (1809), which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a retired shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for some time, the weather being uncommonly cool, it clung by the wires, and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. No motion whatever of the lungs could be per- r » 182 HUMMING BIRD. ceived, on the closest inspection, though, at other times, this is remarkably observable; the eyes were shut, and, when touched by the finger, it gave no signs of life or motion. I carried it out to the open air, and placed it directly in the rays of the sun, in a sheltered situation. In a few seconds, respiration became very apparent; the bird breathed faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about, with as much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely recovered, I restored it to liberty: and it flew off to the withered top of a pear tree, wliere it sat for some time dressing its disordered plumage, and then shot off like a meteor. The flight of the humming bird, from flower to flower, greatly resembles that of a bee ; but is so much more rapid] that the latter appears a mere loiterer to him. Ho poises himself on wing, while he thrusts his long, slender, tubular tongue into the flowers in search of food. He sometimes enters a room by the window, examines the bouquets of flowers, and passes out by the opposite door or window. He has been known to take refuge in a hothouse during the cool nights of autumn, to go regularly out in the morning, and to return as regularly in the evening, for several days together. The humming bird has hitherto been supposed to subsist altogether on the honey, or liquid sweets, which it extracts from flowers. One or two curious observers have indeed remarked, that they have found evident fragments of insects in the stomach of this species ; but these have been generally believed to have been taken in by accident. The few opportunities which Europeans have to determine this point by observations made on the living bird, or by dissection of the newly killed one, have rendered this mistaken opinion almost general in Europe. For myself, I can speak decisively on this subject. I have seen the humming bird, for half an hour at a time, darting at those little groups of insects that dance in the air in a fine summer evening, retiring to an adjoining twig to rest, and renewing the attack with a dexterity that sets all our other flycatchers at defiance. I ) return as HUMMING BIRD. 183 have opened, from time to time, great numbers of these birds ; have examined the contents of the stomach with suitable glanses, and, in three cases out of four, have found these to consist of broken fragments of insects. In many subjects, entire insects of the coleopterous class, but very small, were found unbroken. The observations of Mr Coffer, as detailed above, and the remarks of my worthy friend Mr Peale, are corroborative of these facts. It is well known that the humming bird is particularly fond of tubular flowers, where numerous small insects of this kind resort to feed on the farina, &c. ; and there is every reason for believing that he is as often in search of these insects as of honey ; and that the former compose at least as great a portion of his usual sustenance as the latter. If this food be so necessary for the parents, there is no doubt but the young also occasionally partake of it. To enumerate all the flowers of which this little bird is fond, would be to repeat the names of half our American flora. From the blossoms of the towering poplar or tulip tree, through a thousand intermediate flowers, to those of the humble larkspur, he ranges at will^ and almost incessantly. Every period of the season produces a fresh multitude of new favourites. Towards the month of September, there is a yellow flower which grows in great luxuriance along the sides of creeks and riveis, and in low moist situations ; it grows to the height of two or three feet, and the flower, which is about the size of a thimble, hangs in the shape of a cap of liberty above a luxuriant growth of green leaves. It is the Balsamina noli me tangere of botanists, and is the greatest favourite with the humming bird of all our other flowers. In some places, where these plants abound, you may see, at one time, ten or twelve humming birds darting about, and fighting with and pursuing each other. About the 20th of September they generally retire to the south. I have, indeed, sometimes seen a solitary individual on the 28th and 30th of that month, and sometimes even in October j but these cases are rare. About I 1 84 HUMMING BIRD. the beginning of November, they pass the southern boundary of the United States into Florida. The humming bird is three inches and a half in length, and four and a quarter in extent ; the whole back, upper part of the neck, sides under the wings, tuil-coverts, and two middle feathers of the tail, are of a rich golden green ; the tail is forked, and, as well as the wings, of a deep brownish purple ; the bill and eyes are black ; the legs and feet, both of which are extremely small, are also black; the bill is straight, very slender, a little inflated at the tip, and very incompetent to the exploit of penetrating the tough sinewy side of a crow, and precipitating it from the clouds to the earth, as Charlevoix would persuade his readers to believe * The nostrils are two small oblong slits, situated at the base of the upper mandible, scarcely perceivable when the bird is dead, though very distinguishable and prominent when living; the sides of the belly, and belly itself, dusky white, mixed with green ; but what constitutes the chief ornament of this little bird, is the splendour of the feathers of his throat, which, when placed in a proper position, glow with all the brilliancy of the ruby. These feathers are of singular strength and texture, lying close together like scales, and vary, when moved l)erore the eye, from a deep black to a fiery crimson and burning orange. The female is destitute of this orna- ment; but differs little in other appearance from the male; her tail is tipt with white, and the whole lower parts are of the same tint. The young birds of the first season, both male and female,, have the tail tipt with white, and the whole lower parts nearly white; in the month of September, the orna- mental feathers on the throat of the young males begin to appear. On dissection, the heart was found to be remarkably large, nearly as big as the cranium ; and the stomach, though dis- tended with food, uncommonly small, not exceeding the globe of the eye, and scarcely more than one-sixth part as large as * Histoire de la Nouvelle France, iii. p. 185. TOW HE BUNTING. 185 the heart ; tlie fibres of the last were also exceedingly strong. The brain was in large quantity, and very thin ; the tongue, from the tip to an extent equal with the length of the bill, was perforated, forming two closely attached parallel and cylindrical tubes ; the other extremities of the tongue corre- sponded exactly to those of the woodpecker, passing up the hind head, and reaching to the base of the upper mandible. These observations were verified in five different subjects, all of whose stomachs contained fragments of insects, and some of them whole ones. 1 rv TOWHE BUNTING. {Emheriza erythropthalma.) PLATE X.— Fia. 5. Fringilla erythropthalma, Linn. Syst. p. 318, 6.— Le Pinscn de la Caroline, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 169, 4i.— Buff. Ois. iv. p. lil.— Lath. ii. p. 199, No. 43.- Cateab. Car. i. plate 34. —Peale'a Museum, No. 5970. PIPILO ERYTHROPTff ALMA.— YiEiLtOT. Pipilo erythropthalma, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. plate 80.— Fringilla erythropthalma, Bonap. Synop. p. 112.— TheTowheBuntiug,^M(/. plate 29, male and female, Oi-n. Bioy. i. p. 1.50. This js a very common, but humble and Inoffensive species, frequenting close sheltered thickets, where it spends most of its time in scratching up the leaves for worms, and for the larvae and eggs of insects. It is far from being shy, frequently suffering a person to walk round the bush or thicket where it is at work, without betraying any marks of alarm, and when disturbed, uttering the notes tow-he repeatedly. At times the male mounts to the top of a small tree, and chants his few simple notes for an hour at a time. These are loud, not uimiusical, something resembling those of the yellow hammer of Britain, but more mellow and more varied. He is fond of thickets with a southern exposure, near streams of water, and where there is plenty of dry leaves ; and is found generally over the whole United States. He is not gregarious, and you in !■ ■i&JiiSKJt i86 TOIVHE BUNTING. fleldom see more than two together. About tlio middle or '20th of April, they arrive in Pennsylvania, and begin building about the first week in May. The nest is fixed on the ground among the dry leaves, near, and sometimes under, a thicket of briars, and is large and substiintial. The outside is formed of leaves and dry i)iece8 of grape-vine bark, and the inside of fine stalks of dried grass, the cavity completely sunk beneath the surface of the giound, and sometimes half covered above with dry grass or hay. The eggs are usually five, of a palo fiesh colour, thickly marked with specks of rufous, most niimerous near the great end (see fig. 6). The young are produced about the beginning of June, and a second brood commonly succeeds in the same season. This bird rarely winters north of the State of Maryland, retiring from Penn- sylvania to the south about the 12lh of October. Ytt in the middle districts of Virginia, and thence south to Florida, I found it abundant during the months of January, February, and March. Its usual food is obtained by scratching up the leaves ; it also feeds, like the rest of its tribe, on various hard seeds and gravel ; but rarely commits any depredations on the harvest of the husbandman, generally preferring the woods, and traversing the bottom of fences sheltered with briars. He is generally very plump and fat ; and, when confined in a cage, soon becomes familiar. In Virginia, he is called the bul finch ; in many places, the towlie bird ; in Pennsylvania, the chewink ; and by others, the swamp robin. He contributes a little to the harmony of our woods in spring and summer ; and is remarkable for the cunning with which he conceals his nest. He shows great affection for his young, and the deepest marks of distress on the appearance of their mortal enemy, the black snake. The specific name which Linnaeus has bestowed on this bird is deduced from the colour of the iris of its eye, which, in those that visit Pennsylvania, is dark red. But I am suspicious that this colour is not permanent, but subject to a periodical change. I examined a great number of these birds /ri^lPfi^seesffisnrinas^Rvn TOWHE BUNTING. \%j in the month of Murcli, in Georgia, every one of which had the iris of tlie eye wliite. Mr Abbot of Suvanniih assured me, that at this season, every one of these birds he shot had the iris white, while at other times it was red ; and Mr Elliot of Beaufort, a judicious naturahst, informed me, that in the month of February he killed a towhe bunting with one eye red and the other white I It should be observed that the iris of the young bird's eye is of a chocolate colour during its residence in Pennsylvania : perhaps this may brighten into a white during winter, and these may have been all birds of the preceding year, which had not yet received the full colour of the eye. The towhe bunting is eight inches and a half long, and eleven broad ; above, black, which also descends, rounding on the breast, the sides of which are bright bay, spreading along under the wing ; the belly is white ; the vent, pale rutbus ; a spot of white marks the wings just below the coverts, and another a little below that extends obliquely across the prima- ries ; the tail is long, nearly even at the end ; the three exte- rior feathers white for an inch or so from the tips, the outer one wholly white, the middle ones black ; the bill is black ; the legs and feet, a dirty flesh colour, and strong, for scratch- ing up the ground. The female differs in being of a light reddish brown in those parts where the male is black, and in having the bill more of a light horn colour.* * Mr Swainson makes Pipilo a subgenus among the sparrows. Six species have been described, and the above-mentioned gentleman has lately received two in addition. They are confined to both continents of America, and the species of our author was considered as the only one belonging to the northern parts. The " Northern Zoology " will give to the public a second under the title Pipilo ardica, which was only met with on the plains of the Saskatchewan, where it was supposed to breed, from a specimen being killed late in July. It frequents shady and moist clumps of wood, and is generally seen on the ground. It feeds on grubs ; is a solitary and retired, but not distrustful bird. It approaches nearest to the Mexican Pipilo maculata, Sw. Mr Audubon says, " The haunts of the towhe bunting are dry barren 1 88 CARDINAL GROSBEAK'. CARDINAL GROSBEAK. {Loooia cardinalis.) PLATE XL— Fl08. 1 AND 2. Linn. SpH. i. p. 300, No. 5.— Le Gro«-beo de Virginie, Briii. Om. iii. p. 265, Ho' 17.- finff. iii. p. 458, pi. 28. I'l. enl. 'M.—Lath. Syn. ii. p. 118, No. 13. — Cttrdiual, Brown's Jam. p. 647. — Feale's Museum, No. 6008. aUARICA CARDINALIS.— 9,vl\imov. Fringilla cardinalii, Bonap. Synop. p. 113. This is one of our riiost common cage birds ; and is very . il'/low i/ir,.>,it me/ Wei JtlCE BUNTING. 199 The winter residence of this Bpecies I suppose to be from Mexico to the mouth of tljo Amazon, from whence, in hosts innumerubie, they regularly issue every spritjg ; perhaps to both hemispheres, extending their migrations northerly, as far as the banks of the Illinois, and the shores of the St Lawrence. Could the fact be ascertained, which has been asserted by some writers, that the emigration of tliesu birds was altogether unknown in this part of tiio continent previous to the introduction of rice plantations, it would certainly be interesting. Yet, why should these migrations reach at least a thousand miles beyond those phices where rice is now planted ; and this, not in occasional excursions, but regularly to breed and rear their young, where rice never was, and probably never will be, cultivated ? Their so recent arrival on this part of the continent, I believe to be altogether imaginary, because, though there were not a single grain of rice cultivated within the United States, the country produces an exuberance of food of which they are no less fond. Insects of various kinds, grubs, Mayflies, and caterpillars, the young ears of Indian-corn, and the seed of the wild oats, or, as it is called in Pennsylvania, reeds (the Zizania nquatica of Linnaeus), which grows in prodigious abundance along the marshy shores of our large rivers, furnish, not only them, but millions of rail, with a delicious subsistence for several weeks. I do not doubt, however, that the introduction of rice, but more par- ticularly the progress of agriculture, in this part of America, has greatly increased their numbers, by multiplying their sources of subsistence fiftyfold within the same extent of country. In the month of April, or very early in May, the rice bunt- While you are listening, the whole flock eimultaneously ceases, which appears equally extraordinary. This curious exhibition takes place every time the flock has alighted on a tree. Another curious fact mentioned by this gentleman is, that during their spring migrations eastward, they fly mostly at night ; whereas, in autumn, when they are returning southward, their flight is diurnal— Ed. 200 RICE BUNTING. ing, male and female, in the dresses in which they are figured on the plate, arrive within the southern boundaries of the United States ; and are seen around the town of Savannah in Georgia about the 4th of May, sometimes in separate parties of males and females, but more generally promiscu- ously. They remain there but a short time ; and, about the 12th of May, make their appearance in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, as they did at Savannah. While here, the males are extremely gay and full of song; frequenting meadows, newly ploughed fields, sides of creeks, rivers, and watery places, feeding on Mayflies and caterpillars, of which they destroy great quantities. In their passage, however, through Virginia, at this season, they do great domage to the early wheat and barley while in its milky state. About , the 20th of May, they disappear, on their way to the north. Nearly at the same time, they arrive in the State of New York, spread over the whole New England States, as far as the river St Lawrence, from Lake Ontario to the sea ; in all of which places, north of Pennsylvania, they remain during the summer, building, and rearing their young. The nest is fixed in the ground, generally in a field of grass ; the outside is composed of dry leaves and coarse grass, the inside is lined with fine stalks of the same, laid in considerable quantity. The female lays five eggs, of a bluish white, marked with numerous irregular spots of blackish brown. The song of the male, while the female is sitting, is singular, and very agreeable. Mounting and hovering on wing, at a small height above the field, he chants out such a jingling medley of short, variable notes, uttered with such seeming confusion and rapidity, and continued for a considerable time, that it appears as if half a dozen birds of different kinds were all singing together. Some idea may be formed of this song by striking the high keys of a pianoforte at random, singly, and quickly, making as many sudden contrasts of high and low notes as possible. Many of the tones are, in themselves, charming ; but they succeed each other so rapidly, that the RICE HUNTING. 20 1 About ear can hardly separate them. Nevertheless the general effect is good ; and, when ten or twelve are all singing on the same tree, the concert is singularly pleasing. I kept one of these birds for a long time, to observe its change of colour. During the whole of April, May, and June, it sang almost continually. In the month of June, the colour of the male begins to change, gradually assimilating to tiiat of the female, and before the beginning of August it is difficult to distinguish the one from the other, both being then in the dress of fig. 2. At this time, also, the young birds are so much like tlie female, or rather like both parents, and the males so different in appearance from what they were in spring, that thousands of people in Pennsylvania, to this day, persist in believing them to be a different species altogether ; while others allow them, indeed, to be the same, but con- fidently assert that they are aii females — none but females, according to them, returning in the fall ; what becomes of the males they are totally at a loss to conceive. Even Mr Mark Catesby, who resided for years in the country they inhabit, and who, as he himself informs us, examined by dissection great numbers of them in the fall, and repeated his experiment the succeeding year, lest he should have been mistaken, declares that he uniformly found them to be females. These assertions must appear odd to the inhabi- tants of the eastern States, to whom the change of plumage in these birds is familiar, as it passes immediately under their eye ; and also to those who, like myself, have kept them in cages, and witnessed their graaual change of colour.* That accurate observer, Mr William Bartram, appears, from the following • The beautiful plumage of the male represented on the plate is that during the breeding-season, and is lost as soon as the duties incumbent thereon are completed. In this we have a striking analogy with some nearly allied African FnngilUdce. The genus Dolycotxyx has been made by Mr Swainson to contain this curious and interesting form : by that gentleman it is placed in the aberrant families of the Stumidce. — Ed. 202 RJC^ BUNTING. extract, to have taken notice of, or at least suspected, this change of colour in these birds, more than forty years ago. "Being in Charleston," says he, "in the month of June, I observed a cage full of rice birds, that is, of the yellow, or female colour, who were very merry and vociferous, having the same variable music with the pied, or male bird, which I thought extraordinary, and, observing it to the gentleman, he assured me that they were all of the male kind, taken the preceding spring ; but had changed their colour, and would be next spring of the colour of the pied, thus changing colour with the seasons of the year. If this is really the case, it appears they are both of the same species intermixed, spring and fall." Without, however, implicating the veracity of Catesby, who, I have no doubt, believed as he wrote, a few words will easily explain why he was deceived. The internal organisation of undomesticated birds, of all kinds, undergoes a remarkable change every spring and summer; and those who wish to ascertain this point by dissection will do well to remember, that in this bird those parts that characterise the male are, in autumn, no larger than the smallest pin's head, and in young birds of the first year can scarcely be discovered ; thouo-h in spring their magnitude in each is at least one hundred times greater. To an unacquaintance with this extraordinary circumstance, I am persuaded, has been owing the mistake of Mr Catesby, that the females only return in the full ; for the same opinion I long entertained myself, till a more particular examination showed me the source of my mistake. Since that, I have opened and examined many hundreds of these birds, in the months of September and October, and, on the whole, have found about as many males as females among them. The latter may be distinguished from the former by being of a rather more shining yellow on the breast and belly : it is the same with the young birds of the first season. During the breeding season, they are dispersed over the country ; but, as soon as the young are able to fly, they collect RICE BUNTING. 203 together in great multitudes, and pour down on the oatfields of New England like a torrent, depriving the proprietors of a good tithe of their harvest; but, in return, often supply his table with a very delicious dish. From all parts of the north and western regions, they direct their course towards the south ; and, about the middle of August, revisit Pennsylvania, on their route to winter quarters. For several days, they seem to confine themselves to the fields and uplands ; but, as soon as the seeds of the reed are ripe, they resort to the shores of the Delaware and Schuylkill in multitudes ; and these places, during the remainder of their stay, appear to be their grand rendezvous. The reeds, or wild oats, furnish them with such abundance of nutritious food, that in a short time they become extremely fat ; and are supposed, by some of our epicures, to be equal to the famous ortolans of Europe. Their note at this season is a single cliinh, and is heard overhead, with little intermission, from morning to night. These are halcyon days for our gunners of all descriptions, and many a lame and rusty gun-barrel is put in requisition for the sport. The report of musketry along the reedy shores of the' Schuylkill and Delaware is almost incessant, resembling a running fire. The markets of Philadelphia, at this season, exhibit proofs of the prodigious havoc made among these birds; for almost every stall is ornamented with strings of reed birds. This sport, however, is considered inferior to that of rail-shooting, which is carried on at the same season and places, with equal slaughter. Of this, as well as of the rail itself, we shall give a particular account in its proper place. Whatever apology the people of the eastern and southern States may have for the devastation they spread among the rice and reed birds, the Pennsylvanians — at least those living in this part of it — ^liave little to plead in justification, but the pleasure of destruction, or the savoury dish they furnish their tables with; for the oat harvest is generally secured before the great body of these birds arrive, the Indian-corn too ripe and hard, and the reeds seem to engross all their attention. 204 RICE BUNTING. But in the States south of Maryland, the harvest of early wheat and barley in spring, and the numerous plantations of rice in fall, suffer severely. Early in October, or as soon as the nights begin to set in cold, they disappear from Pennsylvania, directing their course to the south. At this time they svi'arm among the rice fields ; and appear in the island of Cuba in immense numbers, in search of the same delicious grain. About the middle of October, they visit the island of Jamaica in equal numbers, where they are called butter birds. They feed on the seed of the guinea grass, and are also in high esteem there for the table.* Thus it appears, that the regions north of the fortieth degree of latitude are the breeding places of these birds ; that their migrations northerly are performed from March to May, and their return southerly from Angust to November ; their precise winter quarters, or farthest retreat southerly, is not exactly known. The rice btmting is seven inches and a half long, and eleven and a half in extent; his spring dress is as follows: — Upper part of the head, wings, tail, and sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, black ; the feathers frequently skirted with brownish yellow, as he passes into the colours of the female ; back of the head, a cream colour ; back, black, seamed with brownish yellow; scapulars, pure white; rump and tail- coverts the same; lower part of the back, bluish white; tail, formed like those of the woodpecker genus, and often used in the same manner, being thrown in to support it while ascending th6 stalks of the reed ; this habit of throwing in the tail it retains even in the cage ; legs, a brownish flesh colour ; hind heel, very long ; bill, a bluish horn colour ; eye, hazel ; see fig. 1. In the month of June this plumage gradually changes to a brownish yellow, like that of the female, fig. 2, which has the back streaked with brownish black ; whole lower parts, dull yellow; bill, reddish flesh colour; legs and eyes as in the male. The young birds retain the dress of the • Rennel's Hist. Jam. RED.E YED FL YCA TCHER. 205 female until the early part of the succeeding spring; the plumage of the female undergoes uo material change of colour. RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. (Muscicapa oUvacea.) PLATE XII.— Fia. 3. Linn. Syttip. 327, 14.-Gobe-mouche de la Caroline et de la Jamaique, Buff. IV. p. 539. Edw. t. 253.-Catesb. t. 64. Lath. Syn. iii. p. 351, No. 52 - Muscicapa sylvioola, Bartram, p. 290.— PeaZe'« Museum, No. 6675. VIREO OLIVACEUS.—BomAVAUTE. Vireo olivaceus, Bonap. Synop. p. 71.— Virco olivaceus, Red-eyed Greenlet North. Zool. ii. p. 233. ' This is a numerous species, though confined chiefly to the woods and forests, and, like all the rest of its trihe that visit Pennsylvania, is a bird of passage. It arrives here late in April ; has a loud, lively, and energetic song, which it con- tinues, as it hunts among the thick foliage, sometimes for an liour with little intermission. In the months of May, June, and to the middle of July, it is the most distinguishable of all the other warblers of the forest; and even in August, lono- after the rest have almost all become mute, the notes of the red-eyed flycatcher are frequently heard with unabated spirit. These notes are in short, emphatical bars, of two, three, or four syllables. In Jamaica, where this bird winters, and is probably also resident, it is called, as Sloane informs us, whip-tom-kelly, from an imagined resemblance of its notes to these words. And, indeed, on attentively listening for some time to this bird in his full ardour of song, it requires but little of imagination to fancy that you hear it pronounce these words, *' Tom-kelly, whip-tom-kelly ! " very distinctly. It inhabits from Georgia to the river St Lawrence, leaving Pennsylvania about the middle of September. This bird builds, in the month of May, a small, neat, pensile nest, generally suspended between two twigs of a young dog- wood or other small sapling. It is hung by the two upper fill 206 RED- EYED FLYCATCHER. edwes, seldom at a greater height than four or five feet from the ground. It is formed of pieces of hornets' nests, some flax, fragments of withered leaves, slips of vine bark, bits of paper, all glued together with the saliva of the bird, and the silk of caterpillars, so as to be very compact ; the inside is lined with fine slips of grape-vine bark, fibrous grass, and sometimes hair. These nests are so durable, that I have often known them to resist the action of the weather for a year ; and, in one instance, I have found the nest of the yellow bird built in the cavity of one of those of the preceding year. The mice very often take possession of them after they are abandoned by the owners. The eggs are four, sometimes five, pure white, except near the great end, where they are marked with a few small dots of dark brown or reddish. They generally raise two broods in the season. The red-eyed flycatcher is one of the adopted nurses of the cow bird, and a very favourite one, showing all the symptoms of affection for the foundling, and as much solicitude for its safety, as if it were its own. The figure of that singular bird, accompanied by a particular account of its history, is given in Plate XVIII. of the present volume. Before I take leave of this bird, it may not be amiss to observe that there is another, and a rather less species of flycatcher, somewhat resembling the red-eyed, which is fre- quently found in its company. Its eyes are hazel ; its back more cinereous than the other, and it has a single light streak over the eye. The notes of this bird are low, somewhat plaintive, but warbled out with great sweetness ; and form a striking contrast with those of the red-eyed flycatcher. I think it probable that Dr Barton had reference to this bird when he made the following remarks (see his " Fragments of the Natural History of Pennsylvania," page 19) :—" Musci- capa oUvacea. — I do not think, with Mr Pennant, that this is the same bird as the whip-tom-kelly of the West Indies. Our bird has no such note ; but a great variety of soft, tender, and agreeable notes. It inhabits forests ; and does not, like IS MARSH WREN. 207 the West India bird, build a pendulous nest." Had the learned professor, however, examined into this matter with his usual accuracy, he would have found, that the Muscicapa oUvacea, and the soft and tender songster he mentions, are two very distinct species ; and that both the one and the other actually build very curious pendulous nests. This species is five inches and a half long, and seven inches in extent ; crown, ash, slightly tinged with olive, bordered on each side with a line of black, below which is a line of white passing from the nostril over and a little beyond the eye ; the bill is longer than usual with birds of its tribe, the upper mandible overhanging the lower considerably, and notched, dusky above, and light blue below; all the rest of the plumage above is of a yellow olive, relieved on the tail and at the tips of the wings with brown ; chin, throat, breast, and belly, pure white; inside of the wings and vent- feathers, greenish yellow; the tail is very slightly forked; legs and feet, light blue ; iris of the eye, red. The female is marked nearly in the same manner, and is distinguishable only by the greater obscurity of the colours. MAKSH WREN. (CertMa palustris.) PLATE XII.— Fig. 4. Lath. Syn. Suppl. p. 244.— Motacilla palustris (regulus minor), Sartram, p. 291. —Peale'a Museum, No. 7282. TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS.-BOTHkVk.m^. Troglodytes palustris, Bonap. Synop. p. 93. — The Marsh Wren, Avd. pi. 100, Om. Biog. L p. mO.— North. Zool. ii. p. 319. This obscure but spirited little species has been almost overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, as well as by those of its own country. The singular attitude in which it is represented will be recognised, by those acquainted with its manners, as one of its most common and favourite ones, while skipping through among the reeds and rushes. The marsh ■HHI 208 MARSH WREN. wren nrrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of May, or as Boon as the reeds and a species of nymphea, usually called splatter- docks, which grow in great luxuriance along the tide water of our rivers, are sufflciently high to shelter it. To Buch places it almost wholly limits its excursions, seldom ven- turing far from the river. Its food consists of flying insects and their larvae, and a species of green grasshoppers that inhabit the reeds. As to its notes, it would be mere burlesque to call them by the name of song. Standing on the reedy borders of the Schuylkill or Delaware, in the month of June, you hear a low, crackling sound, something similar to that produced by air bubbles forcing their way through mud or boggy ground when trod upon ; this is the song of the marsh wren. But as, among the human race, it is not given to one man to excel in every thing, and yet each, perhaps, has some- thing peculiarly his own ; so, among birds, we find a like distribution of talents and peculiaiities. The little bird now before us, if deficient and contemptible in singing, excels in the art of design, and constructs a nest, which, in durability, warmth, and convenience, is scarcely inferior to one, and far superior to many, of its more musical bretlnen. This is formed outwardly of wet rushes mixed with mud, well inter- twisted, and fashioned into the form of a cocoa-nut. A small hole is left two-thirds up, for entrance, the upper edge of which projects like a penthouse over tlie lower, to prevent the admission of rain. The inside is lined with fine soft grass, and sometimes feathers ; and the outside, when hardened by the sun, resists every kind of weather. This nest is generally suspended among the reeds, above the reach of the highest tides, and is tied so fast in every part to the surrounding reeds, as to bid defiance to the winds and the waves. The eggs are usually six, of a dark fawn colour, and very small. The young leave the nest about the 20th of June, and they generally have a second brood in the same season. The size, general colour, and habit of this bird of erecting its tail, give it, to a superficial observer, something of the MARSH WREN. 2C9 appearance of tlie common house wren, represented in Plate VIII. ; and still more that of the winter wren, figured in the same plate ; but with the former of these it never associates ; and the latter has left us some time tefore the marsh wren makes his appearance. About the middle of August they begm to go off; and on the 1st of September, very few of them are to be seen. How far north the migrations of this Hpecies extend, I am unable to say ; none of them, to ray knowledge, winter in Georgia, or any of the southern States. Ihe marsh wren is five inches long, and six in extent ; the whole upper parts are dark brown, except the upper part of the head, back of the neck, and middle of the back, which are black, the two last streaked with white; trie tail is short rounded, and barred with black ; wings, slightly barred ; a broad strip of white passes over the eye half way down the neck ; the sides of the neck are also mottled with touches of a light clay colour on a whitish ground ; whole under parts pure silvery white, except the vent, which is tinged with brown ; the legs are light brown ; the hind claw, lar<^e semicircular, and very sharp ; bill, slender, slightly bent ; nostrils, prominent; tongue, narrow, very tapering, sharp pointed, and horny at the extremity ; eye, hazel. The female almost exactly resembles the male in plumage. From the above description and a view of the figure, the naturalist will perceive that this species is truly a%»iza, or creeper ; and indeed its habits confirm this, as it is con- tinually climbing along the stalks of reeds, and other aquatic plants, in search of insects. ■\ . VOL. I. 210 GREAT CAROLINA WREN. GBEAT CAROLINA WREN. (Ccr^^ia Caroiiniana.) PLATE XII.— Fia. 6. (regulu. minus). Bartram, p. 291.-Pe nostril over the eye, down the Bide of the neck, nearly to the back ; below that, a streak of reddish brown extends from the posterior part of the eye to the shoulder ; the chin is yellowish white ; the breast, sides, and beUy a light rust colour, or retldish buff; vent feathers, white neatlv barred with black ; in the female, plain ; wmg- coverts. minutely tipt with white ; legs and feet, flesh coloured, and very strong ; bill, three-quarters of an inch long, strong a little bent, grooved, and pointed; the upper mandible, bluish black; lower, light blue ; nostrils, oval, partly covered with a prominent convex membrane; tongue, pointed and slender; eves hazel ; tail, cuneiform, the two exterior feathers on each Bide'three-quarters of an inch shorter, whitish on their exterior ed-es and touched with deeper black ; the same may be said of^th; three outer primaries. The female wants the white on the wing-coverts, but differs little in colour from the """in this species I have observed a circumstance common to YELLOW.THROAT WARBLER. 213 the hoiiso and winter wren, but which is not found in the marsh wren ; the feathers of the lower part of the back, when parted by the hand or breath, apnear spotted with wiiite,' being at bottom deep ash, reddish brown at the surface, and each feather with a spot of white between these two colours. This, however, cannot be perceived without parting the feathers. YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. {^Sylvia JlavicolUs.) PLATE XII.- Fio. 6. Yellow-throat Warbler/ Arct. Zool. p. 400. No. 2%Q.-Cate»b. i. 62.-Za«A ii «7.-La Mesango grine d. gorge jaune, £t# v. 454.-La gorge jaune de St Donungue, Fl. enl. 686, fig. 1. s 6 j "« uo o» SYLVICOLA fLAriCOLLTS.-BvrAimoif. Sylvia pensilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 79.— S. pcnsilia. Lath. The habits of this beautiful species, like those of the pre- ceding, are not consistent with the shape and construction of • As with many others, there has been some confusion in the syno- nyms of this species, and it has been described under different names by the same authors. That oijhvicollis, adopted by our author, is character- istic of the markings ; whereas 2)«m*i7w of Latham and Vieillot is appli- cable to the whole group ; and perhaps restoring Wilson's name will create less confusion than takingone less known. The genus ^^imcoto, with the subgenus Vermivora, have been used by Mr Swainson to designate almost all those birds in North America which will represent the Euro- pean Sylviana, or warblers. They are generally of a stronger make ; the bill, thougli slender, is more conical, and the wings have the first and second quills of nearly equal length. The general dress is chaste and unobtrusive ; but, at the same time, we have exceptions, showing great brilliancy and beauty of colouring. Their habits are precisely the same with our warblers. They frequent woods and thickets. They are in constant motion, creeping and clinging about the branches, and in- specting the crevices in the bark, or under sides of the leaves, in search of insects. When their duties of incubation are over, they become less retired, and, with their broods, assemble in the gardens and cultivated grounds, where they find sustenance in the various fruits and berries. The notes of all are sprightly and pleasant ; and a few possess a melody hardly inferior to the best songsters of Europe. «,. ' YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. its bill • the former would rank it with the titmouse, or with the cre;per8, the latter is decisively that of the warbler The first opportunity I had of examining a livmg specimen o this bird was in the southern parts of Georgia, in the month of February. Its notes, which were pretty loud and spirited very much resembled those of the indigo bird. It continued a considerable time on the same pine tree, creeping around the branches, and among the twigs, in the manner of the titmouse utterincr its song every three or four minutes. On flying to anoZ° tree, it frequently alighted on the body, and ran rnmbly up or down, spirally and perpendicularly, m search of insects. I had afterwards many opportunities of seeing others of the same species, and found them all to cm-respond m these particulars. This was about the 24lh of ^ebimry and e first of their appearance there that spring, for they leave the United States about three months during winter, and. con- sequently, go to no great distance. I ^^d been previous y informed that they also pass the summer in Virginia, and m the southern parts of Maryland ; but they very rarely proceed as far north as Pennsylvania. , • , <. This species is five inches and a half in length, and eight Mr Audubon has figured the following birds, which appear to rank under this genus, as hitherto undescribed -.-Sylvia Rathhoma, Am 2le and female, plate kv. He met with this species only once ; it is Tntely of a brigh^yellow colour, about four and a half inches m length. ThTlui appear: more bent than in the typical species. Sylo.a Roscoe lud. plate'Liv. male ; looking more like a Trichas, shot on the Mi^^ Bippi the 6nly one seen. The colours of the upper parts are dark olive, aSder ^ute streak o-er each eye, and a broad black band from the eve downwards ; the under parts, yellow. Sylvia ChMremx, Aud. plate Txxv • kill-l in the State of Louisiana ; only two specimens were met vrith.' ' General colour of the plumage, yellowish green ; length, about four inches and three-quarters. We cannot but regret the want of specimens of these interesting and rare species. Their authority will rest upon Mr Audubon b plates It is impossible, from them alone, to say, with precision, that they belong to this genus ; and they are placed in it provisionally, with the view of making the list as complete as possible, and to point them out to others who may have the opportunity of examining them.— Ed. 1 ! • with The of this Qth of tirited, ttued a nd the mouse, I'ing to id ran arch of ; otiiers n these ind the ave the id, con- jvioiisly , and in proceed id eight r to rank lia, Au. Smalt tlreatOcjMdK 4.h-»eK A llrW/VHV A' A'i.PMitvi^^*'"' '" TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 215 and a half broad ; the whole back, hind head, and rump, are a fine light elate colour ; the tail is somewhat forked, black, and edged with light slate ; the wings are also black, the three shortest secondaries, broadly edged with light blue ; all the wing-quills are slightly edged with the same ; the first row of wing-coverts are tipt and edged with white, the second, wholly white, or nearly so ; the frontlet, ear-feathers, lores, and above the temple, are black ; the line between the eye and nostril, whole throat, and middle of the breast, brilliant golden yellow ; the lower eyelid, line over the eye, and spot behind the ear-feathers, as well as the whole lower parts, are pure white ; the yellow on the throat is bordered with touches of black, which also extend along the sides, under the wings; the bill is black, and faithfully represented in the figure ; the legs and feet, yellowish brown ; the claws, extremely fine pointed; the tongue rather cartilaginous, and lacerated at the end. Tue female has the wings of a dingy brown, and the whole colours, particularly the yellow on the throat, much duller ; the young birds of the first season are without the yellow. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. {M.%scica']^a iyrannus*) PLATE xni.— Fio. 1. Laniuatyrannus, Linn. Syst. m.-Lath. Syn. I im.-CM i- 55-Le ^n de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 577. PI. enl. m.-Arct. Zool. p. 384, No. 263.- Pecde'a Museum, No. 578. TYRANNUS INTBEPIDUS.—Yi^vlot. MuBcicapa tyrannus, Bonap. Synop. p. 66.-Tyrannu8 intrepidus, Vieill.Jal desOis. pi. Vi3.-North. Zool. ii. 137. -The Tyrant Flycatcher, Aud. pL 79, male and female, Orn. Biog. i. 403. This is the field martin of Maryland and some of the southern States, and the king bird of Pennsylvania and several of the * Among the family of the Lanaidm, North America possesses only two of the Bub-families ; the typical one, Lanianm, represented by 1 1 1 in A !■ ' 1 ' 1 1 ! 1 I I AHffk*HMtV*'->""''« 2i6 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. northern districts. The epithet tyrant, which is generally applied to him by naturalists, I am not altogether so well satisfied with; some, however, may think the two terms pretty nearly synonymous. Lanius, and an aberrant form, Tyrannina, represented by Tyrannus. Of the former, we have already seen an example at page 73. These are comparatively few ; the great bulk of that form being confined to Africa, and the warmer parts of Asia and India ; and, with the latter, we enter into the great mass of American flycatchers, ranging over both the continents, particularly the southern. "Tropical America," Mr Swainson remarks, "swarms with the Tyrannina, so much so, that several individuals, of three or four species, may be seen in the surrounding trees at the same moment, watching for passing insects ; each, however, looks out for its own particular prey, and does not interfere with such as appear destined by nature for its stronger and less feeble associates. It is only towards the termina- tion of the rainy season, when myriads of the Termites and Foi-micce emerge from the earth in their winged state, that the whole family of tYran°ts, of all sizes and species, commence a regular and simultaneous attack upon the thousands which then spring from the ground." From their long-accepted name we have some idea of their manners. They possess extensive powers of locomotion, to enable them to secure a prey at once active and vigilant ; and their long and sharp wings are beautifully formed for quick and rapid flight.* The tail, next in impor- tance as a locomotive organ, is also generally of a form joining the greatest advantages,— that of a forked shape ; in some with the exterior feathers extending to a considerable length, while, in others, certainly only slightly divaricating, or nearly square ; but never, as among the Thamnophilinoe, or bush shrikes, of a graduated or rounded form, where the individuals seek their prey by stealth and prowling, and require no great extent of flight ; on the other hand, those organs of less utility for securing the means of sustenance are of much inferior strength and power. The accessory members for seizing their insect prey are, in like manner, adapted to their other powers ; the bill, though of con- oiderable strength, is flattened ; the rictus being anjple, and furnished with bristles. The genus Tyrannus, however, does not entirely feed on insects when on wing, like the smaller Tyrannula, but, as shown by Mr Swainson, will also feed on small fish and aquatic insects ; and if this fact be united with the weak formation of the tarsi, and, in several • In many species the quills become suddenly emarginated at the tips. This also occurs in the subgenera Milvulus and Negeta, both much allied, and pos- sessing great powers of flight. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 217 I The trivial name Mng as well as tyrant has been bestowed on this bird for its extraordinary behaviour, and the authority it assumes over all others, during the time of breeding. At species, having the toes united at the base, there will be an evident connection between this group and the Fissirostres. That gentleman, in the second volume of the " Northern Zoology," relates a fact from his journal when resident in Brazil, most beautifully illustrative of this aflSnity, and shows the value of attending to all circumstances relative to the habits of individuals, which though, like the present, of no importance alone, will, when taken in connection with other views be of the very utmost consequence. '^ April 7, 1817.— Sitting in the house this morning, I suddenly heard a splash in the lake close to the win- dow ; on looking out, I saw a common grey-breasted tyrant (Tyrannus crudelis) perched upon a dead branch hanging over the water, plunging and drying itself. Intent upon watching this bird, I saw it, within a quarter of an hour, dive into the lake two successive times, after some small fish or aquatic insects, precisely like a kingfisher ; this action was done with amazing celerity, and it then took its former station to plume and dry its feathers." Here we have exactly the habits of the king- fisher; and I believe a contrariety of manner, equally worthy of re- mark, is observed among some of the Bacelones, frequenting woods, and darting by surprise on the larger insects. Both tribes have another similarity in their economy, and delight to sit motionless, either watch- ing their prey, or pluming and resting on the extremity or top of some dead branch, pale, or peaked rock. With regard to the tyrant's being not only carnivorous, but preying also on the weaker reptiles, we have the authority of Azara, who mentions the common Tyrannus sulphuratus, or bentivo of Brazil, as *' S'approchent des animaux morts pour I'em- porter des debris et des petits morceaux de chair que laissent les Carasaras." And Mr Swainson ("Northern Zoology," ii. 133) has himself taken from the stomach of this species lizards, in an entire state, sufficiently large to excite surprise how they possibly could have ' been swallowed by the bird ; it is also here that we have the habits, and, in some respects, the form of the Lanianm, serving at the other extremity as a connecting link. The North American species, coming under the definition which we would wish to adopt for this group, are comparatively few. A new and more northern species is added by the authors of the " Northern Zoology," "—the Tyrannus borealis, Sw. Only one specimen of this species, which Mr Swainson considers un- described, was procured. It was shot on the banks of the Saskatchewan * They are also baccivorous, as shown by our author iu the description of this species and T. ainitus. ^M 2l8 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. that season his extreme affection for his mate, and for his nest and young, makes him suspicious of every bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks, without discrimination, every intruder. In the months of May, June, and part of July, his life is one continued scene of broils and battles ; in which, however, he generally comes off conqueror. Hawks and crows, the bald eagle and the great black eagle, all equally dread a rencounter with this dauntless little champion, who, as soon as he perceives one of these last approaching, launches into the air to meet him, mounts to a considerable height above him, and darts down on his back, sometimes fixing there, to the great annoyance of his sovereign, who, if no convenient retreat or resting-place be near, endeavours by various evolutions to rid himself of his merciless adversary. But the king bird is not so easily dismounted. He teases the eagle irs? :^sautly, sweeps upon him from right to left, remounts, that he may descend on his back with the greater violence ; all the while keeping up a shrill and rapid twittering ; and continuing the attack sometimes for more than a mile, till he is relieved by some other of his tribe equally eager for the contest. There is one bird, however, which, by its superior rapidity of flight, is sometimes more than a match for him ; and I have several times witnessed his precipitate retreat before this active antagonist. This is the purple martin, one whose food and disposition are pretty similar to his own, but who has greatly the advantage of iiim on wing, in eluding all his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. I have also seen the river. Like the king bird, it is found in the Fur Countries only in summer. It is considerably smaller than the Tyrannus intrepidus, and may at once be distinguished from it by the forked tail not tipped with white, and much shorter tarsi, as well as by very evident differences in the colours of the plumage. Its bill is rather more depressed at the base, and its lower mandible is dissimilar to the upper one ; the relative length of the tail-feathers in the two spec ios are also different ; the first of T. borealis, shorter than the third, the fourth being farther apart from tVe latter than in T. intrepidus.— Ed, TYRANT FL YCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 219 red-headed woodpecker, while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the king bird, and play ho-peep with him round the rail, while the latter, highly irritated, made every attempt, as he swept from side to side, to strike him — but in vain. All this turbulence, however, vanishes as soon as his young are able to shift for themselves, and he is then as mild and peaceable as any other bird. But he has a worse habit than all these, one much more obnoxious to the husbandman, and often fatal to himself. He loves, not the honey, but the hees ; and, it must be confessed, is frequently on the look-out for these little industrious insects. He plants himself on a post of the fence, or on a small tree in the garden, not far from the hives, and from thence sallies on them as they pass and repass, making great havoc among their numbers. His shrill twitter, so near to the house, gives intimation to the farmer of what is going on, and the gun soon closes his career for ever. Man arrogates to himself, in this case, the exclusive privilege of murder ; and, after putting thousands of these same little insects to death, seizes on the fruits of their labour. The king birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, sometimes in small bodies of five and six together, and are at first very silent, until they begin to pair and build their nest. This generally takes place about the first week in May. The nest is very often built in the orchard, on the horizontal branch of an apple tree ; frequently also, as Cutesby observes, on a sassafras tree, at no great height from the ground. The outside consists of small slender twigs, tops of withered flowers of the plant yarrow, and others, well wove together with tow and wool ; and is made large, and remarkably firm and compact. It is usually lined with fine dry fibrous grass and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a very pale cream colour, or dull white, marked with a few large spots of deep purple, and other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, though not altogether, towards the great end (see fig. 1). They generally build twice in the season. m 1 220 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. The king bird is altogether destitute of song, having only the shrill twitter above mentioned. His usual mode of flight is singular. The vibrations of his broad wings, as he moves slowly over the fields, resemble those of a hawk hovering and settling in the air to reconnoitre the ground below ; and the object of the king bird is no doubt something similar, viz., to look out for passing insects, either in the air, or among the flowers and blossoms below him. In fields of pasture he often takes his stand on the tops of the mullein, and other rank weeds, near the cattle, and makes occasional sweeps after passing insects, particularly the large black gadfly, so terrify- ing to horses and cattle. His eye moves restlessly around him, traces the flight of an insect for a moment or two, then that of a second, and even a third, until he perceives one to his liking, when, with a shrill sweep, he pursues, seizes it, and returns to the same spot again, to look out for more. This habit is so conspicuous when he is watching the beehive, that several intelligent farmers of my acquaintance are of opinion that he picks out only the drones, and never injures the working bees. Be this as it may, he certainly gives a preference to one bee, and one species of insect, over another. He hovers over the river, sometimes for a considerable tirae^ darting after insects that frequent such places, snatching them from the surface of the water, and diving about in the air like a swallow ; for he possesses at will jjreat powers of wing. Numbers of them are frequently seen tims engaged, for hours together, over the rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, in a calm day, particularly towards evening. He bathes himself by diving repeatedly into the water from the overhanging branches of some tree, where he sits to dry and dress his plumage. Whatever antipathy may prevail against him for depreda- tions on the drones, or, if you will, on the bees, I can assure the cultivator that this bird is greatly his friend, in destroying multitudes of insects, whose larvae prey on the harvests of his fields, particularly his corn, fruit trees, cucumbers, and pump- 1 -1 '. I Ig TYRANT FL YCA TCHER, OR KING BIRD. 22 1 kins. These noxious insects aro the daily food of this bird • and he destroys, upon a very moderate average, some hundreds of them daily. The death of every king bird is therefore an actual loss to the farmer, by multiplying the numbers of destructive insects, and encouraging the depredations of crows, hawks, and eagles, who avoid as much as possible his immediate vicinity. For myself, I must say, that the king bird possesses no common share of my regard. I honour this little bird for his extreme affection for his young ; for his contempt of danger, and unexampled intrepidity; for his meekness of behaviour when there are no calls on his courage, a quality which, even in the human race, is justly considered so noble: In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility ; But when the blast of war, &c. But, above all, I honour and esteem this bird for the millions of ruinous vermin which he rids us of ; whose depredations, in one season, but for the services of this and other friendly birds, would far overbalance all the produce of the beehives in fifty. As a friend to this persecuted bird, and an enemy to pre- judices of every description, will the reader allow me to set this matter in a somewhat clearer and stronger light, by pre- senting him with a short poetical epitome of the" king bird's history ? Far in the south, where vast Maragnon flows, And boundless forests unknown wilds enclose ; Vine-tangled shores, and suflfocating woods, Parched up with heat, or drowned with pouring floods ; Where each extreme alternately prevails. And Nature sad their ravages bewails; Lo ! high in air, above those trackless wastes, With Spring's return the king bird hither hastes ; Coasts the famed Gulf,» and, from his height, explores Its thousand streams, ita long indented shores, i % \ I ill I i i 1 ; % * Qi Mexico. 222 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KINC BIRD. It» plains immense, wide opening on the day, Its kites and isles, where feathered millions play : All tempt not him ; till, gazu.g from on high, Columbia's regions wide below him lie ; Th«r« end his wanderings and his wish to roam, Thdrt 1: . iiii mifave woods, his fields, his Aonw ; Down, Pl'-c'lp.n;, he descends, from azure heights, And on a full-blown sassafras alights. Fatigued and silent, for a while he views His old frequented haunts and shades recluse. Bees brothers, comrades, every hour arrive— Hears, humming round, the tenants of the hive : Love fires his breas+, ; lio v '» •*, id soon is blest ; And in the blooming orchard builds his nest. Come now, ye cowards ! ye whom Heaven disdains. Who boast the happiest home— the richest plains ; On whom, perchance, a wife, an infant's eye. Hang as their hope, and on your arm rely ; Yet, when the hour of danger and dismay Comes on your country, sneak in holes away, Shrink from the perils ye were bound to face. And leave those babes and country to disgrace; Come here (if such we have), ye dastard herd ! And kneel in dust before this noble bird. When the specked eggs within his neat appear. Then glows afifection, ardent and sincere ; No discord sours him when his mate he meets ; But each warm heart with mutual kindness beats. For her repast he bears along the lea The bloated gadfly, and the balmy bee ; For her repose scours o'er the adjacent farm, Whence hawks might dart, or lurking foes alarm ; For now abroad a band of ruffians prey. The crow, the cuckoo, and the insidious jay ; These, in the owner's absence, all destroy, And murder every hope and every joy. • Soft sits his brooding mate, her guardian he, Perched on the top of some tall neighbouring tree ', Thente, from the thicket to the concave skies, His watchful eye around unceasing flies. Wrens, thrushes, warblers, startled at his note. Fly in afi'right the consecrated spot. He drives the plundering jay, with honest scorn. Back to his woods ; the 'mocker, to his thorn ; Sweeps round the euckoo, as the thief retreats; Attacks the crtm; the diving hawk defeats ; Darts on the tagle downwards from afar. And, 'mid«t the clouds, prolongs the whirling war. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. All danger o'er, ho Lastena back elate, To guard his post, and feed his faithful mate. Behold him now, his little family flown, Meek, unassuming, silent, and alone ; Lured by the well-known hum of favourite bees. As slow he hovers o'er the garden trees (For all have failings, passions, whims that lead. Some favourite wish, some appetite to feed) ; Straight he alights, and, from the pear tree, spies The circling stream of humming insects rise ; Selects his prey ; darts on the busy brood, And shrilly twitters o'er his savoury food. Ah ! ill-timed triumph ! direful note to thee, That guides thy murderer to the fatal tree ; See where he skulks I and takes his gloomy stand. The deep-charged musket hanging in his hand ; And, gaunt for blood, he leans it on a rest, Prepared, and pointed at thy snow-white breast. Ah, friend 1 good friend ! forbear that barbarous deed, Against it valour, goodness, pity plead; If e'er a family's griefs, a widow'h woe. Have reached thy soul, in mercy let him go I Yet, should the tear of pity nought avail, Let interest speak, let gratitude prevail ; Kill not thy friend, who thy whole harvest shields, And sweeps ten thousand vermin from thy fields ; Think how this dauntless bird, thy poultry's guard, Drove every hawk and eagle from thy yard ; Watched round thy cattle as they fed, and slew The hungry blackening swarms that round them flew ; Some small return — some little right resign, And spare his life whose services are thine ! I plead in vaiu 1 Amid the bursting roar. The poor lost king bird welters in his gore I 233 This species is eiglit inches long, and fourteen in extent ; the general colour above is a dark slaty ash ; the head and tail are nearly black ; the latter even at the end, and tipt with whf*e ; the wings are more of a brownish cast; the quills and wi.,g-coverts are also edged with dull white; the upper part of the breast is tinged with ash ; the throat, and all the rest of the lower parts, are pure white ; the plumage on the crown, though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, as represented in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of brilliant orange, or tr 334 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. [ flame colour, called l)y the country people liis crown : when the feathers lie close, this is altogether concealed. The bill ia very broad at the base, overhanging at the point, and notched, of a glossy black colour, and furnished with bristles at the base; the legs and feet are black, seamed with gray; the eye, hazel. The female differs in being more brownish on the upper parts, has a smaller streak of paler orange on the crown, and a narrower border of duller white on the tail. Tiio yoimg birds do not receive the orange on the head during their resi- dence here the first season. This bird is very generally known, from the Lakes to Florida. Besides ii.sects, they feed, like every other species of their tribe with which I am acquainted, on various sorts of berries, particularly blackberries, of which they are extremely fond. Early in September they leave Pennsylvania, on their way to the south. A few days ago I shot one of these birds, the whole plumage of which was nearly white, or a little inclining to a cream colour ; it was a bird of the present year, and could not be more than a month old. This appeared also to have been its original colour, as it issued from the egg. The skin was yellowish white; the eye, much lighter than usual; the legs and bill, blue. It was plump, and seemingly in good order. I presented it to Mr Peale. Whatever may be the cause of this loss of colour, if I niay so call it, in birds, it is by no means imcommon among the various tribes that inhabit the United States. The sparrow-hawk, sparrow, robin, red-winged black- bird, and many others, are occasionally found in white jdumage; and I believe that such birds do not become so by climate, age, or disease, but that they are universally hatched so. The same phenomena are observable not only among various sorts of animals, but even among the human race; and a white negro is no less common, in proportion to their numbers, than a white blackbird ; though the precise cause of this in either is but little understood. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, 22$ GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. (Muscicapa crinita.) PLATE XIII. -Fig. 2. LinnSi„t325.-Lath. ii,S57.~Arct. Zool p. 386. No. 267. -Le MouoheroUe d, V.«m« a huppe verte. Buff. iv. 5G5. PI. enl. m.-PeaW, il/utm nJ^ TYRANNUS CBINITUS.-Sv/Msmi,. TyrannuH crinitua, Su>ain. Monog. Jaurn. of Science, vol. xx. p. 271.-M«scicap» onnitft, Bonap. Synop. p. 67. By glancing at the pliysiognomy of this bird, ami the rest of the figures on the same plate, it will readily be observed that they all belong to one particular family of the sarae genus. Ihey possess strong traits of their particular cast, and are all remarkably dexterous at their profession of fly-catching The one now before us is less generally known than the preceding being chiefly confined to the woods. There his harsh squeak -for he has no song— is occasionally heard above most others He also visits the orchard, is equally fond of bees, but wants the courage and magnanimity of the king bird. He arrives m Pennsylvania early in May, and builds his nest in a hollow tree deserted by the blue bird or woodpecker. The materials of which this is formed are scanty, and rather novel. One of these nests, now before me, is formed of a little loose hay feathers of the guinea fowl, hogs' bristles, pieces of cast snake skins, and dogs' hair. Snake skins with this bird appear to be an indispensable article, for I have never yet found one of his nests without this material forming a part of it.* Whether he surrounds his nest with this by way of tarorem, to prevent other birds or animals from entering, or whether it be that he finds Its silky softness suitable for his young, is uncertain ; • As I have mentioned at page 143, this forms the lining to the nests of other birds also ; and as the number of snakes is considerable in those uncu tivated and woody countries, their castings may form a more fre- quent substitute than is generally supposed.— Ed VOL. I. ^ _ 226 SMALL GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. the fact, however, is notorious. The female lays four eggs of a dull cream colour, thickly scratched with purple lines of various tints, as if done with a pen (see fig. 2). This species is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent ; the upper parts are of a dull greenish olive; the feathers on the head are pointed, centred with dark hrown, ragged at the sides, and form a kind of blowsy crest; the throat and upper parts of the breast, delicate ash ; rest of the lower parts, a sulphur yellow; the wing-coverts are pale drab, crossed with two bars of dull white ; the primaries are of a bright ferruginous, or sorrel colour; the tail is slightly forked, its interior vanes of the same bright ferruginous as the primaries ; the bill is blackish, very much like that of the kinc bird, furnished also with bristles ; the eye is hazel ; legs and^feet, bluish black. The female can scarcely be distinguished by its colours from the male. This bird also feeds on berries towards the end of summer, particularly on huckleberries, which, during the time they last, seem to form the chief sustenance of the young birds. I have observed this species here as late as the 10th of September ; rarely later. They do not, to my knowledge, winter in any of the southern States. SMALL GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER.* {Muacicopa querula) PLATE XIII.— Fro. 3. MuBcicapa subviridis, Bartram, p. 289.-^rcA. Zool. p. 386, No. 268.--Peaie'« Museum, No. C825. TYRANNULA ^C^ 2)7(7^. -Swainson. Muscicapu acadica, Bomp. Synop. p. 68. Tnis bird is but little known. It inhabits the deepest, thick Hluuled, solitary parts of the woods, sits generally on the lower • This species, with the two following of our author, have been sepa- rated from the tyrants, and placed in a subgenus, Tyronnula. They M.- -Peak's SMALL GREE^.CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Iranches utte™, every halt minnte or so, a sudden sharo squeak, whjoh is heard a considemble way through he woo and, as ,t fl,es from one tree to another, has a fow, queTubt are however, in reality, littU tyrants, and atn-ee in ih^W l.oKu r the'r smaller size and weaker powers' enableTem Th ir W '' " T the, same, more confined, however to inlnff /^^^'^ ^0°^ is nearly wrmting to overcome any tvonTern'v T ' '; "tf* ^"^^^ ^^^"^ niany species most closefy amSS ^^^^^^'1^::^^ seem' distinct, and th>cWer~r^^^^^^^ specific importance. They are natives nfwlv II ° °^ sufficient rica, and the adjacent island ThXl Ameri^^^^^^^ ''''*' ''"^- those described by our author, which wmbTSi^^^^^^^^ or two figured by Bonaparte, ^itb two new snlZ 7 ^^ V^"' °"' cou^eofthelastOverland^rcdcExpediti^rand'^^^^^^^^^^^ son m the second volume of the " Northern Zo2r"sou[h^r"" however, possesses the great ho3t of species, wheff we mav v^ 'Z many novelties. The extent and the closely Lllied ferturTsYthl '' render them most difficult of distinction • *^' ^^oup Both this form and the tyrants are confined to the New World and the atter may be said to represent the great mass of our flycaW^iers' The new species described by Mr Swainson uv. ^ "^^^^'f'lers. Sw vervcloselvillip,! t,. u • '^'^'^^nson are, Tyranmda pusilla, ow.,ver3 Closely allied to Muscicapa quenda of Wilson but siH«fnr.t«.-i proved distinct ; the wings are much shorter.so m^^^t r^i^t^^. the comparative proportion of the quills difi-;r -The co nZ 1 ' nearly agree : the species brought home by thl e^pedit on w L k^^^^^^^^^^^ Car ton Houre m 53'> N. lat., and it extends southard to Iwo I ^* Ruhardsonn, cosely resembling T.fusca; it differs in the form o^h; bill and size of the feet ; the crest is thick and lengthened Z T plumage is more olive, while the under has an ol vfwh IkitT tail 18 more forked : it was found in the neic^hbourhood of P,,! f 'i l House frequenting moist shady woods by thl baTk^o^tiver^rd lit of iltnnol 1 r 'fr ^ ^^""^^ "'' "^^^'-d dedicatesTtoDrS i of Liverpool ; but, as I have remarked before it is imnn.,ihl« f^^ i from a plate, however accurate TuranrndaTrn^r- '"'P'''''^^^ ^"^ ^^^''^<' +!,„ 1 , v^^uiatc. -^ y'^«'i/u«a i mzm Will come npn,rp«t tr> tlie wood pewee, but diflers as well in some mrts of tl,« ,7 • I 1 . I, , ' is I < 228 /l£ H^IT FL YCA TCHER. note something like the twitterings of chickens neslhng under the win<'8 of the hen. On alighting, this sound ceases, and it utters it°8 note as before. It arrives from the south about the middle of May ; builds on the upper side of a limb, m a low, swampy part of the woods, and lays five white eggs. It leaves us about the beginning of September. It is a rare and very solitary bird, always haunting the most gloomy, moist, and unfrequented parts of the forest. It feeds on flying insects, devours bees, and, in the season of huckleberries, they form the chief part of its food. Its northern migrations extend as far as Newfoundland. , , ,r 1 j.u The lengtli of this species is five inches and a half; breadth, nine inches ; the upper parts are of a green olive colour, the lower pale greenish yellow, darkest on the breast ; the wings are deep brown, crossed with two bars of yellowish white, and a rincr of the same surrounds the eye. which is hazel. The tail Ts rounded at the end ; the bill is remarkably flat and broad dark brown above, and flesh colour below ; legs and feet, pale ash. The female differs little from the male m colour. PEWIT FLYCATCHER. {Muscicapa nunciola.) PLATE XIII,— Fig. 4. Bertram, p. 289.-Blackoap Flycatcher, Lath. Syn. ii. .-iSS.- Phoebe Flycatcher, Id. Sup. p. 173. Le Gobe-mouche noirfttre de la Caroline, Bvff. iv. 541.- Arct. Z'^l p. 387, No. 269.— Peace's Museum, No. 6018. TYRANNULA FUSCA.-it^KDWM. MuBcicapa fusca, Bonap. Synop. p. 68. This well-known bird is one of our earliest spring visitants, arriving in Pennsylvania about the first week in March, and contini?ing with us until October. I have seen them here as late as the 12th of November. In the mouth of February, I overtook these birds lingering in the low swampy woods of PEWIT PL YCA TCHER. 229 North and South Car Una. They were feeding on smilax berries, and chanting, occasionally, their simple notes The favourite resort of this bird is by streams of water, under or near bridges, in caves, &c. Near such places he sits on a projecting 'wig, calling oxxi, jpe-wee, pe-wittitee pe-iuee, for a whole inornmg ; darting after insects, and returning to the same tw.g ; frequently flirting his tail, like the wagtail, thou-h not so rapidly. He begins to build about the 20th or 25th of March, on some projecting part under a bridge, in a cave in an open well five or six feet down, among the interstices of tlie side walls, often under a shade in the low eaves of a cottage, and such-like places.* The outside is composed of nnid mixed with moss, is generally large and solid, and lined with flax and horse hair. The eggs are five, pure white, with two or three dots of red near the great end (see fig. 4) I have known them rear three broods in one season. In a particular part of Mr Bartrani's woods, witli which I am acquainted, by the side of a small stream, in a cave five or SIX feet high, formed by the undermining of the water below and the projection of two large rocks above- There down smooth glist'ning rocks the rivulet pours, Till in a pool its silent waters sleep ; • The general manners of this species, and indeed of the greater part ot the smaller Ti/rannulw, bear a considerable resemblance to those of the common spotted flycatcher of this country, which the dilatation at the base of the bill, and the colour of the plumage, render still greater The peculiar droop of the tail, and occasional rise and depression of the feathers on the crown, which are somewhat elongated-the motionless perch on some bare branch-the impatient call-the motion of the tail —and the sudden dart after some insect, and return to the same spot- are all close resemblances to the manners delineated by our author; and the resort by streams, bridges, or caves, with the manner and place of building— even the colour of the eggs-are not to be mistaken. In one instance our flycatcher and the T>/rannulce disagree ; the former possess no pleasing notes ; its only cries are a single, rather harsh and mono- tonous click and a shrill peep. The song of the Tyrannulm is " simple " but " lively."— Ed. ■'5 ! u 230 PEWIT FLYCATCHER. A dark-browed cliflf, o'ertopped with fern and flowers, Hangs, grimly low'riug, o'er the glassy deep ; Above through every chink the woodbines creep, And smooth-barked beeches spread their arms around, "Whose roots cling twisted round the rocky steep : A more sequestered scene is nowhere found, For contemplation deep, and silent thought profound, — in this cave I knew the pewit to build for several yearB. The place was solitary, and he was seldom disturbed. In the month of April, one fatal Saturday, a party of beys from the city, armed with guns, dealing indiscriminate destruction among the feathered tribes around them, directed their mur- derous course this way, and, within my hearing, destroyed both parents of this old and peaceful settlement. For two successive years, and I believe to this day, there has been no pewee seen about this place. This circumstance almost con- vinces me that birds, in many instances, return to the same spots to breed ; and who knows but, like the savage nations of Indians, they may usurp a kind of exclusive right of tenure to particular districts, where they themselves have been reared? Tiie notes of the pewee, like those of the blue bird, are pleasing, not for any melody they contain, but from the ideas of spring and returning verdure, with all the sweets of this lovely season, which are associated with his simple but lively ditty. Towards the middle of June, he becomes nearly silent ; and late in the fall gives us a few farewell and melancholy repetitions, that recall past imagery, and make the decayed and withered face of nature appear still more melancholy. Tlie pewit is six inches and a half in length, and nine and a half broad ; the upper })art8 are of a dark dusky olive ; the plumage of the head, like that of the two preceding, is loose, subcrested, and of a deep brownish black ; wings and tail, deep dusky ; the former edged, on every feather, with yellowish white, the latter forked, and widening remarkably towards the end ; bill, formed exactly like that of the king bird ; whole lower parts, a pale delicate yellow; legs and bill, wholly WOOD PEWEE FLYCATCHER. 231 black ; ins, hazel. The female is almost exactly like the male, except m having the crest somewhat more brown This species inhabits from Canada to Florida ; great numbers of them usually wintering in the two Carplinas and Georgia In New York, they are called the phoeby bird, and are accused of destroying bees. With many people in the country, the arrival of the pewee serves as a sort of almanack, remind- ing them that now it is time such and such work should be done. " Whenever the pewit appears," says Mr Bartram, we may plant peas and beans in the open grounds, French beans, sow radishes, onions, and almost every kind of esculent garden seeds, without fear or danger from frosts ; for, although we have sometimes frosts after their first appearance for a night or two, yet not so severe as to imure the younff plants."* ^ & WOOD PEWfiE FLYCATCHER. {Mmcka'pa rapax.) PLATE XIII.— Fig. 5. Muscicapa ^rem Linn. Syst. 327.-Lath. Syn. ii. 350, Id. Sup. p. 174, No. 82.-Cata,b. 1. 54 fig. 1. -Le Gobe-mouche brun de la Caroline, Buff, iv 543 . -Muscicapa acadica, Gmd. Syst. i. p. 9i7.-Arct. Zool. 387, No. 270- Peale s Museum, No. 6660. TYRAiYNULA VIBENS.- J AiiDmE. Muscicapa virens, Linn. Syst.-Bonap. Synop. I HAVE given the name wood pew^e to this species to dis- criminate It from the preceding, which it resembles so much in form and plumage as scarcely to be distinguished from it but by an accurate examination of both. Yet in manners mode of building, period of migration,, and notes, the two spec.es differ greatly, v^e pewee is among the first birds that visit MS in spring, frequenting creeks, building in caves, and under arches of bridges ; the wood pewee. the subject * Travels, p. 288. N 232 WOOD PEWEE FLYCATCHER. of our present account, is among the latest of our summer birds, seldom arriving before the 12th or 15th of May ; fre- quenting the shadiest high timbered woods, where there is little underwood, and abundance of dead twigs and branches shooting across the gloom ; generally in low situations; builds its nest on the upper side of a limb or branch, forming it outwardly of moss, but using no mud, and lining it with various soft materials. The female lays five white eggs, and the first brood leaves the nest about the middle of June. This species is an exceeding expert fly-catcher. It loves to sit on the high dead branches, amid the gloom of the woods, calling out in a feeble plaintive tone, peto way, yeio way, pee way ; occasionally darting after insects ; sometimes making a circular sweep of thirty or forty yards, snapping up numbers in its way with great adroitness ; and returning to its position and chant as before. In the latter part of August, its notes are almost the only ones to be heard in the woods; about which time, also, it even approaches the city, where I have frequently observed it busily engnged under trees, in solitary courts, gardens, &c., feeding and training its young to their profession. About the middle of September it retires to the south, 0 full month before the other. Length, six inches ; breadth, ten ; back, dusky olive, in- clining to greenish ; head, subcrested, and brownish black ; tail, forked, and widening towards the tips, lower parts, pale yellowish white. The only discriminating marks betweeti this and the preceding are the size and the colour of the lower mandible, which in this is yellow, in the pewce black. The female is difficult to be distinguished from the male. This species is far more numerous than the preceding, and probably winters much farther south. The pewee was numerous in North and South Carolina in February ; but the wood pewee had not made its appearance in the lower parts of Georgia, even so late as the 16th of March. summer [ay ; f re- theve is branches s; builds >rmiDg it r it with eggs, and line. t loves to he woods, way, pee making a > numbers ,s position ,, its notes ds; about re I have n solitary 5 to their ires to the olive, in- ish black; parts, pale s between )ur of the woe black, male. ieding, and pewee was y ; but tl'e ower parts li g FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 233 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH/ {Turdus rufua) PLATE XIV.— Fio. 1. Fox-coloured Thrush, Cattsh. i. 28.— Turdus rufus, Linn. Syst. 293.— Lath. iii. 39. —La Grive de la Caroline, Briss. ii. 223.— Le Moquer Francoig, Buff. iii. 323, PL enl. Gi^.-Arct. Zool. p. 335, No. 195.— Peak's Museum, No. 5285. | ORPHEUS BUFUS.-Sv/Aiasoif. Turdus rufus, Bonap. Synop. p. 75.— Orphaeur rufus. Fox-coloured Mock Bird, Nwth. Zool. ii, p. 190. This is the brown tlirusb, or thrasher, of the middle and eastern States, and the French mocking bird of Maryland, * This species, with 0. poli/glottos, is the typical form of Mr Swain- son's genus Orphceus, differing from Turdus in its longer form, chiefly apparent from the greater length of its tail, its rounded and shorter wings, its long and bending, and, in proportion, more slender bill. The form is confined to the New World, and will be represented in Africa by Crateropus and BonocoUus, Swain. ; and in Asia and Australia by Fomatorhinus, Horsf. They appear to live nearer the ground than the true thrushes, frequenting the lower brushwood ; and it is only during the spring and breeding season that they mount aloft, to serenade their mates. The cries or notes are generally loud ; some possess consider- able melody, which, however, is only exercised as above mentioned ; but many of the aberrant species possess only harsh and grating notes, incessantly kept up ; in which respect they resemble the more typical African form, and many of the aquatic warblers. In the account given by our author of the manners of 0. rufus, we perceive a very close resemblance to our common blackbird. The blackbird is seldom seen on lofty trees, except during the season of in- cubation, or occasionally in search of a roosting place ; its true habitat is brushwood or shrubbery, and, unless at one season, its only note is that of alarm, shrill and rapid, or a kind of chuck. The manner of flight, when raised from cover, along a hedge, or among bushes, with the tail expanded, is also similar ; we have thus two types of very nearly allied genera, varying decidedly in form, but agreeing almost entirely in habit. The gregarious thrushes, again, possess much more activity, enjoy lofty forests or the open country, and protect themselves by vigi'ance, not by stealth and concealment. This species was met by Dr Richardson at Carlton House. It ex- V':J| 234 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH, Virginia, and the Carolinas.* It is the largest of all our thrushes, and is a well known and very distinguished songster. About the middle or 20th of April, or generally about the time the cherry trees begin to blossom, he arrives in Pennsylvania; and from the tops of our hedgerows, sassafras, apple or cherry trees, he salutes the opening morn- ing with his charming song, which is loud, emphatical, and full of variety. At that serene hour, you may plainly dis- tinguish his voice fully half a mile off. These notes are not imitative, as his name would import, and as some people believe, but seem solely his own ; and have considerable resemblance to the notes of the song thrush (Turdus musicua) of Britain. Early in May he builds his nest, choosing a thorn bush, low cedar, thicket of briers, dogwood sapling, or cluster of vines, for its situation, generally within a few feet of the ground. Outwardly, it is constructed of small sticks ; then layers of dry leaves, and, lastly, lined with fine fibrous roots, but without any plaster. The eggs are five, thickly sprinkled with ferruginous grains, on a very pale bluish ground. They generally have two broods in a season. Like all birds that build near the ground, he shows great anxiety for the safety of his nest and young, and often attacks the black snake in their defence, generally, too, with success, his strength being greater, and his bill stronger and more powerful, than any other of his tribe within the United States. His food consists of worms, which he scratches from the ground, caterpillars, and many kinds of berries. Beetles, and the whole I'ace of coleopterous insects, wherever he can meet with them, are sure to suffer. He is accused, by some people, of scratching up the hills of Indian-corn in planting time ; this may be partly true ; but, for every grain of maize he tends from Pennsylvania to the Saskatchewan ; but Dr Richardson thinks it probable that it does not extend its range beyond the 54th parallel of latitude. It quits the Fur Countries, with the other migra- tory birds, early in September. — Ed. • See p. 173 for the supposed origin of this name. FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 23s pilfers, I am persuaded he destroys five hundred insects; particularly a large dirty-coloured grub, with a black head,' which is more pernicious to the corn and other grain and vegetables than nine-teiitha of the whole feathered race. He is an active, vigorous bird, flies generally low, from one thicket to another, with his long broad tail spread like a fan ; is often seen about brier and bramble bushes, along fences; and has a single note or chuck when you approach his nest. In Peimsylvania, they are numerous, but never fly in flocks. About the middle of September, or as soon as they have well recovered from moulting, in which they suffer severely, they disappear for the season. In passing through the southern parts of Virginia, and south as far as Georgia, in the depth of winter, I found them lingering in sheltered situations, particularly on the borders of swamps and rivers. On the Ist of March, they were in full song round the commons at Savannah, as if straining to outstrip the mocking bird, tliat prince of feathered musicians. The thrasher is a welcome visitant in spring to every lover of rural scenery and rural song. In the months of April and May, when our woods, hedgerows, orchards, and cherry tiees, are one profusion of blossoms, when every object around con- veys the sweet sensations of joy, and Heaven's abundance is, as it were, showering around us, the grateful heart beats iri unison with the varying elevated strains of this excellent bird ; we listen to its notes with a kind of devotional ecstasy, as a morning hymn to the great and most adorable Creator of all. The human being who, amidst such scenes, and in such seasons of rural serenity and delight, can pass them with cold indifference, and even contempt, I sincerely pity ; for abject must that heart be, and callous those feelings, and depraved that taste, which neither the charms of nature, nor the melody of innocence, nor the voice of gratitude or devotion, can reach. This bird inhabits North America, from Canada to the point of Florida. They are easily reared, and become very l\ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT^3) I/. I? Z. ■^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 ^ us, |28 |25 2.2 2.0 U il^ 0% S^ 7] '>:^^ 7 /^ //^ 9 Photographic Sciences Corporation 73 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 '^ J 236 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. amiliar when kept in cages; and though this is rarely done, yet I have known a few instances where they sang in confine- ment with as much energy as in their native woods. They ought frequently to have earth and gravel thrown in to them, and have plenty of water to bathe in. The ferruginous thrush is eleven inches and a half long, and thirteen in extent ; the whole upper parts are of a bright reddish brown ; wings, crossed with two bars of white, relieved with black ; tips and inner vanes of the wings, dusky ; tail, very long, rounded at the end, broad, and of the same reddish brown as the back ; whole lower parts, yellowish white ; the breast, and sides under the wings, beautifully marked with long pointed spots of black, running in chains ; chin, white ; bilC very long and stout, not notched, the upper mandible overhanging the lower a little, and beset with strong bristles at the base, black above, and whitish below, near the base; legs, remarkably strong, and of a dusky clay colour ; iris of tlie eye, brilliant yellow. The female may be distinguished from the male by the white on the wing being much narrower, and the spots on the breast less. In other respects, their plumage is nearly alike. Concerning the sagacity and reasoning faculty of this bird, my venerable friend Mr Bartram writes me as follows :— " I remember to have reared one of these birds from the nest ; which, when full grown, became very tame and docile. I frequently let him out of his cage to give him a taste of liberty ; after fluttering and dusting himself in dry sand and earth, and bathing, washing, and dressing himself, he would proceed to hunt insects, such as beetles, crickets, and other shelly tribes; but, being very fond of wasps, after catching them, and knocking them about to break their wings, he would lay them down, then examine if they had a sting, and, with his bill, squeeze the abdomen to clear it of the reservoir of poison before he would swallow his prey. When in his cage, being very fond of dry crusts of bread, if, upon trial, the corners of the crumbs were too hard and sharp for his throat, FERFVGINOUS THRUSH. 237 he would tlirow them up, carry, and put them in his water dish to soften ; then take them out and swallow them. Many other remarkable circumstances might be mentioned that would fully demonstrate faculties of mind; not only innate but acquired ideas (derived from necessity in a state of domestication), which we call understanding and knowled '00 heavily ou the leaves; ,f you stop to examine its nest, it also sLT to craw], looking back now and then to see whether you are tak ng not,ce of .t It you slowly foUow, it leads you fif"v or s.xty yards off, in a direct line from its nest, seemiraf every advance to he gaining fresh strength; and'when it'tltksl h^ decoyed you to a sufficient distance, it suddenly rheels off and disappears. This kind of deception is pi Jtised by many other species of birds that build on the ground and IS sometimes so adroitly performed, as actually^to ha"; the desired effect of s, firing the safety of its nest and young. This 18 one of those birds frequently selected by the cow- n "t 0 "tl'iif I ^.f' '■™'"l """'" »♦■ «» ^™»S. Into le Tner^^W ^,f T ""'' '"^'"'Sement of the thrush, who head t! ' 1 ?, "''''" ''"*' ^""I" "'^ «■■»»'■' »"'' hind head, are a rich yellow olive ; the tips of the wings, and inner vanes of the quills, are dusky brown ; from the noir a w ch lies „ bed of bmwnish orange ; the sides of the neck are w i i^ C 7 '°", '""" P°'''' "''■'^- --P' the breast, dtn brow ^^^^^^1 '"'"■'""' "'"' P™°'^ ^P»'» "f hlack, 0 Ibove i. 7' 1 ""■ ''"'• P'*'^ "^^ ■=»''"-; hill, dusky above, whitish below. The female has the orange on the crown considerably paler. I ■ ii i ii! 240 CAT BIRD. Tliis bird might with propriety be ranged with the wag- tails, its notes, manners, and habit of building on the ground beino- similar to these. It usually hatches twice in the season ; feeds* on small bugs and the larvae of insects, which it chiefly gathers from the ground. It is very generally diffused over the United States, and winters in Jamaica, Hispaniola, and other islands of the West Indies. CATBIRD.* (Turdus lividus.) PLATE XIV.— Fig. 3. Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linn. Syst. 328. -Le Gobe-mouche brun de Virginie, Brisa. ii. 365.— Cat Bird, CjUesh. i. m.— Latham, ii. 353.— Le MoucheroUe de Virginie, Buff. iv. 562.— Lucar lividus, apice nigra, The Cat Bird, or Chicken Bird, Bartram, p. 200.— Peak's Museum, No. 6770. ORPHMUS FELirOX.—BwAmaon. Turdus felivox, Bonap. Spnop. p. 75. We have here before us a very common and very numerous species in this part of the United States ; and one as well known to all classes of people as his favourite briers or black- berry bushes. In spring or summer, on approaching thickets of brambles, the first salutation you receive is from the cat bird; and a stranger, unacquainted with its note, would instantly conclude that some vagrant orphan kitten had got bewildered among the briers, and wanted assistance; so exactly does the call of the bird resemble the voice of that • At first sight, this species, singular both in habits and structure, appears to range with Brachypus; but a more minute inspection shows that it will rather stand as an aberrant form with Orphlity. Sorry cruelly the reverse^ O! wl I n ^ """"y '""'"■"»»' ■"« the s4ueL ^ "'" "^^^ """« Particularly in ».8,de .s l,„ed ,„th the fine black fibrous ,oots of sfme rf ". The female lays four, sometimes five e-^gs of a nnflL greenish blue colour, without auv snots S, " two, and sometimes three broods' inT^Jn'"'"""""^ ™'- In passmg through the woods in summer Ihave «om.f amused myself with imitating the violenT h rXg „ ^eT ■ng of young birds, in order to observe what ditfl , ' • were around me; for such sounds at su ha ^^n' T^ woods, are no less alarming to the feathered ZZ. f tt bushes, than the cry of fire or murder in the Xe2lt h! ■nhabitanl^i of a large and populous city. On sLTol! • 0 alarm and consternation the cat bird is «,e fi ttlr h.s appearance, not singly, but sometimes hal^a dltl ! t..^. %,ng from different quarters to the spot. Mmvl:. Q i ic i ;'l ■ 11 III 242 CA T BIRD. those who are disposed to play with his feelings may almost throw him into fits, his emotion and agitation are so great, at the distressful cries of what ho supposes to he his suffering young. Other hirds are variously affected ; but none show symptoms of such extreme suffering. He hurries backwards and forwards, with hanging wings and open mouth, callmg out louder and faster, and actually screaming with distress, till he appears hoarse with his exertions. He attempts no offensive means; but he bewails— he implores— in the most pathetic terms with which nature has supplied him, and with an agony of feeling which is truly affecting. Every feathered neii'hbour within hearing hastens to the place, to learn the cau^'se of the alarm, peeping about with looks of consternation and sympathy. But their own powerful parental duties and domestic concerns soon oblige each to withdraw. At any other season, the most perfect imitations have no effect what- ever on him. The cat bird will not easily desert its nest. I took two eggs from one which was sitting, and in their place put two of the brown thrush or thrasher, and took my stand at a convenient distance, to see how she would behave. In a minute or two the male made his approaches, stooped down, and looked earnestly at the strange eggs, then flew off to his mate, who was not far distant, with whom he seemed to have some conversation, and instantly returning, with the greatest gentleness took out both the thrasher's eggs, first one and then the other, carried them singly about thirty yards, and dropt them among the bushes. I then returned the two eggs I had taken, and, soon after, the female resumed her place on the nest as before. , ,.a , , From the nest of another cat bird I took two half-fledged young, and placed them in that of another, which was sitting on five eggs. She soon turned them both out. The place where the^nest was not being far from the ground, they were little injured, and the male observing their helpless situation, began to feed them with great assiduity and teuddniess. CAT BIRD. 243 owiJoi"»a mm. His notes are more rpmoviroU e B.ngnlanty than for melody. They oonlTof J T . , *" of other bird, and other Lmd Zt w " ' ' '" "' defloient i„ clearness and 7^^^ ^f l " T^- "^"'^ ''""" where these are reonisite YmT • .' " '""'"""ns Wl tormance, in which he seems to introduce alUhlM^ ^l' andqnaint passages he has been able to ^dl^ LTlt whole, though we cannot arrange him w».Im ! Y"^^^ 3"" of our vernal choristers, he we""mer«^ g^nd leaders agreeable general i^rtJ^Z ^^""^ """"■= ** "■»«' This bird, as lias been before obspivpri ;o « in summer in the middle States. t::i a I Jd-et^T' country is without its cat birds, and we,o they to fly n Lt l.ke many other birds, they would darken the air w th 1 ' numbers. But their migrations are seldom ob'rvlfo": 0 then- gradual progress and recession, in sprin.- I7dt2^^ to and from their breeding places Ti.ev T ^ "' in Febrnary, and reach Ne'w E^ndlll 2 ^'"^ • '"': May. In their migrations, they keep Zee w h ^ ""° of .gricnlture; and the fi'rst s'ettll Tml y 'L'TZ Gennesee country have told me tbaf ,> « P'^'^s />* the after they removed there beL t he It l^^/L" '"" ance among them With nU ITl uf ^" ^^P"^''- o lucm. With all these amiable qualities to 244 CAT BIRD. recommend him. few people in the country respect the cat bird ; on the contrary, it is generally the object of dislike ; and the boys of the Utiited States entertain the same prejudice and contempt for this bird, its nest, and young, as those of Britain do for the yellow hammer, and its nest, eggs, and young. I am at a loss to account for this cruel prejudice. Even" those by whom it is entertained can scarcely tell you why; only they "hate cat birds;" as some persons tell you they hate Frenchmen, they hate Dutchmen. &c.— expressions that bespeak their own narrowness of understanding and want of liberality. Yet, after ruminating over in my own mind all the probable causes, I think I have at last hit on some of them ; the principal of which seems to me to be a certam similarity of taste, and clashing of interest, between the cat bird and the farmer. The cat bird is fond of large npe garden strawberries ; so is the farmer, for the good price they brmg in market: the cat bird loves the best and richest early cherries ; so does the farmer, for they are sometimes the most profitable of his early fruit : the oat bird has a particular par- tiality for the finest ripe mellow pears ; and these are also particular favourites with the farmer. But the cat bird has frequently the advantage of the farmer, by snatching off the first fruits of these delicious productions ; and the farmer takes revenge, by shooting him down with his gun, as he finds old hats, windmills, and scarecrows, are no impediments in his way to these forbidden fruits ; and nothing but this resource— the ultimatum of farmers as well as kings— can restrain his visits. The boys are now set to watch the cherry trees with the gun : and thus commences a train of prejudices and antipathies, that commonly continue through life. Perhaps, too, the common note of the cat bird, so like the mewing of the animal whose name it bears, and who itself sustains no small share of pre- judice, the homeliness of his plumage, and even his familiarity, 80 proverbially known to beget contempt, may also contribute to this mean, illiberal, and persecuting prejudice; but, with the 6entation, ave given, The exces- ty of some / /,'. ./ ///^fv/ ly*^^*. /ii.'iiiih.-/./../ \iil/i,itf/i .\ /'/./.-•/■ /A/n/.' f- Hill,' itiii.f,;. I y.-ll<>» H'.irhh- ■ l,l> II iiliii/i II <: fill. ,1 ).ii<>u n. 7 '< i-i.r. trit Hill,- n: RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 251 I RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. {Ficm querulus.) PLATE XV. -Fig. 1. Pede's Museum, No. 2027. DENDROCOPUS QUERULUS. -Koch. Picus querulus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. This new species I first discovered in the pine woods of North Carolina. The singularity of its voice, which greatly resembles the chirping of young nestlings, and the red streak on the side of its head, suggested the specific name I have given it. It also extends through South Carolina and Georgia, at least as fiir as the Altamaha river. Observing the first specimen I found to be so slightly marked with red, I suspected it to be a young bird, or imperfect in its plumage ; but the great numbers I afterwards shot satisfied me that this is a pecu- liarity of the species. It appeared exceedingly restless, active, and clamorous ; and everywhere I found its manners the same. This bird seems to be an intermediate link between the red-bellied and the hairy woodpecker, represented in Plates VII. and IX. It ' j the back of the former, and the white belly and spotted neck of the latter ; but wants the breadth of red in both, r^nd is less than either. A preserved specimen has been deposited in the Museum of Philadelphia. This woodpecker is seven inches and a half long, and thirteen broad ; the upper part of the head is black ; the back barred with twelve white transversely semicircular lines, and as many of black, alternately ; the cheeks and sides of the neck are white ; whole lower parts the same ; from the lower mandible, a list of black passes towards the shoulder of the wing, whore it is lost in small black spots on each side of the breafifr "i)«> wings are black, spotted with white ; the four middle taii-,. thers, black; the rest white, spotted with black; rump, black, variegated with white ; the veut, white, spotted 252 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. with black ; the Imirs that cover the nostrils are of a pale cream colour ; the bill, deep slate. But what forms the most distinguishing peculiarity of this bird is a fine line of vermi- lion on each side of the head, seldom occupying more than the edge of a single feather. The female is destitute of this ornament ; but, in the rest of her plumage, differs in nothing from the male. The iris of the eye, in both, was hazel. The stomachs of all those I opened were filled with small black insects and fragments of large beetles. The posterior extremities of the tongue reached nearly to the base of the upper mandible. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. (^Sitta ^usilU) PLATE XV.— Fig. 2. Small Nuthatch, Cateshy, Gar. i. 22, upper figure.— La Petite Sitelle Atfite brune, Buff. V. i74.—Feale'a Mmeum, No. 2040.— £rm. iii. 958.— Lath. i. 651, o. SITTA PUSILLA.—Lathau. Sitta pasilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 97. This bird is chiefly an inhabitant of Virginia and the southern States, and seems particidarly fond of pine trees. I have never yet discovered it either in Pennsylvania or any of the regions north of this. Its manners are very similar to those of the red-bellied nuthatch, represented in Plate II. ; but its notes are more shrill and chirping. In the countries it inhabits it is a constant resident ; and in winter associates with parties of eight or ten of its own species, who hunt busily from tree to tree, keeping up a perpetual screeping. It is a fi-equent companion of the woodpecker figured beside it ; and you rarely find the one in the woods without observing or hearing the other not far off. It climbs equally in every direction, on the smaller branches as well as on the body of the tree, in search of its favourite food, small insects and their larvae. It also feeds on the seeds of the pine tree. I have never met with its nest BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 253 also the colour of the rS Jit '^^^"'' ^^"*«^ ''« li Je L.T'""'"'.,''''? " '""^ """"^ '» W^f-y. and what credit. It 18 characterised as "a very slunM 1,;-^ •• 1 -T of ™„ tha„ .ai,e ones, Lni^I^lL^Tnrr^sZ'r senco shoiUd constitute stupidity, is rather a uew Ztfinl ahead for „„ he knocked dow^^Uh 1 W^'oa tZuId '^^l fair chance of starving by his profession.' " M. Vigo,* has since described, in frplTXtj LT"' !'"°™- Science of the ZooWical Soci«v o„« ,,?j .1, *^ 'he Committee of «n(m faa India, Si,,™; r.h. f ^ "™° °' *'"° """'«««'■ In the same place Thr^M hl^ 1„ Z''"' 7""™ »"' "idiUoo. C^<»«(C^i,„4;b„"\fd;,™h^tI,^l^o^^^^^^^ " T""" 'P'"'" »' We have noticed, in a fomernol t^ o ,*"., "^ " '""""""iWe." species, and we douht if ^^It':^:!^:^^^^^:^ 254 PICEON-HAVVK. riGEON-HAWK. {Falco columbarius.) PLATE XV.- Fio. 3, Male. Linn. St/gt. p. 128, No. 21.— Lath. St/n. i. p. 101, No. 86.— L'Epervier de la Ciiroline, Briss. Orn. i. p. 238.—Catesb. i. p. 3, t. 3. — Sartram, p. 290.— Turton, Syst, i. p. 162.— Peak's Museum, No. 352. FALCO COLUMBARIUS.-LlvifMOB. Pigeon-Hawk, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. 222.— Falco columbarius, Bonap. Synop. p. 28.—JVorth. Zool. ii. p. 35. This small hawk possesses great spirit and rapidity of flight. He is generally migratory in the middle and northern States, arriving in Pennsylvania early in spring, and extending his migrations as far north as Hudson's Bay. After building, and rearing his young, he retires to the south early in November. Small birds and mice are his principal food. When the reed birds, giakles, and red-winged blackbirds congregate in large flights, he is often observed hovering in their rear, or on their flanks, picking up the weak, the wounded, or stragglers, and frequently making a sudden and fatal sweep into the very midst of their multitudes. The flocks of robins and pigeons are honoured with the same attentions from this marauder, whose daily excursions are entirely regulated by the movements of the great body on whose unfortunate members he fattens. The individual from which the drawing on the plate was taken was shot in the meadows below Philadelphia in the month of August. He was carrying off a blackbird (Oriohis phomiceus) from the flock, and, though mortally wounded and dying, held his prey fast till his last expiring breath, having struck his claws into its very heart. This was found to be a male. Sometimes when shot at, and not hurt, he will fly in circles over the sportsman's head, shrieking out with great violence, as if PIGEON-IIAWfC. at™ twtn''- ,?' '"•"•""""^ "'» ''"'• -'=™">i"g » little above the field. I have never seen his nest.' e.::pt\h?tatwhirac^rhi™ j:^^ ^^^^^^ vane, of the qnill-feathers are ma led wi( , .t !, T\ S:::i:dt:Xi'ltr--^r:£^ i^.i aome « „te on the hind head. The femoral, or ThH fea ,er« ■„ hoth are of a remarkable length, reaohin" nS IZ-l /''","'''=» °f "'« »K« of this bird have been hitherto "erm^r,tii iri^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the hZ°v'of tit'"""" "' ^l"'"'""" •""'■™"^'=' ^'»'"^«i»l' ine I'lfcloiy of this species with anecdotes of its ewloiN in alconry. This seienee, if it may he so called, is aln'the few that have never yet travelled across the At antic nd.le does, appear that the idea of training onr hawk ire '' to the chase ever 8,.ggested itself to any of the I,!?;, „ nat,ons of North Americ. The Tartarl, L!ver f m whom, accordmg to certain writers, many of these naUon: * Mr Hutchins, in his notes on the Hudson's Bav hirrl, ,->,<• that this species makes its nest in hollow rocks aS^ees ^ I T' "!,' grass, ined with feathers, laying W two to our Sll^r tH^^^^^ marked with red spots. o^s, tlimly This species has the form of the falcons wi'tl, ^v^ tii . toothed but .„„e„h.. of the plu^ag, J^U'^iLt.h'rtrT^ colour of the eggs IS also Hat of the latter.-En. "'"'"»■ ^'^^ 256 BLUE-WINGED YELLOIV WARBLER. originated, have long excelled in the practice of this sport ; whicli is indeed better suited to an open country than to one covered with forest. Thougli once so honourable and so universal, it is now much disused in Europe, and in Britain is nearly extinct. Yet I cannot but consider it as a much more noble and princely amusement than horse-racing and cock-fighting, cultivated in certain States with so mucii care ; or even than pugilism, which is still bo highly patronised in some of those enlightened countries. 1 BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. solitaria.) (Sylvia PLATE XV.— Fig. 4. Parui aureus ali« cceruleis, Bartram, p. 292.— Edw, pi. 277, upper figure. Pine Warbler, Arct. Zool. p. 412, No. 318.— Pea?e'« Museum, No. 7307. VERMIVORA SOLITABIA.-Sv/Aimoa. Sylvia solitaria, Bonap. Synop. p. 87.— The Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, And. pi. 20, Om. Biog. i. 102. This bird has been mistaken for the pine creeper of Catesby. It is a very difTerent species. It comes to us early in May from the south ; haunts thickets and shrubberies, searching the branches for insects ; is fond of visiting gardens, orchards, and willow trees, of gleaning among blossoms and currant bushes; and is frequently found in very sequestered woods, where it generally builds its nest. This is fixed in a thick bunch or tussock of long grass, sometimes sheltered by a brier bush. It is built in the form of an inverted cone or funnel, the bottom thickly bedded with dry beech leaves, the sides formed of the dry bark of strong weeds, lined within with fine dry grass. These materials are not placed in the usual manner, circularly, but shelving downwards on all sides from the top ; the mouth being wide, the bottom very narrow, filled with leaves, and the eggs or young occupying the B1.UE.WWGED YELLOW WARFILBR. jj. vt,y fa,, t doU of re,ld,«h ne,ir tlie Rreat end ; tl,e vo,,,,^ appear t.,0 firH week in J„ne. I am not cerl^in JCZ they ra„e a second bro«,l in the sa.ne season I have met with several of these nests, always in a letired though open, part of the woods, and very sLii::^ The first specimen of this bird taken notice of by Enronean wr,ta^ was t,ansmitted, with many othe.s, by M, WiTam on hi I , i"^ "' '"' "0"»"'»'»gy-" I" his remarks on th,8 b,rd, he seems at a loss to determine whether i not the p,ne creeper of Catesby;* a difficulty occasioned by the very ,mpe*et colouring and figure of Catesby's b^d lie pme ceeper, however, is a much la,ger bird ; is of a dark yelmv ohve above, and orange yellow'below ; has all the hab,.8 of a creepe,., alighting on the trunks of the pine iZ ru™,„g „,mbly round them, and, according to Mr Abto ' bu,lds a pensile nest. I obacved thousands of them t„ fc pme woods of Carolina and Georgia, whc^e they a,e re va"L """' '"°' """ "'^«' '" ""^ P"' °f P-n^yi- a half hlf 'vf 7 'r''": ""'' " ''"'f '""S' «"<' «^™'> "nd a half b,oad; hind head and whole back a rich green olive ■ crown and front, orange yellow ; whole lower ,«rts yellow except he vent-feathers. which a,, white ; bill,'blac/„b vl' hgh er below; lores, black; the form of the bill approximates a l.t e to that of the finch; wings and tail, deep Town b oadly edged w,th pale slate, which n.akes the,u annl; wholly of that t nt, except at the tips ; first and seoord row „ coverts, t,pt w,th white slightly stained with yellow the h,ee exterior tail feathers have their inner vanes nearly aU w . e; egs, pale bluish; feet, dirty yellow; the two middt to 1-feathers are pale slate. The female differs very little „ colour from the male. ^ VOL I. Catesby, Car. vol. i. pi. 61, It 258 BLUE. EYED YELLOW WARBLER. This specieH very much resembles the prothonotary warbler of Pennant and Bnflon ; the only diU'erence I can perceive, on comparing 8|)ecimenH of each, is, that the yellow of the pro- thonotary is more of an orange tint, and the bird somewhat larger. BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. {Byhxa citrivHla.) PLATE XV.-Fio. 6. Yollow-poU Warbler, Lath. Syn. vol. ii. No. 14».—Ayrt. Zool. f u.'>. ;^o. 292.— Le Figuier tachoto, Huff. Ois. v. p. 285.— Motacilla aestiva, J'urton'a Sj/st. p. 616. — Pnrus luteuB, Summer Yellow Bird, Barlra)ii, p. 29'2.~Feah's Museuin, No. 72CC. SYLVJCOLA ESTIVA.— Bv/AiKROH. Sylvia DDstiva, Bonap. Sj/nop. p. 83. — Sylvioola restiva, North. Zool. ii. p. 212. This is a very common summer species, and appears almost always actively employed among the leaves and blossoms of the willows, snowball shrub, and poplars, searching after small greeu caterpillars, which are its principal food. It has a few shrill notes, uttered with emphasis, but not deserving the name of song. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the beginning of May, and departs again for the south about the middle of September. According to Latham, it is numerous in Guiana, and is also found in Canada. It is a very sprightly, unsus- l)iciou8, and familiar little bird ; is often seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms of fruit trees and shrubberies ; and, on account of its colour, is very noticeable. Its nest is built with groat neatness, genfciU.ir iu tliO triangular fork of a small shrub, near or among hv'v-r 'uv les. Ou.v.'urdly it is composed of flax or tow, in liiick circular layers, strongly twihled round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined within with hair and the soft downy substance from the stalks of the fern. The eggs are four or five, of a dull white, thickly sprinkled near the great end with specks of pale brown. GOLDEN. WINGED WARBLER j- t.;o ed«e, or the ,„™e;, aJt.rL ' ;?« 'orreT'" wuch „,e yellow; tl,e tail i, „|«„ sligl.tly fork , I ?'' pale cl„y colour; bill „„d eyeli.mi«l,rbi,L tlefe!^:': of « le.8 brilliant yelW, and the streak, of red „„ H IT , «re fewer and more obscnre. Buffon ia milkl ■„ ' " ^'"^' ^0. 1. ol PI. enl. plate lv„i. to be the female of tbia e,!ecie». ■'S GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. iSylvin cl.y.opte.a) PLATE XV.-Fio. 5. Edxo. 299. -Lc Figuier aux ailes dorc^s Buif v ^11 r .i •• .„„ 403, No. 295, lb. No. 296 - Motadllf ^f;v ^V""^'^' "' ^^^•~^^<^t. Zool. flavifrons, Yellow-fronted Warte /J ^7*^ "^T' ^^*' ' ''^--^°*- Sylvia chrysoptera, 5o«ap. 6-y„op. p. 87. tiTe ™rth'''''Tbft" ,''""™r ■''™""'' "•» U-'W sw- orn, of !?• , -n t- "" """ "' «°'- *> ''■""' "'^ P»rtiouIar f".ra of Its b, 1, ongbt rather to be separated from thi warblers, or, along with several others of the same ki^^ might be arrange.1 as a subgenera, or particular family ol that tribe, which might with propriety be called worm-eaters 26o BLA CK- THRO A TED BL UE WARBLER. the :^otacilla vermivora of Turton having the hill exactly of this form. The habits of these birds partake a good deal of those of the titinonse ; and in their language and action they very much resemble them. All that can be said of this species is, that it appears in Pennsylvania for a few days about the last of April or beginning of May, darting actively among the young leaves and opening buds, and is rather a scarce species. Tho golden-winged warbler is five inches long, and seven broad ; the crown, golden yellow ; the first and second row of wing coverts, of the same rich yellow ; the rest of the upper parts, a deep ash or dark slate colour ; tail, slighMy forked, and, as well as the wings, edged with whitish ; a black band passes through the eye, and is separated from the yellow of the crown by a fine line of white ; chin and throat, black, between which and that passing through the eye runs a strip of white, as in the figure ; belly and vent, white ; bill, black, gradually tapering to a sharp point ; legs, dark ash ; irides, hazel. Pennant has described this species twice, first, as the golden- winged warbler, and immediately after as the yellow-fronted warbler. See the synonyms at the beginning of this article. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. (Sylvia Canadensis.) PLATE XV.-FiG. 7. Motacilla Canadensis, Linn. Syst. 336.— Le Figuier bleu, Buff. v. 304, PL enl. 685, fig. 2.— Lath. Syn. ii. p. 487, No. lU.—Edw. 252.— ArcL Zool. p. 399, No. 2S&.—Peah'a Museum, No. 7222. SYLVICOLA CANADENSIS.— ByfAivsoif. Sylvia Canadensis, Bonap. Synop, p. 84. I KNOW little of this bird. It is one of those transient visitors that, in the month of April, pass through Penn- BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. 261 sylvania on its way to the north to breed. It has much of the flycatcher in its manners, though tlie form of its bill is decisively that of the warbler. These birds are occasionally seen for about a week or ten days, viz., from the 25th of April to the end of the first week in May. I sought for them in the southern States in winter, but in vain. It is hii».l"l» ■ /„„,.„.-.- «V..Av„ .'/.V.r^ hrro.Hr.i >in>..h,^l- .\rrfr,n Mark throaud WarbU-r -t.YeU.n nmfJH ,;. i'/rri,li-fn H'. •' Solitaty FUcutciui: n PINE FINCH. 275 safety, reqaiie a solitaiy region, far from the intruding foot- steps of man. The snow bird is six inches long, and nine in extent; the head, neck, and upper parts of the breast, body, and win-g are of a deep slate colour; the plumage sometimes skirtld with brown, which is the colour of theyo.mg birds ; the lower parts of the breast, the whole belly, and vent, are pure white • the three secondary quill-feathers next the body are edged with brown, the primaries with white; the tail is dusky slate a little forked, the two exterior feathers wholly rhite, which are flirted out as it flies, and appear then very prominent • the bill and legs are of a reddish flesh colour ; the eye, bluish black. The female differs from the male in being consider- ably more brown. In the depth of winter, the slate colour of the male becomes more deep and much purer, the brown dis- appearing nearly altogether. PINE FINCH. {Fringilla pinus) PLATE XVII. -Fig. 1. PeaWs Museum, No. 6577. CARDUELIS PmUS.-SwAii;soN. Fringilla pinus (subgenus CardueUs), Bonap. Synop. p. HI. This little northern stranger visits us in the month of November, and seeks the seeds of the black alder, on the borders of swamps, creeks, and rivulets. As the weather becomes more severe, and the seeds of the Pinus Canadensis are fully ripe, these birds collect in larger flocks, and take up their residence almost exclusively among these trees. In the gardens of Bush Hill, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, a flock of two or three hundred of these birds has regularly wintered many years, where a noble avenue of pine trees, and walks covered with fine white gravel, furnish them witli abundance through the winter. Early in March they dis- appear, either to the north, or to the pine woods that cover 276 PINE FINCH. I many ^.esser ranges of the Alleghany. Wliile here, they are often so tame as to allow you to walk within a few yards of the spot where a v/hole flock of them are sitting. They fluttei among the branches, frequently hanging by the cones, and uttering a note almost exactly like that of the goldfinch {F. tristis). I have not a doubt but this bird appears in a richer dress in summer in those places where he breeds, as he has so very great a resemblance to the bird above mentioned, with whose changes we are well acquainted. The length of this species is four inches; breadth, eight inches ; upper i)art of the head, the neck, and back, a dark flaxen colour, streaked with black ; wings black, marked with two rows of dull white or cream colour ; whole wing-quills, under tl\e coverts, rich yellow, appearing even when the wings are shut ; rump and tail-coverts, yellowish streaked with dark brown; tail-feathers, rich yellow from the roots half way to the tips, except the two middle ones, which are blackish brown, slightly edged with yellow ; sides under the wings, of a cream colour, with long streaks of black ; breast, a light flaxen colour, with small streaks or pointed spots of black ; legs, purplish brown ; bill, a dull horn colour ; eyes, hazel. The female was scarcely distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The New York siskin of Pennant * appears to be only the yellow bird {Fringilla tristis) in his winter dress. This bird has a still greater resemblance to the siskin of Europe {F. spinus), and may perhaps be the species described by Turton f as the black Mexican siskin, which he says is varied above with black and yellowish, and is white beneath, and which is also said to sing finely. This change from flaxen to yellow is observable in the goldfinch ; and no other two birds of our country resemble each other more than these do in their winter dresses. Should these surmises be foiuid correct, a figure of this bird, in his summer dress, shall appear in some future part of our work, t * Arctic Zoology, p. 372, No. 243. t Turton, vol. i. p. 560. % This is a true siskin ; and we have a very accurate description of the general manners of the group in those of the individual now described ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 277 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK/ {Loxia rosea) PLATE XVII. -Fig. 2. 460.-Gro, bee de la Loui 2 pi !I? Ss fl 7 r^?' •«"'«'' ^"^- '"• ^— . No. 5800. .ale . 58^; ll^ at ".^e?^^^^^^^^ Fringilla (subgenus Coccothraustes) Ludoviciana, Bonan S>jnnn n -iq r. thraustes (Guiraca) Ludoviciana. i^^rio^^fran. '•~^°""- This elegant species is rarely found in the lower parts of Pennsylvama; i„ the State of New York, and those of New England, , ,3 more frequently observed, particularly in fall when the berries of the sour gum are ripe, on the kernels by Wilson. Little seems to be known of their summer haunts • and ifZu r^' ""*'"" ^P^"^^ ^^"^^'^ '- '^^ --e 0 scuX They wood at K.Um. evidently breeding; last year they were kn^wn to b eed m an extensive wood at New Abbey, in Galloway. In their winter migrations they are not regular, particular districts being visited bv them at uncertain periods. In Annandale, Dumfriesshire, they were al™' Sr oTk' ''^^ ^ '"' P^^^ ' ^-^ -- there Vas'shotlS Early m October as the winter advanced, very large flocks arrived and fed chiefly upon the ragweed, and under some large beech trees turnin. oyer the alien mast, and eating part of the kernels, as well as any se df they could find among them. In 1828, they agai'n appeared ;but 1829 not one was seen ; and the present winter (1830), they are equal y wanting. The plate of our author is that of the bird iL its linterTess As he justly observes, the plumage becomes much richer durin. the throul 7: \r- '"'^ '^"' ''''' '"°"^^ ^"Shter and deeper: ani tne olive of a yellower green.— Ed. * This species seems to have been described under various specific names by various authors. Wilson, in the body of his work, calls iZ rosea; but he corrects that name afterwards in the index, and restart 278 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 1! of which it eagerly feeds. Some of its trivial names would import that it is also an inhabitant of Louisiana ; but I have not heard of its being seen in any of the southern States. A gentleman of Middleton, Connecticut, informed mo that ho kept one of these birds for some considerable time in a cage, and observed that it frequently sang at night, and all night ; tiiat its notes were extremely clear and mellow, and the sweetest of any bird with which he is acquainted. Tlie bird from which the figure on the plate was taken was shot, late in April, on the borders of a swamp, a few miles from Philadelphia. Another male of the same species was killed at the same time, considerably different in its markings ; a proof that they do not acquire tlieir full colours until at least the second spring or summer. The rose-breasted grosbeak is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent ; the whole uppei parts are black, except the second row of wing-coverts, which are broadly tipt with white; a spot of the same extends over the primaries, immediately below their coverts; chin, neck, and upper part of tlio breast, black ; lower part of the breast, middle of the belly, and lining of the wings, a fine light carmine or rose colour ; tail, forked, black, the three exterior feathers on each side white on their inner vanes for an inch or more from the tips ; bill, like those of its tribe, very thick and strong, and pure white ; legs and feet, light blue ; eyes, hazel. The yoinig male of the first spring has the plumage of the back variegated with light brown, white, and black; that by which it iinist now stand. The generic appellation has also been various, and the necessity of some decided one cannot be better shown than iu the different opinions expressed by naturalists, who have placed it in three or four of the known genera, without being very well satisfied with any of its situations. Gmelin and Latham have even placed the young and ohl in different genera, Loxia and Fringilla; by Brisson, it is a Coccothraustes ; and by Sabine, a Phyrrhula. It appears a form exclusively American, supplanting the Coccothraustes of Asia and the Indian continent ; and Gidraca has been appropriated to it by Mr Swainson, in which will also range the canlinal and blue grosbeaks of our author.— El). the BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 279 a Ime of wliite extends over the eye ; the rose colour also reaches to the base of the bill, where it is speckled with black and white. The female is of a light yellowish flaxen colour, streaked with dark olive and whitish ; the breast is streaked with olive, pale flaxen, and white ; the linin/ftv^ fini/niw-ii .^^ fl //' cow BUNTING. 285 The solitary flycatcher is five inches long, and eight inches in breadth ; cheeks and upper part of the head and neck, a fine bluish gray ; breast, pale cinereous ; flanks and sides of the breast, yellow ; whole back and tail-coverts, green olive ; wings, nearly black ; the first and second row of coverts tipt with white ; the three secondaries next the body edged with pale yellowish white; the rest of the quills bordered with light green ; tail, slightly forked, of the same tint as the wings, and edged with light green ; from the nostrils a line of white proceeds to and encircles the eye; lores, black ; belly and vent, white ; upper mandible, black ; lower, light blue ; legs and feet, light blue ; eyes, hazel. COW BUNTING.* {Emberiza pecoris) PLATE XVIII. -Figs. 1, 2, and 3. ' Le Brunet, Bug. iv. 138.— Le Pinion de Virginie, Briss. iii. 165.-Cowpen Bird, Catesh. i. M.-Lath. ii. 269. -.Irr'. Zool. p. 371, No. 241.-Sturnu3 sterco- rarius, Bartram, p. 2Q1.-Peale's Museum, No. 6378, male; (J379, female. MOLOTHRUS PECORIS.— ^WAimo^. Fringilla pecoris, Sab. Frank. Journ.p. C76.— Sturnus junceti, Lath. Ind. Orn.— Emberiza pecoris, Bonap. Nomencl. No. 89.— Icterus pecoris, Bonap. Synop. p. 53.— Aglaius pecoris, Sw. Synop. Birds of Mex. Phil. Mag. June 1827, p! 436.-Tlie Cowpen Bird, Aud. pi. 99, Orn. Biog. i. p. 493.— Molothrus pecoris. North. Zool. ii. p. 277. Theue is one striking peculiarity in the works of the great Creator, which becomes more amazing the more we reflect on it ; namely, that He has formed no species of animals so minute or obscure that are not invested with certain powers and peculiarities, both of outward conformation and internal 1 i ill I * The American cuckoo {Cuculus Carolinensis) is by many people called the cow bird, from tLc sound of its notes resembling the words cow, cow. This bird builds its own nest very artlessly in a cedar or an apple tree, and lays four greenish blue eggs, which it hatches, and rears its young with great tenderness. 286 COPF BUNTING. faculties, exactly suited to their pursuits, sufficient to distin- guish them from all others, and forming for them a character solely and exclusively their own. This is particularly so among the feathered race. If there be any case where these charac- teristic features are not evident, it is owing to our want of observation, to our little intercourse with that particular tribe, or to that contempt for inferior animals, and all their habitudes, which is but too general, and which bespeaks a morose, unfeeling, and unreflecting mind. These peculiarities are often surprising, always instructive where understood, and (as in the subject of our present chapter) at least amusing, and worthy of being further investigated.* The most remarkable trait in the character of this species is the unaccountable practice it has of dropping its eggs into the nests of other birds, instead of building and hatching for itself, and thus entirely abandoning its progeny to the care * In this curious species we have another instance of those wonder- ful provisions of nature, which have hitherto baffled the knowledp;e and perseverance of man to discover for what uses they were intended. The only authenticated instance of a like circumstance that we are aware of is in the economy of the common cuckoo of Europe. Some foreign species, which rank as true cuculi, are said to deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds ; but I am not sure that the fact is confirmed. With regard to the birds in question, there is little common between them, except that botli are migratory, and both deposit their eggs in the nest of an alien. The cow bunting is polygamous ; and I strongly suspect that our cuckoo is the same. In the deposition of the egg, the mode of procedure is nearly similar ; great uneasiness, and a sort of fretting, previously, with a calm of quiet satisfaction afterwards. In both species we have beautiful provisions to ensure the non-disturbance of the intruder by its foster progeny : in the one, by a greater strengtli easily overcoming and driving out the natural but more tender young ; in all love of the natural oll'spring being destroyed in the parents, and succeeded by a i)owerful desire to jjreserve and rear to maturity tlie usurper of their rights : in the other, where the young would, in some instances, be of a like size and strength, and where a combat might l)rove fatal in an opposite direction to the intentions of Providence, all necessity of contest is at once avoided by the eggs of the cow bunting retjuiring a shorter period to hutch than any of the birds chosen as foster parents. — Ed. COH^ BUNTING. 287 and mercy of strangers. More than two tliousand years ao-o It was well known, in those countries where the bird inhabits' that the cuckoo of Europe ((]uculiis canorus) never built her- self a nest, but dropped her eggs in the nests of other birds • but among the thousands of different species that spread over that and other parts of the globe, no other instance of the same imiform habit has been found to exist, until discovered in the bird now before us. Of the reality of the former there is no doubt ; It IS known to every schoolboy in Britain • of the truth of the latter I can myself speak with confidence from personal observation, and from the testimony of gentlemen unknown to each other, residing in different and distant parts of the United States. The circumstances by which I became first acquainted with this peculiar habit of the bird are as follows : — I had, in numerous instances, found in the nests of three or four particular species of birds, one Qgg, much larger, and differently marked from those beside it. I had remarked that these odd-looking eggs were all of the same colour, and marked nearly in the same manner, in whatever nest they lay though frequently the eggs beside them were of a quite different tint ; and I had also been told, in a vague way, that the cow bird laid in other birds' nests. At length I detected the female of this very bird in the nest of the red-eyed flycatcher, which nest is very small, and very singularly con- structed. Suspecting her purpose, I cautiously withdrew with- out disturbing her ; and had the satisfaction to find, on my return, that the egg which she had just dropped corresponded, as nearly as eggs of the same species usually do, in its size! tint, and markings, to those formerly taken notice of. Since that time, I have found the young cow bunting in many instances in the nests of one or other of these small birds. I have seen these last followed by the young cow bird calling out clamorously for food, and often engaged in feeding it ; and I have now, in a cage before me, a very fine one, whicli six months ago I took from the nest of the Maryland yellow- > % y. 288 cow BUNTING. 1 I throat, and from which the figures of the young bird and male cow bird in the plate were taken. Tiie figure in the act of feeding it is tlie female Maryland yellow-throat in whose nest it was found. I claim, however, no merit for a discovery not originally my own, these singular habits having long been known to people of observation resident in the country, whose information, in this case, has preceded that of all our school philosophers and closet naturalists, to whom the matter has, till now, been totally unknown. About the 25tli of March, or early in April, the cowpen bird makes his first appearance in Pennsylvania from the south, sometimes in company with the red-winged blackbird, more frequently in detached parties, resting early in the morning, an hour at a time, on the tops of trees near streams of water, appearing solitaiy, silent, and fatigued. They con- tinue to be occasionally seen in small solitary parties, parti- cularly along creeks and banks of rivers, so late as the middle of June; after which, we see no more of them until about the beginning or middle of October, when they reappear in much larger flocks, generally accompanied by numbers of the redwings, between whom and the present species there is a con- siderable similarity of manners, dialect, and personal resem- blance. In these aerial voyages, like other experienced navi- gators, they take advantage of the direction of the wind, and always set out with a favourable gale. My venerable and observing friend, Mr Bartram, writes me on the 13th of October as follows :—" The day before yesterday, at the height of the northeast storm, prodigious numbers of the cow- pen birds came by us, in several flights of some thousands in a flock. Many of them settled on trees in the garden to rest themselves, and then resumed their voyage southwards. There were a few of their cousins, the redwings, with them. We shot three, a male and two females." From the early period at which these birds pass in the spring, it is highly probable that their migrations extend very far north. Those which pass in the months of March cow BUNTING. 289 andApnl can have no opportunity of depositing their eg™ h re there be,ng not n.ore than one or two of onr small bW, wh,ch b„,Id so early. Those that pass in May and j"e eqnenty observed loitering singi; abont solitary Sete reoonno,tr,„g, „o donbt, for proper nurses, to whose eaf it; tl eu helj^ess orphans. Among the birds selected for this duty are the follow.ng, all of which are figured and descriW .n tins volume :-The blue bird, which builds ■„ a hdW tree; the chipping sparrow, in a cedar bush- the coWen crowned thrush, on the ground, in the shape 0 an „veT- the red-eyed flycatcher, a neat pensile nest, hung by the two yellow bnd ,n the fork of an alder; the Maryland yellow- throat on the ground, at the rools of brier bushes ; 'he wwl eyed flycatcher, a pensile nest on the bending ^f a smilax vme; and the ™all blue-gray flycatcher, also a pensile ne!t asteued o t e sender twigs of a tree, sometimes I tl^ 1 J^ ment In J ^ ^ ' '""' "^^ 6:.ouud. The three last- m ni,o„ed nurses are represented on the same plate with ti , b,rd now under consideration. There are, no doubt others to whom the same charge is committed ; b,^t all these I have myself met with acting in that capacity Among these, the yellow-throat and the red-eyed flycatcher appear to be particular favourites ; and the kindness and afe t.onate attention which these two little birds seem to Z to then- nurshugs, fully justify the partiality of the parent' ' It .s well known to those who have paid attention to the manners of b.rds, that, after their nest is fully finished a day or two generally elapses before the female Lgins to lay ve damn n.":, '" T' T7 """"■'^ '" ^ive firmness to th'e yet damp materials, and allow them time to dry. In this state . .« somefme., »et with, and laid in by the cow t ng he esult 0 winch I have invariably found to be the desert on' 0 the nest by ,ts rightful owner, and the consequent loss of the ^egg thus dropped in it by the intruder. But when the T rrt r 290 cow BUNTING. I I owner herself has begun to lay, and there are one or more eggs in the nest before the cow bunting deposits hers, the attachment of the proprietor is secured, and remains unshaken until incubation is fully performed, and the little stranger is able to provide for itself. The well-known practice of the young cuckoo of Europe in turning out all the eggs and young which it feels around it, almost as soon as it is hatched, has been detailed in a very satisfactory and amusing manner by the amiable Dr Jenner,* who has since risen to immortal celebrity in a much nobler pursuit, and to whose genius and humanity the whole human race are under everlasting obligations. In our cow bunting, though no such habit has been observed, yet still there is something mysterious in the disappearance of the nurse's own eggs soon after the fuundling is hatched, which happens regu- larly before all the rest. From twelve to fourteen days is the usual time of incubation with our small birds ; but although I cannot exactly fix the precise period requisite for the egg of the cow bunting, I think I can say almost positively, that it is a day or two less than the shortest of the above-mentioned spaces ! In this singular circumstance we see a striking pro- vision of the Deity ; for did this egg reqtiire a day or two more, instead of so much less, than those among which it has been dropped, the young it contained would in every instance most inevitably perish, and thus, in a few years, the whole species must become extinct. On the first appearance of the young cow bunting, the parent being frequently obliged to leave the nest to provide sustenance for the foundling, the business of incubation is thus necessarily interrupted ; the dis- position to continue it abates ; nature has now given a new direction to the zeal of the ]>arent ; and the remaining eggs, within a day or two at most, generally disappear. In some instances, indeed, they have been found on the ground near, or below, the nest ; but this is rarely the case. 1 have never known more than one 'gg of the cow bunting * See Philosophical Tranaactions for 1788, part ii. COfV BUNTING. 2gi brown on a dirty white strounii It ;. „t ■ ' ° to that of the bird. ^""""^- ^^ '" "f" «ze proportionable So extraordinary and unaccountable is this habit that T have sometimes thourfit it mi.rhf „„t i ■ ' whole of this species in ev r-S io„ . ,! Th™' """"^ "" of our sunder, though suit b et' :,', r h "™'""" 'T' be too n.ueh for the comfortable re^W^leo t p S "S' tl,ere ore, m their way to the north through our c i™,; tW were .nduced to .ecuro suitable places for" their p Zny' Ij that m the regions where tliey mor-. generally ™,« t ° ' they might perhaps huild nests f^^ZlZl^ZZi own young, like every other species around hem On i^ other hand, when I consider that many of them t,r v I -.te as the middle of June, dropping tl,eir '^ m iZ Z t^n,e mto every convenient receptacle-that in the States If V,rg,n,a Mao-land Delaware, New Jersey, and Pe nsW™;^ tey uniformly retain the same habits-and, in short 1™"^ all these p aces I have never yet seen or heard of their ne,t - easonu,g rona these facts. I think I may safely coudefb^ they never budd one, and that i„ those remote northern tt then- manners are the same as we find them here What reason Nature may have for this extraordinarv vu,t,on from her general practice, is, I confess, al t ^^ beyond my comprehension. Thero is nothing si, ,.,da"" o he observed m the anatomical structure of the bird £„«! seem to prevent or render it incapable of incuha t The extreme heat of our climate is probably one real whv in be months of July and August, they a're rareCto ht I; „ pas t u-oug^, Pennsylvania to the north, leaving a fe^ r s^ nests and rear their own young. This part of the oountrv also abounds with suitable food, such as 'they us„ I y sTs tl 00. Many conjectures indeed might be form^ as rti'epl ti : 1 292 COty BUNTING. II i bable cmiso ; but all of them that have occurred to me are unsatisfiictory and inconsistent. Future and more numerous observations, made with care, particularly in those countries where they most usually pass the summer, may throw more light on this matter ; till then, we can only rest satisfied with the reality of the fact. This species winters regularly in the lower parts of North and South Carolina and Georgia ; I have also met with them near Williamsburg, and in several other parts of Virginia. In Jamiary 1809, I observed strings of them for sale in the market of Charleston, South Carolina. They often frequent corn and rice fields, in company with their cousins, as Mr Bartram calls them, the red-winged blackbirds ; but are more commonly found accompanying the cattle, feeding on the seeds, worms, &c., which they pick up amongst the fodder and from the excrements of the cattle, which they scratch up for this purpose. Hence they have pretty generally obtained the name of cowpen birds, cow birds, or cow blackbirds. By the natu- ralists of Europe they have hitherto been classed with the finches; though improperly, as they have no family resem- blance to that tribe sufficient to justify that arrangement. If we are to be directed by the conformation of their bill, nostrils, tongue, and claws, we cannot hesitate a moment in classing them with the red-winged blackbirds, oriolus phaeniceus ; not, however, as orioles, but as buntings, or some new intermediate genus ; the notes or dialect of the cow bunting and those of the redwings, as well as some other peculiarities of voice and gesticulation, being strikingly similar. Respecting this extraordinary bird, I have received commu- nications from various quarters, all corroborative of the fore- going particulars. Among these is a letter from Dr Potter of Baltimore, which, as it contains some new and interest- ing facts, and several anmsing incidents, illustrative of the character of the bird, I shall with pleasure lay before the reader, apologising to the obliging writer for a few uuimpor- COIV BUNTING. 293 *a-eJ'-'^'''''"' ''^'''^ ^'""^^ ^''" anticipated in the preceding '' I regret exceedingly that professional avocations have put It out of niy power to have replied earlier to yo„r favo.ir IJZ ^,f \ "^S«f't«'»^«'' : «nd although I «hall not now teflect all the hght you desire, a faithful transcript frora memoranda, noted at the moment of observation, may not be altogether immterestin*'. "The FringiUa pecons is generally known in Maryland by the name of the cow blackbird ; and none but the natu- rnhst view .t as a distinct species. It appears about the last of March or first week in April, Ihoucrh sometimes a little earlier when the sprmg is unusually forward. It is less punctual in Its appearance than many other of our migratory birds. " It commonly remi.ins with us till about the last of October, though unusually cold weather sometimes banishes It much earlier. It, however, sometimes happens that a few of them remain with us all winter, and are seen hoverinc about our barns and farmyards when straitened for suste- nance by snow or hard frost. It is remarkable that in some years I have not been able to discover one of them during the months cf J„ly and August, when they have suddenly appeared m September in great numbers. I have noticed this fact always immediately after a series of very hot weather, and then only. The general opinion is. that they then retn-e to the deep recesses of the ^hady forest ; but if this had been the fact. I should probably have discovered them in my rambles in every part of the woods. I think it more likely that they migrate farther north, till they find a temperature more congenial to their feelings, or find a richer repast in following the cattle in a better pasture.* ., .* ".^5 ™^^ "«* ^e improper to remark here, that the appearance of this bird in spring is sometimes looked for with anxiety bv the farmers It the horned cattle happen to be diseased in spring, they ascribe it to worms, and consider the pursuit of the birds as an unerring indication of the necessity of medicine. Although this hypothesis of the worms miesting the cattle so as to produce much disease is problematical 394 cow BUNTING. Itfl " In autumn, we often find them congregated witli the marsh bhickbirdH, committing their common depredations upon tho ears of the Indian-corn ; and at other seasons, the fiimihirity of their pursuits in feeding introduces them into the same company. I could never observe that they would keep tho company of any other bird. " Tho cowpen fincii differs, moreover, in another respect from all the birds with which I am acquainted. After an observance of many years, I could never discover anything like pairing, or a mutual attachment between the sexes. Even in the season of love, when other birds are separated into pairs, and occupied in the endearing office of providing a receptacle for their offspring, the Fringilloi are seen feeding in odd as well as even numbers, from one to twenty, and discovering no more disposition towards perpetuating their species than birds of any other species at other seasons, excepting a promiscuous concubinage, which pervades the whole tribe. When the female separates from the company, lier departtne is not noticed ; no gallant partner accompanies her, nor manifests any solicitude in her absence ; nor is her return greeted by that gratulatory tenderness that so eminently characterises tho males of other birds. The male proffers the same civilities to any female indiscriminately, and they are reciprocated accordingly, without exciting either resentment or jealousy in any of the party. This want of sexual attach- ment is not inconsistent with the general economy of this singular bird ; for, as they are neither their own architect, nor nuise of their own young, the degree of attacliment that governs others would be superfluous. their superabundance at this season cannot be denied. The larvnc of several species are Jeiiosited in the vegetables when green, and the cattle are fed on them as fodder in winter. This furnishes tlie prin- cij)al inducement for the bird to follow the cattle in spring, when the aperient effects of the green grasses evacuate great numbers of worms. At this season the Pecoris often stulfs its crop with them till it can contain no more. There are several species, but the most numerous is a small white one similar to, if not tho same as, the Ascaris of the human species." 1^ I ^^ rpi CO IV BUNTING, ^OC Tl.ftt the Fringilla never builds a nest for itself, you mny assert without the hazard of a refutation. I once offered a premium for tlie nest, and the negroes in the neiglibourhood brought mo a variety of nests ; but they were always traced to some other bird. The time of depositing their ec^rg ig from the middle of April to the last of May, or nearly so corresponding with the season of laying observed by the small buds on whose property it encroaches. It never deposits but one egg m the same nest, and this is generally after the rightful tenant begins to deposit hers, but never, I believe, after she has commenced the process of incubation. It is impossible 10 say how many they lay in a season, unless they could be watched when confined in an aviary. '• I3y a minute attention to a number of these birds when they feed in a particular field in the laying season, the deport- ment of the female, when the time of laying draws near, becomes particularly interesting. She deserts her associates, assumes a drooping, sickly aspect, and perclies upon some eminence where she can reconnoitre the operations of other birds in the process of nidification. If a discovery suitable to her purpose cannot be made from her stand, she becomes more restless, and is seen flitting from tree to tree, till a place of deposit can be found. I once had an opportunity of witnessing a scone of this sort which I cannot forbear to relate. Seeing a female prying into a bunch of bushes in search of a nest^ I deteimined to see the result, if practicable ; and knowing bow easily they are disconcerted by the near approach of man, I mourjted my horse, and proceeded slowly, sometimes seeing and sometimes losing sight of her, till I had travelled nearly two miles along the margin of a creek. She entered every thick place, prying with the strictest scrutiny into places where the small birds usually build, and at last darted sud- denly into a thick copse of alders and briers, where she re- mained five or six minutes, when she returned, soaring above the underwood, and returned to the company she had left feeding in the field. Upon entering the covert, I found the •■ i 296 f^OfV BUNTING. nest of a yellow-throat, with an egg of each. Knowing the precise time of deposit, I noted the spot and date willi a view of determining a qnestion of importance, — the time reqnired to hatch the egg of the cow bird, which I supposed to com- mence from the time of the yellow-throat's laying the last egg. A few days after, the nest was removed, I knew not how, and I was disappointed. In the progress of the cow bird along the creek's side, she entered the thick boughs of a small cedar, and returned several times before she could prevail on her- self to quit the place ; and upon examination, I found a spar- row sitting on its nest, on which she no doubt would have stolen in the absence of the owner. It is, I believe, certain, that the cowpen finch never makes a forcible entry upon the premises, by attacking other birds and ejecting them from their rightful tenements, although they are all perhaps inferior in strength, except the blue bird, which, although of a mild as well as affectionate disposition, makes a vigorous resistance when assaulted. Like most other tyrants and thieves, they are cowardly, and accomplish by stealth what they cannot obtain by force. " The deportment of the yellow-throat on this occasion is not to be omitted. She returned while I waited near the spot, and darted into her nest, but returned immediately and perched upon a bough near the place, remained a minute or two, and entered it again, returned, and disappeared. In ten minutes she returned with the male. They chattered with great agitation for half an hour, seeming to participate in the affront, and then left the place. I believe all the birds thus intruded on manifest more or less concern at finding the egg of a stranger in their own nests. Among these, the sparrow is particularly punctilious ; for she sometimes chirps her com- plaints for a d}iy or two, and often deserts the premises altogether, even after she has deposited one or more eggs. The following anecdote will show, not only that the cowpen finch insinuaies herself slyly into the nosts of other birds, but that even the most pacific of them will resent the insult. A CO IV BUNTING. 297 b ue bird had built for three successive seasons in the cavity of a mulberry tree near my dweUing. One dav, when tiie nest was nearly finished, I discovered a female cow bird perched upon a fence stake near it, with her eyes apparently fixed upon the spot, while the builder was busy in adjusting her nest. The moment she left it, the intruder darted into i^ and m five minutes returned, and sailed off to her companions with seemmg delight, which she expressed by her gestures and notes. The blue bird soon returned and entered the V^. nest but mstantaneously fluttered back with much apparent hesitation, and perched upon the highest branch of tl.e tree, littering a rapidly repeated note of complaint and resentment which soon brought tlie male, who reciprocated her feelin^rs by every demonstration of the most vindictive resentmerrt. Ihey entered the nest together and returned several times uttering then- uninterrupted complaints for ten or fifteen minutes. The male then darted away to the neighbouring trees as if m quest of the offender, and fell upon a cat bird" which he chastised severely, and then turned to an innocent «parrow that was chanting its ditty in a peach tree. Not- Withstanding the affront was so passionately resented, I found the blue bird had laid an ^^^ the next day. Perhaps a tenant less attached to a favourite spot would have acted more fastidiously, by deserting the piemises altogether. In this instance, also, I determined to watch the occuriences hat were to follow ; but on one o? my moi-ning visits, I found the co,.imon enemy of the eggs and young of all the small birds had despoiled the nest.-a coluber was found coiled in the hollow, and the eggs sucked. "Agreeably to my observation, all the young birds destined to cherish the young cow bird are of a mild and affectionate disposition ; and it is not less remaikable that they are all smaller than the intruder; the blue bird is the only one nearly as large. This is a good-natured mild creature although it makes a vigorous defence when assaulted. The yellow-thro It, the sparrow, the goldfinch, the indigo bird 11 298 cow BUNTING. and the blue bird, are the only birds in whose nests I have found the eggs or the young of the cowpen finch, though doubtless there are some others. " Wliat becomes of the eggs or young of the proprietor ? This is the most interesting question that appertains to this subject. There must be some special law of nature which determines that the young of the proprietors are never to be found tenants in common with the young cow bird. I shall offer the result of my own experience on this point, and leave it to you and others better versed in the mysteries of nature than I am to draw \ jur own conclusions. Whatever theory may be adopted, the facts must remain the same. Having discovered a sparrow's nest with five eggs, four and one, and the sparrow sitting, I watched the nest daily. The egg of the cow bird occupied the centre, and those of the sparrow were pushed a little up the sides of the nest. Five days after the discovery, I perceived the shell of the finch's egg broken, and the next the bird was hatched. The sparrow returned while I was near the nest, with her mouth full of food, with which she fed the young cow bird with every possible mark of aff'ectiou, and discovered the usual concern at my approach. On the succeeding day, oidy two of the sparrow's eggs remained, and the next day there were none. I sought in vain for them on the ground and in every direction. " Having found the egg of the cow bird in the nest of a yellow-throat, I repeated my observations. The process of incubation had commenced, and on the seventh day from the discovery, I found a young cow bird that had been hatched during my absence of twenty-four hours, all the eggs of the proprietor remaining. I had not an opportunity of visiting the nest for three days, and, on my return, there was only one egg remaining, and that rotten. The yellow-throat attended the young interloper with the same apparent care and affection as if it had been its own offspring, " The next year my first discovery was in a blue bird's nest built in a hollow etump. The nest contained six eggs, and COPV BUNTING. 299 the process of incubation was going on. Three or four days after my first visit, I found a young cow bird and three eg^s remaining. I took the eggs out; two contained young biids apparently come to their full time, and the other was rotten' 1 tound one of the other eggs on the ground at the foot of the stump differing in no respect from those in the nest, no signs ot lite being discoverable in either. " Soon after this I found a goldfinch's nest with one e-g 0 each only, and I attended it carefully till the usual com- plement of the owner were laid. Being obliged to leave home, I could not ascertain precisely when the process of incubation commenced; but from my reckoning, I think the Jg of the cow bird must have been hatched in nine or ten days from the commencement of incubation. On my return 1 found the young cow bird occupying nearly the whole nest' and the foster-mother as attentive to it as she could have been to her own. I ought to acknowledge here, that in none of these instances could I ascertain exactly the time required to hatch the cow bird's eggs, and that of course none of them are decisive ; but is it not strange that the qo;,^ of the intruder should be so uniformly the first hatched ? The idea of the ^g^ being larger, and therefore from its own gravity findmg the centre of the nest, is not sufficient to explain the phenomenon ; for in this situation the other eggs would be proportionably elevated at the sides, and therefore receive as much or more warmth from the body of the incumbent than the other.* This principle would scarcely apply to the eggs of the blue bird, for they are nearly of the same size; if there be any difference, it would be in favour of the eggs of the builder of the nest. How do the eggs get out of the nest? Is it by the sise and nestling of the young cow bird ? This cannot always be the case; because, in the instance of the * The ingenious writer seems not to be aware, that almost all birds are m the habit, while sitting, of changing tlie eggs from the centre to the circumference, and vice versa, that all of them may receive an equal share of warmth. ^ Jl ^^1 m^^l . ffln^H M ■ 1 WM i^^^H sM I^H^I ;;', IjJ^^H^^I 300 COfV BUNTING. blue bird's nest in the hollow stump, the cavity was a foot deep, the nest at the bottom, and the ascent perpendicular ; nevertheless the eggs were removed, although filled with young ones ; moreover, a young covvpen finch is as helpless as any other young bird, and, so far from having the power of ejecting others from the nest, or even the eggs, that they are sometimes found on the ground under the nest, especially when the nest happens to be very small. I will not assert that the eggs of the builder of the nest are never hatched ; but I can assert that I have never been able to find one instance to prove the affirmative. If all the eggs of both birds were to be hatched, in some cases the nest would not hold half of them; for instance, those of the sparrow or yellow bird. I will not assert that the supposititious egg is brought to perfection in less time than those of the bird to which the nest belongs; but, from the facts stated, I am inclined to adopt such an opinion. How are the eggs removed after the accouchement of the spurious occupant? By the proprietor of the nest unquestionably; for this is consistent with the rest of her economy. After the power of hatching them is taken away by her attention to the young stranger, the eggs would be only an encumbrance, and there- fore instinct prompts her to remove them. I might add, that I have sometimes found the eggs of the sparrow, in which were unmatured young ones, lying near the nest containing a cow bird, and therefore I cannot resist this conclusion. Would the foster parent feed two species of young at the same time? I believe not. I have never seen an instance of any bird feeding the young of another, unless imme- diately after losing her own. I should think the sooty looking stranger would scarcely interest a mother while the cries of her own offspring, alwiiys intelligible, were to be heard. Should such a competition ever take j)lace, I judge the stranger would be the sufferer, and probably the species soon become extinct. Why the lex naturce coiiservatrix should decide in favour of the surreptitious progeny is not for me to determine. COIV BUNTING. 301 >g "As to the vocal powers of this bird, I believe its preten- sions are very hiinible, none of its notes deserving the epithet musical. The sort of simple crackling complaint it utters at being disturbed, constitutes also the expression of its pleasure at finding its companions, varying only in a more rapidly repeated monotony. The deportment of the male, durin"- his promiscuous intercourse with the other sex, resembles much that of a pigeon in the same situation. He uses nearly the same gestures ; and, by attentively listening, you will hear a low, guttural sort of muttering, which is the most agreeable of his notes, and not unlike the cooing of a pirepin^ VarMer. 19. MOTTLED OWL. 307 and tho inside is lined with fine dry grass and hair. The female lays five eggs, pure white, marked near the great end with n very few small dots of deep black or purple. They generally raise two broods in a season. They seem particularly attached to thickets of this species of smilax, and make a great ado when any one comes near their nest, approaching within a few feet, looking down, and scolding with great vehemence. In Pennsylvania they are a numerous species. The white-eyed flycatcher is five inches and a quarter long, and seven in extent ; the upper parts are a fine yellow olive, those below, white, except the sides of the breast and under the wings, which are yellow ; line rourjd the eye, and spot near the nostril, also rich yellow ; wings, deep dusky black, edged with olive green, and crossed with two bars of pale yellow ; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with green olive ; bill, legs,' and feet, light blue ; the sides of the neck incline to a grayish ash. The female and young of the first season are scarcely distinguishable in plumage from the male. MOTTLED OWL. {Slrix ruevia.) PLATE Xrx.— Fio, 1. Arct. Bool. 231, No. I18.-Lath. i. 126.-7'Mr/nop. p. 81. -Le Muiotilla vari6, Muiotilla varia, VieilL Gall, des Ois. pi. 1G9. This nimble and expert little species seldom perches on the small twigs, but circumambulates the trunk and larger branches, in quest of ants and other insects, with admirable dexterity. It arrives in Pennsylvania from the south about the 20th of April ; the young begin to fly early in July ; and the whole tribe abandon the countiy about the beginning of • This forms the type of Vieillot's Mniotilla, and wUl, perhaps, show the Bcansorial form iu Hylvicoia. — Ed. BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. 315 October. Sloane describes this bird as an inhabitant of the West India islands, where it probably winters. It was first figured by Edwards from a dried skin sent him by Mr William Bartram, who gave it its present name. Succeeding naturalists have classed it with the warblers,— a mistake which I have endeavoured to rectify. The genus of creepers comprehends about thirty different species, many of which are richly adorned with gorgeous plumage; but, like their congenial tribe, the woodpeckers, few of them excel in song; their tongues seem better calcu- lated for extracting noxious insects from the bark of trees than for trilling out sprightly airs ; as the hardened hands of the husbandman are better suited for dealing the forest or guiding the plough than dancing among the keys of a forte- piano. Which of the two is the more honourable and useful employment is not difficult to determine. Let the farmer, therefore, lespect this little bird for its useful qualities, in clearing his fruit and forest trees from destructive insects, though it cannot serenade him with its song. The length of this species is five inches and a half ; extent, seven and a half ; crown, white, bordered on each side with a band of black, which is again bounded by a line of white passing over each eye ; below this is a large spot of black covering the ear-feathers ; chin and throat, black ; wings, the same, crossed transversely by two bars of white ; breast and back, streaked with black and white ; tail, upper and also under coverts, l)lack, edged and bordered with white ; belly, white ; legs and feet, dirty yellow ; hind claw the longest, and all very sharp pointed ; bill, a little compressed sidewise, slightly curved, black above, paler below ; tongue, long, fine pointed, and horny at the extremity. These last circum- stances, joined to its manners, characterise it decisively as a creeper. The female and young birds of the first year want the black on the throat, having that part of a grayish white. 3i6 PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. {Sylvia pinus.) PLATE XIX.- Fig. 4. Pine Creeper, Cateshy, i. 61.— Pcoic'« Museum, No. 7312. SYLVICOLA PINUS.-JxvLvms. Sylvia pinuH, Bonap. Synop. p. 81. This species inhabits the pine wood'j of the soutliem States, where it is resident, and where I first observed it, running along the bark of the pines, sometimes alighting and feeding on the ground, and ahnost always, when disturbed, flying up, and clinging to the trnnks of the trees. As I advanced towards the south, it became more numerous. Its note is a simple reiterated chirrup, continued for four or five seconds. Catesby first figured and described this bird, but so imperfectly, as to produce among succeeding writers great confusion, and many mistakes as to what particular bird was intended. Edwards has supposed it to bo the blue-winged yellow warbler ! Latham has supposed another species to 1)6 meant; and the worthy Mr Pennant has been led into the same mistakes, describing the male of one species and the female of another as the male and female pine creeper. Having shot and examined great numbers of these birds, I am enabled to clear up these difficulties by the following descriptions, which will be found to be correct : — The pine-creeping warbler is five and a half inches long, and nine inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a rich green olive, with a considerable tinge of yellow ; throat, sides, and breast, yellow ; wings and tail, brown, v.'ith a slight cast of bluish, the former marked with two bars of white, slightly tinged with yellow ; tail, forked, and edged with ash ; the three exterior feathers, marked near the lip with a broad spot of white ; middle of the belly and vent-feathers, white. The LOUISIANA TANAGER. 31; female is brown, tinged with olive green on the back ; breast, dirty white, or slightly yellowish. The bill in both is truly that of a warbler ; and the tongue, slender, as in the Motacilla genus, notwithstanding the habits of the bird. The food of these birds is the seeds of the pitch pine, and various kinds of bugs. The nest, according to Mr Abbot, is suspended from the horizontal fork of a branch, and formed outwardly of slips of grape-vine bark, rotten wood, and cater- pillars' webs, with sometimes pieces of hornets' nests inter- woven, and is lined with dry pine leaves, and fine roots of plants. The eggs are four, white, with a few dark brown spots at the great end. These birds, associating in flocks of twenty or thirty indi- viduals, are found in the depth of the pine barrens ; and are easily known by their manner of rising from the ground and alighting on the body of the tree. They also often glean among the topmost boughs of the pine tree, hanging head downwards, like the titmouse. ^ LOUISIANA TANAGER. {Tanagra Columbianus.) PLATE XIX.— Fig. 2. PeaWs Museum, No. 6236. PYRANGA LUDOVlCIANA.-JAROiNE.'' Tanagra Lxxdoviciana, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 105.— Pyranga erythropis, Vieill. auct. Bonap. This bird, and the two others that occupy the same plate, were discovered in the remote regions of Louisiana, by an exploring party under the command of Captain George Merri- wether Lewis, and Lieutenant, now General, William Clark, in their memorable expedition across the continent to the * It is impossible to decide the generic station of this bird. It appears very rare ; and it is probable that the British collections do not possess any specimen. — Ed. i 1 1 i 318 LOUISIANA TANAGER. Pacific Ocean. They are entitled to a di8tingni8hed place in the pages of American ORNixnoLOOY, both m being, till now, altogether unknown to naturalists, and as natives of what i« or at least ivill he, and that at no distant period, part of the western territory of the United States. Tlie frail remains of the bird now under consideration, as well as of the other two, have been set up by Mr Poale in his museum, with as much neatness as the state of the skins would permit. Of three of these, which were put into my hands for examination, the most perfect was selected for the drawing. Its size and markings were as follows : — Length, six inches and a half ; back, tail, and wings, black ; the greater wing-coverts, tipt with yellow ; the next superior row, wholly yellow ; neck, rump, tail-coverts, and the whole lower parts, greenish yellow ; forepart of the head, to and beyond the eyes, light scarlet ; bill, yellowish horn colour ; edges of the upper mandible, ragged, as in the rest of its tribe ; legs, light blue ; tail, slightly forked, and edged with dull whitish ; the whole figure about the size, and much resembling in shape, the scarlet tanager (Plate XI. fig. 3), but evidently a different species, from the black back and yellow coverts. Some of the feathers on the upper part of the back were also skirted with yellow. A skin of what I supposed to be the female, or a young bird, differed in having the wings and back brownish, and in being rather less. The family or genus to which this bird belongs is parti- cularly subject to changes of colour, both progressively, during the first and second seasons, and also periodically after- wards. Some of those that inhabit Pennsylvania change from an olive green to a greenish yellow, and lastly to a brilliant scarlet ; and, I confess, when the preserved specimen of the present species was first shown me, I suspected it to have been passing through a similar change at the time it was taken. But having examined two more skins of the same species, and finding them all marked very nearly alike, which is seldom the case with those birds that change while ^^' ^ ■^>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 12.2 1^128 |2.5 •yuu 1.4 11.6 V f. "^ A" / "^14 m i^Jf °m Hiotographic Sdaices Corporation 4^ <^'.-.> 33 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) S72-4503 '^ S^ i/.A '^/^ Drtrwn t'n^m \'.;/t.r- i'v.ill'ixtw /.■;,.••.<..>/ -T .■"/■■•■'■• 30. CLARK'S CROIV. 319 moulting, I began to think that this might be its most per- manent, or, at least, its summer or winter dress. The little information I have been able to procure of the species generally, or at what particular season these were shot, prevents me from being able to determine this matter to my wish. lean only learn that they inhabit the extensive plains or prairies of the Missouri, between the Osage and Mandan nations ; budding their nests in low bushes, and often amon^ the grass. With us. the tanagers usually build on the branches of a hickory or white oak sapling These birds delfc^ht in various kinds of berries, with which those rich prairies are said to abound. CLARK'S CROW. {Gcyrvua Columhiams.) PLATE XX.-FIG. 2. Peale'a Museum, No. 1371. CORVUS COLUMBIANUS.-^y!Annmv. Corvua Columbianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 56. This species resembles a little the jackdaw of Europe {Cm-- VU8 monedula) ; but is remarkable for its formidable claws which approach to those of the Falco genus, and would seem to intimate that its food consists of living animals, for whose destruction these weapons must be necessary. In conversation with different individuals of the party, I under- stood that this bird inhabits the shores of the Columbia and the adjacent country in great numbers, frequenting the rivers and sea-shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all the gregarious and noisy habits of the European species, several of the party supposing it to be the same. The figure in the plate was drawn with particular care, after a minute examination and measurement of the only preserved />,■.•,.••.,.../ -T 320 CLARK'S CROW. skin that was saved, and which is now deposited in Mr Peale's museum. This bird measures thirteen inches in length ; the wings, the two middle tail-feathers, and the interior vanes of the next (except at the tip), are black, glossed with steel blue ; all the secondaries, except the three next the body, are white for an inch at their extremities, forming a large spot of white on that part when the wing is shut ; the tail is rounded ; yet the two middle feathers are BOiiiewhat shorter than those adjoining; all the rest are pure white, except as already described ; the general colour of the head, neck, and body, above and below, is a light silky drab, darkening almost to a dove colour on the breast and belly ; vent, white ; claws, black, large, and hooked, particularly the middle and hind claw ; legs also black ; bill, a dark horn colour ; iris of the eye, unknown. In the State of Georgia, and several parts of West Florida, I discovered a crow not hitherto taken notice of by naturalists, rather larger than the present species, but much resembling it in the form and length of its wings, in its tail, and particularly its claws. This bird is a constant attendant along the borders of streams and stagnating ponds, feeding on small fish and lizards, which I have many times seen him seize as he swept along the surface. A well-preserved specimen of this bird was presented to Mr Peale, and is now in his museum. It is highly probable that, with these external resemblances, the habits of both may be nearly alike. LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. 321 LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. (P/m torquatus) PLATE XX.-FIQ. a Peale'a Museum, No. 2020. MELANERPESi TOBQUATUS.-J A^nisn.* Picus torquatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. Of this very beautiful and singularly marked species I am unable to give any further account than as relates to its external appearance. Several skins of this species were pre- served, all of which I examined with care, and found little or no difference among them, either in the tints or disposition of the colours. The length of this was eleven inches ir.d a half ; the back wings, and tail were black, with a strong gloss of green ' upper part of the head, the same ; front, chin, and cheeks' beyond the eyes, a dark rich red ; round the neck passes a broad collar of white, wnich spreads over the breast, and looks as if the fibres of the feathers had been silvered : these feathers are also of a particular structure, the fibres being separate, and of a hair-like texture; belly, deep vermilion, and of the same strong hair-like feathers, intermixed with silvery ones; vent, black ; legs and feet, dusky, inclining to greenish blue ;' bill, dark horn colour. For a more particular, and doubtless a more correct, account of this and the two preceding species, the reader is referred to General Clark's History of the Expedition. The three birds • Having no authority from the founder of the genus, and not having seen the bird, I place it with the red-headed woodpecker provisionally. The lengthened wings, proportion of toes, and distribution of the colours seem however to warrant it. * The female is said by Bonaparte, on the authority of Mr Peale, who shot them breeding on the Rocky Mountains, to resemble the male closely. — Ed. VOL. I. J. 522 CANADA JAY. I have here introduced are but a flmnll part of the valuable collection of new subjects in natural history discovered and preserved, amidat a thousand dangers and difficulties, by those two enterprising travellers, whose intrepidity was only equalled by their discretion, and by their active and laborious pursuit of whatever might tend to render their journey useful to science and to their cotmtry. It was the request and particular wish of Captain Lewis, made to me in person, that I shoidd make drawings of such of the feathered tribes as had been preserved, and were new. That brave soldier, that amiable and excellent man, over whose solitary grave in the wilderness I have since shed tears of affliction, having been cut off in the prime of his life, I hope I shall be pardoned for consecrating this humble note to his memory, until a more able pen shall do better justice to the subject. CANADA JAY. {Corvus Canadensis.) PLATE XXL— FiQ. 1. Linn. Syst. 158.— Cinereoas Crow, Ant. Zool. p. 248, No. 137.— iatt. i. 389.— Le Qeay brun de Canada, Briss. ii. 54. — Buff. iii. 117. GARBULUS CANADENSIS.-SviAmsos. Corvus Canadensis, Bonap. S^nop. p. 68.— Ganulus Canadensis, North. Zool. ii. p. 295. Were I to adopt the theoretical reasoning of a celebrated French naturalist, I might pronounce this bird to be a debased descendant from the common blue jay of the United States, degenerated by the influence of the bleak and chilling regions of Canada ; or perhaps a spurious production between the blue jay and the cat bird : or, what would be more congenial to the Count's ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance of migrating, some thousand years ago, from the genial shores of Europe, where nothing like degeneracy or degradation ever takes place among any of God's creatures. I shall, however, on the present occasion, content myself with stating i 4 !ir,iwn rhim ,K valuable ered and , by tliose equalled pursuit of ;o science ular wish iild make ►reserved, excellent ave since me of his B humble do better th. i. 389.- rth. Zool. ii. lelebrated a debased ed States, g regions ween the congenial nmstance ial shores gradation I shall, h stating ,'lr,in! rhm A'jUirf ly A. tTibm Knarji-t-ii tv H'^ At:r/tr.e 2.C,tfiatf<> Jw BiinH/it/. 3/hufty Onik/,'. ■tl'urple Orakle. 21. a w tl CANADA yAY. 323 a few particulars better supported by facts, and more consonant to the plain homespun of common sense. This species inliabits the country extending from Hudson's Bay, and probably farther north, to the river St Lawrence ; also, in winter, the inland parts of the district of Maine, and northern tracts of the States of Vermont and New York. When the season is very severe, with deep snow, they some- times advance farther south ; but generally return northward as the weather becomes more mild. The character given of this bird by the people of those parts of the country where it inhabits is, that it feeds on black moss, worms, and even flesh ; when near habitations or tents, pilfers everything it can come at ; is bold, and comes even mto the tent, to eat meat out of the dishes ; watches the hunters while baiting their traps for martens, and devours the bait as soon as their backs are turned ; that they breed early in spring, building their nests on pine trees, forming them of sticks and grass, and lay blue eggs ; that they have two, rarely three, young at a time, which are at first quite black, and continue so for some time ; that they fly in pairs ; lay up hoards of berries in hollow trees ; are seldom seen in January, unless near houses ; are a kind of mock bird ; and, when caught, pine away, though their appetite never fails them: notwithstanding all which ingenuity and good qualities, they are, as we are informed, detested by the natives.* The only individuals of this species that I ever met with in the United States were on the shores of the Mohawk, a short way above the Little Fails. It was about the last of November, when the ground was deeply covered with snow. There were three or four in company, or within a small distance of each other, flitting leisurely along the roadside, keeping up a kind of low chattering with one anotiier, and seemed nowise appre- hensive at my approach. I soon secured the whole, from the best of which the drawing in the plate was carefully made. • Heame'a Journey, p, 406. 324 CANADA JAY. On dissection, I found their stomachs occupied by a few spiders, and the aurehro of some insects. I could perceive no diflference between the phimage of the male and female. The Canada jay is eleven inches long, and fifteen in extent ; back, wings, and tail, a dull leaden gray, the latter long, cuneiform, and tipt with dirty white ; interior vanes of the wings, brown, and also partly tipt with white ; plumage of the head, loose anu prominent ; the forehead, and feathers covering the nostril, as well as the whole lower parts, a dirty brownish white, which also passes round the bottom of the neck like a collar ; part of the crown and hind head, black ; bill and legs, also black ; eye, dark hazel. The whole plumage on the back is long, loose, unwebbed, and in great abundance, as if to protect it from the rigours of the regions it inhabits. A gentleman of observation, who resided for many years near the North River, not far from Hudson, in the State of New York, informs me that he has particularly observed this bird to arrive there at the commencement of cold weather ; he has often remarked its solitary habits ; it seemed to seek the most unfrequented, shaded retreats, keeping almost con- stantly on the ground, yet would sometimes, towards evening, mount to the top of a small tree, and repeat its notes (which a little resemble those of the baltimore) for a quarter of an hour together ; and this it generally did immediately before snow or falling weather. SI^OW BUNTING. 325 SNOW BUNTINa. {Emheriza nivalis) PLATE XXI. -Fia. 2. Linn. Syst. 308.— ^rc<. Zool. p. 355, No. 222.-Tawny Bunting.^r. Zool. No. 121.— L'Ortolan do Neige, Buff. iv. 329, PL ml. m. -Peak's Muaewn, No. 5900. PLEGTROPHANES NIVALIS.-TAvnuv^.* Emberiza nivalis, Fltm. Br. Aniin. p. 79.— Snow Bunting, Mont. Orn. Diet, i.— Bew. Br. Birds, i. p. 148. -Sdb. III. Orn. i. 247, pi. .52. -Tawny Bunting, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Br. Birds, i. 150.— Bruent do neize, Temm. Man. d'Om. i. p. 319.— Emberiza niviilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 103.— Emberiza (pleo- trophanes) nivalis, Nui'th. Zool. ii. p. 246. This being one of those birds common to both continents, its migrations extending almost from the very pole to a distance of forty or fifty degrees around, and its manners • This species, from its various changes of plumage, has been multi- plied into several ; and in form being allied to many genera, it has been variously placed by different ornithologists. Meyer was the first to institute a place for itself, and, with a second, the Fringilla Lapponica, it will constitute his genus Plectrophanes, which is generally adopted into our modern systems. The discrepancies of form were also seen by Vieillot, who, without attending to his predecessor, made the genus Passerina of the Lapland finch. They are both natives of America ; the latter has been added by the Prince of Musignano, and figured in Volume III. It has also been lately discovered to be an occasional visitant in this country, being taken by the bird-catchers about London. The following very proper observations occur iu Mr Selby's account of the Lapland finch : — " The appropriate station for this genus, I conceive to be intermediate between Alauda and Emberiza, forming, as it were, the medium of con- nection or passage from one genus to the other. In Alauda, it is met with that section of the genus which, in the increasing thickness and form of the bill, shows a deviation from the more typical species, and a nearer approach to the thick-billed Fringillidce ; to this section Alauda calandra and brachydactyla belong. Its affinity to the larks is also shown by the form of the feet and production of the hinder claw ; this in Lapponica is nearly straight, and longer than the toe, resembling in every respect that of many of the true larks. The habits and manners of the two known species also bear a much greater resemblance to those of the larks than the buntings. Like the members of the first genus, they live entirely upon the ground, and never perch. Their 326 SNO W B UNTING. and pecullurities having been long familiarly known to the naturalists of Europe, I shall in this place avail myself of the most interesling parts of their nccoimts, subjoining such particulars as have fallen under my own observation. " These birds," says Mr Pennant, " inhabit not only Green- land,* but even the dreadlul climate of Spitzbergen, where vegetation is nearly extinct, and scarcely any but cryptogam- 0U8 plants are (bund. It therefore excites wonder Ijow birds which are graminivorous in every other than those frost-bound regions subsist, yet are there found in great flocks, both on the land and ice of Spitzbergen.f They annually pass to this countiy by way of Norway; for, in the spring, flocks innu- merable appear, especially on the Norwegian isles, continue only three weeks, and then at once disappear. | As they do mode of progression is also the same, being by successive steps, and not the hopping motion used by all the true Emberizce. A power of flight superior to that possessed by the true buntings is also indicated by the greater length of the wings and form of the tail-feathers. In flectro- phanes, the first and second quills are nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing ; in Emheriza, on the contrary, the second and third are equal, and longer than the first. The aflinity of our genus to Emheriza is shown in the form of the bill, which, with the exception of being shorter and more rounded on the back, possesses the characteristic distinctions of that genus." During the spring and breeding f eason, the plumage assumes a pure white on the under parts, and deep black on all the brown markings of the upper. The feathers are at first edged with brown, which gra- dually drop off as the summer advances. A third species is figured in the " Northern Zoology " {Pkctrophanes picta, Sw.) Only one specimen was obtained, associating with ]the Lapland buntings, on the banks of the Saskatchewan. The description of the bird in the summer plumage is nearly thus given : — " Head and sides velvet black ; three distinct spots of pure white on the sides of the head, one bordering on the chin, another on the ear, a third above the eye, a less distinct spot on the middle of the nape ; the neck above, wood brown, the dorsal plumage and lowest rows of wing-coverts, blackish brown ; the under plum- age, entirely of a colour intermediate between wood brown and buff orange." — Ed. ♦ Crantz, 1. 77. t Lord Mulgrave's Voyage, 188 ; Martin's Voyage, 73. X Leems, 256. SNOiV BUNTING. 327 not breed in Hudson's Buy, It Ih certain that many retreat to this last of lands, and totally uninhabited, to perform, in full security, the duties of love, incubation, and nutrition. That they breed in Spitzbergen is very probable; but we are assured that they do so in Greenland. They arrive there in April, and make their nests in the fissures of the rocks on the mountains in May. The outside of their nest is grass, the middle of feathers, and the lining the down of the arctic fox. They lay five eggs, white, spotted with brown : they sing finely near their nest. •' They are caught by the boys in autumn when they collect near the shores in great flocks in order to migrate, and are eaten dried.* " In Europe, they inhabit, during summer, the most naked Lapland alps, and descend in rigorous seasons into Sweden, and fill the roads and fields; on which account the Dalecarlians call them ilhoars/ogel, or bad-weather birds — the Uplanders, hardtoars/ogel, expressive of the same. The Laplanders style them alaipg. Leemsf remarks, I know not with what foundatiQn, that they fatten on the flowing of the tides in Finmark, and grow lean on the ebb. The Laplanders take them in great numbers in hair springs for the table, their flesh being very delicate. ** They seem to make the countries within the whole arctic circle their summer residence, from whence they overflow the more southern countries in amazing multitudes at the setting in of winter in the frigid zone. In the winter of 1778-79, they came in such multitudes into Birsa, one of the Orkney Islands, as to cover the whole barony ; yet of all the numbers, Imrdly two agreed in colours. "Lnpland, and perhaps Iceland, furnishes the north of Britain with the swarms that frequent these parts during winter, as low as the Cheviot Hills, in lat. 52° 32'. Their resting-places are the Feroe Isles, Shetland, and the Orkneys. The Highlands of Scotland, in particular, abound with them. • Faun. Greenl. 118. + Finmark, 255. II 328 SNOW BUNTING. Their flights are immense, and they mingle so closely together in form of a ball, that the fowlers make great havoc among them. They arrive lean, soon become very fat, and are delicious food. They either arrive in the Highlands very early, or a few breed there, for I had one shot for me at Invercauld, the 4th of August. But there is a certainty of their migration ; for multitudes of them fall, wearied with their passage, on the vessels that are sailing through the Pentland Firth.* "In their summer dress, they are sometimes seen in the south of England,t the climate not having severity sufficient to affect the colours; yet now and then a milk-white one appears, which is usually mistaken for a white lark. " Kussia and Siberia receive tliem in their severe seasons annually, in amazing flocks, overflowing almost all Kussia. They frequent the villages, and yield a most luxurious repast. They vary there infinitely in their winter colours ; are pure white, speckled, and even quite brown.| This seems to be the influence of difference of age more than of season. Germany has also its share of them. In Austria, they are caught and fed with millet, and afford the epicure a treat equal to that of the ortolan." § These birds appear in the northern districts of the United States early in December, or with the first heavy snow, par- ticularly if drifted by high winds. They are usually called the white snow bird, to distinguish them from the small dark bluish snow bird already described. Their numbers increase with the increasing severity of weather and depth of snow. Flocks of them sometimes reach as far south as the borders of Maryland ; and the whiteness of their plumage is observed to be greatest towards the depth of winter. They spread over the Gennesee country and the interior of the district of Maine, flying in close compact bodies, driving about most in a high wind ; sometimes alighting near the doors, but seldom sitting • Bishop Pocock's Journal, MS. f Moit n's Northamp. p. 427. X Bell's Travels, i. 198. § Kramer, Anim. Austr. 372. SNOW BUNTING. 329 long, being a roving, restless bird. In these plentiful regions, where more valuable game is abundant, they hold out no temptation to the sportsman or hunter ; and except the few caught by boys in snares, no other attention is paid to them. They are, however, universally considered as the harbingers of severe cold weather. How far westward they extend I am unable to say. One of the most intelligent and expert hunters who accompanied Captains Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean, informs me that he has no recollection of seeing these birds in any part of their tour, not even among the bleak and snowy regions of the Stony Mountains, though the little blue one was in abun- dance. The snow bunting derives a considerable part of its food from the seeds of certain aquatic plants, which may be one reason for its preferring these remote northern countries, so generally intersected with streams, ponds, lakes, and shallow arms of the sea, that probably abound with such plants. In passing down the Seneca river towards Lake Ontario, late in the month of October, I was surprised by the appearance of a lai'ge flock of these birds feeding on the surface of the water, supported on the top^ of a growth of weeds that rose from the bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with great difficulty make its way through them. They were run- ning about with great activity ; and those I shot and examined were filled, not only with the seeds of this plant, but with a minute kind of shell-fish that adheres to the leaves. In these kind of aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted by the length of their hind heel and claws. I also observed a few on Table Rock, above the Falls of Niagara, seemingly in search of the same kind of food. According to the statements of those traders who have resided near Hudson's Bay, the snow buntings are the earliest of their migratory birds, appearing there about the 11th of April, staying about a month or five weeks, and proceed- ing farther north to breed. They return again in September, is I II 330 RUSTY GRAKLE. stay till November, when the severe frosts drive them south- ward.* The summer dress of the snow bunting is a tawny brown, interspersed with white, covering the head, neck, and lower parts; the back is black, each feather being skirted with brown ; wings and tail, also black, marked in the following manner: — The three secondaries next the body are b n-dered with bay, the next with white, and all the rest of the secon- daries, as well as their coverts and shoulder of the wing, pure white; the first six primaries are black from their coverts downwards to their extiemities ; tail, forked, the three exterior feathers on each side white, marked on the outer edge near the tip with black, the rest nearly all black ; tail-coverts, red- dish brown, fading into v.'hite ; bill, pale brown ; legs and feet, black; hind claw, long, like that of the lark, though more curved. In winter, they become white on the head, neck, and whole under side, as well as great part of the wings and rump ; the back continues black, skirted with brown. Some are even found pure white. Indeed, so much does their plumage vary according to age and season, that no two are found at any time alike. RUSTY GRAKLE. {Gracula ferruginea.) PLATE XXI. -Fig. 3. Black Oriole, Arct. Zool. p. 259, No. 144.— Rusty Oriole, Ibid. p. 260, No. 146.— New York Thrush, Ibid. p. 339, No. 205. -Hudsonian Thrush, Ibid. No. 234, female.— Livbrador Thrush, Ibid. p. 340, No. 2Q^.—Peale' a Museum,, No. 5514. SCOLEPHAGUS FERRUGINEUS.-Bvf AUiao^f. QuiscaluB f Tugineus, Bonap, Synop. p. 55.— Scolephagus ferrugineus, North. Zool. ii. p. 286. Here is a single species described by one of the most judicious naturalists of Great Britain no less than five difterent times I — the greater part of these descriptions is copied by succeeding * London Philosophical Transactions, Ixii. 403. RUSTY GRAKLE. 331 naturalists, whose synonyms it is unnecessary to repeat; so great is the uncertainty in judging, from a mere examination of their dried or stuffed skins, of the particular tribes of birds, many of wliich, for several years, are constantly varying in the colours of their plumage, and, at different seasons or different ages, assuming new and very different appearances. Even the size is by no means a safe criterion, the difference in this respect between the male and female of the same species (as in the one now before us) being sometimes very considerable. This bird arrives in Pennsylvania from the north early in October, associates with the redwings and cowpen buntings, frequents cornfields and places where grasshoppers are plenty ; but Indian-corn, at that season, seems to be its principal food. It is a very silent bird, having only now and then a single note or cliuch. We see them occasionally until about the middle of November, when they move off to the south. On the 12th of January, I overtook great numbers of these birds in the woods near Petersburgh, Virginia, and continued to see occa- sional parties of them almost every day as I advanced southerly, particularly in South Carolina, around the rice plantations, where they were numerous, feeding about the hogpens, and wherever Indian-corn was to be procured. They also extend to a considerable distance westward. On the 5th of March, being on the banks of the Ohio, a few miles below the mouth of the Kentucky river, in the midst of a heavy snowstorm, a flock of these birds alighted near the door of the cabin where I had taken shelter, several of which I shot, and found their stomachs, as usual, crammed with Indian-corn. Early in April they pass hastily through Pennsylvania, on their return to the north to breed. From the accounts of persons who have resided near Hud- son's Bay, it appears that these birds arrive there in the begin- ning of June, as soon as the ground is thawed sufficiently for them to procure their food, which is said to be worms and maggots ; sing with a fine note till the time of incubation, when they have only a chucking noise, till the young take f 332 RUSTY GRAKLE. their flight, at which time they resume their song. They build their nests in trees, about eight feet from the ground, forming them with moss and grass, and hiy five eggs, of a dark colour spotted with black. It is added, they gather in great flocks, and retire southerly in September * The male of this species, when in perfect plumage, is nine inches in length, and fourteen in extent ; at a small distance appears wholly black, but, on a near examination, is of a glossy dark green ; the irides of the eye are silvery, as in those of the purple grakle ; the bill is black, nearly of the same form with that of the last-mentioned species ; the lower mandible a little rounded, with the edges turned inward, and the upper one furnished with a sharp bony process on the inside, exactly like that of the purple species. The tongue is slender, and lacerated at the tip ; legs and feet, black and strong, the hind claw the largest ; the tail is slightly rounded. This is the colour of the male when of full age ; but tliree-fourths of these birds which we meet with have the whole plumage of the breast, head, neck, and back, tinctured with brown, every feather being skirted with ferruginous ; over the eye is a light line of pale brown, below that one of black passing through the eye. This brownness gradually goes off towards spring, for almost all those I shot in the southern States were but slightly marked with ferruginous. The female is nearly an inch shorter ; head, neck, and breast, almost wholly brown; a light line over the eye ; lores, black ; belly and rump, ash ; upper and under tail- coverts, skirted with brown; wings, black, edged with rust colour; tail, black, glossed with green; legs, feet, and bill, as in the male. These birds might easily be domesticated. Several that 1 had winged and kept for some time, became, in a few days, quite familiar, seeming to be very easily reconciled to confine- ment. • Arctic Zoology, p. 259. PURPLE GRAKLE. 333 PURPLE GRAKLE. {Qracula quisoala.) PLATE XXI.— Fig. 4. Linn. Syst. 166.— La Pie de la Jamaique, Briss. ii. 41.~B^ff. iii. 97, PL enl. 538.— Arct. Zool. p. 263, No. 153.— Gracula purpurea, the Lesser Purple Jackdaw, or Crow Blackbird, Bartram, p. 289.— Peace's Museum, No. 1582. QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR.— VimuhOT.* Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Oalf. dea Ois. pi, lQ8.—Bonap. Synop. p. 54.— Purple Grakle, or Common Crow Blackbird, Aud. pi. 7, Om. Biog. i. p. .35. —Quis- calus versicolor, Common Purple Boat-tail, North. Zool. ii. p. 285. This noted depredator is well known to every careful farmer of the northern and middle States. About the 20th of March the purple grakles visit Pennsylvania from the south, fly in loose flocks, frequent swamps and meadows, and follow in the furrows after the plough ; their food at this season consisting of worms, grubs, and caterpillars, of which they destroy pro- digious numbers, as if to recompense the husbandman before- hand for the havoc they intend to make among his crops of Indian-corn. Towards evening, they retire to the nearest cedars and pine trees to roost, making a continual chattering as they fly along. On the tallest of these trees they generally build their nests in company, about .e beginning or middle of April, sometimes ten or fifteen nests being on the same tree. One of these nests, taken from a high pine tree, is now before me. It measures full five inches in diameter within, and four in depth ; is composed outwardly of mud, mixed with long stalks and roots of a knotty kind of grass, and lined * Oracula will be given exclusively to a form inhabiting India, of which, though one species only is described, I have every reason to believe that at least two are confounded under it. Quiscalus has been, on this account, taken by Vieillot for our present bird, and some others confined to America. The-e has been considerable confusion among the species, which har, bt^^-i satisfactorily cleared up by Bona- parte, and will be seen in the sct; 'f the work. The female is figured Plate V. of the continuation by the Prince of Musignano.— Ed. 1/ ; 334 PURPLE GRAKLE. with fine bent and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a bluish olive colour, marked with large spots and straggling streaks of black and dark brown, also with others of a fainter tinge. They rarely produce more than one brood in a season.* The trees where these birds build are often at no great distance from the farmhouse, and overlook the plantations. From thence they issue in all directions, and with as much confidence, to make their daily depredations among the sur- rounding fields, as if the whole were intended for their use alone. Their chief attention, however, is directed to the Indian-corn in all its progressive stages. As soon as the infant blade of this grain begins to make its appearance above ground, the grakles hail the welcome signal with screams of peculiar satisfaction, and, without waiting for a formal invita- tion from the proprietor, descend on the fields, and begin to • Audubon's account of their manner of building is at considerable variance with that given above by our author. " The lofty dead trees left standing in our newly-cultivated fields have many holes and cavities, some of which have been bored by woodpeckers, and others caused by insects or decay. These are visited and examined in suc- cession, until, a choice being made, and a few dry weeds and feathers collected, the female deposits her eggs, which are from four to six in number, blotched and streaked with brown and black." Such is the manner of building in Louisiana; but, in the northern States, their nests are differently constructed, and, as mentioned by our author, it is a singular circumstance that a comparatively short distance should so vary this formation. " In the northern States, their nests are constructed in a more perfect manner. A pine tree, whenever it occurs in a con- venient place, is selected by preference. There the grakle forms a nest, which, from the ground, might easily be mistaken for that of our robin, were it less bulky. But it is much larger, and is associated with others, often to the number of a dozen or more, on the horizontal branches of the pine, forming tier above tier, from the lowest to the highest branches. It is composed of grass, slender roots and mud, lined with hair and finer grasses." Mr Audubon has also once or twice observed them build in the fissures of rocks. " The flesh is little better than that of a crow, being dry and ill-flavoured ; notwithstanding it is often used, with the addition of one or two golden-winged w^oodpeckers or red- wings, to make what ia called pot-pie. The eggs, on the contrary, are very delicate." — Ed. PURPLE GRAKLE. 335 pull up and regale themselves on the seed, scattering the green blades around. While thus eagerly employed, the vengeance of the gun sometimes overtakes them ; but these disasters are soon forgotten, and those •who live to get away, Eeturn to steal another day About the beginning of August, when the young ears are in their milky state, they are attacked with redoubled eagerness by the grakles and redwings, in formidable and combined bodies. They descend like a blackening, sweeping tempest on the corn, dig off the external covering of twelve or fifteen coats of leaves as dexterously as if done by the hand of man, and having laid bare the ear, leave little behind to the farmer but the cobs and shrivelled skins that contained their favourite fare. I have seen fields of corn of many acres where more than one-half was thus ruined. Indeed, the farmers in the immediate vicinity of the rivers Delaware and Schuylkill generally allow one-fourth of this crop to the blackbirds, among whom our grakle comes in for his full share. During these depredations, the gun is making great havoc among their numbers, which has no other effect on the survivors than to send them to another field, or to another part of the same field. This system of plunder and retaliation continues until November, when, towards the middle of that month, they begin to sheer off towards the south. The lower paits of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia, are the winter residences of these flocks. Here numerous bodies, collecting together from all quarters of the interior and northern districts, and darkening the air with their numbers, sometimes form one congregated mullitude of many hundred' thousands. A few miles from the banks of the Roanoke, on the 20th of January, I met with one of those prodigious armies of grakles. They rose from the surrounding fields with a; noise like thunder, and, descending on the length of road before me, covered it and the fences completely with black ;, f . ui ■ ■■its Xi is ■'•( i I: KIj ■jl m if' 1 |ji ti fflffl 1 ^'^■H > / ■ Hit |-vf4- flHi ' 336 PURPLE GRAKLE. 1/ 7 and when they again rose, and, after a few evolutions, descended on the skirts of the high-timbered woods, at that time destitute of leaves, they produced a most singular and striking effect ; the whole trees for a considerable extent, from the top to the lowest branches, seeming as if hung in mourn- ing ; their notes and screaming the meanwhile resembling the distant sound of a great cataract, but in more musical cadence, swelling and dying away on the ear according to the fluctua- tion of the breeze. In Kentucky, and all along the Mississippi, from its juncture with the Ohio to the Balize, I found numbers of these birds, so that the purple grakle may be considered as a very general inhabitant of the territory of the United States. Every industrious farmer complains of the mischief com- mitted on his corn by the crow Uachhirds, as they are usually called ; though, were the same means used, as with pigeons, to take them in clap nets, multitudes of them might thus be destroyed, and the products of them in market in some measure indemnify him for their depredations. But they are most numerous and most destructive at a time when the various harvests of the husbandman demand all his atten- tion, and all his hands to cut, cure, and take in ; and so they escape with a few sweeps made among them by some of the younger boys with the gun, and by the gunners from the neighbouring towns and villages ; and return from their winter quarters, sometimes early in March, to renew the like scenes over again. As some consolation, however, to the in- dustrious cultivator, I can assure him that, were I placed in his situation, I should hesitate whether to consider these birds most as friends or enemies, as they are particularly destructive to almost all the noxious worms, grubs, and caterpillars that infest his fields, which, were they allowed to multiply unmo- lested, would soon consume nine-tenths of all the production of his labour, and desolate the country with the miseries of famine 1 Is not this another striking proof that the Deity has created nothing in vain, and that it is the duty of man, PURPLE GRAKLE. 337 the lord of the creation, to avail himself of their usefulness and guard against their bad eflfects as securely as possible without indulging in the barbarous and even impious wish for their utter extermination ? The purple grakle is twelve inches long, and eighteen in extent ; on a slight view, seems wholly black, but placed near m a good light, the whole head, neck, and breast appear of a rich glossy steel-blue, dark violet, and silky green ; the violet prevails most on the head and breast, and the green on the hind part of the neck. The back, rump, and whole lower parts the breast excepted, reflect a strong coppery gloss; wing- coverts, secondaries, and coverts of the tail, rich light violet in which the red prevails ; the rest of the wings and rounded tail are black, glossed with steel-blue. All the above colours are extremely shining, varying as differently exposed to the light; iris of the eye, silvery; bill more than an inch long, strong, and furnished on the inside of the upper mandible with a sharp process, like the stump of a broken blade of a penknife, intended to assist the bird in macerating its food; tongue, thin, bifid at the end, and lacerated along the sides. The female is rather less, has the upper part of the head, neck, and the back of a dark sooty brown ; chin, breast, and belly, dull pale brown, lightest on the former ; wings, tail, lower parts of the back and vent, black, with a few reflections of dark green; legs, feet, bill, and eyes, as in the male. The purple grakle is easily tamed, and sings in confinement. They have also, in several instances, been taught to articulate some few words pretty distinctly. A singular attachment frequently takes place between this bird and the fish-hawk. Tiie nest of this latter is of very large dimensions, often from three to four feet in breadth, and from four to five feet high ; composed, externally, of large sticks or fagots, among the interstices of which sometimes three or four pairs of crow blackbirds will construct their nests, while the hawk is sitting or hatchmg above. Here VOL. I. Y 338 SIVA MP SPARROW. each pursues tlie duties of incubation and of rearing their young, living in the greatest harmony, and mutually watching and protecting each other's property from depredators. SWAMP SPARKOW. {Fringilla paluatria.) PLATE XXII.— Fio. 1. Pnssor palustria, Bar tram, p. 291. — Peak's Museum, No. 6569. ZONOTRICHIA PALUSTRIS.—jAUDmE.* Fringilla paluitris, Bonap. Synop. p. 111.— The Swump Sparrow, Aud. pi. C4, male, Orn. Biog. i. p. 331. The history of this obscure and humble species is short and iminteresting. Unknown or overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, it is now for the first time introduced to the notice of the world. It is one of our summer visitants, arriving in Pennsylvania early in April, frequenting low grounds and river courses ; rearing two, and sometimes three, broods in a season ; and returning to the south as the cold weather com- mences. The immense cypress swamps and extensive grassy flats of the southern States, that border their numerous rivers, and the rich rice plantations, abounding with their favourite seeds and sustenance, appear to be the general winter resort aud grand annual rendezvous of this and all the other species of sparrow that remain with us during summer. From the river Trent, in North Carolina, to that of Savannah, and still farther south, I found this species very numerous ; not flying • The four species figured on this plate will point out the form which Mr Swainson has designated as above. Of these, the present and the last will recede from the type, the one in the more slender, the other in the stronger bill, and its even cutting margins. They in every respect show a strong assimilation with the bunting, sparrow, and lark family, though they cannot properly rank with these. According to the char- acters now laid down, and I believe properly so, they are a most interesting form when taken in comparison with their representatives in other countries. They appear confined to America. — Ed. ■^•^ r\:i7 A',7fwy M' ./Ar/.i^w £fU!r.i\'Hi f>v ft'^lufvx t.Snani,, ,»/wyy'r, J.ltm.' H„-,>,ttnt Sp. XSm.uuMf, Sp. -t-.Foxc^hurai Sp. S.Lo^gerhead Shrike . 22. SIVAMP SPARROW. 339 in flocks, but skulking a„,o„;; the canes. rr,e,1. „. . seeming -l,y and tin.oron,, a,.l more attacref '. "-'T' than any other of their tribe T„ Til, .. f "'^ """'"' pa™ thrLgh Pennsy,:::;! , norZa':"' t^rl'^r' from the circumstance of finding tberril!! ■'"'''''" tioular ,„rts of the woods «l,2 I„," .i "'°™' '" I""" theya™ not to be - ' ml^wZf ^^^.^2 swam,,., and ready borders of „„r creek, and ri eT Til form ti,.,, nest m the graund, sometimes i„ „ tus^k of rZ ^raiia surrounded by water and la„ fo„^ .„ T ^- ' .po.ed with rufons' So Lt: I't" tKrll'^n''''' seen them feeding their young that were s»rctrM;.'r T e,r prmcpa. food is grass seeds, wild oats, ' nd n:ec.s They have no song; are distinguished by a angle 1^™- <:Ti^. uttered m a rather hoarser tone than that of the L. sparrow ; flirt the tail as they fly ; seldom or never take to7,e t^^but skulk f,.m one low hush or swampy 'Sto't The swamp sparrow is five inches and a half long and ^ven mches and a half in extent; the back of the neck Z. rent are black; crown, bright bay, bordered with bW. a pot of yellowish wh te between the eye and nostril ; Is'of the neck and whole breast, dark ash ; chin, white ; a streak " black proceeds from the lower mandible, and another from tl"e posterior angle of the eye; back, black, slightly skirt^l w h bay; greater coverts also black, edged with b„v ; wings and ted, pla,„ brown; belly and vent, brownish whil'e bilUutky above bl„,sh bebw; ey^, hazel; legs, brown ; claws strong and sharp, for chmbmg the reeds The female wants he ba^ dulJ'w T""' "'■ " '"'"'''"°"^' ■ "''' "'» ^J« « " "-e of %-\ 340 WHITE- THRO A TED SPARRO W. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. (Fringilla albicolUs.) PLATE XXII. -Fig. 2. Frin-iUafusca, Bartram, p. 29l.-Lath. ii. 272.-Edivard^, 30i.-Arct. Zool. p. " 373, No. 248.— Pcafc's Museum, No. 6486. ZONOTBICHIA PENNSYLVANIGA—^^Kimm. Frinvm.JSmr* ^ d. mufemnii/ iy IKKtitart 4.Jubi>ruudK': SMiter Thrutk. BELTED KlmsF/S/rES. ^T.1°^^T' ""''■ "" '=''""'='-■■•""" "Pl^mncc, m„k„ it «« un.vcraally k„„„„ hero «» ite elegant litlle brother the common k,„s«fi,her of Europe, h in Britain. Like the iovt lorn swa,„s, of whom poet, tell „,, ho .lelighta in nui'llrTng their healthy BunnoJ^ TK , ^''^ ''^ '^''*'' '^'^'"'' ^^l^'^ite for also by M. Lesson, of the Alcedo rufipes of Cuvier, under the name of J ' and as , «pecifi appellation, that'of torotora, bylTict it T wTS he Papous, zn its native country. New Guinea. It frequents riverland the sea-shores, and feeds on fish ; the principal distinctionfor St has been separated is a serrature of the mandibles of the bill. M W however, did not perceive anything different from its congenerf oXh this structure could be applied. From the above remarks it will he seen sions /o nT^'"'.^ '"?^" "P^"*^^ '^'^ - ^^- thaln no d^t sions. Four of these will perhaps, only be necessary, and are as follows- -1. Alcedo, having the orm of Alcedo ispiaa, feeding principally on fish ; geographical distribution, the known world, except very nor^ them ktitudes ; the number of species and individuals increasing from the extremes. 2. Halc.on; the form of Sanctus, cina^^eus, omllZ, ul ^' ??'°° f °P°'^' * ^^'"" (^"'^y^'^^P^) for all the smaller New Holland spc.es, taking A. sacra as the type, on account, principally, of the more ^^d bil The same gentleman proposes the title Melidora and Choucalci/on to desig. Date forms among the kingsfishers which I have not ascertained. 350 BELTED KINGSFISHER. Btrenms and falling waters ; not, however, merely that tlicy may eootlie his ear, but for a gratification somewliat more Bubstantial. Amidst the roar of the cataract, or over the foam of a torrent, he sits perched upon an overhanging bough, glancing his piercing eye in every direction below for his scaly prey, which, with a sudden circular plunge, he sweeps from their native element, and swallows in an instant. His voice, which is not unlike the twirling of a watchman's rattle, is naturally loud, harsh, and sudden ; but is softened by the sound of the brawling streams and cascades among which he generally rambles. He courses along the windings of the brook or river, at a small height above the surface, sometimes suspending himself by the rapid action of his wings, like certain species of hawks, ready to pounce on the fry below ; now and then settling on an old dead overhanging limb to reconnoitre.* Mill-dams are particularly visited by this feaUiered fisher ; and the sound of his pipe is as well known to the miller as the rattling of his own hopper. Bapid &c. ; containing Lesson's Todyrampus, also perhaps his Syma, and the Tanysiptera of Vigors ; the two latter groups, as species, would be at once distinguished by the peculiarities of form which are perhaps not sufficient to indicate a genus without more of like characters ; geogra- phical distribution. South America, New Holland, Africa, and India. 3, Dacelo; the form, /). gigantea; geographical distribution. New Hol- land. And 4. Ceyx, containing the three-toed kingsfisher C. tridactyla ; geographical distribution, India. — Ed. * Mr Audubon mentions, that this species sometimes also visits the salt-water creeks, diving after fish. When crossing from one lake to another, which it frequently does, it passes over forests in a direct line, not unfrequently by a course of twenty or thirty miles, towards the interior of the country. Its motions at this time consist of a series of slopes, about five or six in number, followed by a direct glide, without any apparent undulation. They dig the holes for their nest with great despatch. As an instance of their working with celerity, the same gentleman mentions, that he hung a small net in front of one of their holes to entrap the bird upon the nest ; but, ere morning, it had scratched its way out. On the fol- lowing evening, he stopped up the hole for upwards of a foot with a stick, but the same thing again took place. — Ed. BELTED KINGSFISHER ui« uiru , not only because in Huch places thefirn.ill fi»h „,. more ex,,o»ed to view, but boca„«, t ,„" e „ 1 " dry b«„I« «re tl,e chosen «it«atio„s for hie nest Int^.l placed at the e.tre,.,ity of the h„,e, tl,:' I:,,: i™,,: 2' have room to turn with convenience TJ,« . i ^ «hite, »d the first brood ..eu":,: 7: J o , x:rthrbe!r .m.g of June, and sometimes sooner, nccordinrtrt ,e 3": ho country where they reside. Ou the shores ^fKeSkv «»ly in Apnl. Ihey are very tenacious of their ba.mts breedu.g for several successive years in the same hole anTdo ..ot readily forsake it, even though it be visited. An intel gent yonng gentleman informed me, that having found whe e" a kmgsfisher budt, he took away its eggs from time to t me leaving a ways one behind, until he had taken no le™ than eighteen from the same nest. At some of these visits Z female ben.g withu,, retired to the extren.ity of the hde whde he withdrew the egg, and next day, when he re urned he founil she had laid again as usual. re'umed. The fabulous stories relate,! by the ancients of the nost manner of hatching fe, of the kingsfisher, are too triflin. to be repeiUed here. Over the winds and the waves the hnmbb kingsfishers of our days, at least the species now befo r„i have no control. Its nest is neither constructed of glue no; fish-bones; but of loo..* grass and a few feathers. It is no thrown on the surface of the water to float about, with its propne or, at random, but Snugly secured from the winds and the weather m the recesses of the earth ; neither is its head or Its feathers believed, even by the most illiterate of our clowns or seamen, to be a charm for love, a proteotiou against witch- craft, or a security for fair weather. It is neither venerated 352 BELTED KINGSFISHER. like those of the Society Isles, nor dreaded, like those of some other countries ; but is considered merely as a bird that feeds on fish ; is generally fat ; relished by some as good eating ; and is now and then seen exposed for sale in our markets. Though the kingsfisher generally remains with us, in Pennsylvania, until the commencement of cold weather, it is seldom seen here in winter ; but returns to us early in April. In North and South Carolina, I observed numbers of these birds in the months of February and March. I also fre- quently noticed them on the shores of the Ohio in February, as high up as the mouth of the Muskingum. I suspect this bird to be a native of the Bahama Islands, as well as of our continent. In passing between these isles and the Florida shore, in the month of July, a kingsfisher flew several times round our ship, and afterwards shot off to the south. The length of this species is twelve inches and a half; extent, twenty ; back and whole upper parts, a light bluish slate colour ; round the neck is a collar of pure white, which reaches before to the chin ; head, large, crested ; the feathers, long and narrow, black in the centre, and generally erect; the shafts of all the feathers, except the white plumage, are black ; belly and vent, white ; sides under the wings, varie- gated with blue; round the upper part of the breast passes a band of blue, interspersed with some light brown feathers ; before the eye is a small spot of white, and another immedi- ately below it ; the bill is three inches long from the point to the slit of the mouth, strong, sharp-pointed, and black, except near the base of the lower mandible, and at the tip, where it is of a horn colour ; primaries and interior webs of the secondaries, black, spotted with white ; the interior vanes of the tail-feathers, elegantly spotted with white on a jet black ground; lower side, light coloured; exterior vanes, blue; wing-coverts and secondaries, marked with small specks of white; legs, extremely short; when the bird perches, it generally rests on the lower side of the second joint, which is BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER. 353 thereby thick and callous; claws, stout and black; whole W of a dirty yellowish colour; above the knee, bare of feathers for half an inch ; the two exterior toes united together for nearly their whole length. The female is sprinkled all over with specks of white; the Tlf ' ,!^^*t ^'•^'^"d the upper part of the breast is nearly \^1^ t' ^^' ^^^ ^ ^^^*^^ ^^^"^ th'^ P««««« « b^nd of bright reddish bay, spreading on each side under the wings The blue and rnfous feathers on the breast are strong, like scales. The head is also of a much darker blue than the back, and the white feathers on the chin and throat of an exquisite fine glossy texture, like the most beautiful satin BLACK AND YELLOW WAEBLER {Sylvia magnolia.) PLATE XXIII. -Fio. 2. Peale's Museum, No. 7783. SYLVICOLA MACULOSA.-SvfAKBOTSt. Sylvia niac^osa Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. mQ.-Bonap. Synop. p. 78.-Yellow. rump Warbler, />«„n. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 40O.-The Black and Yellow Warbllr (the young ,s figured only). And. pi. 50; Om. Bwg. i. p. 260.-Sylvicola maculosa, North. Zool. ii. p. 212. oyivicoia This bird I first met with on the banks of the Little Miami near its junction with the Ohio. I afterwards found it among the magnolias, not far from Fort Adams, on the Mississippi. Ihese two, both of which happened to be males, are all the individuals I have ever shot of this species ; from which I am justified in concluding it to be a very scarce bird in the United States. Mr Peale, however, has the merit of having been the first to discover this elegant species, which, he informs me. he found several years ago not many miles from Philadelphia. No notice has ever been taken of this bird by any European naturalist whose works I have examined. Its notes, or rather chirpings, struck me as very peculiar and VOL. I. „ it 354 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. characteristic ; but have no claim to the title of song. It kept constantly among tiie higher branches, and was very active and restless. Length, five inches ; extent, seven inches and a half ; front, ores, and behind the ear, black ; over the eye, a fine line of white, and another small touch of the same immediately under ; back, nearly all black ; shoulders, thinly streaked with olive; rump, yellow; tail-coverts, jet black; inner vanes of the lateral tail-feathers, white, to within half an inch of the tip, where they are black; two middle ones, wholly black; whole lower parts, rich yellow, spotted from the throat down- wards with black streaks ; vent, white ; tail, slightly forked ; wings, black, crossed with two broad transverse bars of white; crown, fine ash ; legs, brown ; bill, black. Markings of the female not known. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. {Sylvia blackburnice.) PLATE XXIII.-FiG. 3. Lath. ii. p. 461, No. 67.— Peak's Museum, No. 7060. SYLVIGOLA BLACKBUBNI^.—JjiSDnsE. Sylvia Blackburnise, Bonap. Synop. p. 80. This is another scarce species in Pennsylvania, making its appearance here about the beginning of May ; and again in September on its return, but is seldom seen here during the middle of summer. It is an active, silent bird ; inhabits also the state of New York, from whence it was first sent to Europe. Mr Latham has numbered this as a variety of the yellow-fronted warbler, a very different species. The specimen sent to Europe, and first described by Pennant, appears also to have been a female, as the breast is said to be yellow, instead of the brilliant orange with which it is ornamented. Of the nest and habits of this bird, I can give no account, as AUTUMNAL WARBLER. omnge; the black aga n Sod „t' tt' f •>/ ^'°^ "^ of rich orange poaBin^g over he eye uLf ^' " ^'"''^ touch of orange yellow wlml„ .t/ f ,"'* ^^'*' « ™''» orange, boundfd "^re;;, '^d 'tl "fnT' "* "^"^ yellow, also streaked tft b ack ™/ > ^ l '"''^' *'" Bkirted with ash- wiZ .^ ' ' "''"*! •">*. Wack, iatera. Uf thi^ell JS.;;r;teTt' "f-'"'^'^' of the three exterior fpoflL ^="7 ^^^^^d, the interior vanes leg. brown.^ ^:^^z)i^;:^':^^ ^^ ""' -" the black streak, are also .oL oh ^^70^,^:^^ ' AUTUMNAL WARBLEK. (S,m autumnalis.) PLATE XXIir._FiG. 4. SYLVICOLA ? ^£^I'r/ilfiyr^Z/&-j.BDixE. Sylvicola autumnalis, Bonap. Svnon n 94 ti, * . the'norti;"in'« "■'^'"V'S"'"'^ -»»« Pennsylvania from considerable nnnab , a It et^ d'vt' "T ''' "'" '" larly among the branWH t He ,h.l wl^orVr'"'- exceedingly industrious T1,.J i ° ' "^ "^^ colour („.),„ • ^^ '""''' *>"« i-esemblance, in cdour, 0 the pine-creeprng warbler; bnt do not run alon^ the pmes. They are also less. After the first of November raonly m.ld. These birds, doubtless, pass through Pennsvl- vama m sprmg, on their way to the north; but "eitherZke 256 . WATER THRUSH. a very hasty journey, or frequent the tops of the tallect trees ; for I have never yet met with one of them in that season, though in October I have seen more than a hundred in an afternoon's excursion. Length, four inches and three quarters ; breadth, eight inches ; whole upper parts, olive green, streaked on the back with dusky stripes ; tail-coverts, ash, tipt with olive ; tail, black, edged with dull white ; the three exterior feathers, marked near the tip with white ; wings, deep dusky, edged with olive, and crossed with two bars of white; primaries, also tipt, and three secondaries next the body, edged with white ; upper mandible, dusky brown ; lower, as well as the chin and breast, dull yellow; belly and vent, white; legs, dusky brown ; feet and claws, yellow ; a pale yellow ring surrounds the eye. The males of these birds often warble out some low, but very sweet notes, while searching among the leaves in autumn. 1 I i i WATER THRUSH. {Turdus aquaticus.) PLATE XXIII.— Fig. 5. Peak's Museum, No. 6896. SEIURUS AQUATICUS— ^v/ximov. New York Warbler, Penn. Arct.Zool. ii. p. 303.— Sylvia Noveboracensis.fionop. Synop. p. 77. — Seiurus aquaticus, Aquatic Accentor, North, Zool.ii. p. 229. This bird is remarkable for its partiality to brooks, rivers, shores, ponds, and streams of water ; wading in the shallows in search of aquatic insects, wagging the tail almost continually, chattering as it flies ; and, in short, possesses many strong traits and habits of the water wagtail. It is also exceedingly shy, darting away on the least attempt to approach it, and uttering a sharp chip repeatedly, as if greatly alarmed. Among the mountain streams in the state of Tennesee, I found a variety of this bird pretty numerous, with legs of a IVATER THRUSH. 357 until August. It is probabl ', aT t btedll^l ITT mountainous districts even o£ this staL.t 1 Z^^ u in th"f """■": """ -S-'-'-IypasB a week oTtwo with But Pennsylvania is not the favourite resort of this species tudes of Lou.smna, Tennesee, and the MississLi territorv g^^^rdbrthTi: :,""""' "'^^ theyaree^iltlydS guished by tlie loudness, sweetness, and expressive vivacitv an almost imperceptible gradation till they are scarce y m ddle branches of a tree over the brook or river bank, pourin ' out h,8 cha,„i,ng melody, that may be distinctly heard for nearly half a mile. The voice of this little bird appeared to me so eiiquisite ly sweet and expressive, that I was never tired of listening to It, while traversing the deep shaded hollows of those cane brakes where it usually resorts. I have never yet met with its nest. ^ ^ The water thrush is six inches long, and nine and a half m extent; the whole upper parts are of a uniform and very dark olrve, with a line of white extending over the eye, and along the sides of the neck; the lower parts are white, tinged with yellow ochre; the whole breast and sides are marked with pointed spots or streaks of black or deep brown; bill dusky biwn; legs, flesh coloured; tail, nearly even; bill' formed almost exactly like the golden-crowned thrush, above described, p 239 ; and, except in frequenting the water, much resembhng it in manners. Male and female nearly alike. ^ lit 358 PAINTED BUNTING. PAINTED BUNTING. {Emberka cms.) PLATE XXIV.— Fig. 1.— Male ; Fig. 2.— Female. Linn. Syst. 313.— Painted Finch, Catesb. i. 44.-Ediv. 130, I7'i.—Arct. Zool. p. 362, No. 226. — Le Verdier de la Louisiane, dit vulgairement le Pape, Briss. iii. 200. App. 74.— Buff. iv. 76. PI. ent. 159.— Lath. 11. 206.— Llnaria clrls. The Painted Finch, or Nonpareil, Bartram, p. 291. —Peale'a Museum, No. 6062, and 6063. SPIZA C7iJ/«.— Bonaparte.* Fringilla (sub-genus Spiza) ciris, Bonap. Synop. p. 107. — La pesserine nonpareil ou le papa, Passerina ciris, Vieill. Gall, dea Ois. pi. 66. — The Painted Finch, Aud, pi. 53, male and female ; OiTt. Biog. 1, 279. This is one of the most numerous of the little summer birds of Lower Louisiana, where it is universally known among the French inhabitants, and called by them Le Pape, and by the * From the general request of this species as a pet, it is requisite that considerable numbers should be taken, and tlie method used is thus described by Audubon. I may remark, in the taking of various birds alive, " call birds," or tame ones, trained for the purpose of decoy, are commonly used in all countries, and in some instances a stuifed speci- men, or even a representation made of Paris plaster, is used with suc- cess. " A male bird, in full plumage, is shot, and stuffed in a defensive atti- tude, and perched among some grass seed, rice, or other food, on the same platform as the trap-cage. This is taken to the fields, or near the orangeries, and placed in so open a situation, that it would be diflBicult for a living bird of any species to fly over it without observing it. The trap is set. A male painted finch passes, perceives it, and dives towards the stuff'ed bird, brings down the trap, and is made prisoner. In this manner, thousands of these birds are caught every spring ; and so per- tinacious are they in their attacks, that, even when the trap has closed upon them, they continue pecking at the feathers of the supposed rival." They feed immediately, and some have been kept in confinement for ten years. They cost about sixpence in New Orleans ; but, in London, three guineas are sometimes asked. The various generic nomenclature to which this bird has been sub- jected, shows that ornithologists are at variance in opinion. It forms part of the first section of Bonaparte's subgenus Spiza, to which should also be referred the Fringilla Gijanea of this volume, p. 100. — Ed. i-mwi /•/,.,« AiuiM *!• J. HUlMI.. ■ ^*>'nirr^ H Vrn.I.uan irnuU,dHu^U„f^. 2r,moh M'n>r„.n^.„nm„1,Ur tMo.moum, W M't YfJlnwnmitol .nnm SUbie Gm>l>tal,. a tl n a] al fe in en he to ofl tat nei th( int me obe the the equ whi thei to ] Hoi PAINTED BUNTING. Americans The Nonpareil Its gay dress nr,d A..'v, ! manners have procured if mnn^ / • . *^''^'''*^ *^^ few mmutes. The.r notes very much resemble those of the .nd.go b,rd (plate vi. fig. 6), but want the streZth and i found these birds very commonly domesticated in tb. bouses of the French inhabitants of New Orieat Ipp 1 1 to be the most common cage bird they have. The" !™e! of en bnng them to market, from the neighbouring Xn- tafons for sale ; either in cages, taken in Lps. or in the nest. A wealthy French planter, who lives on the banks o? he M,ss.ss,ppi, a few miles l»Iow Dayo Fourche, took mo mto h,s garden, wh.ch is spacious and magnificen , to sh^w me h,s avmry ; where, among many of our common birds I ttxrnr """'"■''• '"" " ""'' ""^ "^*' »^ -' Were the same attention bestowed on these birds as on the canary, I have no doubt but they would breed with equal facJi y and become equally numerous and familiar wine the nchness of their plumage might compensate for he^ mfer,onty of song. Many of them have been tmnsported to Europe; and I think I have somewhere read, that in Holland attempts, have been made to breed them, and with flHS '' 4h SbI WA I . 360 PAINTED BUNTING. success. When the employments of tho people of the United States become more sedentary, like those of Europe, the innocent and agreeable amusement of keepiug and rearino- birds in this manner will become more general than it is at present, and their manners better known. And I cannot but think, that an intercourse with these little innocent warblers is favourable to delicacy of feeling, and sentiments of humanity ; for I have observed the rudest and most savage softened into benevolence while contemplating the interesting manners of these inoffensive little creatures. KSix of these birds, which I brought with me from New Orleans by sea, soon became reconciled to the cage. In good weather, the males sang with great sprightliness, though they had been caught only a few days before my departure. They were greedily fond of flies, which accompanied us in great numbers during the whole voyage ; and many of the passengers amused themselves with catching these, and giving them to the Nonpareils ; till, at length, the birds became so well ac- quainted with this amusement, that as soon as they perceived any of the people attempting to catch flies, they assembled at the front of the cage, stretching out their heads through the wires with eager expectation, evidently much interested in the issue of their efforts. These birds arrive in Louisiana, from the south, about the middle of April, and begin to build early in May. In Savannah, according to Mr Abbot, they arrive about the 20th of April! Their nests are usually fixed in orange hedges, or on the lower branches of the orange tree; I have also found them in a common bramble or blackberry bush. They are formed exteriorly of dry grass, intermingled with the silk of cater- pillars, lined with hair, and, lastly, with some extremely fine roots of plants. The eggs are four or five, white, or rather pearl coloured, marked with purplish brown specks. As some of these nests had eggs so late as the 25th of June, I think it probable that they sometimes raise two broods in the same season. The young birds of both sexes, during the first season, '- : \ PAINTED BUNTING. 361 are of a fine green olive above, and dull yellow below The females undergo little or no change, but that of becoming o^ colom-a are comp eted in the fourth season, except, Bomet ^e, that the green Btill continues on the tail. On the fourU and firth season, the bird has attained hia complete cI r a°t appears then as represented in the plate (flg 1). No depend m buds confined ,n a cage, as the want of proper food eun- Bhme and var.ety of climate, all conspire agaius? the .tu „r operations of nature. "JoUiar The nonpareil is five inches and three quarters Iod« and e.ght inches and three quarters in extent; head, neck ^C and s,des of the same, a rich purplish blue; eyelid, chin, and whole lower parts vermilion; back and scapuhrs, glossy yellow, stained w,th rich green, and in old biris wilh red r.r"'"^"Tf'.r'''''' '■"■«'"• e'^"- «i"g». dusky red' some ,mes edged with green; lower part of the back, rump ahghly forked, purplish brown (generally green) ; leg^ and feet. leaden gray; bill, black above, pale blue bebw; iris of the eye, hazel. ^ The female (fig. 2) is five and a half inches long, and ei-ht mches m extent; upper parts, green olive, brightest on the rump; lower parts, a dusky Naples yellow, brightest on the belly ; and tmged considerably on the breast with dull green or ohve; cheeks or ear-feathers, marked with lighter touches;' theslme lead colour, lightest below; legs and feet. The food of these birds consists of rice, insects, and various kinds of seeds that grow luxuriantly in their native haunts. 362 PROTONOTARY WARBLER. I also observed them entinp: the seeds or internal grains of ripe fi^'f*. They frequent gardens, building within a few paces of the house ; are particularly attached to orangeries ; and chant occasionally during the wholo summer. Early in October they retire to more southern climates, being extremely suscep- tible of cold. PROTONOTARY WARBLER. {Sijlma protonotarius.) PLATE XXIV. -Fio. 3. Arct. Zool. p. 410.— Buff. v. im.—Lntk. ii. 494. No. 7020. PI. enl. 704.- PeaWa Museum, VERMIVORA f PROTONOTARIUS.-JxRmm. Sylvia (sub-genus Dacnis, Cuv.) protonotarius, Bonap. Synop. p. 86.— The Pro- tonotary Wnibler, Aud. pi. 3, male and female; Orn. Biog. i. p. 22. This is an inhabitant of the same country as the preceding species ; and also a passenger from the south ; witli this dif- ference, that the bird now before us seldom approaches the house or garden, but keeps among the retired, deep, and dark swampy woods, through which it flits nimbly in search of small caterpillars, uttering every now and then a few screak- ing notes, scarcely worthy of notice. They are abundant in the Mississippi and New Orleans territories, near the river, but are rarely found on the high ridges inland. From the peculiar form of its bill, being roundish and remarkably pointed, this bird might, with propriety, be classed as a sub-genera, or separate family, including several others, viz., the blue-winged yellow warbler, the gold-crowned warbler! and golden-winged warbler, of Plate XV., and the worm-eat- ing warbler of the present plate, and a few more. The bills of all these correspond nearly in form and pointedness, being generally longer, thicker at the base, and more round than those of the genus Sylvia, generally. The first mentioned species, in particular, greatly resembles this in its general appearance; but the bill of the protonotary is rather stouter, WORM.EATINC lyARBLEK. ,g, «ml thoyolIo«r m,u,h deeper, extending farther on the back- US n..„„e„ a,.d the country it i„l,„|.it., are „1«„ diffelt 1 .H Hpcces i» five inel,e» nud „ half l„„g, „„.! oi.,l,t nn.I « Imlf ,0 extent ; the head, „eek, and whole lower It ( v en I.e vent), are of a romarlmbly rich and brilliant ye low .^thv 1™?1 n • r "• "'"«"■ ™"'I'. ""<1 tail-eoverts a lead blue ; interior vanes of the former black • t! 1 I even, and black, broadly edged with U f ihrlX™ excep the two middle one,, are n.arked on their tner val' near the t,p, w,th a spot of white; bill, 1„„„ stout bZ™ pomted, and wholly black; eyes, dark hazel ; fc^t'l S'l" aden grey The female differs in having tl,: y „w a^d blner„t..erofadullerti„t;thei„feriorlt^^ Ig WORM-EATING WARRFFP /c ? • ^xxx^vT vvAitULJiK. {Sylvia vermwora.) PLATE XXIV. -Fig. 4. Arct. Zool. p. 406, No. m.~Edxo. m.~Lath ii 400 T„ i • « vera. nug. v. 2,1,.-pJ:l:^Z;^l:'^^^^-^- """^'^"^ ''° and female ; OrnlZ.^p.TjT ^°™-^'^*^'^« ^^^^er, ^«rf. p,. a4, male This is one of the nimblest species of its whole family inhabii^ SonrmVch'Srnol' T""""' ""* ^^ « "^ about themiddfe of ^!r::iLfn:r„"^;;:i^^^^^^^^^ never yet met with its nest, but have seen them feedin' tbe r oung abou the 25th of .Tune. This bird is remarkaU; fond of spiders, dartmg about wherever there is a probabiHty o1 of Brisson's old o„T-eJ; ^ *"'°''° """^ """' ""^ "='"'««on II.: 364 WORM-EATING WARBLER. '■\' finding these insects, if there be a branch broken, and the leaves withered, it shoots among them in preference to every other part of the tree, making a great rustling, in search of its prey. I have often watched its manoeuvres while thus engaged, and flying from tree to tree in search of such places. On dis- section, I have uniformly found their stomachs filled with spiders or caterpillars, or both. Its note is a feeble chirp, rarely uttered. The worm-eater is five inches and a quarter in length, and eight inches in extent ; back, tail, and wings, a fine clear olive ; tips and inner vanes of the wing-quills, a dusky brown ; tail, slightly forked, yet the exterior feathers are somewhat shorter than the middle ones ; head and whole lower parts, a dirty buff ; the former marked with four streaks of black, one pass- ing from each nostril, broadening as it descends the hind head ; and one from the posterior angle of each eye ; the bill is stout, straight, pretty thick at the base, roundish, and tapering to a fine point ; no bristles at the side of the mouth ; tongue, thin, and lacerated at the tip ; the breast is most strongly tinged with the orange bufi"; vent, waved with dusky olive; bill, blackish above, flesh coloured below; legs and feet, a pale clay colour ; eye, dark hazel. The female differs very little in colour from the male. On this species Mr Pennant makes the following remarks : — " Does not appear in Pennsylvania till July, in its passage northward. Does not return the same way, but is supposed to go beyond the mountains which lie to the west. This seems to be the case with all the transient vernal visitants of Pennsylvania." * That a small bird should permit the whole spring, and half of the summer, to pass away before it thought of " passing to the north to breed," is a circumstance, one should think, would have excited the suspicion of so discerning a naturalist as the author of " Arctic Zoology," as to its truth. I do not know that this bird breeds to the northward of the United States. As to their returning home by ** the country * Arctic Zoology, p. 406. ^ YELLOlV-tVmCED SPARROW. 365 ^^t f "."""tams," this ,^„st, donbtl™, be for the pur- pose of fl„,sh,„g the education of their striplings here a " L done ,„ Europe, by making the grand tonr. Thf., b. the bv would be a mueh more convenient retrograde rout o. th^ ducks and geese; as, like the Kentuckiaus, they could take advantage of the cunent of the Ohio and Mississippi to floa down to the southward. Unfortunately, howeveT'frr tWs pretty theory, all our vernal visitants' with wh 'ch i am Zr". i'lT'"'^'^ '" P'odhomeby the same regions through which they advanced, not even excepting the gefse TELLOW-WINGED SPAEROW. (FringilU ^,^na) PLATE XXIV. -Fig. 5. PeaUt Museum, No. 6585. EMBERIZAT PASSEBmA.-Jxnmm* FringiUa (sub-genus Spiza) passerina, Bmap. Spnt>p. p. i09. This small species is now for the first time introduced to the notice of the pubhc I can. however, say little towards iUus! tratmg its history which, like that of many individuals of the human race would be but a dull detail of humble obscurity. It inhabits the lower parts of New York and Pennsylvania • 18 very numerous on Staten Island, where I first observed it • and occurs also along the sea coast of New Jersey. But' though It breeds in each of these places, f^ does not remain in any of them during the winter. It has a short, weak, inter- rupted chirrup, which it occasionally utters from the fences and tops of low bushes. Its nest is fixed on the ground * "A few of these birds," the Prince of Musignano remarks "can never be separated in anynatural arrangement." What are not ila ed under the name Eraberiza, will require a subgenus for themselves per haps the analogous form of that genus in the New World. In this spec Ls bv^olVat'f '" l""'.'' ''''^ ""^^^^"^"^ ^'^'^ ^' *^^ -andibles .'an" by Bonaparte, it is placed among the finches, in the second section of hi^ subgenus Spiza, aa forming the passage to the buntings.-ED. {;f 366 YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW. • among the grass; is formed of loose dry grass, and lined with hair and fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are five, of a greyish white sprinkled with brown. On the first of August I found the female sitting. I cannot say what extent of range this species has, having never met with it in the southern states ; though I have no doubt that it winters there, with many others of its tribe. It is the scarcest of all our summer sparrows. Its food consists principally of grass seeds, and the larvae of insects, which it is almost continually in search of among the loose soil and on the surface ; consequently it is more useful to the farmer than otherwise. The length of this species is five inches; extent, eight inches; upper part of the head, blackish, divided by a slight line of white ; hind head and neck above, marked with short lateral touches of black and white ; a line of yellow extends from above the eye to the nostril ; cheeks, plain brownish white ; back, streaked with black, brown, and pale ash ; shoulders of the wings, above and below, and lesser coverts, olive yellow ; greater wing-covierts, black, edged with pale ash ; primaries, light drab ; tail, the same, the feathers rather pointed at the ends, the outer ones white ; breast, plain yellowish white, or pale ochre, which distinguishes it from the Savannah sparrow; (plate xxii. fig. 3.) ; belly and vent, white ; three or four slight touches of dusky at the sides of the breast ; legs, flesh colour; bill, dusky above, pale bluish white below. The male and female are nearly alike in colour. t BLUE GROSBEAK. 367 BLUE GROSBEAK. (Loxia c/,ttt St ,ni '" f T^'v^ ^^^''^ '' '" '^' ^''^^'S' beside me. A? i "'."n ^ '^^''•^^' ^''^^ composure, dozing, and gazing a the fire tdl mormng. In this manner I carried it upwards of a thousand miles m my pocket, where it was exposed all day to the jo Itmg of the horse, but regularly liberated at meal times and m the evening, at which it always expressed great satisfaction. In passing through the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations, the Indians wherever I stopped to feed collected around me, men. women, and children, lau-hin^' and seeming wonderfully amused with the novelty of rav companion. The Chickasaws called it in their language Kehnhj ; but when they heard me call it Poll, they soon repeated the name ; and, wherever I chanced to stop among these people, we soon became familiar with each other throu-h the medium of Poll. On arriving at Mr Dunbar's, below JNatchez, I procured a cage, and placed it under the piazza where by its call it soon attracted the passing flocks • such is the attachment they have for each other. Numerou's parties frequently alighted on the trees immediately above, keeping up a constant conversation with the prisoner. One of these I wounded slightly in the wing, and the pleasure Poll expressed on meeting with this new companion was really amusin- She crept close up to it as it hung on the side of the ca-e''- chattered to it in a low tone of voice, as if sympathising in^its misfortune ; scratched about its head and neck with her bill ; and both at night nestled as close as possible to each other, sometimes Poll's head being thrust among the pluraa-e of the other. On the death of this companion, she appeared restless and inconsolable for several days. On reachin*^ New Orleans, I placed a looking glass beside the place where she usually sat, and the instant she perceived her image, all her former fondness seemed to return, so that she could scarcely absent herself from it a moment. It was evident that she was completely deceived. Always when evening drew on and often during the day, she laid her head close to that of VOL.1. 2 b 386 CAROLINA PARROT. the image in the glass, and began to doze with great com- posure and satisfaction. In this short space she had learnt to know her name ; to answer, and come when called on ; to climb up ray clothes, sit on ray shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I took her with me to sea, determined to persevere in her education ; but, destined to another fate, poor Poll, having one morning, about daybreak, wrought her way through the cage while I was asleep, instantly flew overboard and perished in the Gulf of Mexico. The Carolina, or Illinois parrot (for it has been described under both these appellations), is thirteen inches long, and twenty- one in extent; forehead and cheeks, orange red; beyond this, for an inch and a half, down and round the neck, a rich and pure yellow ; shoulder and bend of the wing, also edged with rich orange red. The general colour of the rest of the plumage is a bright yellowish silky green, with light blue reflections, lightest and most diluted with yellow below ; greater wing-coverts and roots of the primaries yellow, slightly tinged with green; interior webs of the primaries, deep dusky purple, almost black, exterior ones bluish green ; tail, long, cuneiform, consisting of twelve feathers, the exterior one only half the length, the others increasing to the middle ones which are streaked along the middle with light blue ; shafts of all the larger feathers, and of most part of the green plumage, black ; knees and vent, orange yellow; feet, a pale whitish flesh colour; claws, black ; bill, white, or slightly tinged with pale cream ; iris of the eye hazel ; round the eye is a small space without feathers, covered with a whitish skin ; nostrils placed in an elevated membrane at the base of the bill, and covered with feathers ; chin, wholly bare of feathers, but concealed by those descending on each side ; from each side of the palate hangs a lobe or skin of a blackish colour ; tongue, thick and fleshy ; inside of the upper mandible near the point, grooved exactly like a file, that it may hold with more security. The female differs very little in her colours and markings I CAROLINA PARROT. 387 from tl.e male. After examining nnraerouH BpecImenR, the lollowing appear to be the principal differences : The yellow on the neck of the female does not descend quite so far ; the interior vanes of the primaries are brownish, instead pf black and the orange red on the bend and edges of the winecies is five inches and a half long, and eight in extent ; i jrehead, cheeks, and chin, yellow, surrounded with a hood oi bkciv, that covers the crown, hind head, and part of the iH ck, and descends, rounding over the breast ; all the rest of the lower parts are rich yellow ; upper parts of the wings, the tail, and back, yellow olive ; interior vanes, and tips of the wing and tail, dusky ; bill, black ; legs, flesh coloured ; inner webs of the three exterior tail feathers, white for half their length from the tips ; .the next, slightly touched with white ; the tail slightly forked, and exteriorly edged with rich yellow olive. The female has the throat and breast yellow, slightly tinged with blackish; the black does not reach so far down the upper part of the neck, and is not of so deep a tint. In the other parts of her plumage she exactly resembles the male. I have found some females that had little or no black on the head or neck above ; but these I took to be young birds, not yet arrived at their full tints. GREEN BLA CK- CAP'i FL YCA TCHER. 391 GEEEN BLACK-CAPT FLYCATCHER {Mmcka'pa pusilla.) PLATE XXVI.-FiG. 4, Peak's Mustum, No. 7785. SETOPHAGA f TT/ZSOiV//. -Jardine,* Sylvia Wilsonii, Bonap. Synop. p. 86.— Nomenclature, No. 127. This neat and active little species I have never met with in the works of any European natuialist. It is an inhabitant of the swamps of the southern states, and has been several times seen in the lower parts of the states of New Jersey and Delaware. Amidst almost unapproachable thickets of deep morasses it commonly spends its time during summer, and has a sharp squeaking note, nowise musical. It leaves the southern states early in October. This species is four inches and a half long, and six and a half in extent ; front line over the eye, and whole lower parts, yellow, brightest over the eye, and dullest on the cheeks, belly, and vent, where it is tinged with olive ; upper parts, olive green ; wings and tail, dusky brown, the former very short ; legs and bill, flesh coloured ; crown, covered with a patch of deep black ; iris of the eye, hazel. The female is without the black crown, having that part of a dull yellow olive, and is frequently mistaken for a distinct species. From her great resemblance, however, in other respects, to the male, now first figured, she cannot hereafter be mistaken. * The Prince of Musignano has never seen this species, but was of opinion that it would prove a Sylvia; and the specific, name being preoccupied, he chose that of its discoverer. I have retained hrls specific name, though the reason of the change will not now be available. The services of Wilson, however, can scarcely be overpaid, and the reputa- tion of no one is here implicated. — Ed. 392 PINNATED GROUSE. PINNATED GKOUSE. {Tetmo cupido.) PLATE XXVII.— Fig. 1, Linn. fiy»t. {. p. 27i-b.-Lath. ii. p. 7iO.~Arct. ^ool.-La Gelinote huppe'e d'Amenque, BHss. Om. i. p. 212, lO.-Urogalus minor, fuscus cervice, plumis alas imitantibuH donata. Catesb. Car. App. pi. 1.— Tetrao lagogus, the Mountain Cock, or Grouse, Bariram, p. 290. -Heath Hen, Prairie Hen, Barren 'aen.—Peale's Museum, No. 4700, male; 4701, female. TETRAO CUPIDO.—UmjEva. Attagan Americana, Bnsaon, i. p. 59. -Pinnated Heathcock, Bonasa cupido, Steph. Sh. Cont. xi. p. 299.— Tetrao cupido, Bonap. Synop. p. 126. Before I enter on a detail of the observations which I have myself personally made on this singular species, I shall lay before the reader a comprehensive and very circumstantial memoir on the subject, communicated to me by the writer, Dr Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York, whose exertions, both in his public and private capacity, in behalf of science, and in elucidating the natural history of his country, are well known, and highly honourable to his distinguished situation and abilities. That peculiar tract, generally known by the name of the Brushy Plains of Long Island, having been, for time immemorial, the resort of the bird now before us, some account of this particular range of country seemed necessarily connected with the subject, and has, accordingly, been obligingly attended to by the learned professor. "New York, Sept. 19, 1810. . " Dear Sir,— It gives me much pleasure to reply to your letter of the 12th instant, asking of me information concerning the grouse of Long Island. " The birds which are known there emphatically by the name of grouse, inhabit chiefly the forest range. This district of the island may be estimated as being between forty and fifty miles in length, extending from Bethphage, in Queen's County, to the neighbourhood of the court-house, in Suflblk. Its ftrmnntt^tn Xotiirr fn .1 iiVfmi fir.:iri:' z d hv I'.'il l^ : ST s i: '^l.y^ "■', PINNATED GROUSE. 393 breadth is not more than six or seven. For, although the island is bounded by the Sound, separating it from Connec- ticut on the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, there is a margin of several miles, ou each side, in the actual possession of human beings. " The region in which these birds reside, lies mostly within the towns of Oysterbay, Huntington, Islip, Smithtowu, and Brookhaven ; though it would be incorrect to say, that they were not to be met with sometimes in Kiverhead and South- ampton. Their territory has been defined by some sportsmen, as situated between Hampstead Plain on the west, and Shinne- cock Plain on the east. " The more popular name for them is heath-hens. By this they are designated in the act of our legislature for the preser- vation of them and of other game. I well remember the pass- ing of this law. The bill was introduced by Cornelius J. Bogert, Esq., a member of the Assembly from the city of New York. It was in the month of February 1791, the year when, as a representative from my native county of Queens, I sat for the first time, in a legislature. " The statute declares, among other things, that the person who shall kill any heath-hen within the counties of Suffolk or Queens, between the 1st day of April and the 5th day of October, shall, for every such oifence, forfeit and pay the sura of two dollars and a half, to be recovered, with costs of suit, by any person who shall prosecute for the same, before any justice of the peace, in either of the said counties; the one half to be paid to the plaintifl", and the other half to the over- seers of the poor ; and if any heath-hen, so killed, shall be found in the possession of any person, he shall be deemed guilty of the offence, and suffer the penalty. But it is pro- vided, that no defendant shall be convicted, unless the action shall be brought within three months after the violation of the law.* The doctor has probably forgotten a circumatance of rather a ludicrous kind, that occurred at the passing of this law, and r.hich was, M 394 PINNATED GROUSE. "The country selected by these exquisite birds, requires a more particular description. You already understand it to be the midland and interior district of the island. The soil of this island is, generally speakinn:, a sandy or gravelly loam. In the parts less adapted to tillage, it is more of an unmixed sand. This is so much the case, that the shore of the beaches beaten by the ocean affords a material from which glass has been prepared. SiHcious grains and particles predominate in the region chosen by the heath-hens or grouse. Here there are no rocks, and very few stones of any kind. This sandy tract appears to bo a dereliction of the ocean, but is, neverthe- less, not doomed to total sterility. Many thousand acres have been reclaimed from the wild state, and rendered very produc- tive to man ; and within the towns frequented by these birds, there are numerous inhabitants, and among them, some of our most wealthy fsrniers. " But within the same limits, there are also tracts of great extent where men have no settlements, and others where the population is spare and scanty. These are, however, by no means, naked deserts: they are, on the contrary, covered with trees, shrubs, and smaller plants. The trees are mostly pitch- pines of Inferior size, and white oaks of a small growth. They are of a quality very fit for burning. Thousands of cords of both sorts of firewood are annually exported from these barrens. Vast quantities are occasionally destroyed by the fires which, through carelessness or accident, spread far and wide through the woods. The, city of New York will pro'>ably, for ages, derive fuel from the grouse grounds. The land, after having been cleared, yields to the cultivator poor crops. Unless, therefore, he can help it by manure, the best not long ago, related to me by my friend Mr Gardiner, of Gardiner's Island, Long Island. The bill Avas entitled, " An Act for the preserva- tion ot Heath-hen and other game." The honest chairman of the Assembly-no sportsman, I suppose-read the title, "An Act for the preservation of Emthm, and other game !" which seemed to astonish the northern members, who could not see the propriety of preserving hidmns, or any other heathen. PINNATED GROUSE.- 395 disposition is to let it grow up to forest again. Experience has proved, that, in a term of forty or fifty years, the new growth of timber will be fit for the axe. Hence it may be perceived, that the reproduction of tree?, and the protection they afford to heath-hens, would be perpetual, or, in other words, not circumscribed by any calculable time, provided the persecutors of the latter would be quiet. " Beneath these trees grow more dwarfish oaks, overspread- ing the surface, sometimes with here and there a shrub, and sometimes a thicket. These latter are from about two to ten feet in height. Where they are the principal product, they are called, in common conversation, hrusli, as the flats on which they gjow are termed brushy plains. Among this hardy shrubbery may frequently be seen the creeping vegetable named the partridgeberry, covering the sand with its lasting verdure. In many spots, the plant which produces hurtle- berries sprouts up among the other natives of the soil. These are the more important ; though I ought to inform you, that the hills reaching from east to west, and forming the spine of the island, support kalmias, hickories, and many other species ; that I have seen azalias and andromedas, as I passed through the wilderness ; and that, where there is water, craneberries, alders, beeches, maples, and other lovers of moisture, take their stations. "This region, situated thus between the more thickly inhabited strips, or belts, on the north and south sides of the island, is much travelled by waggons, and intersected, accord- ingly, by a great number of paths. " As to the birds themselves, the information I possess scarcely amounts to an entire history. You, who know the difficulty of collecting facts, will be the most ready to excuse my deficiencies. The information I give you is such as I rely on. For the purpose of gathering the materials, I have repeatedly visited their haunts. I have likewise conversed with several men who were brought up at the precincts of the grouse ground, who had been witnesses of their habits and manners. 396 PINNATED GROUSE. who were accustomed to shoot them for the market, and who have acted as guides to gentlemen wlio go there for s^)ort. ** Bulk. — An adult grouse, when fat, weighs as much as a barn-door fowl of moderate size, or about three pounds avoirdupois. But the eagerness of the sportsmen is so great, that a large proportion of those they idll are but a few months old, and have not attained their complete growth. Notwith- standing the protection of the law, it is very common to disregard it. The retired nature of the situation favours this. It is well understood that an arrangement can be made which will blind and silence informers, and that the gun is fired with impunity for weeks before the time prescribed in the act. To prevent this unfair and unlawful practice, an association was formed a few years ago, under the title of the Brush Club, with the express and avowed intention of enforcing the game law. Little benefit, however, has resulted from its laudable exertions ; and under a conviction that it was impossible to keep the poachers away, the society declined. At present the statute may be considered as operating very little towards their preservation. Grouse, especially full-grown ones, are becoming less frequent. Their numbers are gradually dimi- nishing ; and, assailed as they are on all sides, almost without cessation, their scarcity may be viewed as foreboding their eventual extermination. "Price. — Twenty years ago, a brace of grouse could be bought for a dollar. They now cost from three to five dollars. A handsome pair seldom sells in the, New York market now- a-days for less than thirty shillings [three dollars, seventy-five cents], nor for more than forty [five dollars]. These prices indicate, indeed, the depreciation of money and the luxury of eating. They prove, at the same time, that grouse are become rare ; and this fact is admitted by every man who seeks them, whether for pleasure or for profit. " Amours. — The season for pairing is in March, and the breeding time is continued through April and May. Then the male grouse distinguishes himself by a peculiar sound. PINiWATED GROUSE. 397 When he utters it, the parts about the throat are senfiihly inflated and swelled. It may be heard on a still morning for three or more miles ; some say they have perceived it as far as five or six. This noise is a sort of ventriloquism. It does not strike the ear of a bystander with much force, but im- presses him with the idea, though produced within a few rods of him, of a voice a mile or two distant. This note is highly characteristic. Though very pecjiliar, it is termed tooting, from its resemblance to the blowing of a conch or horn from a remote quarter. The female makes the nest on the ground, in recesses very rarely discovered by men. She usually lays from ten to twelve eggs. Their colour is of a brownish, much resembling those of a guinea hen. When hatched, the brood is protected by her alone. Surrounded by her young, the mother bird exceedingly resembles a domestic hen and chickens. She frequently leads them to feed in the roads crossing the woods, on the remains of maize and oats contained in the dung dropped by the travelling horses. In that employment they are often surprised by the passengers. On such occasions the dam utters a cry of alarm. The little ones immediately scamper to the brush ; and while they are skulking into places of safety, their anxious parent beguiles the spectator by drooping and fluttering her wings, limping along the path, rolling over in the dirt, and other pretences of inability to walk or fly. " Food. — A favourite article of their diet is the heath-hen plum, or partridgeberry before mentioned. They are fond of hurtleberries and craneberries. Worms and insects of several kinds are occasionally found in their crops. But, in the winter, they subsist chiefly on acorns, and the buds of trees which have shed their leaves. In their stomachs have been sometimes observed the leaves of a plant supposed to be a winter green ; and it is said, when they are much pinched, they betake themselves to the buds of the pine. In convenient places, they have been known to enter cleared fields, and regale themselves on the leaves of clover ; and old gunners i * ,)■ Fit ■.; j i' \ ; > II 1 ' IMAGE gVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) :/. 0 1.0 I.I 11.25 12.8 lio 1 2.5 !tf 144 '^ 2.2 1^ ^ It? m WUu IIIIU U ill 1.6 ^^ Va 7 /A 7 HiotDgraphic Sciences Corpomtion 23 WeST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)«72-4J03 V 398 PINNATED GROUSE. have reported, that they have been known to trespass upon patches of buckwheat, and pick up the grains. "Migration. — They are stationary, and never known to quit their abode. There are no facts shewing in them any disposition to migration. On frosty mornings, and during snows, they perch on the upper branches of pine trees. They avoid wet and swampy places, and are remarkably attached to dry ground. The low and open brush is preferred to high shrubbery and thickets. Into these latter places they fly for refuge when closely pressed by the hunters ; and here, under a stiff and impenetrable cover, they escape the pursuit of dogs and men. Water is so seldom met with on the true grouse ground, that it is necessary to carry it along for the pointers to drink. The flights of grouse are short, but sudden, rapid, and whirring. I have not heard of any success in taming them. They seem to resist all attempts at domestication. In this, as well as in many other respects, they resemble the quail of New York, or the partridge of Pennslyvania. " Manners. — During the period of mating, and while the females are occupied in incubation, the males have a practice of assembling, principally by themselves. To some select and central spot, where there is very little underwood, they repair from the adjoining district. From the exercises performed there, this is called a scratching place. The time of meeting is the break of day. As soon as the light appears, the company assembles from every side, sometimes to the number of forty or fifty. When the dawn is past, the ceremony begins by a low tooting from one of the cocks. This is answered by another. They then come forth one by one from the bushes, and strut about with all the pride and ostentation they can display. Their necks are incurvated ; the feathers on them are erected into a sort of ruff ; the plumes of the tails are expanded like fans ; they strut about in a style resembling, as nearly as small may be illustrated by great, the pomp of the turkey cock. They seem to vie with each other in stateliness ; and, as they pass each other, frequently cast looks of insult, l§ PINNATED GROUSE. 399 and utter notes of defiance. These are the signals for battles. They engage with wonderful spirit and fierceness. During these contests, they leap a foot or two from the ground, and utter a cackling, screaming, and discordant cry. "They have been found in these places of resort even earlier than the appearance of light in the east. This fact has led to the belief that a part of them assemble over night. The rest join them in the morning. This leads to the farther belief that they roost on the ground. And the opinion is confirmed by the discovery of little rings of dung, apparently deposited by a flock which had passed the night together. After the appearance of the sun they disperse. " These places of exhibition have been often discovered by the hunters ; and a fatal discovery it has been for the poor grouse. Their destroyers construct for themselves lurking holes made of pine branches, called hough houses, within a few yards of the parade. Hither they repair with their fowling- pieces, in the latter part of the night, and wait the appearance of the birds. Watching the moment when two are proudly eyeing each other, or engaged in battle, or when a greater number can be seen in a range, they pour on them a de- structive charge of shot. This annoyance has been given in so many places, and to such extent, that the grouse, after having been repeatedly disturbed, are afraid to assemble. On approaching the spot to which their instinct prompts them, they perch on the neighbouring trees, instead of alighting at the scratching place. And it remains to be observed, how far the restless and tormenting spirit of the marksmen may alter the native habits of the grouse, and oblige them to betake themselves to new ways of life. " They commonly keep together in coveys, or packs, as the phrase is, until the pairing season. A full pack consists, of course, of ten or a dozen. Two packs have been known to associate. I lately heard of one whose number amounted to twenty-two. They are so unapt to be startled, that a hunter assisted by a dog, has been able to shoot almost a whole pack. H . ■■B "ii :. §. i I i I" iii ii ll 400 PINNATED GROUSE. without making any of them take wing. In like manner, the men lying in concealment near the scratching places have been known to discharge several guns before either the report of the explosion, or the sight of their wounded and dead fellows, would rouse them to flight. It has farther been re- marked, that when a company of sportsmen have surrounded a pack of grouse, the birds seldom or never rise upon their pinions while they are encircled ; but each runs along until it passes the person that is nearest, and then flutters off with the utmost expedition. "As you have made no inquiry of me concerning the ornithological character of these birds, I have not mentioned it, presuming that you are already perfectly acquainted with their classification and description. In a short memoir written in 1803, and printed in the eighth volume of the Medical Repository, I ventured an opinion as to the genus and species. Whether 1 was correct is a technical matter, which I leave you to adjust. I am well aware that European accounts of our productions are often erroneous, and require revision and amendment. This you must perform. For me it remains to repeat my joy at the opportunity your invitation has afforded me to contribute somewhat to your elegant work, and at the same time to assure you of my earnest hope that you may be favoured with ample means to complete it. " Samuel L. Mitchill." Duly sensible of the honour of the foregoing communication, and grateful for the good wishes with which it is concluded', I shall now, in farther elucidation of the subject, subjoin a few particulars properly belonging to my own department. It is somewhat extraordinary that the European naturalists, in their various accounts of our different species of grouse,' should have said little or nothing of the one now before us^ which, in its voice, manners, and peculiarity of plumage, is the most singular, and, in its flesh, the most excellent, of all those of its tribe that inhabit the territory of the United States. PINNATED GROUSE. 401 It seems to have escaped Catesby during his residence and different tours through this country, and it was not till more than twenty years after his return to England, viz in 1743 that he first saw some of these birds, as he informs us. at Cheswick, the seat of the Earl of Wilmington. His lordship said they came from America ; but from what particular part could not tell * Buffon has confounded it with the ruffed grouse, the common partridge of New England, or pheasant of Pennsylvania {Tetrao umhellus) '.m^xx^^ and Pennant have however, discovered that it is a different species; but have said little of its note, of its flesh, or peculiarities ; for, alas ! there was neither voice, nor action, nor delicacy of flavour in the shrunk and decayed skin from which the former took his figure, and the latter his description ; and to this circumstance must be attributed the barrenness and defects of both. That the curious may have an opportunity of examining to more advantage this singular bird, a figure of the male is here given, as large as life, drawn with great care from the most perfect of several elegant specimens shot in the Barrens of Kentucky. He is represented in the act of struUing, as it is called, while with inflated throat he produces that extraordi- nary sound so familiar to every one who resides in his vicinity, and which has been described in the foregoing account. So very novel and characteristic did the action of these birds ap- pear to me at first sight, that, instead of shooting them down, I sketched their attitude hastily on the spot, while concealed among a brush heap, with seven or eight of them within a short distance. Three of these I afterwards carried home with me. This rare bird, though an inhabitant of different and very distant districts of North America, is extremely particular in selecting his place of residence ; pitching only upon those tracts whose features and productions correspond with his modes of life, and avoiding immense intermediate regions that he never visits. Open dry plains, thinly interspersed with trees, or partially overgrown with shrub oak, are his favourite haunts. Accordingly we find these birds on the * Catesby, Car. p. 101 App. VOL. I. 2c 402 PINNATED GROUSE. grouse plains of New Jersey, in Burlington county, as well aa on the brushyplains of Long Island ; among thepines and shrub oaks of Pocano, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania ; over the whole extent of the Barrens of Kentucky ; on the luxuriant plains and prairies of the Indiana Territory, and Upper Louisi- ana ; and, according to the information of the late Governor Lewis, on the vast and remote plains of the Colunabia Eiver : in all these places preserving the same singular habits. Their predilection for such situations will be best accounted for by considering the following facts and circumstances : — First, their mode of flight is generally direct, and laborious, and ill calculated for the labyrinth of a high and thick forest, crowded and intersected with trunks and arms of trees, that require continual angular evolution of wing, or sudden turn- ings, to which they are by no means accustomed. I have always observed them to avoid the high timbered groves that occur here and there in the Barrens. Connected with this fact, is a circumstance related to me by a very respectable inhabitant of that country, viz., that one forenoon a cock grouse struck the stone chimney of his house with such force, as instantly to fall dead to the ground. Secondly, their known dislike of ponds, marshes, or watery places, which they avoid on all occasions, drinking but seldom, and, it is believed, never from such places. Even in confinement this peculiaiity has been taken notice of. While I was in the state of Temiesee, a person living within a few miles of Nashville had caught an old hen grouse in a trap ; and, being obliged to keep her in a large cage, as she struck and abused the rest of the poultry, lie remarked that she never drank, and that she even avoided that quarter of the cage where the cup containing the water was placed. Happen- ing, one day, to let some water fall on the cage, it triclded down in drops along the bars, which the bird no sooner observed, than she eagerly picked them off, drop by drop, with a dexterity that showed she had been habituated to this mode of quenching her thirst ; and probably, to this mode only, in those dry and barren tracts, where, except the drops PINNATED GROUSE. 403 Of dew, and drops of rain, water is very rarely to be met with For the space of a week l,e watched her closely, to discover whe her s^ie still refused to drink; but, though she was con- stantly fed on Indian-corn, the cup and water still remained un ouched and untasted. Yet no sooner did he again sprinkle waeronthebarsof the cage, than she eagerly and lapidly picked them off as before. The last, and, probably, the strongest inducement to their preferrmg these plains, is the small acorn of the shrub oak • the strawberries, huckleberries, and partridge-berries, with w'hich they abound, and which constitute the principal part of the food of these birds. These brushy thickets also aflford them excellent shelter, bemg almost impenetrable to dogs or birds of prey In all these places where they inhabit, they are in the strictest sense of the word, resident ; having their particular haunts, and places of rendezvous (as described in the preced- ing account), to which they are strongly attached. Yet they have been known to abandon an entire tract of such country when, from whatever cause it might proceed, it became again covered with forest. A few miles south of the town of York m Pennsylvania, commences an extent of country, formerly of the character described, now chiefly covered with wood but still retaining the name of Barrens. In the recollection of an old man born in that part of the country, this tract abounded mth grouse. The timber growing up. in progress of years, these birds totally disappeared ; and, for a long period of time he had seen none of them, until, migrating with his family to Kentucky, on entering the Barrens, he one morning reco<^- nised the well-known music of his old acquaintance, the grouse; which, he assures me, are the very same with those he had known in Pennsylvania. But what appears to me the most remarkable circumstance relative to this bird, is, tlnit not one of all those writers who have attempted its history, have taken the least notice of those two extraordinary bags of yellow skin which mark the neck of the male, and which constitute so striking a pecul iarity. These appear to be formed by an expansion of the gullet, as well as 404 PINNATED GROUSii, of the exterior skin of the neck, which, when the hird is at rest, hangs in loose, pendulous, wrinkled folds, along the side of the neck, the supplemental wings, at the same time, as well as when the hird is flying, lying along the neck, in the manner represented in one of the distant figures on the plate. But when these hags are inflated with air, in hreeding time, they are equal in size, and very much resemhle in colour, a middle sized fully ripe orange. By means of this curious apparatus, which is very ohservahle several hundred yards off, he is enahled to produce the extraordinary sound mentioned above, which, though it may easily be imitated, is yet difficult to describe by words. It consists of three notes, of the same tone, resembling those produced by the night hawks in their rapid descent; each strongly accented, the last being twice as long as the others. When several are thus engaged, the ear is unable to distinguish the regularity of these triple notes, there being, at such times, one continued bumming, which is disagreeable and perplexing, from the impossibility of ascertaining from what distance or even quarter it proceeds. While uttering this, the bird exhibits all the ostentatious gesticulations of a turkey cock ; erecting and fluttering his neck wings, wheeling and passing before the female, and close before his fellows, as in defiance. Now and then are heard some rapid crackling notes, not unlike that of a person tickled to excessive laughter ; and, in short, one can scarcely listen to them without feeling disposed to laugh from sympathy. These are uttered by the males while engaged in fight, on which occasion they leap up against each other, exactly in the manner of turkeys, seemingly with more malice than effect. This bumming continues from a little before daybreak to eight or nine o'clock in the morning, when the parties separate to seek for food. Fresh ploughed fields, in the vicinity of their resorts, are sure to be visited by these birds every morning, and frequently also in the evening. On one of these I counted, at one time, seventeen males, most of whom were in the attitude repre- sented in the plate ; making such a continued sound, as, I am persuaded, might have been heard for more than a mile off. PINNATED GROUSE. 405 The people of the Barrens informed me, that, when the weather becomes severe with enow, tliey approach the barn and farmhouse, are sometimes seen sitting on the fences in dozens, mix with the poultry, and glean up the scattered grains of Indian-corn, seeming almost half domesticated. At such times, great numbers are taken in traps. No pains, however, or regular plan, has ever been persisted in, as far as I was in- formed, to domesticate these delicious birds. A Mr Reed, who lives between the Pilot Knobs and Bairdstown, told me,' that, a few years ago, one of his sons found a grouse's nest, with fifteen eggs, which he brought home, and immediately placed below a hen then sitting, taking away her own. The nest of the grouse was on the ground, under a tussock of long grass, formed with very little art, and few materials; the eggs were brownish white, and about the size of a pullet's. In three or four days the whole were hatched. Instead of follow- ing the hen, they compelled her to run after them, distracting her with the extent and diversity of their wanderings ; and it was a day or two before they seemed to understand her lan- guage, or consent to be guided by her. They were let out to the fields, where they paid little regard to their nurse ; and, in a few days, only three of them remained. 'JMiese became extremely tame and familiar ; were most expert flycatchers ; but, soon after, they also disappeared. The pinnated grouse is nineteen inches long, twenty-seven inches in extent, and, when in good order, weighs about three pounds and a half ; the neck is furnished with supplemental wings, each composed of eighteen feathers, five of which are black, and about three inches long ; the rest shorter, also black, streaked laterally with brown, and of unequal lengths ; the head is slightly crested ; over the eye is an elegant semicircular comb of rich orange, which the bird has the power of raising or relaxing ; under the neck wings are two loose, pendulous, and wrinkled skins, extending along the side of the neck for two-thirds of its length; each of which, when inflated with air, resembles in bulk, colour, and surface, a middle-sized orange ; chin, cream coloured ; under the eye runs a dark streak of ■^ I i i 4o6 BLUE GREEN WARBLER. brown ; whole upper parts, mottled transversely with black, reddisU brown, and white ; tail sho -t, very much roimded, and of a plain brownish soot colour ; throat, elegantly marked with touches of reddish brown, white, and black ; lower part of the breast and belly, pale brown, marked transversely with white ; legs, covered to the toes with hairy down of a dirty drab colour ; feet, dull yellow ; toes, pectinated ; vent, whitish ; bill, brownish horn colour ; eye, reddish hazel. The female is considerably less ; of a lighter colour, destitute of the neck wings, the naked yellow skin on the neck, and the semicircular comb of yellow over the eye. On dissecting these birds, the gizzard was found extremely muscular, having almost the hardness of a stone; the heart remarkably large ; the crop was filled with brier knots, con- taining the larvtB of some insect, quantities of a species of green lichen, small hard seeds, and some grains of Indian corn. BLUE-GREEN WAEBLER. {Sylvia rara.) PLATE XXVII. -Fig. 2. Peale'i Museum, No. 7788. * VERMIVORA iJ^JLl.-jAHDiNE.* Sylvia rara, Bonap. Synop. p. 82.— Aud. pi. 49, male ; Om. Biog. i. p. 258. This new species, the only one of its sort I have yet met with, was shot on the banks of Cumberland River, about the be- * This species was discovered by Wilson, and does not seem to have been again met with by any ornithologist except Mr Audubon, who has figured it, and added somewhat to our knowledge of its manners. "It is rare in the middle districts, and is only found in the dark recesses of the Pine Swamp. On its passage through the States, it ap- pears in Louisiana in April. They are met with in Kentucky, in Ohio, upon the Missouri, and along Lake Erie." Mr Audubon has never seen the nest. In spring the song is soft and mellow, and not heard be- yond the distance of a few paces ; it is performed at intervals, between the times at which the bird secures an insect, vi^hich it does with great expertness, either on the wing, or among the leaves of the trees and bushes. While catching it on the wing, it produces a slight clicking sound with its bill, like Vireo. It also, like them, eats small berries. NASHVILLE WARBLER. 407 ginning of April, and the drawing made with care immediately after. Whether male or female. I am uncertain. It is one of those birds that usually glean among the high branches of the tallest trees, which renders it difficult to be procured. It was darting about with great nimbleness among the loaves and appealed to have many of the habits of the flycatcher! After several ineffectual excursions in search of another of the same kind, with which I might compare the present, I am obliged to introduce it with this brief account. The specimen has been deposited in Mr Poale's museum. The blue green warbler is four inches and a lialf lono-, and seven and a half iu extent ; the upper parts are verdite",' tinged with pale green, brightest on the front and forehead '; lores, line over the eye. throat, and whole lower parts, very pale cream ; cheeks, slightly tinged with greenish ; bill and legs, bright light blue, except the upper mandible, which i. dusky ; tail, forked, and, as well as the wings, brownish black^ the former marked on the three exterior vanes with white, and edged with greenish ; the latter having the first and second row of coverts tipt with white. Note, a feeble chirp. NASHVILLE WAKBLER. {Sylvia ruficapilla.) PLATE XXVII.— Fig. 3. Peak's Museum, No. 7789. VERM IVOR A RUBRICAPILLA.~^viAimo^* Sylvia rubrioapilla, Wih. Catal.-Bonap. Synop. p. 87.-Sylvicola (Vermivora) rubncapilla. North. Zool. ii. p. 220. -The Nashville Wai-bler, Aud d1 89 • Orn. Biog. i. p. 450. ^ ' The very uncommon notes of this little bird were familiar to me for several days before I succeeded in obtaining it. These particularly towards autumn, when insects begin to fail. There seems little difference bet^veen the sexes. Such is the most important informa- tion given by Mr Audubon.— Ed. * Wilson discovered this species, and afterwards, in his "Catalogue of Birds in the United States," changed the specific name as above. °Like 408 NASHVILLE WARBLER. notes very nmch resembled tlio brenkirif? of smnll dry twi<;8, or the striking of small pebbles of different sizes smartly ajrainst each other for six or seven times, and lond enough to be heard at the distance of thirty or forty yards. It was some time before I could ac.iertain whether the sound pro- ceeded from a bird or an insect. At length I discovered the bird, and was not a little gratified at finding it an entire new and hitherto undescribed species. I was also fortunate enough to meet afterwards with two others exactly corresponding with the first, all of them being males. These were shot in the State of Tennessee, not far from Nashville. It had all the agility and aclive habits of its family, the worm-eaters. The length of this species is four inches and a half, breadth, seven inches ; the upper parts of the head and neck, light ash, a little inclining to olive ; crown, spotted with deep chestnut in small touches ; a pale yellowish ring round the eye ; whole lower parts, vivid yellow, except the middle of the belly, which is white ; back, yellow olive, slightly skirted with ash ; rump and tail-coverts, rich yellow olive ; wings, nearly black, broadly edged with olive ; tail, slightly forked, and very dark olive ; legs, ash ; feet, dirty yellow ; bill, tapering to a fine point, and dusky ash ; no white on wings or tail ; eye, hazel. the last, it seems very rare ; Wilson saw only three ; Auflubon, three or four ; and a sinrjle individual was shot by the Overland Arctic E.ic- pedition. " The latter was killed hopping about the branches of a tree, and emitting a creaking noise something like the whetting of a saw." The nest does not yet seem to be known, — Ed. END OF VOLUME I. 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